Okay hi guys - long time no post! Anyway I am going to post two chaps today...this is Andrea (ChileCJ's) chap! Enjoy and review! Because we have connections with many psycho killers, and we wont hesitate in sending them after you - especially this one. :P
Chapter 7: One Clue From Hell
"What am I doing here?" Jess wondered upset.
"Gee! Some autopsies maybe?" Carolina answered sarcastically.
"I know that." Jess said annoyed "I mean, why are two great MEs like us doing this?" she pointed the body on the table.
"Mmm. Let me see." Caroline mocked thinking "Because it's our job and everybody else is working on the serial killer case."
"Exactly! Every one is working on the big case and we're stuck with second league work. Old people that died of natural causes and suicides? Come on!"
Caroline couldn't help laughing.
"What's so funny?" Jess asked.
"You." Caroline said "I mean, you look like a kid that wants the biggest candy. Give it sometime. We still have to prove how great we are. Then the chief will let us be on the case."
Jess took a deep breath and sighed. "Okay. It's just… You're right, I'm acting like a kid." She agreed "So, what do we have, ma'am?" Jess had a mischievous look on her face.
"Now you're just playing with me again." Caroline thought, she was now well aware Jess could joke about almost everything. "Since you asked, what do you think about this one?" Caroline pointed the body on the other table.
"A knife cut?" Jess asked mocking.
"No, really? How clever!" Caroline answered joking as well.
"Well, ma'am, I said what you wanted to hear and…"Jess suddenly stopped and the look on her face changed.
"What? Jess, is there something wrong?" Caroline ran her eyes inspecting the body "Did I do something wrong?"
"Do you smell that?"
"Smell what?" Caroline gave her a puzzled look and took a deep breath "I haven't noticed it before. It's… Smells like…"
"Roses!" they said in unison.
"What on Earth!" Caroline tried to figure out why the old lady smelled like roses "Maybe it was her perfume."
"All over her body? Look at her!" Jess pointed the body with a wave of her hand "No ID, found in an alley. And doesn't her watch look a little too expensive?" she pointed the woman's wrist.
"Maybe she had just stolen it." Caroline said trying to ignore the little mystery Jess was adding to that corpse.
"Have you ever been mugged by an old lady!" Jess raised an eyebrow at her college "Come on! You know that didn't happen." Jess moved away to start working on the body she was supposed to.
"Hey, where're you going, Sherlock?"
"Who, me?" Jess smiled cynically "Nothing. It's just weird because Dr. Macy said this is another copycat and there's nothing in common besides the knife." Jess unzipped the bag "Oh, crap!" she covered her nose with her hand.
"What? What is it?" Caroline lifted her eyes up from the old lady on the table worried.
"This one smells like hell." Jess complained pointing the bag she had opened.
Caroline laughed again.
"How are things going so far, ladies?" Nigel asked as he entered the autopsy room.
"They suck." Jess said.
"Jess still angry at the 'second league work'." Caroline added quoting the other ME.
"Come on, love. Things will be better soon." Nigel tried to cheer her up "And does something smell like roses in here?"
"Thanks, Nigel." Jess gave a small smile "What did I tell you?" she looked at Caroline "It's weird."
"Ok, it's weird." Caroline gave in and gave Nigel a 'why did you have to encourage her' look.
"Do my beautiful and lovely ladies need any help?"
Jess and Caroline exchanged a look before smiling mischievously. "Oh, yeah!"
"I don't like the way that sounds." Nigel said a little worried.
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"What? How?" Woody wondered "As far as I remember, there was never a print before."
"Maybe this psycho just made the first mistake." Jordan said.
"The important thing now is to identify the print." Garret pointed out.
"That won't be a problem as long as he's in the system." Foxie claimed, while shooting Woody with her eyes.
"Still in trouble?" Jordan whispered to the blue-eyed detective.
"Not all old demons are so easy to take care off." He answered whispering as well.
"Watch out for the other eye then." Jordan was enjoying this actually.
Woody gave her a 'very funny, Jordan' look and tried to ignore the last comment.
"Jordan, where's Nigel?" Garret asked getting the ME's attention "Did he found anything on that knife?"
"I don't know." Jordan shook her head "By the way, did our favorite British just disappear?"
"No, love, I was kidnapped by two women." Nigel walked into the autopsy room.
"That's what you get for playing gentleman to get the lady. And which lady is the one you're trying to get?" Jordan smiled teasing her friend.
"Couldn't choose yet. They're both…" Nigel trailed off as he caught a glare of a not-happy Dr. M "About the knife, it's like I thought. There's not much about it and he did buy the complete set of knives.
"So he's using different knives or what?" Foxie interrupted him.
"If you let me finish, Agent Fox." Nigel smiled sarcastically "Yes and no."
"What?" Woody was the one who put in word, but them all had puzzled looks.
"It means, Woodrow, that our killer is using different knives, but more than once. It seems like he's trying to find the most effective one.
"And has he found it?" Camerez asked serious.
"Not yet." Nigel shook his head.
"So we have to track down two knives because our killer likes testing?" Woody asked a bit disappointed.
"We still have a print to trace. Don't sound so defeated yet." Jordan said.
Camerez was ready to open his mouth and say something when Foxie shot him a glare that could hurt a stone.
"May I talk to you, Camerez?"
"Sure." He swallowed hard "Excuse us." They exited the room.
"What was that all about?" Nigel asked still looking at the door. "Those two are acting too weird. Do you think…" he looked at Jordan.
"Not a chance!" Woody answered without letting the Brit finish the sentence.
"That was fast." Jordan raised a suspicious eyebrow at the detective.
"Oh!" Woody understood what that eyebrow-raising meant "No! There's nothing between Foxie and me. But trust me, I know the woman." He explained himself.
"Ok, guys. Can we focus?" Garret said loudly enough to get their attention. "The fingerprint."
"What's up with the Carrot?" Jess entered the room pointing over her shoulder.
"Carrot?" Garret and Jordan asked in unison.
"Agent Fox." Jess explained cinically.
"If Foxie ever finds out about the nickname, I'm not gonna be the only one with a black eye around here." Woody thought.
Nigel tried to hold back the laugh and just chuckled a little.
"Fox is 'talking' Camerez." Jess made air quotes with her fingers "I couldn't get the words, but doesn't seem like they're planning a picnic."
Woody was sympathetic to Camerez at this time. He knew arguing with Foxie, even when it didn't get physical, was bad.
"So, is there anything else I can do, Dr. Macy?" Jess flashed her most charming smile.
"You mean aside your job?" Garret shot back. Yep, definitely the smile didn't work with the boss.
"I'm already done with it." Some real work please! Jess said and mentally begged.
"If you're done, you can call the day."
"Bad move, Garret". Jordan kept paying attention and only moved her eyes from one person to the other.
Jess was about to say something, but Nigel was faster. "Since there are two knives, they could help us, Dr. M." he suggested.
Garret gave it a second of thought and before he could tell the verdict, the computer biped. There was a match to the print.
"That's our guy." Garret said checking the computer screen.
"It can't be that easy." Jordan wasn't 100 convinced.
"Even the best killers make mistakes." Woody disagreed.
"Get Camerez and Fox." Garret told them.
"Are you serious?" they all swallowed hard and Nigel pointed the outside with his eyes. Cosmic battle was a definition that crossed their minds.
"We have to fill Det. Cœurvay in." Jordan came up with the first excuse she could think of.
"I'll go with you. I have a report to finish." Woody said quickly leaving the room with Jordan.
Garret rolled his eyes. "Fine, I'll talk to them."
"Come on, love. Let's see what we can do with these knives." Nigel called out "Dr. Standford?"
"Call me Jess." She smiled and walked over the screen "This is our serial killer? Kenneth Evans, 35, single, one small robbery." She read the information on the screen "You gotta be kidding me! Look at this guy!"
Nigel shrugged. How was he supposed to know that the print they all assumed to be from the serial killer would come out to be Mr. Boring's one?
"Was he bored with his life and decided to kill people all over the country?" Jess joked "So, you wanted help with the knives, didn't you?"
"Hey, Jess!" Caroline entered the room "Did you forget a body on your list?"
"Said what? Of course not."
"Come with me." Caroline pointed the door with her eyes "And whatever you're doing, your Notebook is finished."
"Ok, let's go." Jess nodded "Sorry, Nige." The new MEs exited the room.
"Nige? She's already calling you Nige?" Bug raised an eyebrow at his British friend.
"Is there a problem, mate?" Nigel simply smiled.
"No. It's just…"
"Come on and help me with those knives." Nigel interrupted him.
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"Here we are." Woody stared the big door in front of him "Apartment 305."
"This place is awful." Hannah said after a quick look around."
"Pretty good for a serial killer. Far, lonely… Just like the manual says." Woody lifted his fist and started knocking on the door "Boston PD. Open the door."
"Mr. Evans, open the door." Hannah knocked too.
"You really should, you know. These two can be a piece of work, Evans". Jordan thought.
Woody rolled his eyes at the lack of answer. "Well, since he won't open." Woody took a step back.
Jordan and Hannah Cœurvay stepped back as well. They knew what Woody was about to do. He kicked the door opened.
"And the dragon left the cave." Jordan said.
"That was pretty obvious." Hannah pointed out.
"Maybe this freak realized he left us a print and ran." Woody walked over the kitchen's table "There's not much here…" he checked the newspaper on the table "This guy is definitely gone. This paper is two days old."
"I'll check everything to see if we can get him." Jordan put on a pair of latex gloves.
Hannah took a good look around, read a few notes in her notebook and let out a thoughtful sigh.
"What?" Woody looked at the detective.
"It doesn't look right. I mean, this guy had a pretty normal live except for one small robbery three years ago. The only weird thing here is the fact that 'cleaning' is a concept Kenneth Evans doesn't understand." Hannah pointed the place with a wave of her hand.
"I have the same feeling." Jordan agreed "There's something about Evans. I know he's part of the show, but he's not the main character."
"Like 'Romeo and Juliet'. The guy who gives the poison is a small character, but still important." Hannah said with a smile."
"I like the Shakespeare analogy, but which character are we talking about here?" he looked around.
"That's a hell of a good question, Farm Boy." Jordan rose her eyebrows in agreement "I wonder…"
"You wonder what, Dr. Cavanaugh?" Hannah asked.
"That print. Was it really an accident?"
Jordan's wondering got all three minds racing a little faster.
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"What are you doing?" Caroline asked.
"Well, since you called me Sherlock…" Jess shrugged innocently "that is what I'm doing and ...I'm not going home." She warned.
Caroline sighed. "And what is this?" she pointed with her eyes.
"Meet Hercules." Jess answered…."Mr. Poirot actually"
"I'm sorry, what?" Caroline couldn't believe her ears.
"Hercules Poirot, dear."
"You named your Notebook? How old are you?" Caroline chuckled "Anyway, what's up with that body?"
"Which one?" Jess asked.
"This one." She pointed.
"It wasn't here when I left. I really don't remember it being here when I left. Where did it come from?"
"I wasn't here all the time, Jess." Caroline shrugged.
"Some one must have brought it in. And I don't think I'd forget a body that smells like…"
"Roses!" they said in unison worried.
"Ok, you have a point." Caroline agreed find that very weird "I'll get Nigel."
"Aye, ma'am."
A few minutes later, Caroline walked back into the room followed by Bug and Nigel.
"Seems like our ladies are more than efficient." Nigel pointed out.
"And you had any doubts about it?" Jess asked seriously.
"Oh! Marine Mode" .Nigel though.
"I analyzed some samples from the skin of both vics and it's the same oil. Some mix of roses with this balsam." Jess filled them in "People use balsam to purify bodies when people die. This was no accident." She shook her head. "These people were cleaned and went throw some purification ritual. Maybe it's some sort of message." Jess finished.
"And I thought you're joking." Caroline said.
"I'm not. What do you have on Jane Doe?" Jess asked.
"Oh, well, Lieutenant, she died about 15 hours ago. Stab on the neck."
"Sweet. So this is Mr. Poirot?" Nigel asked excited.
"Yeah. I've got all I need here. Hey, look at this." Jess showed the screen "Three vics in Pennsylvania, never solved. Ring any bells?"
"So our copycat is a serial killer too? How come no one ever realized it?" Bug asked.
"Or maybe they didn't want us to know." Caroline disagreed.
"What about the watches?" Jess wondered.
"Let me see." Nigel said. "I'm going to trade them."
"Yeah, but Dr. Macy said…" Bug discussed.
"Okay, show time!" Nigel clapped his hands interrupting the entomologist.
"See? That was a piece of cake. We're on the big case." Jess whispered to Caroline, who smiled agreeing.
"Oh, yeah."
Four hours later…
"So, if this guy is killing people as much as our serial killer…" Nigel said eating Chinese food with chopsticks.
"We have a two freaks show." Caroline completed "Pass me the Soya, Jess." She asked.
"Anything on the watches?" Jess asked handling the bottle to the ME.
"Some pretty interesting things. They were made by this small fabric. There're just a hundred of them." Bug took a Wang-tang.
"Because the company broke." Nigel added. "But that's not the bizarre part. They were all bought by the same person."
"Well, that makes it easier then." Lily joined them for the snack.
"Sorry, love." Nigel shook his head "The man died."
"Why does a man buy one hundred watches?" Jess wondered.
"Do I smell food?" Jordan walked into the break room.
"Great! I'm starving." Followed by Woody.
"Here you go." Lily handed him some chicken with race.
"You're goodness." He thanked.
"And what are you guys up to?" Jordan picked a Wang-tang. "Did I miss anything?" she looked at them once there was no answer.
"Hey, guys!" Kade entered the break room.
"Hey! How was your day?" Woody greeted his cousin.
"I really didn't do much, because I'm new and we're all working on the big case, so…"
"Welcome to the club." Jess said sarcastically.
"I'm looking for Det. Cœurvay. " Kade said.
"Ladies' room, I guess." Caroline said.
"Ok, thanks." Kade nodded "Call if you find anything." She walked out the room.
"So, what's that Garret can't know?" Jordan smiled curious.
"Are we that much of bad liars?" Jess mocked.
"The excited faces." Jordan pointed out.
"We have a second serial killer." Bug told them.
"Come again!" Woody nearly jumped of the chair.
"I know. Shocking, but true." Bug said.
"Let me see that." Jordan took the files and Mr. Hercules Poirot "Roses."
"That and the watches. It's some kind of message." Jess completed.
"Five victims and no one ever put that together?" Woody asked.
"We've been wondering the same." Bug agreed. "And don't even get started." He warned "We've had two hours of conspiracy theories with Jess and Nigel."
Nigel and Jess exchanged a look.
"I've seen these dates before." Jordan said taking a closer look to the files.
"What dates?" Woody looked at the file over Jordan's shoulder.
She pulled the serial killer's files from her bag and checked it "These dates." She laid them on the table "The copycat started right after the killer." Jordan pointed out "Before any information was out on the press."
"There's no way someone would know about it after a day." Woody concluded.
"Wait. You didn't find your guy, did you?" something occurred to Caroline.
"No. It seems he drop off the face of Earth." Woody shook his head.
"We have a John Doe that smells like roses." Jess remembered.
"That's too convenient and too much of a coincidence." Nigel said.
"Maybe it's not a coincidence." Jess thought for a second "There's something we didn't try." She pushed the door of the break room "Come on, guys!" Jess called out heading for the autopsy room.
They were all waiting while the computer was searching for a match and hoping they'd get something to work with, instead of another dead end.
"It's our guy." Nigel announced "Nine points match. Why haven't we thought of this before?"
"Because we were using Jess' notebook." Caroline said. "And we assumed he was exactly like the old lady: poor, no ID…but now that lady must be someone important too"
"That's what happens when you assume things. But definitely, this is not our killer." Jordan had her eyes on the screen.
"So how's he connected to the murders?" Woody asked.
It was a deep silence in the room, until….
"They're just vics. With different purposes." Jess stated.
"The first ones are real victims." Caroline started.
"The second ones, messages." Nigel completed.
"Are you saying our serial killer and our copycat are the same person?" Woody swallowed hard.
"Is there another explanation?" the look on Jordan's face said 'yes'.
No, there wasn't any other explanation. Worries and fears were growing fast once the realization hit them. How many victims were out there? Three in each state plus the 'message bodies'. And what kind of message was that? What did it mean? And to who was that addressed?
"Does anyone here respect my authority?" Garret walked into the room "I believe I've made myself quite clear when I said you two…" he looked at Caroline and Jess "What's wrong? You people look like you work at a morgue."
Foxie and Camerez walked back into the autopsy room and six heads turned.
"What's really going on here?" Jordan asked.
Marcus didn't dare to say a word. Not after the arguing with Foxie.
The red-haired agent ran her hand through her hair and sighed. "You guys better sit down……Okey… the story begins"