Showtime
Chapter 8
"Oh you have to be kidding me" Don said, looking down at the dead body lying awkwardly across the table in front of him.
"What?" Hawkes frowned as he took snap shots of the body, he'd turned him over, and it was only then that Don recognised the victim.
"This guy" Don opened his phone, preparing to dial Danny's number "Was arrested by Lindsay a week or so ago for trying to infiltrate the hotel where some of the Heads of States are staying"
He held his hand up to Hawkes as his call connected to Danny, turning away.
"Hey Dan" he paused, giving the other man time to come round, being on HOS recently had meant the number of night call outs for him and Lindsay reduced to zero. Don was well aware that at 2.30am, when the call came through to him, most people were sleeping. Most people didn't have girlfriends working weird shifts.
"Yeah, sorry buddy" he apologised "I got something you need to see, that kid that Kate and Lindsay floored at the hotel?"
He paused "Yeah, Aaron Beckton. He just turned up dead"
"Pole dancing joint" he listened "Not yet, Hawkes is on it, OK"
He flipped the phone shut, turning to Hawkes "You got a COD?"
"Gun shot" Hawkes pointed to the man's chest "But the bullet must be lodged, there's no exit wound"
"I'll start with the witnesses" he said, fishing his notebook and pen from his pocket "See if anyone saw or heard anything"
…...
"All right! All right, all right ALL RIGHT!" Adam leapt from his chair, arms in the air, fists clenched.
"I am one man!" he continued "ONE! You are all trained CSI's which I, might I add, am not, so..."
"I'm not" Don rocked back on his heels and folded his arms, grinning. He received a look from Adam that clearly said 'Shut up Flack' and for once, he did. He reflected that you never knew just what these science types were capable of. Jo stopped in the doorway outside, watching.
"Lindsay, I haven't got around to running all the fingerprints from the scene yet" he handed her the cards with the prints on "Print lab is that way"
He grabbed a tablet from the desk "Detective Flack, Danny, I processed the bullet from Aaron Beckton. There's a hit in IBIS but I haven't managed to look at it yet, here" he shoved the tablet into Danny's arms roughly.
"Sheldon, the substance on your vic's hands remains unidentified, I suggest you try" he handed Hawkes a kit.
"Mac, I am halfway through the DNA testing on those cold cases, I will call you when it's done" He glared at the people in the room "Now go away and leave me in peace!"
They filed out, much to Adam's surprise, even Mac, without a word. Only Jo remained, watching Adam as he sat back down and replaced his headphones.
"Good on you Adam" she said with a smile, to herself as she continued down the corridor.
"Wow" Don laughed "Geek power"
"He shut you up" Danny observed with a grin.
Don ignored the jibe, looking at the tablet "What we got?"
"The bullet is a match to one used in a series of murders, indicates here they are mob hits" Danny replied.
"Mob hits?" Don pulled a face "This is a bit brazen even for the mob, in a crowded pole dancing joint? And what do the mob want with a student journalist?"
"I know" Danny considered "Bullet analysis says it's a handgun, with a silencer"
"Would explain why no body saw or heard anything" Don scratched his head "Until he bled on someone"
"No clue as to who pulled the trigger though and the gun is still in the wind" Danny said.
…...
"Hi honey! I'm home" Kate said as she shut the front door behind her, dropping her bag onto the floor. She followed the light into the front bedroom, seeing Don sitting at the computer, watching scantily clad women gyrate around poles.
"Oh that's great" she said, sitting on the bed "I'm out there protecting the nation and you're here watching porn on the internet!"
"It's not porn" he said "Think I'm stupid enough to get caught?" he gave her a sideways grin.
"Delete the history?" she teased "Two can play at that game"
He spun the chair around, eyeing her coolly "Really?" he asked "I didn't think women were into that sort of thing?"
"I'm not" she replied haughtily "But you obviously are"
"I don't need porn" he grinned "I have you, and you are more than enough"
"Humph" she said.
"Anyway" he tilted his chin slightly "It's pole dancing"
"Oh, so it's classy porn then" she laughed.
"It's research, for work" he turned back to the computer.
"Sure it is" she replied "That's a lame excuse Flack, even for you"
"That guy you and Lindsay caught at the hotel? He turned up dead at a pole dancing club" he explained "This is the footage, it wasn't 'available' when I left the place. Uniform brought it in just before I finished, so I brought it home to watch"
Kate burst out laughing "Sure you did"
He swung the chair back around, trying and failing, to look annoyed. He was well aware of when she was winding him up.
"If you have a problem with me bringing my work home" he said pointedly "I can always stay at work. I thought I'd come home, cook you some food for when you got in, and then work while I waited. What do I get? Abuse!"
"Oh you're so hard done to" she giggled, climbing onto his lap, her legs either side of his, grabbing his face she kissed him, then turned her attention to the screen "I got better legs than her" she observed.
"I totally agree" he said quietly "I am within slapping distance"
"You're funny" she said with an expression that clearly didn't think so "What's for dinner?"
"Pasta" he said "It's in the refrigerator"
She kissed him seriously now, breaking away she said "Thank you"
"You're welcome" he grinned "I also bought you some chocolate, what does that get me?"
"You'll see" she climbed off his lap, glancing at the screen "You missed the action" she said.
He turned his attention back to the screen to see a group crowding around an inert body slumped over a table "Damn" he said with a sly smile "I'll have to watch it again now!"
"Oh the hardships you endure" she said as she headed for the kitchen.
"Kate?" he swung the chair again, continuing on as she looked back for her answer "Be careful" he warned "I got a feelin' about this, I dunno how but I think the fact he got caught in that hotel has contributed to him being dead"
"I will" she promised with a genuine smile.
…...