Chapter 4: Alice and Allison

Alexx looked at the body that lay in front of her.
"Bruce Taren, 24" she told Eric. "He was a bartender." She looked at the body. "And much too young to die"
"Alexx, he's killed two girls"
Alexx remained silent and undressed Bruce. Meanwhile, Eric took a sample of the epithelial that he found under Bruce's fingernails. He bagged it and looked at Alexx.
"COD?"
Alexx looked at him. "Suicide. Cut wrists."

Delko took the sample to Natalia, who seemed to be already waiting for him to show up.
"Hey"
"Hey"
Delko handed her the bag and watched her prepare the sample.
"So, have you already been questioned by that Allison Mulder?" Natalia asked. Delko shook his head.
"Not yet. You?"
"Yeah. I don't like her, she gives me the creeps"

Horatio walked over to Calleigh.
"Calleigh, have you found anything yet?"
Calleigh span the chair around and looked at him. "As a matter of fact, yes."
She showed him the results.
"Interesting." Horatio said. "Let's bring Allison in. No – better yet, let Ryan bring her in." He grabbed his cell phone. "Thank you, Calleigh" he said, before walking out of the lab.

Ryan drove the lab's Hummer North on Collins Avenue, took a turn to the right and stopped in front of a building that looked very expensive. Apparently, working as a psychoanalyst gained you a very decent living. Or, probably a better explanation, depending on what his sources had told him, Allison had had quite a decent inherent from her parents and godmother. He exited the Hummer and walked to the building. From here, you could see the sapphire blue sea and it was very close to Miami's clubbing scene. Though Ryan doubted Allison had bought the apartment for that. He had a hard time seeing Allison as a girl busy clubbing day and night, twenty-four seven. He rang the doorbell of the apartment, of which the door was opened for about four inches instantly.
"Allie? It's me, Ryan. We've got a new case on our hands and we wondered if you could help us out." So far for his non-existent people skills.
"Hey" she sounded upset. "Come in" she opened the door just enough to let him through and then closed the door behind his back. Ryan felt trapped, the minute he heard the clicking sound of the lock. He turned around to see her. She wore a simple summer dress, her hair hung loosely on her back and except for the look in her eyes, she seemed perfectly fine.
"What's wrong?" Ryan asked. Allison smiled weakly.
"I heard on the news that Bruce's been found dead. He used to be one of my closest friends." She sniffed. Ryan was scared she might start crying. Maybe he had developed his people skills a little – he still didn't have the ability to calm crying women down the way Horatio could. The way he tried to copy very hard.
"He did murder Jennifer and Georgina" he said, hoping this would calm her down the smallest bit, although he didn't expect it to. The minute he said it, he realized this would probably just upset her more. To his surprise, it didn't.
"I know" Allie looked at him. "I knew it was him the second I took a look at your evidence. But why are you here, and not the man you're trying so hard to copy? You're boss, Lieutenant Caine?"
Ryan tried his best not to show her how right she was and looked her in the eyes. These seemed empty, not a single emotion. As if she hid her feelings. Was she the psychopath? Could hardly be, he believed.
"Will you please come with me to the lab so you can identify Bruce's killer?"
Allison nodded. "I'd be happy to do so"
Ryan opened the door for Allie and she smiled at him.
"Thanks" she whispered. Ryan nodded to tell her silently 'you're welcome'.

Horatio was waiting for Ryan and Allison near the elevator.
"Miss Mulder" he said when she stepped out of the elevator.
"Lieutenant Caine" she said. "I understand you now do want my help?"
Horatio smiled, and Allison detected the slightest bit of sorry, but most of it was his effort to try hiding the things he didn't want anyone to know, things that may make him vulnerable. He probably had a very violent past.
"Yes…" he replied. "Miss Mulder, please follow me" he guided Allison and Ryan to the lay-out room, where again the back-lit whiteboard was filled with photos and files, this time all about Bruce's murder.
"Miss Mulder, what do you think about this murder?" Horatio asked.
Allison walked over to the whiteboard and examined every photo and file.
"It's the same psychopath who lured Bruce into killing the girls. This time, the psychopath lured him into killing himself. He-" she swallowed. "Oh my god. He slit his wrists to torture himself in the time it took to die. The psychopath made him feel guilty."
"Do you have a profile?" Calleigh, who'd already been in the room, asked.
"Yes. It's a close acquaintance or friend of Bruce. Mid-twenties. Caucasian. Psychopath, of course. Well-raised. Good education. Probably went to university. And it's a she." Allison said. Delko walked in and just picked up Allison's last words.
"How do you see?"
"He-" Allison swallowed again. "It probably was a loved one of Bruce. And I know Bruce wasn't a homosexual, so a lover must have been female."
"How do you see it's been a loved one?"
Allison pointed at the carefully picked clothes. "He only dressed this well when he was expecting someone he loved and adored very much. For his work, he wore Club Gold's uniform and for the rest of the time, he didn't really care."
Horatio nodded. "Miss Mulder, you understand the profile you just described points at you?"
Allison nodded. "I am aware of that. But – I haven't killed him!"
Now, Ryan stepped forward. "She isn't lying, Horatio. Back in her apartment, she almost broke down when we talked about Bruce. A psychopath doesn't cry over people he – or she – has killed."
Horatio nodded. "It wasn't Allison" he showed her a plastic bag which contained the suicide note from Bruce's crime scene.
"At first, Miss Mulder, we thought he was pointing at you by saying 'Alice', because of the similar name. We searched for it, and found out that it seems he used to live with one Alice Mulder. Again, a lot of similarities. Furthermore, we found skin cells under Bruce's fingernails and these turned out to match your DNA. But-" he smiled at Allison in a calm, almost comforting way. "Miss Boa Vista found out you have a twin sister that goes by the name of Alice Mulder."
Allison looked at Horatio with tears in her eyes. "Please, lieutenant, Alice is horrible. She's really awful. The sooner you get her off the streets, the better. She's a really psychopath. She is the reason I became a psycho-analyst." She now really cried. Ryan clumsily patted her on the back.
"Why didn't you tell us before?"
She looked in his eyes, her face covered in tears. Ryan fell the slightest bit of a spark.
"Because she is still my sister"
"Family" Horatio said, quietly. "Even if they're awful, you can never stop defending them."
Allison nodded. "Please, help her" she mumbled.

Horatio in one of the lab's Hummers, Tripp in his car and a few squad cars raced through half of Miami to Alice's residence. It was a small, terraced house that showed none of the glamour of Allison's apartment. A few more miles and you would be in between alligators and mosquitoes in the glades. Horatio drew his gun and banged on the door, that opened all by itself. He carefully walked in and let his eyes adjust to the darkness before shouting; "Miami-Dade Police!" He, Tripp and a few officers quickly searched the house.
"Clear!"
"Clear!"
"Clear!"
"Clear!"
In one last room that probably once was meant to become a walk-in closet, they found Alice. She looked a bit like Allison, only she hadn't taken care of herself for probably years. The woman was looking at articles about the murders that she had pasted in a scrapbook.
"Alice Mulder?" Tripp asked. Alice looked up. "You're under arrest…"

Horatio made a mental note. When he'd be back at the lab he really had to talk to someone in particular…

Allison looked at Ryan, who sat next to her.
"Ryan? I'm sorry you had to put up with me and all this crap."
Ryan looked back at her. "Actually, I liked being with you." A voice in his head said he should ask her out for dinner, but in his heart, he didn't dare to. He sighed and then looked at her. Should he ask it?

Horatio walked up to Stetler.
"Rick?"
"Horatio. I understand you finally got along with Allison Mulder."
"Yes… maybe next time it will be better if you first check people's back ground before hiring them and giving them my lab as their personal playground."
"I understand she also seems to get along very well with Ryan Wolfe"
"Perhaps, but that's none of your business."
"It is my business. You see, against all my expectations she didn't think you have too much influence on your team and the influence you do have is only positive. I don't understand."
Horatio suppressed the urge to say 'that's because you're stupid' and instead only smiled at Stetler before going on. "Well, Rick, if you let me do my things then I'll let you do yours. Don't interfere with the lab work."
"But it's my job to be curious about the employees of the lab."
"That – is not a job" Horatio looked at him, dangerously calm. "That – is just a nuisance."

Horatio walked out of the lab building and watched Ryan help Allison into her car. She smiled at Ryan and when both noticed Horatio, they smiled at him. Horatio smiled back at them and then, he looked at the clouds that floated by high in the sky. Hurricane season was coming soon. Horatio slipped on his sunglasses and he looked at the building of the lab that meant so much to him. No – he looked at the building of which the employees meant so much to him. His crime lab.

The End.