Morningstar Manor

The morning had dawned clear and crisp, chilly, but not damp. Between the suburbs and the City's apartment blocks and business district was a buffer of smaller apartment blocks mixed in with individual houses. Some of the apartment blocks were empty, slated for demolition so redevelopment could take place. The area was a little run down, but still occupied by a good number of families. The small grocery store in the little row of shops was open, selling the essentials without fuss or fanfare. He'd chosen an empty apartment in one of the closed off blocks, easy enough to break in and set up, and he knew the routine of his victim very well. First, stop off for the papers, deliver them to the local neighborhood, then return to the store, pick up his school bag and something to eat, and then head off to school at Andover. He intended to take the kid out once he'd completed the paper round, no sense in missing out on the crossword later.

In the street along from the shop, Larry sighed as he sat back in his car seat and uncapped the top of a takeout coffee. It had been taken out some time ago and was now tepid but better than no coffee at all. Howard, who was partnering him today, looked at him enviously. He had only bought a regular and had finished it an hour ago. Larry sipped, not unsympathetic. Howard would learn - just like he'd learn about the screw-necked jar Larry kept under his car seat for jobs like this. Comfort was important.

( Read more... )

"You look tired, hun," Larry said spotting Gracie in the Mocha. he had a soft spot for the nurses at the hospital who covered the edgier wards, and she was one of the nicer and more approachable ones. "They been working you too hard?"

Grace looked up as Larry spoke. She gave him a small smile, having spoken to him a few times before and enjoyed his company, and conversation. She sat up straighter and nodded. "Something like that." Her smiled turned into a little bit of a smirk before she motioned to the empty seat across from her. "Want to join me?" She arched an eyebrow before lifting her coffee mug to take a sip. ( Read more... )

Icene was sitting at her desk, chewing idly on a strand of hair and ticking boxes on staff appraisal forms. One hand reached idly for her coffee, only to find it was already cold. Grimacing a little she set it back down, and then looked up as the office door banged open. She had said not to disturb her.... and the air temperature in the room dropped by several degrees in reaction.

Chad was looking over the fact sheet Icene had given him. He thought he already had details on everything listed... An officer had managed to get hold of the school secretary on Friday and acquire attendance records. Chad had spent a good night with them and a red pen, ticking off all the students that had been absent on the day of the Andover shooting, then ticking off a second time those who had been targeted in the recent string of shootings. Looking at the clock, he nearly jumped out of his chair as he saw her standing in the doorway. "Miss Ashford, I presume?" He asked as he stood and gestured to the chair opposite his desk.

Sadie looked him over then nodded. "I was told Officer Kennard," she said, nodding to the nameplate on the door, and stepped inside and took the seat. "What can I do for you?"
( questioning ensues )

Icene walked into the police department's offices with a smile on her face and a folder under her arm. She flashed her badge and was waved through security checks. She made her way down the now mostly familiar corridors to where Chad normally sat, and was pleased to see he was actually in, then again, they probably wouldn't have let her in if he wasn't here. "Hey Chad, I think I might have something for you on the shootings case? I picked up some new info over the weekend while doing the laundry and checked it out yesterday to make sure I had most of it down right, wanna hear it?"

Stuff the small talk, this was important and could give them something concrete to go on. Hopeful much? Yeah, but there was no point in being hopeless about it.

Chad looked up from his desk to see her standing in the doorway. He closed the folder on his desk and for once in the time he was here, wished he had an actual office not just the half wall cubicle. "As long as it'll shed some light, I'm up for hearing good news."

As long as she was being direct he figured it was a good policy. Using his left hand he gestured to the chair across from his desk. "Grab a chair and close the door." He said with a smirk, more for the eavesdroppers on the left to get back to work.

( Read more... )

If there was one thing Icene was sure of, it was that Alec would come down to the gardens with his dog, Faith, and spend at least a good twenty minutes out there, at least twice a day. She'd missed him at breakfast, and spent a while cursing herself for oversleeping while pounding the punchbag in the gym. Then she'd gone back to her apartment to shower and change, gathering her notes again and heading down to the Mocha for coffee and a light snack. Since then she'd haunted the conservatory, the ballroom, and the Mocha in fairly equal amounts, watching for him. She was just coming back from the Mocha and a coffee run when she saw him head out into the garden. She grabbed her folder of notes, and her coffee and headed out to join him. Catching him up was more a matter of walking purposefully while he strolled, and she called out before she reached him, "Mr Reyes? Wait up a moment?"

He'd known he was being followed from the moment she'd stepped out into the garden. He'd just been hoping that if he ignored her, she'd get the hint and go away.

Apparently...No such luck.

"What is it, Ms. Callan?" he asked without turning around, without stopping.

( Read more... )

Icene was sitting in the laundry room, watching the machines spinning her coloured wash round and round and round. She wasn't bored, because the colours were swirling in a very hypnotic fashion. She didn't realise anyone else was there until a hand waved in front of her face.

"Hello, you looked a little stuck there?" Emma grinned as soon as the blonde CSI looked up, "You alright?"

( And then they talked )

Icene had made good time, although starting from Adam's apartment, racing to her own, changing clothes and kitting up had slowed her down some. Still, she was still the first CSI to arrive, and seeing Chad already there made her way straight over to him. "Evening Chad, what do we have, is it him again?"

Floodlights were already illuminating the scene, and there was evidence that paramedics had been, although the ambulance was long gone. Icene did wonder how come she hadn't been pinged quicker, but figured an initial investigation had to have decided this was her case before they called her out. Otherwise, the night team would be here and she'd be back home snuggled into bed with Adam.

Once the service was over the choiristers picked up their bags and dispersed. However, four of the older ones had a routine. They would all pile in one car and go for pizza then whoever was driving would drop the others off.

Lately, that nice little custom had been dropped. Parents were far too anxious to allow kids to hang around on the streets after dark so for the moment were picking them up as close to the back exit from the Vestry as they could manage.

Joey Styles parents were no exceptions. They were intensely proud of their son whose soaring boy soprano had now settled into a strong baritone and who was everything they could wish for in a son - loving, polite, god-fearing, determined to fulfil his dream of becoming a doctor.

As he approached across the parking lot, they thought nothing of it when Joey stumbled, before walking on more slowly.

He reached the car before he fell and even then it wasn't until they saw the blood that they realised what had happened.

It had taken some time, but the blanket Emma had used that day at the gallery had finally gone through the wash. In the back of his mind as he encountered the blanket while folding the laundry, Alec remembered he'd promised Emma that he'd make sure it got back where belonged.

He wasn't going to go all the way down to the hospital, but there was that CSI down on three. She'd likely be able to do something with it and, besides, it might give him the chance to ask, casually like, some of the questions that had been bothering him.

Figuring the rest of the laundry could wait until he got back, he tucked the blanket under his arm, grabbed his keys and locked the door behind him on his way out.

Hopefully she was in, or he'd really feel like an idiot.

It had been a really bad few days. First he had missed the girl in the gallery and shot some poor bitch who just happened to be there and then it hadn't taken long for word to reach him that the Orsini kid seemed to be getting her memory back. Of the two things this was the cause for greater concern.

She had looked into his eyes and given him a beaming smile as though asking him to share the joke, silly little bitch, and just as he had raised the gun her eyebrows had twitched into a little quizzical frown and she had opened her mouth.

He was torn. Had she seen the gun and been about to call for help? Or had she taken another look at his face and realised that she knew him? If the former, then it probably wouldn't much matter. His alibi was reasonable - he had credit card records of a cinema ticket. He had bought popcorn. The vendor should remember him because he had dropped the change.

But if she knew him? That possibility had preyed on his mind, eating away at him so he got no rest. In the end there was only way one to be sure and so he entered the hospital by one of the lesser used entrances, drifting in with a shift change.( Read more... )

Larry Benedict looked at his notes and carefully kept his irritation from showing.

"So, nothing new then," he said. "Nothing at all?"

The girl in the bed shook her head, her hair over her eyes, her arms around her knees. If it hadn't been for the monitors beeping away behind her she could have been sitting at home chatting, teasing a friend.

But of course Larry was the enemy, far more so than the shadowy figure who had put her here.( Read more... )

The apartment was dark, everyone was in bed. Ang sleeping soundly, her breath fluttering warm and soft against his shoulder. He'd been asleep as well, just moments before, but something had woken him. A soft keening, a whining that had slipped through the layers of sleep to rouse him.

He shifted lightly, listening, waiting for it repeat, and hung one hand over the edge of the bed. Immediately a cold, wet nose pressed into his palm, following by a warm velvet tongue.

What's the matter, girl?( Read more... )

Amarie flipped through the magazine Vincenzo had brought her and chatted idly while he leaned against the pillows beside her and played one of her games.

"Am I doing it right?" he asked.

"Your thumbs are too big," Amarie chuckled. "Ooh, just look what Britney's wearing! What WAS she thinking?"

Vincenzo looked at the magazine, snorted cooperatively - and died in his game.

"Aww goddam," he said.( Read more... )

The sirens were louder now, and Emma spelled Sean holding Andy's leg, she was already covered in blood, there was no escaping the stuff. She wasn't as good at it as Sean was, her hands were too small, but she did the best she could. Tears left clean white streaks down her face, a too white face smeared with red. they changed over again after Sean had worked his hands out, he'd needed a break, and wiping her hands again Emma looked up. The doors were opening and two paramedics came rushing in, followed by several police and other people. Suddenly the gallery was way too crowded, and the only place out of the way was actually under the desk, so Emma crawled under there in the flurry of activity, hardly making a sound, and left Sean to handle it. She did pull her phone out of her pocket, and sent a text message to Alec, it took a couple of goes to type it right, but she got there in the end.

Alec? I need u, come 2 the gallery 290, fast? Emma

Tucking the phone away she looked round as someone crouched down by the desk, "Are you hurt miss? Come on out and we'll take a look at you." The man smiled, a paramedic, but Emma just stared at him wide eyed, "Andy, she's, so much blood!" She was shaking, and tears still ran down her face, but Emma was beyond noticing much not even the smell registered any more.

He had found a vantage point that gave him a view clear across the Square and into the front of all the establishments. True it was very early but that, he hoped, would give him a whole new tranche of potential targets - the earnest hard-working, determined to get on in the world ones. The ones that people CARED about. The ones who would be mourned by more than just a few friends and family.

There were people about now - the Frenchman opening his cafe, a man carrying a box pausing to greet him, a tall dark haired woman waving to them both then turning the corner by the gallery. No kids though.

He'd have to wait.

( But not for too long.... )

Seeing Travis had been brilliant, but since then nothing, NOTHING, worth while had happened. Of course, Mama still came when she wasn't in hospital herself, and Romana or Enzo or Chiara or Vincenzo, and Pauolo and Gio sent text messages and letters but Amarie was bored and wanted out.

Didn't everyone understand that her family was the last thing a seventeen year old girl wanted. She should be enjoying the summer with her friends. She should be working and saving up to buy new clothes and flirting with the boys and planning things to enjoy. She should NOT be shut up in a hospital with nothing to do and nobody to look forward to seeing.

In the back of her mind a little voice pointed out the heap of novels and puzzle books, the nearly new PSP and suitable games and that visiting time was less than five minutes away, but she banished it with a snort. She had earned a bit of self pity and was going to enjoy it.

All the same, when she heard the stir that presaged visiting hours she hitched herself up a bit further in her nest of pllows and smoothed her hair with the hand unburdened by tubing. She smiled when the door opened then scowled when the nurse came into the room.

tbc

He had more or less decided to do another tonight. He had been out three times in the past week and had lain in wait for his chosen ones, but in each case they either hadn't shown or there had been too many people about.

Tonight he decided to try one of his vantage points down town and was walking to it through the evening dimness when he saw one of the ones he wanted walking ahead chatting animatedly to a much taller boy.

He clenched his teeth, hearing her laugh and paused to look in a shop window, though he actually kept an eye on his quarry. He had no quarrel with the youth, had no idea who he was, and there were a lot of people on the street, but all the same he fingered the gun in his pocket, imagining the kick of it in his hand, the look on her face.

The two halted, discussing something, then the boy turned and went down a flight of steps to a bar with her almost treading on his heels.

He sighed, seeing her out of reach, and left the window and strolled along towards the bar.

Suddenly he heard raised voices and she came shooting up the stairs, propelled by a bouncer, her face shocked. The man released her on the top step murmuring good advice then turned and went back down.

"You and your mother, asshole," she said and gave the bouncer the finger then sighed and took a couple of steps back along the almost empty sidewalk.

There was no time to be lost. He strode forward, hand clearing his pocket. Seeing the movement she looked up and he froze because she was smiling, a happy smile to see a familiar face and opening her mouth to speak.

The gun made a flat splatting sound and her jaw dropped then she staggered back and fell, but by then he was already darting through the traffic, running fast, heart pounding, but exultant for all that.

Icene was reviewing evidence on the latest shooting, and comparing it with the other rounds collected from the various shootings from around the City. There were too many similarities. The drive by rounds were strangely similar to the park mugging rounds, with a few minor differences, but rifling marks matched them to the same gun. Icene was tying them together, two cases, one shooter. It didn't help.

Now of course she was studying the sniper rounds, long range bullets, and these too had similar rifling marks, scratches and lines on the rounds showing up in an identical pattern. These had been fired from the same gun too. That made four killings of teenagers, two at long distance and two at close range. It wasn't possible to link the two pairs though, she'd tried, but the different locations, different killing styles, those had left her looking at two potential shooters. With a sigh she finished writing her report on the four cases, and leaned back in her chair. Maybe tonight she would treat herself to some alone time with a good movie and a tub of ice cream... That was, of course, when there was a knock on her door, "Come in, it's open."

Chad was working on the cases that kept piling up on his desk. Every one of them had shown up in such a short time. The fact they were almost all teenage murders had him worried. All he had left in the world was Logan and he didn't want anything to take that away from him.

He sputtered and grumbled into an empty coffee cup as he kept pushing around thoughts of a serial or some other form of connection. There had to be something he was missing...