Chapter Text
"From what I can tell, you have pieces from at least six people here." Doctor Morales stated sombrely, easily setting the mood for the visit.
Today, Morales' autopsy suite was quite cramped. He'd clearly had to make do with squeezing three gurneys in, each with two piles of remains on them, as there were no complete bodies. Each set of remains sat in a separate tray, which Andy presumed was to catch the bodily fluids as the pieces thawed. How much blood came out would depend on how thoroughly they were drained before being frozen, which he figured could be problematic as far as blood tests went.
The two Lieutenants decided to stay on the side closest to the door; not because they were in a hurry to leave, but because they didn't want to bump the gurneys and risk sending a frozen limb rolling to the floor.
Andy and Provenza were dressed from head to toe in the protective blue garments that they were required to wear. They had taken their time, too, helping Andy to settle his stomach and allowing Morales to get a head start on thawing. The hairdryer that he had been using to speed up the process lay on his desk, where he had set it before ushering the two Lieutenants inside. There was a large heater at the foot of the gurneys, bathing the severed limbs with an orange glow, giving them a more lifelike flush. Andy swallowed hard and focussed instead on Morales.
"Two male, four female. The ages range from mid twenties-" Morales moved to the far right table and lifted a small foot, "-down to early teens; I'd say about 13/14." Andy was stunned. That was barely more than a child.
"Why would a cannibal kill a 13 year old kid? I mean, how much meat could they have on them?" Flynn asked, not really expecting an answer. Morales put the foot back down and leaned thoughtfully on the gurney.
"So, you're thinking cannibalism? Well, it's probably not the amount, but the 'quality'. What they do have would be more... tender, I guess? Probably like the difference between veal and beef." He suggested with a grimace.
"God." Provenza muttered, appalled.
"The good news is; they were dismembered post-mortem." Morales offered.
"That's a relief." Andy agreed. It wasn't much, but at least they hadn't suffered through mutilation.
"Yeah. These cuts are very efficient, so definitely not his first time. Looks like whoever did this, did it manually, using a very sharp blade; probably a cleaver." He showed them the slicing pattern on one of the legs, pointing out the clean break in the bone.
"Which would explain why we didn't find any power tools on the scene, though it still doesn't rule out killing and dismembering somewhere else." Provenza surmised.
"I can't see any needle marks or cuts on the limbs that would suggest foul play, but that's to be expected. Without the torso's, cause of death is almost impossible to determine. Blood tests should help but I can't do much until they are completely thawed out, which won't take as long as it would for a whole body, but it's still a while. Until then, I can't even say these people were murdered, just desecrated."
"We'll need to put out an alert with hospitals and mortuaries; see if any bodies have gone missing in the last two weeks." Provenza stated gravely, glancing meaningfully at Andy.
"Right. If our guy really is running a business, he'll need to have a regular supplier." Andy continued, picking up the worrying train of thought. A business dealing in dead bodies... well it was better than one that required mass murder.
"I'll have our 'inventory' checked, too. Better safe then sued." Morales quipped, flashing a smile.
"So when can we get prints?" Andy asked. It would be nice to be able to get a lead on who at least some of the victims were.
"Once the hands are thawed and rehydrated." Morales replied. "There were actually two right hands and one left, but unfortunately two of the hands look like they might be from the same person. I'm going to send samples from each piece to be tested, to be on the safe side."
"Prints from only two of six bodies." Andy couldn't believe how little they were getting from the remains.
"So we're going to be relying on DNA and these people may not even be in the system." Provenza summarised. Morales nodded, shrugging.
"Unless there are anomalies in the blood work there's unfortunately not much more I can do to help, as far as identifying them goes. There is something else that's quite interesting, though." He moved back to the centre gurney and gestured to encompass most of the pieces. "There's barely any decomp on the remains from these five people, so I'd say they were frozen within a few hours of death. These pieces, however," he moved to the leftmost gurney and indicated the limbs closest to the Lieutenants, "were frozen after a few days."
"Our cannibal killed before he had access to a freezer?" Andy said, frowning. For some reason that felt important, and a quick glance to Provenza confirmed that he also felt it.
"Weird, huh. Especially if you're considering the business route. Why risk your merchandise going bad?" Morales rhetorically asked, the smirk on his face told them he knew it was a significant find, too.
"That's a good question. Can you prioritise results from this person?" Provenza asked.
"Sure. As soon as I have something more for you, I'll let you know." Morales agreed, probably already intending to do so.
"Thanks Doc." Andy said as he and Provenza turned to leave.
"No problem, and give my best to Commander Raydor." he emphasised with a smirk. Andy grinned back. It was nice to know their friends were as proud of Sharon finally getting the long-withheld promotion as he was. It was just a shame she had fallen ill so soon after. He figured that by the time she got back people would be used to the change so the novelty would have worn off, but he intended to enjoy it while it lasted.
-
Mike Tao woke up struggling to breathe, such was the power of his coughing fit.
In moments, a tissue was forcibly wedged into his hand and he gladly grasped it in order to replace his closed fist with it, which he had automatically pressed to his mouth upon regaining consciousness. A hand began firmly rubbing his back in an attempt to relax his muscles, and it took a few moments for his brain to catch up with being suddenly expelled from his exhausted sleep and recognise who the hand belonged to.
Cathy. As awareness brought him back to the comforting embrace of his wife, the last images of the crime scene in his dreams dissipated; the unmoving features of the young officer, whom he had ordered to her death, fading away. He gulped in air as his coughs subsided, the rhythmic circles his wife was drawing on his back seeming to soothe his lungs back to proper working order, even if they couldn't yet get back to normal capacity.
He sighed gratefully, leaning back into her hand slightly and dropping the tissue in the vague direction of the waste basket by the bed. Now that he was no longer occupied solely with the struggle to breathe, he noticed the bedside lamp was on, casting a dim glow over their bedroom. Cathy was sat up beside him, watching him with obvious concern that he knew wasn't just due to the coughing fit. He tried to smile reassuringly, but he felt awful and the ever present thickness of his saliva and nasal mucus crowded his mouth and throat, threatening to choke him. He needed water. He squinted through his early morning photosensitivity and reached out, hoping to see the water by the bed before his questing hand knocked it to the floor.
"Wait, I've got it." Cathy said softly, her voice thick with sleep. Mike stopped his own attempts to find the glass and withdrew, allowing her to take over. She quickly got out of the bed and rounded it, rather than reaching across him. She must have thought he needed space, though whether that was due to the coughing or because of the nightmare he was diligently ignoring, he didn't know. "Sit up and drink this, honey." She told him and he regretfully noted she was sounding much more awake now.
He obeyed her soft command, grunting sourly as he did so. He didn't like how woolly his senses were feeling. He knew it was part and parcel of being ill, that it would fade as he woke up more, but it was annoying how much it made everything harder. He took the glass and drank, sipping slowly while calming his breathing, the repetitive actions giving him the time to pull himself together.
Cathy sat beside him with a yawn, taking the glass back and placing it on the bedside cabinet. He glanced at her guiltily. He hadn't meant to wake her, he'd actually been doing quite well at not making a nuisance of himself while he was ill. It wasn't the first time he'd woken her in the night, though. Not even the first time this week. He'd spoken to her about it, of course, the therapist too. It had helped, objectively.
He knew logically that he couldn't have known the radio was a bomb.
He knew logically that they had a dangerous job and that anything could happen to them all at any given time.
He knew logically that if he hadn't ordered Hailey Williams to pick up the radio, someone else would have.
But someone else didn't. He did.
And the bomb had exploded about one metre from her.
The shockwave had burst blood vessels throughout her body and stretched her skin until it had torn. It had flung her a distance of several feet; her brain had slammed up against her skull-
"Mike." Cathy's soft voice beside him, her fingers gently wiping beneath his eyes, grounded him once more. His next breath shuddered, and he blinked quickly, taking the fresh tissue she offered to dry his eyes.
"Next time Kevin says his dorm-mates have the Flu, I'm telling him not to come home." He forced out, clearing his throat roughly. Cathy was silent for a few moments, obviously deciding if she should press him or allow him to change the subject. Eventually she squeezed his hand, letting him know she'd decided to let it go. The relief he felt left him lighter and he gratefully resolved to speak to her about it again, just not now; later.
"Sure." She said wryly. "We can Skype, or Snap-Chat, or whatever App he's using these days." He chuckled, it was tempting, but he knew why neither of them would actually go through with it. They missed him. They missed all their boys too much to ask them to stay away, particularly when they were the ones who suggested coming home for the weekend.
The Flu had been going around, PAB was no exception, he would have been exposed to the virus at some point, so he'd insisted Kevin come home anyway. If he hadn't recently been in the vicinity of two bombs that had kicked up thick smoke and debris he would have been fine, but his throat and lungs had been sore, his immune system low, so he had caught the Flu. His consolation was that Commander Raydor was also off with it, as well as young Wes Nolan. He didn't feel quite so old when he thought of it like that.
"What time is it?" he asked, idly looking to the nightstand for his glasses. There was nowhere he needed to be; he was on bed rest, but Cathy still had work.
"Almost four." she replied, and he nodded; he'd expected as much from the lack of light coming through the curtains.
"Plenty of time to snooze before you get up for work." He said, carefully attempting to draw her back beneath the blankets. She laughed and obliged, waiting for him to get comfortably situated before she turned off the light and settled beside him.
Mike knew he would be the only one going back to sleep.
-
"With all due respect, Chief Mason, neither the home owners or the squatter were celebrities, they've never done anything noteworthy, so why should our case be handled by Major Crimes?" Detective Ross asked, standing to attention beside Lieutenant Waters, on the other side of Leo's new desk.
Mason watched the two men carefully. He had known that a power struggle would erupt between Robbery/Homicide and Major Crimes; it was historically proven that the two departments were incapable of sharing. He'd obviously underestimated the level of possessiveness that he would have to deal with.
"Cannibalism is a very serious issue, Detective Ross." He stated, hoping the unsaid obviously came across. Loudly.
"So is murder, which is our department." Lieutenant Waters spoke up. Ah, Leo thought grimly, there it is.
His appointment to Chief of Operations had been a surprise to quite a few in the Force. Not because he was young, or he lacked ability or drive, but because people expected Chief Davis to be a shoe-in. She had been next in line, after all. Then she had embarrassed the department by screaming 'Terrorism' over a simple string of revenge murders and consequently taken herself out of the running.
Then there had been Captain, now Commander, Raydor. A more perfect example of incorruptible authority simply didn't exist, but she was IA, she was the former head of FID, she was everything the officers she had investigated, and the top brass, didn't want in a position next to them where she could further her reach.
Chief Howard wasn't even a consideration. He was FBI, his appointment to Chief of SOB had been hard enough to take for some. Chief of Operations? No. Never going to happen. As far as the officers below were concerned, Mason got the job because he was the last candidate left and threw Raydor a promotion to validate his new power.
"I see." he said, forcing as nonchalant an expression as he could manage. "You think because I'm formerly Criminal Intelligence that I'm confused about the boundaries between Robbery/Homicide and Major Crimes?" Let them trip themselves up and give their game away.
"Chief Taylor wouldn't have taken this case from us after we had started it. Sir." Ross replied, pointedly delaying the 'sir'. A cheap move, not worthy of noticing. Mason skipped his gaze to Waters, ignoring Ross' attempt at angering him through insubordination. He needed to show them he wasn't that sensitive.
"I'm not Chief Taylor." Leo replied. His words were spoken quietly, in an attempt to not let them know if they had bothered him. You'll have to do better than that. Waters stepped forward.
"And we saw that as a good thing. He wouldn't have given it to us at all, but you did." His confusion must have fleetingly shown on his face, prompting Waters to latch on to his momentary weakness and run with it. "The department saw that as a positive comment on your opinion of our professional integrity. We were greatly encouraged by your decision to give us further responsibility, especially where it had been significantly reduced in recent years." He paused, then shrugged as if he was showing how disappointed and confused the whole department was. "Then you took it away." The effect was quite impressive, but somewhat ruined by Ross' smug presence.
"That was after the Human remains were discovered to be for consumption." Mason intoned slowly, as if Waters was struggling to grasp something obvious and he was kindly not throwing it in his face.
"And as horrible as that is; it's still a home invasion and murder case." Waters pointed out. He was actually better at this then Mason had given him credit for. Underestimating him may have cost him in the future. Luckily he had shown his hand now. "Major Crimes is down three people - including their commanding officer - and this case is going to be a media blowout. We are at full strength, we did the initial interviews with the neighbours and the family, so if this goes to trial - because criminals don't always go for the deals - we'll still be involved anyway." he concluded. Mason quietly considered his options; that was actually a good pitch for a joint investigation.
"Okay. Here's how it's going to be; this case will be handled by Major Crimes. If, after the evidence is reviewed, I believe they need more hands on deck I will allow one or two officers from Robbery/Homicide to assist." He offered. He didn't want Robbery/Homicide to decide to make life difficult for him, but he couldn't give in to their strong-arming.
"As long as Major Crimes is involved in this case, Robbery/Homicide won't receive any recognition for our work." Ross burst out. Leo was stunned, so was Waters. Apparently that wasn't part of the plan.
"This case has over four victims so far, that we know of, and very possibly a long, bloody history... and you're worried about not getting credit?" Leo asked incredulously. Ross had the decency to look abashed, but from his determined expression this was evidently a closely held opinion.
"I'm worried about all of our academy recruits wanting to join the 'Big Name Department' instead of just playing to their strengths. When you left CID, how were your numbers looking? Because ours are dropping." he earnestly insisted. Waters remained silent, which only served to put more weight behind the Detective's words.
"Alright, enough. I'm not giving the case back to Robbery/Homicide. I've made my decision and I'm standing by it. Now, if that's all." He indicated the door. Waters and Ross glowered, before stiffly turning and striding from the room, shutting the door forcefully behind them.
Leo knew when someone was trying to play him, but they did have a point. To have come to him with this meant that it wasn't just one person driving that opinion; it was shared. Resentment towards Major Crimes was festering inside the entire department, even Chief Davis had displayed an unreasonable amount of distain for them, though Leo had initially put that down to a personal grudge against Raydor.
It needed to be dealt with, he just couldn't see how yet.
Another problem that Major Crimes had, however, was something that he could fairly easily solve. They were, as had been pointed out to him, short staffed and this case would be big, even if it was wrapped up by the six o'clock news. He hadn't anticipated this opportunity presenting itself quite so soon, but now it was here, he was going to take advantage of it.
Chief Mason quickly stood from his desk and left his office.