Last Chance for a Lead Who: Jason and Naya What: Autopsy Report When: Thursday Morning Where: Medical Examiner’s Office Warning: Graphic description and analysis of gruesome murder
It took Jason a lap around the building and a cup of coffee before he had his head on straight. And well, the other head not making it hard to walk. Jesus. He was too old to be acting like this, dammit. It hadn’t even been two days and he’d gone ten years. Now he was almost crawling out of his skin thinking about waiting two more days before he could be with Justice again. It was ridiculous.
He got to the ME’s office, hoping Naya had something for him. Forensics had unsurprisingly found very little, the perp had pretty much drowned the place in bleach. And the blood matched the vic’s, so the blood trail was a complete dead end. He needed a lead somewhere, or his case was cold without even warming up.
Jason walked into the ME’s office. “Okay, give me anything,” he pleaded as he approached the female werebear. “I have no forensics, no prints, no leads, no witnesses and no time. You are my last hope. I will love you forever if you can give me a lead at all.” He’d jokingly flirted and teased back and forth with Naya since he’d started here. Their jobs were gruesome at times, so keeping your sense of humor was vital. Neither of them were close to serious about any of it.
“Also, thank you for whatever you said to Justice. Apparently it worked, because she macked on me in front of the entire department earlier.” Jason rubbed the back of his neck absently, where Justice had been scratching him not half an hour ago. Now he was back to behaving like a fucking teenager with a crush. Jesus.
"You already love me forever," she told him with a little grin as she went to collect the report that he was asking for. "And you're welcome," she added. "Bout time she listened to my advice." Naya laughed a little at the way he was behaving, obviously aching for Justice. Even she could tell that he wanted to see her and he'd just come into the room. The poor lovesick lion.
She sighed a little as she handed over the report, tucking her hands into the pockets of her lab coat once he'd taken it. "Unfortunately there isn't a whole lot I can tell you," she explained, shaking her head a little. "What I can tell you is that she was killed by having her neck broken. But she didn't fall, it was twisted. Her heart was cut out, torn from her chest really, but there were no obvious signs of a blade." It was all really perplexing to the female medical examiner, but more than anything it aggravated her that she couldn't figure out any real clues that would help in nabbing the killer.
"Her head was cut off, but not with anything all that sharp. More than likely it was just something handy, perhaps something found at the scene and thought of as an afterthought." It made the most sense, grabbing an item and using it to chop off the head. That would take strength, lots of it.
"She was unconscious at the time of her death, but she had a few drinks in her system. There were no drugs present, at least from preliminary screenings, but a full tox screen takes time, you know that. There were also no signs of sexual trauma so it wasn't a rape gone wrong." She wasn't sure if any of that would help him, but there wasn't much else she could really give the man. Unfortunately whoever killed the woman was a pretty skilled bastard. "Have you guys had any luck with the crime scene?" she asked him.
Jason sombered as Naya started explaining the report. “Yeah, with the brick shoved into her mouth that far,” he began. “I’d have a hard time doing that in human form. Especially cutting off her head off with any old tool lying around. That’s even harder to do unless you can bench press a bus. But I didn’t smell a vamp or a were anywhere. It didn’t smell right, but I can’t even tell if the perp is male or female. I’m assuming a guy, just because of the strength and brutality involved. Although with no sexual assault...” Nothing about this case made sense. “No, the primary crime was a total loss. Doer obliterated it with bleach. The fumes were so bad I couldn’t even go down there until it’d been airing out for an hour.” He looked at the report. “The mutilations was post mortem? So basically, he knocked her out, snapped her neck and mutilated her body. But didn’t rape her.” Yeah, none of that made sense. Damn.
Naya nodded, shaking her head a little. "It's all just a big confusing mess," she agreed. "I've been trying to piece together any sort of even theory at this point, but it's like it's meant to make no sense. Almost like the guy - or girl though I agree that's unlikely - wanted it to be a big mess of nothingness." It irked Naya that she couldn't give Jason more to go on, even a theory or a lead to chase after.
"Unfortunately the only thing we can do is wait on the tox screen to come back and see if there were any other drugs in her system that I couldn't detect otherwise," she sighed. "Or, alternatively, sit on our thumbs until he kills again. A murder of this sort of brutality is going to turn into a serial killer. I have no doubts about that one. It sucks, but I have the feeling he'll strike again."
“Either the perp is the most brilliant criminal mind ever,” he said grimly. “Or he had no fucking clue what he was doing. I’m thinking the latter, with the fact he didn’t bring anything to cut off her head with and the overkill with the bleach. That’s sheer panic.” He kept scanning the report. “He wanted her to be found. Not sure why. He could have left her where he did her and it could have been weeks or months or never before her body was found. The building was deserted. There wasn’t even any bums living in it. She had nobody. Gabe Cooper might have noticed she wasn’t hanging around and reported her missing after a couple of weeks, but really, she had nobody. I don’t know if he’s sending a message or felt guilty or he’s showing off or a combination of the above. This is looking more and more like super on super violence. With the full moon coming up, that’s just going to make everybody more paranoid.”
At the sound of Gabe's name, Naya couldn't keep herself from grinning. Yes, they were talking about a poor dead girl, one she'd seen around before but never knew, but she was quickly thrust into early that morning when he'd come home from work and then again that morning before she'd left for work herself. She flushed a little as she brought herself back from those memories and tried to wipe the smile off of her face.
"It's a mystery," she agreed. "I just hope that you guys find something or someone that can lead you somewhere before he strikes again. If he was that brutal with one woman, he might develop a taste for it. Even if it's his first kill, doesn't mean it's his last."
Yeah, he noticed the smile and the smell was starting to break through the preservation and antiseptic chemicals. Yeah, apparently Justice’s matchmaking efforts had more effect than she thought. Good. Somebody should have got some last night. “The last thing we need is another body,” he agreed. “But this wasn’t well thought out. He was obviously looking for a vic, but he didn’t bring tools to do the mutilations. That’s really disorganized and smacks of a new killer. Especially since the MO doesn’t match any murder in the last couple of years. Not here, or in DC proper. Or he’s just a disorganized killer who has no MO because he never prepares for it.” Jason growled. “I fucking hate this guy. When I get my hands on him, I’m going to shake his damned teeth out if he resists at all. Then make sure he gets the needle.”
"You'll get him," Naya told the man, pulling her hand from her pocket and giving his arm a little squeeze. "You always do," she reminded the man. You know you're going to retire with street cred out the ass," she smirked. "Take some time to just ponder over what you already know. The answer is in there somewhere, it always is, and you're going to find it. Give yourself some time to think about it. Maybe do a little collaborative investigation with that pretty owl of yours," she teased, flashing him a little smile as she let her hand fall back to her side again.
Jason scoffed. “I already have street cred,” he reminded her. “And trust me, I checked with all of my contacts in the city to see if this sounded like anything they’d been hearing anybody brag about. Still nothing. It’s like he murdered her, dumped her body, cleaned up the sight and disappeared into thin air. If he’s blown the area, we’ll never find him.” That made him growl again. He shook his head when she suggested collaborating with Justice. Yeah, like he didn’t know what that meant. “I’m considering it,” he admitted. “But I am trying to behave until she comes over to meet the kids Saturday. I don’t want them to think I’m just interested in her for sex.”
"Oh there are plenty of things about her for you to be interested in. The sex is the tip of the iceberg and the both of you needed it. Perhaps her even more than you," she commented. She was glad that Justice was interested in a decent guy. Jason took care of his children, worked and provided for his family the way a real man should, not like that bastard that knocked her up with Lucas.
"Wow, meeting the kids already? You guys are getting serious," she teased. She was just as happy for Jason as she was for Justice. He looked happier - aside from the lack of leads of course - and that wasn't something that went unnoticed. "I'm really happy for you two," she told him. "I just want to tell you that Justice is a complicated woman, but she's well worth the effort. When she starts pulling away, tug her back. She's been through a lot and she might make you feel like shit here and there, but she means well. It's hard to put the pieces back together when you've been shattered, but she's a good woman and she needs a guy like you. Just be patient with her, yeah?" She didn't want to overstep her boundaries or push her opinions on him, but she wanted him to be aware that Justice came with her own bits of baggage and for him to prepare to help her carry said baggage. Surely he had plenty of his own.
"You two are really a cute pair though," she smiled. "She's really head over heels for you, even if she's afraid to admit it."
Jason rolled his eyes. “Trust me, the sex just sealed the deal,” he told Naya. “She caught my attention because she’s a damned good cop and a good mother and we have a lot more in common than people really could understand.” Then she threw him down in the woods and screwed his brains out. Which no man could ignore. Unless he was dead. Jason was not remotely close to dead.
“Yeah, we already traumatized Lucas,” he agreed wryly. “We figured it was my daughters’ turn now. Besides, it’s a lion thing. I can’t bring a new female into the pride without at least letting them check her out first. They promised not to eat anybody, so it should be fine.” He really, really wanted that to be true. “She’s bringing Lucas and Alanna and Chloe’s new boyfriend is coming. That should be enough witnesses to keep people on their best behavior.” It was either a brilliant idea or a complete mess. Either way, it was happening.
He chuckled when Naya kept on about how great Justice was, even with her baggage and issues. “I know,” he said, holding up his hands. “Down Mama Bear. I can’t promise patience, but I can be persistent. I really want to see if this thing between us is something that can last. I’m not letting her fly away that easily. Don’t worry so much.”
"It's good to have things in common," she agreed with a nod. "And you two do. With the kids and having to do it alone, being cops. And stubborn as the day is long. Yeah, you two definitely are damn near the same person in vastly different bodies, sweetcheeks." She couldn't deny that Justice had hooked herself a good one. Jason was attractive, Naya just preferred her men a little more scruffy and not so blonde. But the blonde suited Jason so whatever. And hey, that meant opportunities for date night.
God I'm turning into a teenager.
"Good luck with the huge crowd. I don't envy you or Justice having to deal with that many teenagers running rampant." She was just fine having nice quiet evenings at home, thank you very much.
"Sorry," she said, biting her lower lip. "I can't help but worry. She's my best friend and I want what's best for her, but she can be a pain in the ass sometimes and she always puts herself last like a complete brat and it's about damn time for her to do something for herself. When that something is fit and delicious, she best get to doing it."
Jason shook his head. “We love you too, Naya,” he shot back when she called them both stubborn. It was true, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t deny it. “If we are going to work, we’re going to have to deal with them en masse. Besides, it’s a barbecue. So I’m feeding them before throwing the owls and tiger in with the lions. Like I said, nobody’s getting eaten.” He hoped. “I’m worried the most about Lucas’ girlfriend. She already sounds overwhelmed. But once again if this is gonna work, it’s got to start somewhere.”
He chuckled again, rubbing his jaw where one of the almost healed nail marks was. “Yeah, she did,” he admitted. “We have that in common too. Both putting ourselves last and being delicious.” Yeah, Naya wasn’t a priss, he could talk like that in front of her. “Like I said, I’m not letting her get away that easy. This is the first time I am taking a chance on this in ten years. I don’t give up that easily, dammit.”
"You've got a point there," she said, smiling despite the small twinge of jealousy. All her friends having all these nearly grown children and she'd yet to even have one. Bastards. Hell, even Gabe had a child of his own. It made her feel sort of useless as a woman sometimes, but she tried not to think about it too much. "I heard about Lucas getting that girl pregnant. Kids today are ridiculous, I swear. But all the more reason that you're coming in at just the right time for Justice," she said. "She can use a shoulder to cry on when she stops holding it all in." Which would hopefully be sooner rather than later.
"Well she better not let you get away not with all your perfect lines and those gorgeous locks," she teased, winking at the man. "I might have to snap you up on the rebound." It was a joke, of course, but she was sure Jason would know that. It was just the way they worked. It kept things light in their field.
Jason nodded. “Yeah, that’s kind of how we connected,” he admitted. “I took her out for coffee so she could vent to somebody who understood and it sort of went from there.” Which was a nice way of putting how it had gone. “I plan to be there for her and them. I wouldn’t know what to do if the world wasn’t ending in some way. I have three daughters, remember? I have broad shoulders and I am well practiced in not falling apart when the waterworks start.”
He grinned. “If Cooper is stupid enough to let you go,” he countered. “You’d better. I suddenly have been reminded how good sex is and I am not having another ten year dry spell.”
She chuckled at his words. Yes, the world was always ending when three girls were concerned.
She flushed when he commented about Gabe. She bit her lower lip through a wide grin and shook her head. "If he's smart, he won't let me go," she agreed. "But I'm a whole lot of woman, not just any man can handle all this amazingness," she laughed. "But yes, sex is amazing, so don't bother spending ten years without it. Even my resolve isn't that strong and you're way better built than me," she grinned.
Jason shook his head. “If he can’t handle you, he doesn’t deserve you, Naya,” he said. “Some women are worth the extra effort.” Justice and Naya were two of those women. “I don’t think I could again.” He groaned. “I’ll be lucky if I make it to the weekend.”
She smiled at him. "Thanks," she said to the man. "I appreciate that. He's a good guy though, seems to like me so I guess I'll see how it goes." She'd been burned before so at the moment she wasn't really counting her chickens before they hatched. "Baby, I won't make it through the night. I'm betting you might not either," she laughed. "Go on, get out of here," she said. "Pine over the owl and see if you can find any more clues. Keep me posted."
Jason shook his head. “If he hurts you, I will rip off something vital,” he told her. “Just saying. I know too many women who have no faith in my gender because most guys are assholes. For the sake of us good guys who are paying for it, I’d be happy to shred one of the jerks as an example.” It really upset him how being irresponsible and sleeping around was acceptable for men. Ever. He didn’t sleep with anyone he didn’t think he couldn’t be with forever. So it just grated a nerve when he was reminded what his daughters were facing in the dating world.
He let out a snort at that. “I’m trying to be good,” he said. “Once she’s in with the girls, I can have her all I want. And I will.” He smiled a bit. “I will. On both accounts. See you later.” He gave her a hug before he headed out to work on his frustrating case and try to ignore how sexualy frustrated he was.