CharmedMummy - I would have thought plagiaizing someone's... multiple someone's... work would be warrant enough to delete the account. Obviously not. I'm sure you have nothing to worry about! Merry Christmas - and happy new year!
Thoren - you're welcome, and happy new year!
RK9 - I started watching that show, and then stopped - because JLH bugged me. Thank goodness Tay isn't doing! (And yes, Flack is much, much hotter!) I want a puppy! I'm not allowed - too many rabbits... oh, and a no pet clause on the flat contract (oops). I do see an end. It's just not too near - so you're stuck with it until you get bored! Missing Seymour?
demolished-soul - I have this chapter left, but Taylor is definately hooked on FF - and I can totally see why! Revival? I'll take any suggestions! Happy new year!
sparkyCSI - I didn't know what I was doing with that bit, I tell you! I felt like I'd lost the plot somewhere! Yeah, you can, like, totally review! lol
meadow567 - that's a very good point. I keep changing my mind - on the proposal, I mean. I'm not sure! Probably sooner, because I'm itching to plan/write a wedding! Typos? What typos? That was a quality piece of FF work of art! (:P)
Mauradingknight - tahts'a very good point, that I hadn't actually considered (:s) Hmmm, I figure Roxanne is naive - like me (!) and would probably put her own name up... simply because I can't think of another (good) reason!
miss wizard of oz - That's both wierd, and cool! I would prefer that - the sooner Christmas is over, the better (I'm a total scrooge!) Thank you, and happy new year!
What The Eyes Can't See
Chapter 146: Manolo, She Wrote
'Who are you after today?' Peyton asked, looking up to find Taylor lurking in her doorway.
Taylor shrugged. 'No one. I was talking to Sheldon but he's interviewing a suspect at the moment. So I thought I would come down and say hello – see how things were going?'
Peyton smile and offered her a seat. 'I'm just grateful that the only place the air conditioning is working in this building is down here.'
'You're telling me,' Taylor agreed, sitting down. 'I tried to sit in the break room, but it's too cold – you can actually see your breath. It's the opposite in the corridors where it's that warm you want to be wearing as little as possible.'
'So you're only really down here for the air conditioning?' Peyton asked her with a smile.
'Rats – you caught on,' Taylor joked. 'Actually, I really did want to say hi. I think the last time I saw you, you were upset with Mac.'
Peyton sat back in her chair and put her pen down. 'He apologized,' Peyton shrugged. 'He told Stella about us over coffee the other morning.'
'That's a big step for Mac,' Taylor told her, somewhat impressed with Mac's… boldness.
'I know,' Peyton agreed. 'I think Stella wants to go for coffee one morning with me and Keanu.'
'But?'
'But what?'
Taylor shrugged. 'It just seemed like there was more to that statement, that's all.'
Peyton shook her head. 'Far from it. I'm looking forward to it, actually. I tell you what, though.'
'What?'
'I wouldn't say no to another girly day at some point.'
Taylor beamed. 'That sounds like a brilliant idea. When Lindsay's back from Montana, and Stella's out of her cast. Maybe we should take advantage of the weather and go to the beach. Catch some rays.'
'Sounds like a plan,' Peyton agreed. 'Apparently the sun isn't going to let up for at least six weeks.'
Taylor did the math in her head. 'Well, Stella should definitely be out of a cast by then.'
A knock at the door caused them both to stop and see who had interrupted them. It was Kendall.
'Can I help you?' Peyton asked politely.
'Kendall Novak, new lab rat,' Kendall smiled.
'Peyton Driscoll, coroner,' Peyton smiled back. 'What can I do for you?'
'Actually, I was after Taylor.'
Taylor's eyes widened in surprise. 'Me?'
Kendall nodded. 'We're a little swamped. Mac just brought in a lot of trace evidence from a gang shooting in Spanish Harlem.' (Taylor's eyes darted nervously around the room, expecting a dead gang member to come leaping from the walls). 'I was wondering if you would mind helping with the Michelle Adams case? I checked with Hawkes and he said you could read.'
'I can manage reading to a sixth-grade level,' Taylor agreed, deadpan.
Kendall smirked. 'It's Roxanne's work, so that's probably all you'll need.'
Taylor pulled a face and turned back to Peyton. 'I'm going to go. But I may be back sooner than you think. If I'm dead on the table because my brain imploded – it's all Sheldon's fault – and you just bore witness to that!'
Peyton laughed, shaking her head. 'Come see me soon.'
--------------------------
Sadly, when Taylor had made that statement to Peyton, she had been joking. After reading some of the files on Roxanne's seized laptop, she wasn't so sure if she was actually becoming psychic or not.
'Mary Sue.'
Taylor refused to look up from the computer. Whilst she knew Roxanne was Michelle's murder – even though she had never met her – Michelle turning up periodically to say "Mary Sue" was highly frustrating.
'Mary Sue.'
After hearing those two words being mentioned as many times in as many minutes, Taylor exploded. 'Look,' she snapped at both Maddy and Michelle. 'I am trying, alright. But you aren't giving me anything else to go on, so unless you want to sit there and give me a decent statement, and some evidence, than you can damn well shut up and wait for me to work this out!'
'Taylor,' Maddy began in horror.
'You know what, Maddy – I don't want to hear it. I don't want to hear any of it. And unless you want me to plug in my mp3 player, turn up the volume, and shut my eyes, I suggest the both of you just-'
'Fine,' Maddy snapped back. 'We're going. But don't blame me if The Powers That Be are pissed.' And with that, they both disappeared.
Taylor groaned, sinking her head into her hands. She hadn't meant to snap like that. She was just tired. And hot – the computer room she was in was sweltering – and the two weren't combining well together.
It was the feel of something icy on her back that made her sit up with a scream. 'What the hell?' she demanded at Flack who was offering her something.
'It's a frozen mocha,' he explained, placing the item in front of her.
Taylor eyed him suspiciously. 'Are you following me?'
Flack shrugged. 'Technically, you're in my building. Doesn't that mean you're following me?'
Taylor glared at him as she took a large gulp. 'There is no way you just knew I needed this.'
Flack nodded. 'Nope. I walked past earlier. You looked like you were about to melt. And I know you didn't get any sleep last night. Although I did tell you to go to bed – it's your own fault.'
'Damn FanFiction's fault,' she muttered.
'Are you alright?' Flack asked her.
Taylor shrugged. 'Kendall and Adam are busy in the lab, Sheldon is going back over the evidence pulled from the victim's apartment, and Jen is… Jen is doing whatever detectives do when working a homicide case.'
Flack swiped at her. 'Funny. But seriously, what's the problem?'
Taylor sighed. 'I have no idea what I'm looking for.'
'Well, what are you trying to find?'
Taylor quickly filled him in. 'Which is where the problem arises,' she finished.
Flack cocked his head, looking at Taylor's notes. 'If she's plagiarized the story on FanFiction, is it possible she plagiarized her work at the magazine?'
Taylor sighed. 'It looks like it. But surely that's a motive for Michelle to kill her, not the other way around?'
Flack rose to his feet. 'Not if Michelle was about to expose her.'
Taylor's eyes widened. 'I guess I've just worked out what it is detectives do when working a homicide case.'
'I'll see you later,' Flack smiled.
Taylor sat back drinking her mocha, suddenly feeling a lot calmer.
---------------------------
By the end of the day, Hawkes was reading Roxanne her Miranda rights. Flack had been right, and as soon as Sheldon and Jen had pointed out to Roxanne that they were aware she was stealing someone else's work, she had caved instantly.
Apparently she had been annoyed that Michelle had insulted her in her FanFiction and had confronted her about it. As soon as Michelle had told her she knew what she was doing, both with her work, and with her story, the pair had started fighting. Which was when the coat hanger had been grabbed.
Taylor closed down all the windows and slipped all the notes and print outs she had made into a manila folder. The ironic thing was, as she'd been going through the notes Sheldon had made at the crime scene and Roxanne's apartment, as well as what she'd discovered on the two laptops, Michelle and Roxanne actually had a lot in common, and if it wasn't for the stealing of work, they probably could have been good friends.
Taylor sighed, feeling guiltier and guiltier. Maddy still hadn't appeared, and neither had Michelle.
The other thing was that she had realized at some point, the only friends she seemed to have anymore – (not including those she only seemed to speak to via email) worked at the Crime Lab. No wonder all she thought about was death. The other friend was dead – and she only seemed to see her if it involved death.
Maybe it was time to put a little more effort into the people she worked with. Sasha, Al, Alex…
Somehow, through the setting sun, she found herself at somewhere she hadn't been since the anniversary of Maddy's death. Wearily, she sat down.
'It's been a long time since you've been here.'
Taylor looked up over the top of Maddy's tombstone and stared at her semi-transparent friend. 'I know,' she muttered, dropping her eyes back to the black marble.
'I didn't expect to find you here. I thought you were still pissed.'
Taylor shrugged, the sad expression still on her face. 'I'm tired, Maddy.'
'Of me?'
Taylor sighed, dropping from her knees so she was sat on the dying grass the sun had spent months bleaching. 'Of this.' She indicated to the tombstones around her.
Maddy sat down next to her and stared at her grave. 'You want out?'
Taylor looked over and gently shook her head. 'I don't understand why people do it, how someone can kill… never mind with a coat hanger.' She took a deep breath and exhaled it heavily. 'It's not that. I'm honored that I can help – that these people come to me.'
'And that's why you're tired?' Maddy asked hesitantly.
Taylor shook her head again. 'I'm tired of this. Of us. You're my best friend. And all I do is tell you get lost and leave me alone, whilst you give me cryptic clues. Or rather, stand by why some char-grilled ghost tap dances in Morse Code.' Taylor scowled and glanced over at Maddy, 'and I swear to God, I draw the line at Morse Code.'
'You know, I can get Eirik to do my job,' Maddy suggested quietly.
Taylor quickly shook her head again. 'I don't want you to go. Damn it, Maddy, loads of people would kill to see their dead friends.' She stopped and laughed dryly. 'Okay, not how I wanted to say that,' she took another deep breath. 'It's just… I admit that I complain. I just don't like… I do need some alone time sometimes. Relationships are hard enough as it is. Never mind the fact that I actually have a paid job. And when you died, you said we'd still be able to talk, to hang out. I just miss that. And I'm tired of bitching at you. I just want you to be my friend now and again.'
Maddy looked over at her friend, and for the first time, really wished she could touch, and give her friend a hug. 'I'm sorry, Tay,' she told her friend earnestly.
Taylor leant back onto the grass so that she was staring up at the stars. 'I'm happy to do what I do, Maddy, but I can't do it 24/7. I need some alone time. I need to be able to actually eat a meal without it coming back up before it's digested.'
'Well, I wasn't going to say anything, but since you brought it up – you look far too skinny, girl.'
Taylor shot Maddy a withering look. 'Trust me, I am well aware of the fact that none of the clothes in my closet fit me properly. I am also aware that I'm not getting any time to go shopping to buy replacement clothes so I don't look as anorexic as I think I do.'
Maddy sighed. 'I don't know if it's gonna do any good, but I'll try and get them to back off a bit.'
Taylor managed a smile. 'Any chance we can throw my friend back into that request?'
Maddy nodded. 'Yeah.'
Well, I guess the only thing to say is - Happy New Year! And if it isn't new year for you, hey - have a good sunday/monday!