Author's note: It took long, big efforts but here it is. Thank u all so much!
2. The Money's on the Dead Guy
3 Days after the Omega Incident.
Eliot wasn't the chattiest person in Major Crimes, so it was hard to tell what he was thinking. Most of the time. Everyone was sure that the events in Skinner's Plaza were still weighting on his shoulders, as he had given the elevator several deadly glares before using it the past few days, but aside from that he seemed to be back to his old self. Delson didn't asked for a few days off, as there was no need. He spent two days in his house in the Hamptons and came back refreshed, but that morning he was back into his reclusive poker face. An email had appeared in his computer that morning and kept him in a trance for hours.
Al knew better than to walk into Eliot's office but something was definitely off. Normally, Delson would have come out and see if there was something cooking in his department, even if it was from the side lines. That quiet treatment was new, even for Eliot. He was dry and sassy, yes, but not that kind of quiet. That wasnt't the Delson they knew. Was he mulling over the Omega incident again?
"If I didn't know any better, I could swear he's been avoiding us since this morning. But hey! I'm just saying here" Burns sat down in his station, trying not to look in Delson's direction. Jay was with his old colleagues, Murray was in talks with her daughter's school and there seemed to be nothing of interest in the air.
"When has he not avoided us when there's some official business going on? Let me think, uh, almost always? Whenever he has something on his tablet, Eliot goes bu-bye!" Carrie put the morning coffees on the table. "What's amazing is that he didn't go cuckoo from being stuck with Skinner and the Mayor for almost an hour in that tight space. I would have" joked the red-haired detective. "Bad"
"Very funny" Burns ignored her sneer.
"Admit it. It's not every day we get to see him like a fish in a barrel" Carrie was still surprised. Nothing seemed to affect Eliot, his poker face was perfect and yet. "I wonder if it is a first"
"You wish, but he does know how to keep his eyebrows in check" Murray walked in with the latest Intel. "We have just received a call from the guys in the Astoria ice rink. They just found a body there during the opening and what's worse, it isn't the usual show"
"Define 'usual show'" Detective Wells rose an eyebrow.
"Uh, guy gets shoot and is left to die there?" Cherie answered drily.
"So, what? No body with a gaping hole? How could they? Did they left a dummy in strawberry jam or something like that?" Carrie sniggered.
"Something like that" Murray shrugged while Al got everyone to move. Seeing Eliot hadn't noticed anything, the old member of the FBI walked in to get him. "Boss. We've got work to do" no answer. "Sir? Eliot, hello?"
"Hu? Oh, yes! What do we have?" Delson finally acknowledged her presence. He seemed unusually distracted for some reason.
"Murder in the Astoria City Ice Pavilion. The feds are on their way there, apparently they just killed a big shot" informed the woman. Eliot looked at his computer's screen before getting up and following her. The Long Island City was a little further across the Queensboro Bridge and into the 49th Avenue. Carrie became aghast seeing so many cops, tuxedo guys and press in the same place. How did the TV came so fast? "Uh, did we miss something?"
"It depends on what you mean by 'miss something'. Burns, get in there and see if we can have a look. We might miss clues with all these crowd" ordered Eliot. Normally, Delson would only get involved in matters of secrecy and political weight, so why had he accepted to come? Carrie looked around, trying to get as much information as possible until she noticed a familiar face: Francis Simms. What was her ex doing there?
"Francis?" the red-haired woman walked to him. "Wu-what are you doing here?"
"I could ask you the same thing. We got a hot tip this morning of someone who knew this guy was here before the rink was opened" Francis frowned.
"Was it signed?" asked Carrie.
"A certain Giovanni de Ventura. We don't know who it is, but we will soon see to that. You should go back to the office, Carrie. This isn't your field" the agent was in no mood to deal with her. The woman looked at him, not understanding why did he wanted her out, when they heard the operative leader of the feds arguing with Eliot and a shave-headed man. Carrie recognized the second one.
"Is that…?"
"Harry Hobbs? Yup. He was here before we arrived" Francis confirmed her suspicions and she went to the see the arguing men, ignoring her ex's tries to hold her back. Carrie had heard of Hobbs. Tough cop, wide-world experienced and a no-nonsense person who started as a rookie in London with only fifteen years. A long scar went through the left side of his head.
"This is MY case, Tom. I don't care if the bloody FBI wants a finger out of the body or a selfie, this is MINE! I got this investigation for Matt years ago. You tux are nothing but trouble, I tell ya. This is the Pandora Serial Killer, ergo my turf!" Hobbs was in no mood to negotiate.
"Oh, yeah? And where's your March Hare, Harry? If this is his case, why isn't he here?" the FBI chief barked back. "And why is Eliot here?"
"Because this is a Major Crimes file, Tom. That's why. And because I got the same email as you" Delson show them in his tablet. "Do I really have to remind you how long I have been in this? I was there, and you know it. I saw Alice. I have as much right as your men, and so does Harry. If it is the Pandora Killer, then it is Harry's turf, but also mine"
"Eliot, this is a federal investigation. You are all out of your league!" Tom Harding answered.
"No, we're not! This crime is for Matthew Hare and Stefan Jensen 'Doppler'. End of the story, Tom!" Hobbs crushed him with a glare.
"Ha! Doppler? The same guy who's under an investigation for being a corrupted cop?" the FBI agent barked back.
"Stefan is a good cop and ye know it. Better than all of your fancy lapdogs!" Harry was barely holding himself back.
"Gentlemen! If you please. Why don't we all just calm down, examine the scene and we'll discuss jurisdiction later? Hu? I'm sure there's a reasonable explanation for the emails and all the side junk, okay? Now, we'll do it likewise. Harry will let Matt take a look at the scene, Tom will have one of his men and I'll do the same with one of mine. How about it?" Eliot put some order and the other two agreed. Delson sighed and turned towards the woman. "Carrie? Would you mind, please?"
"Are you ok?" she whispered. There was no answer so the woman decided to approach the body. Jo had started with her examination, but before talking to her, Carrie noticed some odd details around the body. A class photograph with children around ten years old, a strange symbol that seemed like a bird, a toy, coins and a quote: 'No better world/ Let this end/ Mothers cry/ Our boys die/ But we'll stand 'till the end'. A message from the killer? Why? "Hey, Jo" Carrie decided to speak slowly.
"Hey" the coroner was not in the mood to talk much. They were quiet for a while until Joan spoke again. "I can tell you that he was shot clean in the chest, no resistance. The perpetrator knew what he was doing and I don't blame him. Although I would have shot this jerk in the head, if I'm honest"
"Jerk? Who is it?" the detective blinked.
"You probably didn't get to know him but this stiff over here was a kid killer. He perpetrated the gunfire in White Rose Elementary School. Second act of his career, tell you that" Jo sighed. "Keith Soames, remember?"
"Yes, I know him but I thought he was serving a life sentence for killing twelve children on their last day of school. I was hoping to see him rot at Ryker's" admitted Carrie.
"Well, as you can see he was out and about. Until now. He had killed many innocent children and yet, for some technical reason, they let him go away. I don't know the details but I do know that Eliot went really angry about it. Even so, Soames seems to have run into the same man who killed the Yaxley Butcher" Webster examined the graffiti and the marks.
"I saw the news. Guy who loved to torture his victims with hot pokers and dull blades, dies in an improvised iron lady in his own yard. A quote was there too" Carrie knew that case.
"Soames and the Butcher were close friends, always competing to see who committed the perfect murder. There are rumors that say they were involved in the kidnapping and murder of a little girl many years ago, but there was no proof… Until now" Jo took notice of the toy near the dead body: a teddy bear with a red bow, which didn't had any blood stains on it. Written on the soft silk was a name: Alice. "You gotta be kidding me. It can't be! Eliot! Come quick! Get your sorry ass here as fast as you can! Don't dilly-dally!"
"Can't you see that I'm busy at the moment, Joan? Can it wait…?" replied Delson angrily until he saw the plush animal. "No way" Eliot dropped everything and walked straight to them, holding the bear in his hands, shaking like crazy. "It can't be"
"But it is and you know what that means" the coroner shared a glance with him.
"He's back" Eliot whispered.
We're finally into the ring of fire!
We'll see how this goes!