Case 20: A Deadly Game
JJ leaned back against his chair, resisting the urge to move and make himself more comfortable, knowing it would only irritate the scratches across his back. Every time it nearly got to much he looked up and across to his lover and watched as his bit down on his lower lip, trying not to do the same though for slightly different reasons.
Whenever David caught his lover's gaze he would narrow his eyes before looking at him with heat in his blue eyes, teeth worry his lip more and making the younger's blood boil.
Sighing the red-head turned back to the computer and forced himself to finish his reports. Just as he printed it off and got back from handing a copy to the Chief one of the interns showed up and dropped a parcel on his desk.
He frowned at that. Who would send him something at work? His military buddies would send it to his Dad's place, his family it to his house and there was no one else he could think of.
He grabbed a hunting knife out of his boot and slipped on a pair of latex gloves before cutting open the box and unfolding it.
He didn't even pause as he looked down at the contents, just picked it up and walked down to the morgue and dropped the box in front of the senior examiner as he looked over a report at his desk.
Nathan blinked down at it before his eyes went wide and he moved into action, pulling on gloves so he could examine the finger and JJ pulled the note out of the box so he could walk with it to the Chief.
When King and Jones asked what that was about he showed them both the note. 'That's just a preview. You'll find some more pieces from my victim at the homeless camp, next to the bridge.'
"It was a finger and I'm gonna find this son of a bitch." His accent came out stronger towards the end and David grabbed an evidence bag for the card and had Ramirez run it up to Grace for prints, not that they expected any, before they walked out to the car and set off.
The dingy homeless camp was Coopervilles twin as they searched through it. They easily found another finger and JJ packed it and worked on cracking a locked box. David digging through a freshly dug dirt mound.
It turned out it was a button that looked completely out of place and inside the box, A key and a note in invisible ink that was easily solved.
'Well done, Rank Name, you found my note! Another piece of puzzle is waiting for you at 278 Kennedy Road.'
They gave the other evidence to the officer who had followed them and set off towards the address.
When they approached the derelict house it reminded JJ of home. The old abandoned houses out by the swamp where he and his mates had hung out scaring each other and getting drunk.
Approaching the house they moved through it with their guns, JJ going first, his lover covering his back. Once they were done they approached the basement door and found it to be locked.
David grabbed the key and put it in the lock. It turned with a click.
Just before the brunette could open the door the red-head pulled him back with a shake of his head. There was something cold and fierce in his eyes but it felt like a protective cocoon as the solider went forward, taking point again.
Slowly they made their way into the dimly lit basement, using their flashlights to find their way around. At the bottom the light was flicked on to reveal what was effectively a torture chamber, blood in the air. This was their crime scene.
They easily found the third finger inside a jar filled with something. A leash with a warn engraving but what really caught JJ's eye. An Iron Maiden covered in fresh blood tucked away at the back in the darkest corner possible, he had a few officers collect it and take it to the lab.
"This is a caviar spoon. Why would this be here?" David asked holding up the bagged item.
"How do you know that Doll?" JJ asked, folding his arms bellow his chest.
"I worked in a posh restaurant washing dishes when I was a student." He chuckled and his lover did the same before collecting the scraps of paper from the floor. What was it with people tearing things up.
Back at the station JJ pieced the paper together and revealed a book cover, the image of Kronos eating his children staring up at him.
'The Human Burger Theory'. JJ had read it just last week before sending a copy to his sister and the twins. It was twisted book about torture and cannibalism with gruesome and disturbing details but by an expert opinion, Rix, the author didn't have personal experience.
Maybe they should talk to Mr Nelson Campbell.
He showed it to David who grimaced before showing his own findings on the leash.
"Jezabela owns a fetish club according to the rumours. Apparently she hosts animated torture parties." He blushed darker as JJ smirked at him but it was decided they'd go see her after visiting the morgue.
"Hey Nathan, what did you get?" JJ asked as he entered the cold room.
"Nothing good. The finger was cut off when the victim was alive." He grimaced and David paled.
"And?" They looked at the red-head who seemed completely unfazed, after finding that book he really wasn't surprised.
"Well, it seems the killer used it as a caviar spoon." Not surprising either but at least they knew the killer did eat caviar.
"Why did you stop me earlier?" David looked at his lover for a second before turning to the road.
"Because if one of us is going to get hurt, it's going to be me Doll, I'm not letting you get hurt." Again that protective glint was shining in his eyes and it made David shiver.
"You know I feel the same about you."
"I know, but that's not going to stop me, on this one I'm being selfish." Was the red-heads reply and David gulped harshly, nodding his head once. This wasn't a fight he was going to win.
Talking to Campbell hadn't given them anything so instead they turned to Jezabela. JJ could honestly say he'd never been to a fetish club and he personally found the whole thing strangely hilarious. Maybe it was because he knew the reality instead of the fantasy.
The woman was a pretty blond that screamed dominatrix in a black PVC cat suit.
"Well, if it isn't Detective Jones? How I miss having you around." She purred and David went scarlet.
"Jezabela." JJ spoke with a wolf's grin. "Would you like to go for a drink later? You and I need to have a very long conversation." He spoke, eyes trailing over his partner who shivered under the dark, heated gaze.
"I have expensive taste and it's Mistress Jezabela if you please." She pointed out though there was a grin.
"Not a problem and I don't." He finally turned to her. She huffed slightly but with a smile regardless. "Unfortunately we're here for business not pleasure and for us that is separate." He said before she could start.
"We found a leash with your name on it in a torture chamber connected to a murder." David showed her said leash.
"I don't know what you're talking but that is not mine, it belongs to Cherry Doll, my vassal, though you would call her Harper McAlister. I'm warning you though she may seem a little disturbed" She told them dismissively.
"The second half of that may be true, but the first isn't, so the torture chamber?" Green eyes stared her down and she looked at him in complete shock before nodding slowly to compose herself.
"Well it was a while ago, I may have rented it out for a party. 'When caviar goes to far.' They combine two of may favourite things, caviar and…" She trailed off and they made their excuses, JJ leaving his card with a bright grin.
They made their way beck to the station, having Ramirez bring in their suspect. Upon arrival the officer looked extremely nervous, and they soon found out why.
In side was a slightly square jawed woman with blond hair in a ponytail and freckles scattered across her nose and cheeks with plain brown eyes. She wasn't a conventional beauty but there was a certain charm.
"Miss McAlister, or should I say Cherry Doll? I believe this... this necklace belongs to you?" Jones asked, holding up said object and handing it over, they saw no reason not to.
"Oh you found it! I was really scared of Mistress Jezabela finding out I'd lost it. She wouldn't be pleased at all." She went from bouncing in place to pouting like a child, yep, personality disorder. "I lost the leash a week ago. I thought I left it at the psychiatric hospital." She added with an adorably confused face, hand held against her cheek.
"Psychiatric hospital? What were you there for?" The brunette detective asked curiously.
"Oh nothing really. They say I have psychotic disorders just because I couldn't resist biting that young doctor that time..." JJ had to stop himself laughing. He didn't know why but he was finding everything funny today, though he was pretty sure he'd find that funny any day. "But I'm better now! I only go there twice a week!" She looked excited again, grinning brightly.
"Glad to hear it Sweetheart." JJ took over seeing the confliction of disturbed and endeared that was flickering over his lovers face. "We just have a few questions to ask you then you can go okay?" She bobbed her head emphatically.
"When were you last at the torture chamber on Kennedy Street?" David managed to pull himself together.
"Oh, a few weeks ago. Mistress Jezabela had a caviar party there, it was so fun! And the caviar was amazing, I love the way it goes pop on your tongue, don't you?" She popped her lips and JJ chuckled brightly.
"And where were you last night Sweetheart?" He asked with a sweet smile.
"Oh I was out walking. I love the city at night, it calms me down." She smiled serenely, looking far away before she suddenly scowled, again reminding them of a small child. "But I saw my brother out partying without telling me. He does that all the time, it's so annoying!" She let out a huff of breath, crossing her arms over her chest.
She suddenly looked devilish as she grinned, JJ could almost see the horns.
"I got my revenge though; I ate all the caviar he had left." She giggled darkly and JJ chuckled along.
"Well thank you Harper, you can leave now." David spoke with a smile and the woman jumped up before coming forward, bouncing up to kiss their cheeks before skipping away and out the station and they both laughed brightly before sobering, going to visit their lab techs.
"Hello boys, you've got one heck of a case I see." Grace spoke to them with a strained smile and at the moment she was very glad she was not a field officer.
"Yes we do, so what have you got for us?" JJ asked with a sigh, falling back into the case.
"Yes, that third finger was being preserved in formol, an agent that's often used to preserve organic tissue by experts. So your killer uses formol. I also got prints from your spoon and DNA from the button and Alex is running them for you now."
They said their thanks and went up to Alex.
"Hey guys." Like Grace he seemed strained and David gently gripped his shoulder in reassurance. "Anyway, prints on the spoon belong to a certain Jezabela. The DNA found on that button belongs to Lennie Adams. He's just done 3 years in prison for the torture and sequestration of his wife."
"Lovely fellow." David groused and they got the man's details.
"I also found who your victim is, Nathan sent me his prints. Steve Wood was a trader who got sent to prison for misappropriation. When he came out, he basically didn't get a life to go back to, and he ended up living in that homeless camp."
"Great work Alex thanks." JJ did the usual and ruffled his hair and got an amusing squeak of protest.
They also checked in with Nathan who confirmed the Iron Maiden was mostly likely their murder weapon given the victim's blood on the spikes.
They talked with Lennie Adams and while he was suspicious there was nothing that really jumped out at them that said he was the killer.
Getting back they both sighed and collapsed into their chairs and were just about to start planning their next move when Ramirez popped up.
"Sergeant! A new letter was dropped in our mailbox for you!" The man was trembling, sweat beading on his forehead as his eyes darted around.
"Are we sure we want to open it?" David asked as he slowly drifted closer. JJ looked at him blandly and his lover grimaced, knowing there wasn't an option, they had to.
The former marine did it quickly like ripping off a bandage and slit the top before pulling the card out.
'You were so close, Rank Name. I'll give you another hint: go to this address. You may find something. Or not.'
JJ didn't even think, he just grabbed his jacket and walked out to the garage, his pup left with his best friend (Grace).
The address turned out to be an extremely high end apartment right in the heart of the district and it didn't take long to find a faded bottle of formol in a medicine cabinet and it sent red flags up.
"What are you doing in my loft? I'm calling the police!" They turned to see a man with blond hair, freckles across his nose and cheeks and plain brown eyes.
"No need sir, we are the police." Jones interrupted, flashing the badge on his belt.
"Harper McAlister's brother I'm guessing?" JJ smirked, looking at the fact they seemed almost identical.
"Tyler McAlister, we're twins. I hope you didn't get bitten, Sergeant. Yes I recognise you, hard not to." He smirked himself and JJ already knew they were looking at their guy he just had to prove it.
"Not yet. Personally I found her rather charming." The red-head said with a small smile, why were psychopaths charismatic. "We got a mysterious note that lead us here, all the others involved body parts. Any idea about that?" The southern drawl was tinged with something dark and charming. The devil was a southerner, didn't you know?
"No mysterious letters are a dime a dozen around here with Harper but the body parts is certainly something new. I'm afraid I can't help you." He seemed to solely have eyes for the younger detective and while David just wanted to shoot the murdering bastard he knew that they needed this open because as long as he was interested in JJ he'd play the game and not kill someone else.
"That's a shame, and what were you doing last night Sugar?" Green eyes were swirling with something dark, sparkling with something scarily like malice.
"Out celebrating my bonus with champagne and caviar, alone." He added after a moments thought.
"Alone. Now that's a shame Sugar, someone like you shouldn't be alone." Something flashed in brown eyes at the smooth slow drawl and he gave a very cat like grin, realizing that his wolf was playing his game.
"Hum, maybe you'd like to join me some time?" The two predators were metaphorically circling each other and it made David want to turn and run, even as he held strong in the room.
They were thankfully interrupted by another suspect walking into the loft
"Detectives! I didn't expect to see you so soon!" Harper skipped in.
"We just needed to talk with your brother Sweetheart, we'll be going now." JJ smiled sweetly, very different from the born killer of a few moments ago.
The two exited and David drove without question to the torture chamber. It looked like the killer had left them another clue, the fourth finger in a jar.
They quickly took it to the station and gave it to their saving Grace, but out in the garage David found himself stopped by strong arms around his waist.
"I'm sorry." The soft voice in his ear made him sigh and slowly turn, arms curling around his lover, face buried in his lovers neck, breathing deeply and letting himself relax.
"Its okay Babe, I, I'm just not use to seeing you like that. Give me a little time to process?" He asked it in a small voice as he looked up, not wanting to hurt the bigger man.
"Anything you need Doll." Gentle lips pressed against his own in a tender kiss and equally gentle hands gripped his jaw before JJ pulled back, snagging the keys and climbing into the driver's side.
They went back to the homeless camp and found several things they knew weren't there before. A torn card, a prescription bottle and the fifth finger, or should that be thumb.
The card lead them to Nelson Campbell who was of little help other than informing them that Tyler McAlister had been the one to receive the card.
The pills had only lead them to Lennie Adams, who was much the same as before, useless.
The two decided to go back to McAlister's loft and have another look around, Tyler watching them all the while with a smirk on his lips.
They found a glass which made a nice change on this case and had a quick word with their killer before they left, getting the glass to Grace.
"Care to explain why two of my detectives are here when there is a psychopath on the loose?" King was steaming slowly but surely as he looked between the two desks, both of them with head phones on watching some of the TV they'd missed.
"What's the point?" JJ shrugged. "Tyler McAlister's the killer and we can't arrest him without evidence to back it up. Best to let him play this out and let himself be caught." The southerner explained, his partner nodding.
"And how do you know this?" He narrowed his eyes at them.
"Trust me Chief, you didn't see him earlier." David grimaced before turning back to the computer screen and missed the look that said they'd better be right.
There real break came with the last note that sent them back to the torture chamber and their victim's body.
"You know a human liver is actually toxic when ingested. I doubt you've been feeling the best recently." JJ looked up from his place on the couch as Tyler walked over to the mantel, pouring himself a drink.
"Unless you take the right anti-toxins." Tyler commented.
"You were smart, a nice game but either you wanted to get caught or you were sloppy, I'm guessing both." Brown eyes turned to glare at him as he smirked. "A wolf will tear a little house cat like you apart, you should of never played with me."
The red-head moved as a predator, rising in one elegant move and stalking towards his prey. Tyler looked up into his eyes with something akin to lust and hate, waiting for the man to make his next move.
JJ grabbed his arm, spinning him around and slapping the cuffs on, whispering in his ear.
"And I'm the wolf if you hadn't guessed." Tyler snarled as he was dragged away, JJ reading him his rights.
