When they got back to the precinct, an officer informed Clive that the IT department wanted to talk to him about his case. So heading up to their floor, Clive was waved over by one of the IT guys.
"What you got for me?" Clive asked, the guy who's name badge identified him as Peter. Liv immediately started to wonder what he was like in bed, he looked like the submissive type.
"Well, I've been going through your victim's laptop and I think I've found out why your victim was at the Grand." Peter said.
"Well don't keep me in suspense Pete, why?" Clive said.
"Have you ever heard of a website called 'come and play with me dot com'?"
"What was that about playing?" Liv asked, suddenly very interested in the conversation.
"Well as far as I can tell, it's a website where people announce a time and place they will be available for sex and other people go and have sex with them." Pete said blushing as he said it, definitely submissive, Liv thought.
"Okay." Clive drawled out, slightly disturbed. "What's this got to do with the victim?"
"Well on the day she died, you vic visited this website and posted that she would be at the Grand, she must have already known what room she would be in because she put it on her post, and what time she would be there."
"Is there anyway you can find out who responded to the post?" Clive asked.
"Yeah right." Liv laughed. "Like blokes are going to comment 'on my way, see you there.'"
"I'm afraid she's right detective. Anyone who went on the website would have been able to see your victims post."
"What about if I gave you another person's laptop, would you be able to see if they had visited this website? Even if they didn't post on it?" Clive asked.
"Yeah, that's easy." Pete replied.
"What if they've cleared their browsing history?" Liv asked.
"That's not nearly as permanent as people thinks it is." Pete laughed.
"Thanks Pete, if we find anything else, we'll let you know." Clive said before walking away and turning to Liv. "If we can prove that Vince visited that website and get video evidence of him going into that alley, then that gives him motive and opportunity. I'm going to go look at that traffic cam footage, I'll let you know if I find anything." Clive said getting into the elevator and disappearing. Liv looked down at her watch, 12:42. Liv knew she had to go back down to the morgue to get on with the pile of work she'd been neglecting, she just hoped that Ravi had gone out for lunch.
Quietly descending the stairs into the morgue Liv saw no sign of Ravi, breathing a sigh of relief she walked over to her desk.
"I get the feeling you're avoiding me." Ravi said, appearing from around the corner. Liv spun around in fright to see him leaning against the way and tried to act casual.
"No, no, of course not. Why would you think that?" Liv said with an awkward laugh, attempting to lean back against her desk, but not realising she was too far away and ended up stumbling backwards.
"I don't know," Ravi shrugged, "The fact that you just tried to sneak into the morgue and because I haven't seen or heard from you since yesterday. And there was another thing?" Ravi said tapping his chin in thought. "Oh yeah, maybe because I walked in on you about have sex with our resident zombie drug dealer, on city property no less." Ravi said scandalised.
"I've been busy." Liv defended.
"With Blaine." Ravi stated.
"No, with Clive."
"Oh, I thought you said Felicity doesn't feel that way about Clive." Ravi laughed at how riled up Liv was getting.
"No, not in that way. I was helping solve Felicity's murder."
"And there was a clue at the bottom of Blaine's throat was there?"
"Can we please stop talking about that?"
"And give up the opportunity to tease you mercilessly about it, no I don't think so." Ravi laughed, Liv buried her face in her hands and groaned.
"Ugh, why him? Why did Felicity have to be crazy about him?" Liv questioned.
"Well he does have that air of cocky confidence around him that some women find attractive." Ravi mused sitting next to Liv on her desk.
"Sounds like someone's got a little man crush on him." Liv teased, bumping her shoulder against Ravi's.
"Oh please, I would have thought you would have known me well enough by now to know that I do not bat for that team. Besides I wasn't the one who was obsessed with his historic chin and his expressive at not expressing anything lips."
"That was the brain, not me." Liv laughed before trailing off. "So do you not think any less of me after what I did?"
"Nah, of course not. I wouldn't blame you for something you did while under the influence of a brain." Ravi said throwing an arm around Liv's shoulders and giving her a side hug. "But I do blame you for thinking that I wouldn't understand and also for making me have to clean up and re-sanitised the morgue after your little liaison with Blaine. So now to make it up to me, you have to empty out the human waste bin and provide me with coffee for the rest of the week." Ravi said handing her some rubber gloves.
"You got it." Liv laughed before getting to work.
By 3:30 Liv had caught up on all the work she had neglected and told Ravi she was going to check in with Clive. So heading up to the homicide floor, she found Clive at his desk.
"Any luck with the traffic cam footage?" Liv asked.
"A little," Clive replied. "I've got someone entering the alley at 12:01 and then leaving again at 12:43. Even if it is Vince, he leaves before the time of the murder. Are you sure time of death is after 1am?"
"Ravi's pretty sure." Liv answered.
"Hopefully we'll find some evidence at his house tomorrow. Do you want me to swing round yours to pick you up in the morning?"
"No thanks, I'll make my own way there."
"Okay, I'll see you tomorrow." Clive said, turning back to his computer. Liv made her way out of the station and started heading home. However somehow on the way she made a wrong turning and before she knew it she was outside Walton lofts. She hadn't been invited over and hadn't text him to tell him she was coming. Earlier he said he was busy so chances are he wouldn't even be home. Hopefully that will be the case, then she might be able to convince herself to leave and go home. The doorman opened the door for her and she started making her way over to the elevator.
"Miss Moore?" Someone shouted to her across the lobby, Liv turned and saw the concierge wave her over.
"Yes?" Liv said wearily.
"Mr DeBeers is in not at home at the moment but he left you a key." He replied sliding a key across the desk.
"What?" Liv said utterly confused. "But he didn't know I was coming."
"Mr DeBeers, just said that he was expecting you and to give you the key when you arrived." The concierge said pushing the key closer to Liv before returning to his computer, dismissing her. Liv just grabbed the key before walking back to the elevator.
'That cocky son of bitch.' Liv thought, he knew she'd be back, even after she'd told him she wouldn't be. It was too late to turn back now, he'd know the caved, so she may as well wait around for him and enjoy herself. The elevator doors opened and Liv made her way to Blaine's apartment. Letting herself in to the empty apartment was an odd experience, Liv left the key on the table next to door and actually bothered to hang up her bag and jacket in the closet before wondering further into the living area. Without Blaine standing around to attract her attention, Liv could actually examine his apartment. Like she'd notice last time, the entire apartment was open plan with only the bathroom closed off. The windows looked out to an amazing view of the city and harbour. The apartment itself was quite sparsely furnished, which Liv thought suited his personality. Looking through his wardrobe she noticed that all his clothes were designer, no wonder he was so mad when she ruined one of his shirts. He didn't have any knick-knacks or pictures or anything that was really specific to him. However, in the kitchen he did have a whole cupboard dedicated to hot sauces. Liv opened the glass door onto the balcony and breathed in the fresh air. Blaine had certainly come along way from a mid level drug dealer if he could afford a place like this. Walking back in to the living area, Liv noticed some papers on the dinning table in the corner. Liv knew she shouldn't look at them, but eventually curiosity got the better of her, if he didn't want her to read them, he shouldn't have left them out. At first glance, Liv wasn't sure what she was looking at but she eventually realised that it was the deed, receipt of sale and a change of owner ship contract for a business called Shady Plots funeral home. Liv thought it was strange business choice for Blaine, she'd try to remember to ask him about it.
For the next hour, Liv hung around Blaine's apartment, waiting for him. She considered giving up and leaving but the memories of the previous night kept her firmly routed in place. Feeling too horny to wait around any longer she decided to get her phone out a text him to hurry up. Opening up his text feed, Liv reread his previous text to her.
Well you're going to have to fuck yourself, I'm busy.
Whilst thinking of me though, obviously.
A wicked thought came to her mind and she put down her phone and made her away into Blaine's sleeping area. This area smelled of him the strongest and seduced by his scent, Liv stripped down and climbed on the bed. Lying on her back, Liv palmed one of her breasts, while her other hand rubbed her nipple. It became erect between her fingers and she moaned at the tingling sensation. Turning her head to the side, Liv deeply inhaled the scent of Blaine's pillow as she continued to fondle her breasts, before letting one of hands slowly trail down her body. Pressing her eyes closed she could imagine that it was Blaine's hands on her body, his fingers ghosting along her skin. Liv's breathing became more erratic as she dipped her fingers into her folds and gently rubbed her clit. Her other hand left her breast and she stroked her inner thigh, her fingers slowly ascending up to her folds before dipping inside her. Liv began writhing as her fingers entered her, the soft sheets caressing her back. Liv moaned as her fingers repeatedly stroked her clit and entered her.
"Well, this is a nice surprise." Liv shot up on the bed to see Blaine leaning against the doorframe with his arms folded. He had taken her completely by surprise, she hadn't even heard the front door open. "No really, your completing the ultimate male fantasy. Coming home and finding a naked woman in your bed." Liv fell back on the bed while her heartbeat returned to normal. "Please, don't let me stop you." Blaine said, not moving from his position.
"Wouldn't you rather join me?" Liv said coyly, having got over her fright and leaning forward slightly.
"We'll get to that later." Blaine said starring at her intently. "Now carry on."
"But-"
"Carry. On." Blaine said, his voice taking on a slightly dangerous edge, which made Liv wetter than she already was. Shuffling back slightly so she could lean her back against the headboard. Smirking at Blaine, Liv slowly spread her bent legs just enough to slide her hand back down into her folds, her fingers rheumatically entering her at a slow and leisurely pace, as her thumb rubbed her clit. Liv saw Blaine let out a heavy breath but he remained where he was, his eyes flickered between hers and her fingers. The intensity of his gaze turned Liv on more than she ever thought it would and her pace increased. Her breath started coming out in fast pants as her other hand fondled her breast. Liv could feel her climax building, Blaine's gaze on her intensified the pleasure tenfold. Liv closed her eyes as she felt the first waves of her climax about to crash over her. But then suddenly Liv felt a hand grab her wrist and stop her movements. Snapping her eyes open she saw Blaine's face hovering over her. The air between them became electrified in the stillness and Blaine pulled her fingers out of her, slowly bringing them upwards towards her face. Just like he'd done to Felicity in her vision, he held her fingers towards her, a silent order in his gaze. Smirking, Liv took her fingers into her mouth and sucked them long and slow, while keeping eye contact with Blaine, who's face remained impassive.
"Well someone's been a bad girl, starting without me." Blaine said as Liv's fingers left her mouth with a soft pop. Liv began unbuttoning Blains shirt as she replied.
"Well I was only doing what you you told me. Besides you were taking too long."
"Well, your going to need to be punished for your impatience."
"About time." Liv said grabbing Blaine's face and kissing him.
-x-
"What's shady plots?" Liv asked trying to distract herself from wanting a cigarette as she lay across Blaine's chest, the both of them in bed completely spent.
"Where did you hear about that?" Blaine asked as he casually stroked his fingers up and down Liv's back.
"There were papers about it on your dining table."
"Ahhh, so you're a snooping zombie detective."
"It's hardly snooping when you leave them out in the open."
"Well maybe I wasn't expecting a horny zombie to break into my apartment."
"I didn't break in!" Liv said punching him lightly in the chest. "You left me a key."
"Yep, because I knew you'd be back wanting more." Blaine said smacking her arse lightly.
"Ugh, you're such a pig. Anyway, you never answered my question."
"Shady plots is my new business venture, you inspired it actually."
"What? How did I inspire you to buy a funeral home?"
"Well, why should I go out and get brains, when instead, I can make them come to me."
"You brought a whole new business just to get easier access to brains?"
"Well someone was supposed to share theirs with me but never showed to our meeting, so I had to procure them through other means."
"I did show actually," Liv said sitting up so she could look down at Blaine's face. "And I saw you making a drug deal."
"Actually," Blaine said, propping his hands behind his head, now that Liv was no longer occupying them. "You saw me telling some of my ex-colleges that I was out of the business and when they told me to get in their car as the boss wanted to see me, I bribed them to leave me alone. And that was the last I've seen of anyone from my former employment."
"Oh." Liv said after a minute of silence. Maybe she had misjudged Blaine, maybe he really was no longer that person who tried to sell her drugs and felt her up on that boat. After all being a zombie had certainly changed her, it shouldn't be surprising that it had changed him as well. "I'm sorry."
"Say what?" Blaine asked, even though he heard her perfectly well.
"I'm sorry I ran off before giving you a chance to explain." Liv said, lying back down on Blaine's chest, one of his hands coming down to rest on her hip.
"Doesn't matter now I have my new business. And besides those brains aren't just for me anyway."
"What do you mean?" Liv asked.
"Turns out there are more of us zombies wandering around Seattle than we thought and they need brains. And as of a few days ago I am the only brain retailer in the state, probably the entire country."
"You're selling brains? That's hor-"
"What ever you're about to say, think it through again and make sure it's not hypocritical, little miss works in a morgue and can snack on brains when ever she wants. Plus, I don't see you handing out brains to our fellow zombies." Liv realised that what he said was true, she was about to be hypocritical. She was in a very fortunate situation where she had easy access to the brains she needed. The other zombies Blaine was talking about probably didn't have that luxury.
"But selling them for profit?"
"You think I can afford to just give them away?"
"I suppose not." Liv said trailing off and looking thoughtful for a moment. "Where did these other zombies come from?" If Liv had been looking at Blaine at that moment she would have seen the pleased smirk that spread across his face before it quickly disappeared.
"I don't know, maybe more people survived the boat party than just us."
"You don't know?" Liv asked, "Didn't you ask?"
"I'm not running a zombie support group. I don't really care how they became zombies, just as long as they buy brains." Liv made a noise of disgust as she untangled herself from Blaine and shuffled to the edge of the bed, before sitting with her back to Blaine and gathering her clothes off the floor, looking at the clock on the bedside table she saw it was a little after two in the morning.
"Seriously!" Blaine said sitting up and watching Liv get dressed. "I'm stopping Seattle's zombie population from going rampant and killing people in the street, which is more than you are doing I'm going to point out, and your making me the bad guy."
"It's not that!" Liv huffed, buttoning up her blouse. "How can the fact that there are more zombies out there and we don't know how they came to be, not bother you in the slightest?"
"Why do you care so much? What's knowing how they became zombies going to change?"
"It matters!"
"Why does it?"
"How can you be so unbothered by this? What if they were around before the boat party? What if they know how we became zombies?" Liv said standing up to zip up her skirt and turning round to face Blaine.
"I can guarantee that there haven't been zombies running around since before the boat party."
"How do you know that? You just said you never asked them?"
"I just do." Blaine said, tired of this argument and falling back on the bed.
"Urgh, you're infuriating!" Liv said stomping around, looking for her other shoe.
"It's part of my charm." Blaine said smirking and Liv hated the fact that her breath hitched at the sight and she briefly considered climbing back into bed with him, before shaking that thought away. Liv eventually managed to tear herself away from the slight of Blaine naked in bed and march out into to living area to grab her coat and bag, before heading to the door. However, as she approached the door she passed the table that she had placed Blaine's spare key on. Liv looked at it siting there innocently, as if it didn't know how it was tempting her. Her hand hovered above the key as she tried to stop Felicity's brain from making her take it. Liv had no idea how long she stood there, her hand inching closer and closer to the key.
"For fuck's sake! Just take the damn key, we both now you'll come crawling back tonight so you might as well take it and let yourself in." Blaine shouted, scaring Olivia and on reflex she grabbed the key, clutching it to her chest. Turning slightly, Liv could see that Blaine must have been watching her reflection in a mirror on the wall. Flushing with embarrassment at him seeming her inner battle with her own hand, Liv fled the apartment, the key secure in her grasp. Just like last time, when Liv exited the lobby there was a cab waiting outside, despite the early hour of the morning and it bugged her that one moment Blaine could be an insensitive dick and then do something so gentlemanly the next, the man was an enigma to her.
It had been three days since Liv had eaten Felicity's brains and while they still firmly control her actions, Liv could feel their influence growing weaker. Soon she would be free of Felicity's constant horniness and free from her obsession with Blaine. The thought of no longer being with Blaine gave Liv some unexpectedly mixed emotions. He was a different person from the one she met at the boat party and she believed him when he said he no longer dealt drugs, maybe underneath his cockiness and bravado, he could be a decent human being. However, this new business of his was questionable to say the least and Liv wasn't 100 per cent confident that Blaine was telling the truth when he said he didn't know how these other zombies came to be. Although Blaine did have a point, she had the luxury of taking a, albeit small, moral high ground when it came to getting her brains. So whilst she knew that Blaine wasn't doing it for benevolent reasons, he was protecting the humans and keeping the fact that there were zombies running around Seattle a secret with his new business.
Resting her head back against her seat in the cab, Liv closed her eyes and could perfectly recall the past two nights she had spent with Blaine. Liv had to admit that his personality was questionable to put it mildly, but he certainly knew his way around the bedroom. When it was the two of them in bed, their bodies connected in the most intimate way, Liv felt more alive than she ever had before, including when she was in fact alive. But it wasn't just the sex that was causing her mixed emotions about Blaine, it was the fact that she could let her guard down around him. When Liv had been alive, she was quite a tactile person, but now in death she felt like she had to keep herself on a constant leash, scared that the slightest scratch could ruin a friend's life. But with Blaine, a fellow zombie, she could let go and not worry. Scratches, bites, exchange of bodily fluids had no effect of him, she could touch him freely without fear of any consequences and that made her feel more like herself around him than anyone else. And, if Liv was being completely honest with herself, she knew that she couldn't blame her feelings on Felicity's brain. It may be Felicity's brain telling her to sleep with Blaine, but it was Liv who loved it, Liv who revealed in every second of it and Liv who almost wept at the thought of never experiencing it again once Felicity's brain wore off, never being able to let her guard down, never being able to feel like her pre-zombie self again. Liv wished she had just stayed in bed with Blaine and not let her thoughts travel down this dangerous and depressing road. Liv was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't even notice that the cab had stopped outside her building until the cabbie started clearing his throat at her. Apologising, liv quickly hopped out the cab and rushed into her building. Quietly sneaking into her apartment as not to wake Peyton, Liv quickly got ready for bed. But in the stillness of her room, her thoughts whirled around in her head, mainly thoughts of Blaine. It was going to be a long night.
-x-
By the time Liv arrived at Vince Mulligan's house the police were already ran sacking the place from top to bottom. Liv nodded and flashed her badge to the policeman guarding the door and couldn't help but give him a little wink as she made her way inside. She found Clive in the living room looking through a bunch of boxes marked 'Teri's stuff.'
"Morning, has the search turned anything up?" Liv asked, coming to stand at Clive's side and peering into the boxes.
"Nothing yet, I've sent the laptop to the boys in IT to see if Vince visited 'come and play with me dot com' but it might be a while until they get back to us. Also it looks like the Mulligan's separation was about to become official. We found divorce papers on the desk, along with a letter from the wife, requesting that Vince box up all her and the kid's belongings and that she'd send someone over next week to collect them."
"Maybe the papers sent him over the edge? He blamed Felicity for the end of his marriage and the loss of his kids." Liv theorised.
"It's looking likely, but without a murder weapon any charges against him won't stick." Clive huffed angrily throwing a book that he had just picked up back in the box it had come from. Liv couldn't think of anything to helpful to say and so grabbed the nearest box to her and had a rummage inside. Like the box Clive was looking through, this one too was full of books. Liv grabbed a handful and scanned the spins, her eyes widened at what she read.
"Clive…" Liv said setting the books down and grabbing some more out the box.
"What is it? You found something?" Clive asked rounding the table to her.
"Clive, look at these books, their all on botany!" Liv said excitedly. "And I'll bet you that one of these books will have at least a passage on our poison."
"You may be right." Clive said as he continued to scan all the books in the box. "Jenkins!" Clive called and a uniform officer came over to them. "I want you to search all these boxes and confiscate all the books on botany. Take them back to the station and find any that mention Aconitum, also known as Wolf's Bane." Clive ordered.
"Right away detective." Jenkins said, grabbing another uniformed officer and started rummaging through all the boxes with books in.
"Why don't you have a wander round." Clive whispered to Liv. "See if anything triggers one of your visions." Liv nodded and began walking around the house, pausing frequently to examine photos or knick-knacks of Vince Mulligans life. Nearly every photo in the house was of Vince and his wife or their kids. In the photos they looked very happy together and Liv couldn't help but think that if Felicity had never walked into their lives, maybe they still would be. Liv walked into the kitchen just as an officer was empting out the bin onto the kitchen island and began rifling through it. Liv's nose wrinkled at the smell but peered though the mess anyway, nothing out of the ordinary, the usual kitchen scraps, empty wrappers, a few empty packets of cigarettes with a few cigarettes still inside and empty take away containers.
"Hey Liv." Clive called over walking through the French window from the garden. "Come check this out." Liv followed Clive out into the garden, who went and stood next to an empty patch of bedding, smiling triumphantly.
"What am I supposed to be looking at?" Liv asked confused.
"What do you notice about this garden?" Clive asked, Liv looked around. Even without knowing about Teri's interest in botany, it was obvious the moment you looked at her garden. It was beautifully maintained, with dozens of different varieties of flowers, fruit and veg growing. Every plant had a little post next to it detailing what it was and when it had been planted. Every inch of available space was being used. However, Liv still didn't understand what Clive was trying to tell her.
"Umm, it's really nice." Liv said questioningly.
"It's more than nice, it's beautiful. And obviously very well cared for. So why if Mrs Mulligan loved her garden so much is there a patch of empty bedding here?" Clive said pointing back down to the empty patch of mud. The more Liv looked at it the odder it looked, both plants either side were flourishing so it was unlikely that the missing plant had died and even if it had, Teri had a greenhouse full of seedlings that needed to be planted, so why hadn't she planted something new?
"Do you think that a Wolf's Bane plant was growing here?" Liv asked, catching on to what Clive was getting at.
"That is exactly what I think. And I think that Mr Mulligan disposed of the plant to cover his tracks in case we came looking."
"Can you prove it?" Liv asked.
"Unfortunately no, not until we get contact with Mrs Mulligan and ask her what used to be planted there. However, she is apparently out of the country on vacation at the moment and is proving difficult to get hold of. At the moment all the evidence we have is circumstantial. Hopefully the traffic surveillance will be enough to convince him to confess, because if we can't figure out how he killed Felicity, then he walks." Clive said before turning away to answer his phone that had started ringing while he was talking. Liv gazed back down at the empty patch of mud, even if they could prove that the plant that was used to poison Felicity used to be grown there, they still didn't know how she was poisoned and any decent lawyer will pick up on that.
"Hey Liv." Clive said turning back to her with a big smile on his face. "Guess who some uniforms just picked up?"
"I really want you to say Jason Dohring." Liv said.
"Who? Never mind, it's Vince. Uniforms picked him up at the bus station half an hour ago. I've put in a request for a DNA sample with the chief, with the strong motive and the traffic cam footage it should be approved. You ready to get going?"
"Lead the way."
