Sonatorrek: Lokasenna 7

[x-dominion.livejournal.com]

WARNING: MATURE SUBJECT MATTER

Kane gets briefed on another investigation, and has a run in with Paige.



“You picked a real shitty time to visit Aitkins, Kane.” Arnie snubbed out his cigarette into a nearby potted plant. He was sitting on the stoop of a small frame house, painted white and blue. Garrison closed the door of his car, having only gotten a brief message to meet him.

“Is it bad?”

“Bad enough. Come on in.” He went through the door with Kane at his heels. The house was unremarkable; large chain store purchased furniture, photos on the wall, and empty save for police officers. They nodded to the Doc as they reached the master bedroom. In the bed was a motionless figure, and Blake was pulling the sheet back over it.

“Doc, get us up to speed?”

“It’s Maggie Weiss. Initial examination of the body suggests that she was strangled. There are marks of bruising on her hands and knuckles, and skin and blood under her fingernails which indicate that she fought her attacker. There is evidence of recent sexual activity, but I can’t determine if it is connected to the attack.” Drew took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes. “She’s been dead for at least twenty-four hours.”

“Neighbour came by to check on her after she noticed the cars hadn’t moved in two days and the newspapers were still on the porch.” Arnie filled in.

Kane snuck a look at the photo on the dresser. “Husband?”

“Ed Weiss. No sign of him. Nothing taken that we can see, no signs of forced entry.” Arnie confirmed.

“So it wasn’t a botched robbery. You got an APB out on the husband?”

“Yeah. His car is still out front, so if he ran, I don’t know with what.”

“Chief!” One of the uniforms ducked his head in the door. “We found Ed.”

“Where?”

“Face down in the river. Gary is there now. Says his hands were handcuffed behind his back and he went down on the rocks under the old Pewter Mill line trestle bridge. He’s a mess, Chief. They had to use his wallet to identify him.”

“Shit. Run the Doc over there, tell Gary he’s coming. Can we call for an ambulance to get Maggie?”

“Yeah, you can take her from the scene.” Blake nodded as he followed the officer out the door. Arnie took a look at the covered body and went out back. Kane followed, and joined him taking a seat on the bench. “You know the worst thing about getting old in a small town? You end up getting connected to more and more things. I dated Maggie’s mother in high school. Grace is going to be destroyed. “

“Do you think it was the husband?”

“Ed? I don’t know how. He was devoted to Maggie.”

“You never really know what happens behind closed doors.” Kane pointed out.

“Yeah, but I know when something doesn’t feel right, and this shit doesn’t feel right, Kane. I’m almost ready to believe this serial killer shit.”

“Let’s not jump to a conclusion.” Kane paused, and went back into the house. Arnie followed as he went into the bedroom and pulled back the sheet from the body. Arnie stood by puzzled as Kane pulled on a pair of gloves and carefully went over the dead form. He turned the foot slightly and discovered what he was looking for; a symbol cut into the sole of her foot.

“Just like Knorr.” He said, stepping aside so that the Chief could see.

“What the hell is that?”

“A symbol. We found something similar on the last victim.”

“What does it mean?”

“I’m not sure, but it means there’s a connection between the three deaths somehow.”

Snorinsen pushed back his hat, and scratched his head. “This is starting to get more and more complicated, Garrison. One person?”

“Maybe. Maybe a group. I don’t know.” Kane sighed. “Look, I’ll see if I can get some resources involved from the Bureau. Maybe this will help them take it more seriously.”

“Talk to them. I don’t buy the idea that this is one guy yet, but I’m not willing to risk anything.” He gave him a nod. “I’ll get a file together and give you a call once the Doc’s got all the details from the sign.

“Thanks.” Kane got back in his car. There wasn’t anything he could do that the uniforms couldn’t already do. It was such a senseless situation; a young couple ambushed, raped and then executed. It might have been the husband, maybe a murder suicide, but he didn’t have a connection to the other deaths. Or did he?

Garrison stopped to pick up another cup of coffee, and was waiting at the counter for Thelma to set up the to-go cup when Jane Foster walked in behind him.

“Thelma, the to-go orders ready?”

“Keep your shirt on, girlie.” She gave Jane a look and went back to filling the bags. Foster put up her hands and made a mocking look when her back was turned.

“Hey there, Agent Kane. Dinner?”

“Just coffee. I didn’t know you do delivery?”

“Very funny. We pick stuff up for motel guests from here as a bonus. Just my luck that everyone decided to eat in their rooms tonight.” Three large paper bags appeared and she blanched. “Are you kidding me?”

“Relax. I’ll give you a hand.” Kane jumped in, taking all three bags easily as she took his coffee. They walked through the parking lot and then across to the motel, leaving his car behind. It was close enough to get in the morning.

“How’s the case going?”

“I can’t talk about an ongoing investigation, Jane.”

“Really? Man, remind me not to date a cop. I just wanted the gossip and no more speeding tickets.”

“It’s not the way it works.”

“You’re grumpy today, Garrison.” Jane mock pouted at him. “I know you just can’t tell me stuff. I watch CSI.”

“So you’ve studied, eh?”

“Damn right.” She grinned at they reached the office and he could offload the bags. “You okay? You look a little stressed.”

“It’s a tough investigation. Wears you down a bit.”

“You need to get yourself picked back up. You should go down to the lake.”

“What, take a day off to fish?”

“No, go toss yourself in. It’s always freakin’ cold as hell. Then gun a Red Bull. It’ll wake you right up.”

“I imagine the heart attack you’re trying to get me to make myself have will.”

“Stop being such baby. Men, really.” She huffed, and actually earned a laugh from the Canadian.

“I’ll keep it in mind.” His phone went off, and he excused himself into the parking lot to answer.

“Yeah?”

“It’s Drew, Kane.”

“Doc. What do you got?”

“Ed had both hands handcuffed behind his back when he went off the bridge.”

“Any other signs of a struggle?”

“No, but the body is pretty messed up. I did find something though. A symbol, like the one on Alex, crudely cut into the top of his penis.”

“Geez… not a suicide?”

“Doubtful. The evidence doesn’t rule it out, but why would Ed rape his wife, cut a symbol in his cock, run through the woods, handcuff himself and then jump off the bridge? I don’t have a good explanation for that.”

“Me neither. Thanks Doc.” Kane thumbed off the phone and climbed the stairs to his room.

Garrison stopped to check around him for a moment before he went into the motel room. He had taken Jane’s words to heart that there was no privacy in the small town. When he’d heard about Marie-Ange’s plan, he didn’t think that Paige would have agreed to it, but the X-Man had and was apparently working three shifts a day stripping on the pole at the club. All the jokes he’d made about her power being stripping seemed less funny. Because the three working at the club weren't supposed to have any connection with him, they had to plan clandestine meetings. He was still thrown by Jubilee's actions and his own, but buried them behind his professional face. He had a killer to stop.

Her door was open, and he heard country music on the radio as he slipped into the dark room. “Kentucky?”

There was a pause, and Garrison's eyes adjusted to the sight of a leggy blonde turning around. "...really, Moosejaw?" She'd apparently taken well to the whole librarian persona, in a trim black pencil skirt, a pale blue collared shirt, and her usual reading glasses perched low on her nose, deep blue eyes peering over the rims. "You're lucky, couple days ago I would have fallen ov-"

Murphy's Law, on cue, responded, and Paige pitched forward in her heels, a few strands working loose from the low bun she had secured at the nape of her neck to fall over her face.

Kane caught her easily, before she could crash to the ground. "So, the next Danger Room scenario involves you learning how to wear heels, eh?" He said, as he put her back on her feet.

Holding herself steady with a fist of his shirt, Paige made a face. "Only if they come in size moose, because you'd be joining me, buddy. Seriously, next time I get the flashing a badge around gig, and you can pretend to have rhythm and wear hot pants." She spent a moment smoothing down the creases near his shoulder with her fingers, studiously not looking at his face too close. "How are you?"

"I've been better. We just added rape, torture and a pair of murders to the investigation." He rubbed his eyes with his fingers. "And I'm not any closer to the bastard responsible."

Making a soft noise, Paige led him to a seat, in this case, the private room's plush, dark red couch. "I'm sorry. You will though. Not trying to say this isn't horrible, but you do have a partner who believes in you and mushy stuff. We will all get our guys and never have to see this shit hole again."

"That would be nice. This creepy small town 'everyone watches everyone' shit is giving me hives." He sat gratefully. "Anything more on the Sons of Hel? Or Don and his girlfriend?"

Perching next to him, Paige crossed one ankle under the other and angled to the side. "Nothing big. Same superior jerks with old ink they had to have explained to them. Boss will not quit pushing us at them, either. At least the Valhallas, crazy pants or not, are somewhat nice in a you're looking at me dance with my top off but at least you'd offer to fix my slashed tires."

"Huh. I know the Valhallas have a stake in the business, but are they in and out of the studio too? Sounds like it's a private brothel or something."

"Ehn. Not as much, but they're around. I'm pretty much never back there. Made sure it was known early on I just dance." She smiled, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear. "You're my first private number."