Tweak

InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "here we are now, entertain us."

Username: 
Password:    
Remember Me
  • Create Account
  • IJ Login
  • OpenID Login
Search by : 
  • View
    • Create Account
    • IJ Login
    • OpenID Login
  • Journal
    • Post
    • Edit Entries
    • Customize Journal
    • Comment Settings
    • Recent Comments
    • Manage Tags
  • Account
    • Manage Account
    • Viewing Options
    • Manage Profile
    • Manage Notifications
    • Manage Pictures
    • Manage Schools
    • Account Status
  • Friends
    • Edit Friends
    • Edit Custom Groups
    • Friends Filter
    • Nudge Friends
    • Invite
    • Create RSS Feed
  • Asylums
    • Post
    • Asylum Invitations
    • Manage Asylums
    • Create Asylum
  • Site
    • Support
    • Upgrade Account
    • FAQs
    • Search By Location
    • Search By Interest
    • Search Randomly

Hope O'Shea ([info]hope_lingers) wrote in [info]haunted_roads,
@ 2008-06-22 18:01:00

Previous Entry  Add to memories!  Tell a Friend!  Next Entry
Entry tags:hope, nox

Week Ten: Thursday
Who: Hope and Nox
When: Late Evening
Where: A Crime Scene on the streets of Seattle

The past two days had come and gone and Hope still had yet to manage to go into the tavern. She had come close to it. She had sat out on a bench across the road from it once for a couple of hours, but she still couldn't bring herself to go inside. It was daunting, to say the least. But she had made up her mind that tonight was going to be the night. She was going to go in, order a drink, and see what happened. Fate, however, had other plans.

She had opted for a walk due to the fact that she needed the fresh air in order to prepare herself. She had dressed simply, a pair of dark wash jeans, black heels, a nicely tailored dress shirt that was black with a few silver pinstripes, her hair up in a loose bun on top of her head, a few strands hanging down to frame her pale face with flushed cheeks.

She was tucked into a black jacket, one cut in the short trench style, hands in her pockets, heels clicking upon the pavement on her way to her destination when she had heard the sound of someone screaming. Being a nurse, it was impossible for her to turn her back on someone that needed help, so she hurried towards the sound just in time to see the woman from whom the scream had issued crumple to the ground, blood gushing from a wound in her side, and a tall man, dressed in black, fleeing the scene, a trail of blood left in his wake, dripping from his weapon, whatever it happened to be.

Hope was one that worked well under pressure. She had never served any time in the trauma department, but she was no stranger to blood. No time was wasted in phoning the authorities, giving them a brief synopsis of what had happened and where she was. The cell was tucked away in her jacket pocket as she moved to the aid of the woman who lay bleeding, dying if truth be told, on the pavement.

Having no gloves was certainly an inconvenience, but in spite of that, hope did all that she could. The belt was tugged from her jacket to serve as a makeshift bandage, bunched up and placed upon the wound, Hope putting as much pressure as she could upon it in an attempt to stall the bleeding.

When her breathing stopped, CPR was performed, Hope using a knee pressed hard against the woman's side to keep the pressure tight while she compressed her chest and breathed into the woman's mouth. She had barely started when she heard the sirens of the ambulance.

Seconds later, the paramedics arrived and Hope moved out of their way to let them do their thing. Her hair was disheveled now, cheeks flushed even more, hands covered in blood. It all happened so fast that she had just now had the chance to digest what had really occurred. She was shaking a bit, trying to focus on her breathing as the woman was placed upon a gurney and loaded into the ambulance.

(Post a new comment)


[info]in_his_shadow
2008-06-23 03:07 pm UTC (link)
It was late, but Nox preferred the night, and besides, he was scheduled to meet up with Hale. In all honesty, Nox was a little worried, though he knew he needn't be. Hale would be upset upon learning that Nox had 'outed' him to Alex. When Hale heard the circumstances, he would likely agree that it had been the right decision. But Nox was still carrying around a slight guilt after his conversation with Hesper. She was definitely not understanding about the whole thing. And while he probably should have asked her before revealing what they were, he had been a bit blind-sided with the whole 'my sister's dating a vampire' conversation. Plus, Hesper hadn't been around in a while, and he wasn't going to wait around for her to actually get back to him on the issue.

As he threw on a dark grey hoodie and tied his shoes, Nox felt his pocket vibrate. Pulling out his pager, he read the address and the call. It appeared the conversation with Hale would have to take place on the scene of a stabbing. Nox finished getting ready and went out to his car, turning on the lights as he rushed off to the scene.

He arrived as the ambulance was leaving, watching with a heavy heart because the lights were off, and the ambulance was moving slow. Nox parked and went over to confer with some of the first officers on the scene, having them point him in the direction of a witness.

"Ma'am?" he asked in a calm, quiet voice, "I'm Detective Alekos." He looked her over quickly, seeing that her hands and clothes were stained with blood. She'd clearly tried to help, and that made him feel even worse about the victim's passing. It was admirable, and something he didn't often see in the field. Most people just turned a blind eye when they saw something bad happening. They were either too scared or too jaded to care. "I'd like to ask you a few questions, but first, can I get you anything?"

(Reply to this) (Thread)


[info]hope_lingers
2008-06-23 03:23 pm UTC (link)
Having worked in the medical field, she knew what it meant that the lights were off and that the ambulance was in no rush to anywhere. She hadn't made it. All of her efforts had been in vain. Her shoulders slumped and she sighed softly, then inhaled a deep breath before looking around. The police had arrived, responding officers asking her to wait for the detective. It looked like she wouldn't be going to the tavern tonight after all.

Her gaze had wandered over into the direction where the assailant, the killer, had vanished. A few officers had already headed off in that direction in an attempt to catch up but he was long since gone before they even arrived. What if he had come back? She could be in there, cold upon the gurney, right beside of the other woman right now. The thought was terrifying, it sent a shiver down her spine. She wanted to wrap her arms around herself but her hands were still covered in blood.

She started a little when she heard the voice, soft and calm as it was, her eyes glancing up at the man with a certain distance about them. "I need to wash my hands." That was the only thing she could think of at the moment. And the woman. She wondered about her. Who she was, who her family was, who would miss her. It was never an easy thing when someone died, even someone that she didn't even know.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)


[info]in_his_shadow
2008-06-23 03:37 pm UTC (link)
Nox could see that the woman was suffering from very mild shock, he could see it in her eyes. Though she was not nearly as bad off as bad as most witnesses he interviewed. Perhaps she was familiar with death. That would explain things. Still, even if you had seen it a million times, it was still a difficult thing to absorb and understand. It simply got easier over time to mask that sad, emptiness you felt inside.

Nodding, Nox walked away briefly, going to his car. When he returned, he had a box of wet wipes and a blanket. He always wore gloves when investigating a scene, but some crimes were messy. "Here ya go. Not soap and water, but it should help. And you can use this blanket when you're done if you'd like. How about we have a seat over there," he pointed to a bus stop bench, "And talk about what you saw?"

Nox didn't wait for a reply. He headed over there, blanket still in hand, and took a seat. Nox set the blanket down for her to use if she chose to do so. He found it best to always offer things, rarely insist. People didn't respond well to commands, especially when they'd been through something that jarred the system. Still, he got tough when necessary. Some witnesses were hysterical, and the only way to deal with them was to use force.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)


[info]hope_lingers
2008-06-23 03:49 pm UTC (link)
Hope glanced over at him looking slightly stunned that he had walked away, maybe a little bit confused by it. But then he was walking back over and all was explained. "Thank you." She said softly, taking the wet wipes from him and putting them to work. It wouldn't get it all off, but it would remove most of it. She'd feel better when she could go back to the hotel, have a shower, wash the experience away.

With a breath taken, she walked over to the bench and had a seat, leaving the blanket for now and simply shrugging a bit further into her jacket, now minus the belt. "I didn't really see much." She said in a whisper. "He was running off when I got here. She was already on the ground."

It was difficult to focus at the moment, difficult to think back on what she saw. It had all happened so fast. Maybe if she waited for him to ask the questions, then it would all come back to her. "I wish I could have done more. There was just.. so much blood." He'd certainly known what he was doing. He couldn't have found a better spot if he was going for a kill.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)


[info]in_his_shadow
2008-06-23 04:13 pm UTC (link)
It was a common response. People underestimated themselves. They felt as though they'd not seen much, but really they had absorbed a wealth of potentially helpful information, it was just a matter of getting them to realize it and share. "Let's talk about the suspect first. You say he was running when you arrived. Was he a fast man, athletic? Did he have limp, or was there anything unusual about his gait?" Nox was good at asking the right questions, the sorts that usually sparked a memory that a witness may have dismissed, thinking it wasn't important.

At her crestfallen attitude, he frowned. Physical contact was discouraged, but Nox had disobeyed that rule several times. He placed his hand on her shoulder briefly as a gesture of comfort. "You did what you could, and that's all anyone could ask of you. One of my collegues mentioned you work in the health profession?" he asked, figuring she'd used whatever skills she possessed to try and save the woman. "Sometimes they simply can't be saved. But you can still help her by helping us catch the man who killed her. Tell me everything you saw, even if it doesn't seem important. Some details can seem meaningless at first, only to become a key piece of evidence later." It had happened many times, which was why it was so important to gather everything, file it properly, and review it frequently until you were able to put the pieces together.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)


[info]hope_lingers
2008-06-23 04:21 pm UTC (link)
"I.." She shook her head softly, trying to think of anything that would be useful in this situation. "He was quick, I guess. He was there, still holding her when I came around the corner and before I could even think to take a step, he was gone." She glanced over in the direction in which he had taken off. There was still a little trail of blood left behind.

The hand on her shoulder prompted her to look back over at him. "I'm a nurse. At a children's hospital." Clearly she wasn't used to dealing with things of such a traumatic nature. Usually the trauma had already gone down long before she ever entered the picture.

"He was tall. Large. Probably.." She gave Nox the once over. "Your build, but maybe a little taller. An inch or two. And broader. He had really broad shoulders. And he was carrying.." Her words trailed off and she shook her head. "I don't even know how to describe it without sounding crazy but it looked like.. like he used a Freddy Krueger glove or something. It was like.. long and there was.. blood dripping off." She was trying, though clearly it was very uncomfortable for her talking about something like this.

"Do you have any water?" She asked, looking up at him sharply. "My throat's dry."

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)


[info]in_his_shadow
2008-06-23 04:37 pm UTC (link)
"What can you tell me about his physique? Did he appear to be short, compact... was he tall, muscular... anything you can tell me about his build would help. Also, what was he wearing, and did you get a look at the color of his skin and hair? Or was he covered up?" Quick wasn't a huge help, but it was more than he had before. Also the fact that the man ran instead of confronting a petite woman, made him wonder if perhaps this was a targeted attack, with the intention of killing that particular woman. Perhaps the suspect and victim knew one another.

Nox nodded his head when she told him of her job. He wondered if perhaps she worked with Serena, but that wasn't a question relating to the case, so he dismissed the thought for the time being. He'd ask Serena later.

The woman began describing the suspect's physical makeup, and Nox made mental notes of all of it. He didn't like to write things down immediately, because he felt his scribbling was often a distraction to the witness. Instead, he listened and absorbed everything. His memory was flawless in such situations, and he was able to put together extensive notes once he climbed back into his car.

When she mentioned a glove with knives, he grew more concerned. Sure, there was a chance it really was a glove, but there was also a chance she'd see a hand with long claws, but described it in a way that was more human in nature. Nox was worried now, because he could be dealing with a supernatural attacker, and realizing that, the victim might have been supernatural as well, something that could potentially be discovered by the M.E. He'd have to get to the morgue quickly after speaking to the witness. "That's something distinctive, it should help a great deal. Can you tell me more about the glove and the knives attached. What colors they were, did he perhaps have a set of them for each hand?" Nox talked to her in the terms she was comfortable with, because her mind would likely never connect with the idea that what she'd seen were claws, and taking about them in such a way would likely just make it harder for her to discuss it.

He nodded at her question and stood up from the bench, whistling over to some officers who were observing the evidence collection. Motioning with his hand, he signaled that he needed a drink for the woman. A moment later, one of the officers came over with a bottle of water in hand. "Thanks, Gale," he said briefly, before excusing the officer. Nox handed the water to his witness and was quiet. Sometimes it helped to give them a moment to think and breathe.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)


[info]hope_lingers
2008-06-23 04:59 pm UTC (link)
Hope had never been part of a police investigation before but she had watched television enough to know that the detectives usually took notes. She appreciated that he didn't, however, as that would certainly be quite distracting. This way it was at least just a conversation. Granted it was definitely a conversation unlike any she had had before but it was more comfortable than it would have been otherwise.

The water was accepted with a small "thank you" and she drank probably half of the bottle before she could even think to answer the questions he had followed up her revelation with. "I could only see one hand. And I dunno about is skin color. He had long sleeves on. His hair was dark though, and kind of long, long enough to stick out from underneath the.. the toboggan that he had on. Black clothes." She shook her head. "That's. that's pretty much it. I don't think he saw me. He didn't look back at all."

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)


[info]in_his_shadow
2008-06-23 05:13 pm UTC (link)
Sometimes Nox did take notes, around the few obnoxious witnesses who questioned him shortly into their conversation, asking, 'Don't you wanna write this down?' To satisfy them, he took notes, played the part of the cop they were familiar with through popular media. Some things were accurate in the movies and TV, other stuff was pure fiction. Though he did enjoy the humorous slant of some programs. He got a big kick out of watching Reno 911. It was crude but still great.

Because she'd only seen one hand, he was even more convinced it could have been a clawed hand, and not the horror movie glove she thought it to be. Well, he'd planned to go to the underground this week to investigate Kaden, now he could ask about this suspect as well. When supernaturals became homicidal, it was so much worse than a violent human. Supernaturals were capable of much greater carnage. They were also harder to catch.

Deciding to give her a break from discussing the suspect, because she didn't appear to remember much more at the moment, he moved on to discussing the victim. "What can you tell me about the woman when you arrived. Was she conscious... did she say anything?"

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)


[info]hope_lingers
2008-06-23 05:35 pm UTC (link)
The break from the discussion of the suspect was needed as there was really nothing else that she could think of in regards to that part of it. He was gone so fast that she barely thought to look at him and everything she knew she had already told the man. There was nothing else she could think of at the moment, though if she did, she would be certain to let him know.

"She was conscious but... She didn't say anything. Just.. help." A small frown pursing her lips. She sighed and glanced over at him. "Sorry. I know it's not much." She felt bad for not paying better attention, but it had all happened so quickly. She laughed a little. "This is the last thing I expected to be doing tonight."

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)


[info]gentle_shield
2008-06-23 07:34 pm UTC (link)
Hale had been all the way across town when he'd gotten the page. Immediately, he'd turned his car around--he'd been off-duty at the time, but in his line of work you were always on call, and gotten on the freeway toward the crime scene. Of course he got caught behind a wreck and took ten minutes more than he should have.

When he finally arrived, he parked the car across the street and got out, straightening his tie. Nox obviously had the scene under control now, and he gave the bloody area a quick but highly observant once-over before making his way to where Nox and the woman were sitting. When he saw the blood on her clothing, his expression softened from purely business to something tinged with sympathy. People shouldn't have to see this kind of violence.

"Nox," he said, by way of greeting, though he knew the demon already knew he was there. Demon senses and all that. "I'm detective Hale Everard," he said to the woman, keeping his distance because he knew that witnesses to violent crimes often didn't like being crowded by strangers for obvious reasons. He looked up at Nox. "What do we know?"

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)


[info]in_his_shadow
2008-06-23 08:25 pm UTC (link)
Nox frowned, both for the lack of information from the victim, and because he felt bad for his witness. The woman clearly had wanted to help and done her best, probably more than most could have done. It was a real pity she'd not succeeded in saving the victim. They'd be having a somewhat happier conversation, that was for sure. But death or not, the suspect needed to be caught.

Nox did indeed sense Hale's approach, but he kept his focus on the woman beside him. "No one ever expects this sort of thing. If you did, well, I'd say there's something wrong with you." He offered her a soft smile.

When Hale addressed him, Nox stood up and gave his friend and partner a pat on the shoulder. "Hale," he said simply in reply. After Hale had introduced himself, Nox gave the basics. "Miss Smith was just telling me about our victim and suspect. She came upon the two just after the attack and tried to save our victim. Miss Smith is a nurse. She described the suspect as six foot, perhaps six foot one... broad shoulders, moderately long, dark hair... wearing black clothes that covered his skin, as well as a toboggan. She also noticed some sort of glove that appeared to have knives coming out of the fingers... similar to something like in the Nightmare on Elm Street movies... looked like Freddy Kruger's glove." Nox gave Hale a look at that comment, knowing that particular bit of information was likely to get Hale's attention as well. "Our victim was conscious, but she wasn't able to tell Miss Smith anything about her attacker. He fled on foot, quickly." He looked to Hope then, his eyebrows raised, "Did I miss anything?"

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)


[info]hope_lingers
2008-06-23 08:39 pm UTC (link)
Hope gave a small laugh at the consolation. "This is not turning out to be a very good vacation." Not that it was a typical vacation to begin with. She was here on business, sort of, business that it seemed she was never going to get around to. "I expect death most days, Detective, just not quite like this." It was always controlled at the hospital, sad because it was always a child, and even more so when it was one of her children.

Hope's attention moved to the other man when he spoke, a small smile gracing her features as she nodded her head. "Hope. Hope Smith." She introduced herself, not that Detective Alekos had already gotten the last name out there. She listened to his recount of the story that she had told him, what she had seen, and nodded her head at the question. "I think that pretty much covers it." The mention of the glove had given her the shivers. That was the only horror film that had ever scared her as a child, and it was always that part of it. She was liable to have nightmares for a month now.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)


[info]gentle_shield
2008-06-23 11:17 pm UTC (link)
Hale listened to the recap. Most of it he'd already been briefed on during the trip over, but the way Nox glanced at him about the glove made Hale immediately realize what he was talking about. Great. A supernatural killing. That was always wonderful to try and figure out without sounding like crazy people. He gave him the slightest of nods to let Nox know he understood the implications of that statement, and then turned his attention back to the witness.

"Ms. Smith, there were no sounds that might have struck you as odd?" he asked. "If Detective Alekos has already asked you this I'm sorry. I'm just trying to get a feel for what we're dealing with."

Hale's attention was always divided on a crime scene. If there were witnesses, he had half focus on them and half on everything else. Even the most minute details could make a difference between solving the case or losing an important lead. As such, he made eye contact with Hope briefly and then looked back over his shoulder. The body had already been moved, which took some of the forensic evidence away, but there was plenty left behind. A forensics crew was on the way, and before they went and messed with everything he wanted to have a clear picture in his head.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)


[info]in_his_shadow
2008-06-24 05:48 pm UTC (link)
Nox was really unsettled by the idea that they were likely dealing with a demon. Seemed Hale shared his annoyance at the added difficulty of trying to catch a supernatural killer. They were such a pain. Made his job so much harder.

Listening as Hale talked to their witness, Nox stood aside slightly. He kept a keen eye on the crime scene workers who had just arrived, and he watched to ensure they did a good job. He put a lot of trust in them, and he was rarely disappointed, but everyone made mistakes. That's why everyone needed back up, that one extra person to watch out, catch those little slip ups.

He wasn't like Hale though. If he had a witness to talk to, Nox put all his attention on that person. It was good that he and Hale were partners for this reason, they made sure all the bases were covered.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)


[info]hope_lingers
2008-06-24 06:46 pm UTC (link)
Hope shook her head softly at the question. "I just heard her scream. And I ran." Ran to the sound, not away from it, which so many other people would have done. But there wasn't even that part in Hope that wished she would have run, only the part that wished she had paid better attention. Maybe if she had, there would be a better chance of them catching the killer and the woman's death would not have been in vain.

"I would really like to go home and take a shower now.." She said, glancing over at Nox and then back at Hale. "If there's nothing else that you need." She felt really just.. disgusting at the moment. And she hoped that maybe the shower would clear her head and there would be something more that she could offer. But for right now, that was all that she had. "I may think of something else. I could call if I do."

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)


[info]gentle_shield
2008-06-25 12:14 am UTC (link)
Unsettled was an understatement. Hale didn't immediately jump to the conclusion of demon though. It could be a partially shifted were or shapeshifter, any number of things. Demon seemed more likely since they were born with claws and didn't have to work toward the ability to partial-shift, but it wasn't necessarily the culprit.

Hale was normally such a people person, but on a fresh crime scene he had to keep his mind on too many things at once. He was an excellent multi-tasker and never missed a word that the witness was saying, but they often got the idea that he was ignoring them. Still, it was better to get things right and apologize to a witness later than to miss something and make their testimony all for nothing.

Hale nodded sympathetically, though, when Hope said she wanted to go home. He pulled out his card with his number on it and scrawled Nox's on the back with a pen from his pocket. "You can call either of us if you think of anything," he said, and then glanced at Nox. If he needed her for anything else, he would certainly say so. "But thank you, Ms. Smith. You've helped us out a lot."

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)


[info]in_his_shadow
2008-06-25 07:48 pm UTC (link)
Nox likely jumped right to demon because of his most recent experiences. He was worried there could be an uprising of sorts just getting started. The man in the stairwell had been scared, to a degree. He felt someone was after him, another shadow demon, and he'd originally suspected Hesper. But Hesper wasn't hurting anyone, and Nox didn't think the stranger had either. Which meant a hunter was still on the prowl. Maybe hunting had turned to outright psychotic outbursts of murderous rage.

His attention returned to their witness when she mentioned she wanted to go home. He nodded a second after Hale and watched as his partner handed the woman a card with both their numbers on it. "Those are our cell phones. Call at any hour, work does and so can you." He looked the woman directly in the eyes, "We'll catch him," he reassured her, as well as himself at the same time.

Moving toward his partner, Nox muttered, "It's gonna be a long night. The conversation can wait. I wanna get this guy."

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)


[info]hope_lingers
2008-06-25 07:55 pm UTC (link)
Hope didn't feel like she had helped much at all but she hoped that was just her own insecurity and that really she had given them all they needed to get this guy. What he had done to that woman.. He should not get away with it. Had she known the thoughts behind the other men's eyes, she would have been terrified. First of all, in her mind demons were not real. And second of all, if they were, and she had seen one kill someone, then what would the demon do to retaliate? It would have been a terrifying thought and one she was better off not having.

"Thank you." She said, and moved to her feet after she had taken the card from Hale and had been told to call at any time by Nox. It was still early by all accounts, but she would not be going to the Tavern tonight. Tonight, she would be going nowhere but back to the hotel room to try to convince herself not to just go ahead and go back home.

Cellphone was pulled from her pocket as she walked away, dialing information to get the number for a cab company. She called to arrange a ride. It would be a few minutes. She moved to the curb to wait, arms wrapped tightly around herself in an attempt to calm the chill that went further than just her skin. There was something about that glove that just gave her the creeps, big time!

(Reply to this) (Parent)

Home | Site Map | Manage Account | TOS | Privacy | Support | FAQs