Disclaimer: see chapter 1
The morning after found Gail being woken up by the shower, groaning she stretched her arms, wincing when her shoulders clicked. After a brief moment she decided against joining her wife in the shower for making breakfast for them both because despite what the boys think Gail can cook not as good as Holly but she can cook. She's half way through cooking an omelette when she sees Holly coming down the stairs
"Hey baby something smells good" getting a quick kiss from her wife Gail turns the omelette in the pan "Yeah just decided to do something quick, do you want anything in it or do you want it plain?"
"Plain I'll put some fruit on the top" Holly laughs she sees Gail scrunch her nose "we can't all eat want we want and still look good" she jibbed. Gail just huffs and puts Hollys breakfast on a plate infornt of the brunette "Thanks honey" They share a quick kiss before Gail takes her turn in the shower.
By mid morning Gail was ready to pull her hair out, she had been argueing for the last 10 minutes with a detective from 27 division that since as this new crime scene was linked to hers then she and 15 should take the lead, but 27 had been first to the scene and they were not giving it up easily. This is how Holly found her 10 minutes later when she pulled up in the the ME's van with the tech, spying Traci grinning as she to exited her own vechile. Holly and Traci both got to the argueing detectives at the same time.
"Detective Cooper we'll take it from here unless you want to stand here and argue all day." Detective Cooper was a brash young detective that had just got his shield and was determined to make a name for himself but against Nash and a Peck, he decided to cut his losses and leave it to 15, besides it was less paper work for him to do.
Gail and Traci left Holly to examine the body for a few minutes while they talked to the first on the scene, and interviewed the person who called the emergency services. It was 5 minutes before Holly summoned the 2 detectives to her to give them her initial findings.
"Victim is Gareth Noble, 31 years old stabbed multipule times in the chest and abomin, TOD is at least an hour ago, cant say which was the fatal wound as of yet but he has been stabbed directly in the heart, no defensive wounds to his hands so he didnt try to fight back"
"Unconscious maybe?" Gail inputted trying to work out why a 6'3" 200 plus guy wouldnt fight back, Holly looked up at her and gave a a quick smile "He has got a laceration to the back of the head but I can't tell at the moment whether it was before or after the assult but it might explain the lack of defensive wounds, I'll let you know when I get him back to the morgue" seeing a dismissal by the brunette Gail and Traci make their way back to the car and head back to the station. When they stop at a light Gail remembers Holly's question from last night
"Hey Trace?"
"Hmmm yeah whats up?"
"Can you cover for me for a couple of hours on Wednesday?" Traci glanced at the blonde beside her just as the lights changed to green
"Why? everything alright?"
"Holly has her doctors appointment for the twins"
"This early? Is everything ok?"
"No everythings fine its just becaus she having twins and its her first pregnacy that all, so can you cover for me?"
"Yeah sure Gail just let me know when the appointment is" Traci left it at that and glanced at Gail as she steared out the window seemlinly content in her answer.
~RB~
It took 20 minutes to get back to the station, both Gail and Traci had camped out at their desks going over what the knew as they either waited for uniforms to bring in Mr Noble's next of kin or for Holly to call
"So what do we know?" Traci started the discussion as the silence was starting to get to her.
"Gareth Noble, 31 lives just across from the park on Suncrest Drive" but before Gail could carry on Traci interupted
"so that might explain the lack of car, he was on foot, jogging maybe?" glancing at Gail for her opinion
"Not in jeans he wasn't," pointing out in the crime scene photo the victim was wearing jeans "he has an ex-wife divorced last year no children works as a barista and thats it"
"Well maybe the ex-wife can spread some light on him, I'll send Nick and Chloe to go talk to his boss" Gail turned her head seeing the 2 officers in question walk into the break room
"Ok I'll go grab Collins and Price and you see if you can track down this guys family plus I need another coffee you want one?" After Traci declined Gail grabbed her "dad" mug a gift from Oliver after hed found out about the pregancy and also so he'd get his own mug back. Walking down the steps to the detective station she stated "Collins! Price! I need you to go talk to our dead guys boss,the Starbucks on Eglinton Ave, take your coffee to go"
It was past 4:00pm when the 2 detectives finally saw Holly again, bringing the autopsy file, lapping up Gail grabbed a chair for her.
"He was killed by a hunting knife straight to the heart, the laceration to the back of the heart I think was cause by him falling to ground banging his head, there's bruising on his ribs and upper torso to suggest that our killer sat on him and continued to stab him"
"So this was personal, somepne must have been angry at our vic to continue stabbing the guy" Traci stated while pinning up crime scene pictures on the display board. A buzz and a chime from Gaili cell rang out into the room, she quickly checked it huffed leaning back in her chair in annoyance.
"Text from Collins, Noble's managers not there they can't find him, he's not at work and not at home."
"We'll put out an APB for him see if he turns up." Traci turned back to the board to see if anything popped out at her that hadn't in last few hours
Holly held back a yawn she'd been on her feet most of the day and she was getting tired
"Gail honey I'm gonna start heading home, how long are you gonna be?" standing up Gail gave her a kiss on the cheek
"Gonna stay here for another hour or so then I'll be home ok" Traci pulled her head out of the autopsy report "Its ok Gail take off I'll not be far behind and we can start again in the morning with fresh eyes, cant do anything anyway seen as we cant find his boss and his ex-wife is on a plane flying in as we speak so get going"
"Thanks Trace" Gail grabbed her jacket from the head off her chair and lead Holly to the car.
Tracy smiiled watching them go, a text broke her out o her musing smiling even wider she shut down her computer and left the station herself.
~RB~
The next couple of days didnt open any new leads for the pair as the ex-wife had cut off all ties to the victim when they had divorced, and they still couldnt find the manager of the Starbucks.
"Ok seriously how can this guy just drop of the face of the earth?" Gail slammed the phone down after talking to Mr Alan Dakota's wife, Traci smiled and waiting for her sister-in-law to explain her conversation with the wife
"Ok shes not heard from Alan in a few days, the same day we found Gareth Noble. He was supposed to show up for work but never did. He just vanished not used his phone, credit card, not used a atm point but I've put an alert on his cards if they are used just in case"
Sighing Traci rubbed her forehead "We need to find his boss"
"Yeah we do" Gail sighed and rested her head against the back of the chair.
"Its Holly's scan tomorrow isnt it?"
"Yeah her appointment is at 11 you still to cover me?" Gail moved her head sideways so she could look at the other woman
"Yeah I'm dont worry, hows Holly doing?" Traci drained the last of her coffee and glanced at her watch in the process jezz its only 10:30? todays is gonna drag so much
"shes freaking out alittle but trying not to show it"
"How are you doing?" Traci tried to catch Gails eyes
"I'm ok for the most part, I'll be even better when that appointment is over and I know everything is fine with the babies"
Traci smiled and squeezed Gails shoulder as she walked by intent on getting herself another coffee.
So that is chapter 2, next up the scan, thanks for reading guys
Till Next Time