Duplicity
By Divamercury
Well, I have returned. I could have sworn that I had posted this before but the site decided not to accept it the first time around. Oh, well. *sighs heavily* But here is Chapter 2, which seems to have been anxiously anticipated. Thanks so much for all your support, all of you, and special thanks to Pixie-Dust and Spin for your help and being awesome friends! I love you all!
~DM
Chapter 2
It seemed to be a woman's head from the look of the long blonde hair and feminine features, even though its left eye was missing and there was a deep gash across the right cheek that went down to the bone. It was pretty mutilated and I swallowed a wave of nausea at the sight and stench. I looked at the side of the box, noticing that the blood was staining the bottom and beginning to seep through the box itself and the brown paper covering it.
Laredo finally regained his voice. "SoI understand your reaction, Detective."
"Yeah, well, I think we found the head belonging to that body from the Cumberland St. alley. Send this to Vicki Po in the morgue right away."
Laredo nodded and waved Jones back over to the desk. Unfortunately he was the one that had to carry the box out of the office. I winced as I watched it drip on the floor as he walked.
"Well, at least we found the head," Connor said, following Jones with his eyes and turning a bit green again.
"Yeahjust wonder why the killer found me. And why he sent it directly to me."
The day went steadily downhill from there. Connor asked a myriad of foolish questions about the box that I couldn't answer and Jones swung by my office, the bearer of bad news.
"What's up, Jones? Any news?"
"Sorry to be the one to tell you, Pez, but they don't know what caused the girl's death yet, or even who she is."
"What do you mean, they don't know yet?" I asked.
"Vicki said that the tests wouldn't come in until tomorrow at the soonest but it could take up to three days," Jones replied.
"Spectacular," I groaned, and Jones left.
I spent the day alternating going over paperwork (which I loathe) and staring at the note that had accompanied the box. The killer had maliciously made an awful pun using the word "head," but that was all I could figure out. I sighed, my face in my hands, and then glanced at my watch. I got out of my chair.
"Where're you going, Pez?" Connor inquired.
"To see Laredo," I replied, and continued to Laredo's office. It was 5:30 and I was originally scheduled to stay until 8:00. But I knew that wasn't going to work. Not today. My brain couldn't settle down. I pounded on the door once before opening the door anyway.
"Sir, could I take the rest of the day off?"
He put down the file he was reading and sighed. "Come in, Pezzini."
"Too late," I said. I was already in.
"Well, I suppose so, to answer your question. But don't get used to it, Pezzini. You had a pretty rough day, especially it being your first day back after so long, and that's the only reason I'm letting you off."
Finally a Captain with senseand who pronounced my name correctly.
"Thank you, sir," I said, and went back to my office to get my gear.
"Skipping out on me, Pez?" Connor asked. Apparently my grin left me looking like the cat that ate the canary.
"Not exactly. Well, I don't see it that way. Laredo said I could have the rest of the day off."
"After you asked."
"Well, how else would he have known what I wanted?" I said with a wink. "Anyway, I'll see you tomorrow morning bright and early. Don't miss me too much." I picked up my gear and prepared to leave.
"Hey, uhPez?" Connor asked as I was almost out the door.
I whirled around and looked at him. "Yeah?"
"Are you free tonight after work?" The words left him in a rush.
Connor was trying to ask me out? How cute. And he actually wasn't that bad looking, with those baby blue eyes and the sandy brown hair, but I couldn't forget he was my partnerand that I had someone waiting for me at home.
"Sorry, Connor. I'm booked," I said, grinning apologetically. "See you tomorrow." I really hated to shut him down like that, but I definitely had a good reasonone that looked really great in a trench coat.
In the months since the ordeal with the Speakers, Ian and I had gotten a lot closer. He refused to return to Irons when the bastard caved in and came close to begging and shyly asked to stay with me. I couldn't—wouldn't—turn him down, especially after I had finally come to terms with how I felt about himand after he gave me one of his famous looks.
Ian turned out to be a great person to live with. He was extremely neat, almost obsessively so, and kept the place up to standards nicer than they had been when I first bought it. He was also great in the kitchen, so much so that his cooking prowess amazed me. Not to mention what went on after dinner—which was way better than dessert
When I got back to my building, I was exhausted. I trudged wearily up the stairs to my apartment and dropped my gear by the door.
"Ian, you here?" I wasn't in the mood for any surprises and I had no idea if my domesticated stalker was home or not.
"I am," Ian called from the kitchen. "You're home early."
"Yeah. I wheedled my way into getting the rest of the day off." I smiled weakly as he came out, obviously thrilled that I was home. It was so great seeing him so at ease, wearing a burgundy turtleneck sweater and blue jeans (not to mention a huge smile) and deviating from his previously ingrained black-on-black ensemble. In fact, the only pieces of black clothing he had kept were his trusty overcoat and a couple of pairs of socks.
Ian had apparently been in a stellar mood before I arrived, but his grin melted to a look of concern in an instant when he saw my face.
"What's wrong, Sara? Tough first day back?"
"The worst," I said, collapsing on the sofa. "It was hell."
Ian immediately came over and sat beside me.
"What happened?" he asked.
"Psychopath killer on the loose. We found the body in a Dumpster downtown, but it didn't have a head."
"Hmm," Ian said thoughtfully.
"And it gets worse. The killer sent me a package and guess what was in it."
"The head?"
"Yep. What else? There was so much blood in the bottom of the box that it dripped when one of the uniforms took it down to Vicki. It seeped out through the box and the paper it was wrapped in. We don't know the identity of the woman yet and it could take up to three days. All that's on top of the fact that I have a new rookie partner, undoubtedly a rookie and not an undercover fed, who is starting to drive me crazy andhe tried to ask me out."
"Naturally you declined."
"Naturally. He's my partner, for crying out loud. Plus, I have you to come home to, and what sane woman would pass that up?"
"Exactly," he said, embracing me.
"Well, now, someone's being awfully modest," I remarked.
Ian grinned. "Everything will work out, Sara. It usually does. Now, I think dinner's ready, so shall we?" he asked, releasing me and offering his arm. I grinned and accepted it, looking forward to a great meal.
After we finished eating, I helped him clean up. I loaded the dishwasher without saying anything, and our meal had been pretty subdued as well.
"You're awfully quiet, Sara."
"Just got a lot on my mind, that's all."
"Thinking about that case
"Of course. I just can't get my mind off of it. Every time I blink or close my eyes all I can see is that girl's facewhich is definitely not a good thing considering the shape it was in when I saw it."
"Sara, please, just relax. There's no point in worrying yourself to death over something you can't change—or even fix, for that matter—right now. You really need to try and think about something else."
By this time we had finished our clean-up and Ian sat down on the couch, obviously worried about me. Grinning wickedly, I crossed the room and straddled him, taking him by surprise.
"Well, I believe there is something that will take my mind off of all of this"
Ian's eyes got darker as a grin as wicked as mine spread across his face, and something told me that I was not going to be in for a "relaxing" night after all.