[Somethign wicked] It’s a grey depressing day in Chicago. The sky is cloudy, light drizzle has been falling down all morning. he weather is warm, making the air heavy and humid. Today is not the type of day Izzy prefers, not that there are many so do…but it finds her behind her desk, having a few reports to file and answering phone calls related to her latest case.
The station was a flurry of activity, officers moving around, phones ringing, citizens and suspects complaining and of course Chief Wilkins yelling orders here and there. Life as usual in precinct 13. Around 11 am, someone stops at her desk. looking up she notices two things, first it was Larry Milton, a fellow detective that she didn’t know that well an second it really was wednesday for he was vwearing his blue and grey stripped tie.
“Hey Montoya, you’ve been assigned this” He says, dropping a file on her desk. She’d notice that there was the crest of precinct 1 on it. “Chief wants you to read it and then solve it. From what I’ve heard, you don’t have a choice in it” He shrugged slightly then with a nod, walk away from her desk.
When she opes the folder, she is greeted by the picture of a fot, good looking, smiling young blonde woman named Vivian Connors. If she reads some more, she’ll learn that Vivian was a University student, track and field star, daughter of business man Richard Connors and was found murdered two days ago in the wood west of Chicago. Coroner reports says she died from strangulation, with a rope, time of death was May 29th. There was traces of abuse, physically and sexually on the young woman’s body. No traces of semen nor fingerprints has been found.
There was more to the file.
[Izzy Montoya] “Nice tie, Millie.” She arches a brow and sits back in her chair, looking up at Milton as he tells her she’s to read it and solve it. She snorts. “No shit sherlock. I thought I’d get to read it and use it for toilet paper this time…” She snatches the
and tosses it on her desk, and rolls her eyes as he walks off, and finds a variety of names to call Sarge in her head before she finally leans forward again, pulls the file toward her and begins to read.
Her brow furrows, the muscle at the corner of her jaw jumps as she reads. She fuckin’ hates abuse cases. She pulls her notebook toward her, and takes notes as she continues to read.
[Somethign wicked] Milton had just snorted at her reply, everybody knew of Izzy Montoya and no one expected a civil answer from her.
As she reads, Izzy learn that Vivian had disapeared on May 9th as she came back from an evening with friends. There were no witnesses and no one in her circle of friend or family said that Vivian had enemies. No one knew why she had been taken, there had been no demands, despite the fact the Connors family was wealthy.
Added to Vivian’s file was Katie White’s. 22 years old stripper, blonde, blue eyes, found dead in 2010, in the woods as well, strangled, abused, case unsolved. She had been abducted on October the 5th, killed on the 25th. There had been no witnesses as she was taken late night after her shift.
There was no indication why two murders from 2 different precintcs had been brought to her desk.
[Izzy Montoya] She sits back, tapping her pen against the file for a few minutes, thinking. She chews her bottom lip for a moment, then picks up her cell phone and dials.
If he answers, she says simply says “Want to take a ride, Anderson?” Which could mean just about anything, though from the tone in her voice, this one is all business. If she’s going to the woods to check out the scene, she wants someone watching her back. It’s harder to hear, outside, after all.
She rubs the back of her neck, then shoves the files into her briefcase, and stands. If she wonders why they were given to her – well, she doesn’t show it. If she wonders why she wasn’t given a choice, she doesn’t voice it. IT could be as simple as the fact that she’s the best they have – and everyone knows it. While 10 had the highest arrest rate, she had the highest resolved with conviction rate in Chicago.
She’s a fucking good detective.
She heads down to her car, the files in her briefcase, headed for her car. She’ll pick up Derek if he said yes, or head out alone if he’s busy. Either way, the woods where the body was found is her first stop.
[Somethign wicked] Derek had answered after a couple of rings “Anderson” He heard Izzy’s voice and words and the grin that was starting to take form on his lips froze as he recognized that tone of voice. “Sure, I”m at my station” He told her. She told him she’pick him up and he hung up. He went to see his Chief, telling him that he had ben called by another detective to help on a case. He had jsut solved the missing coin one and had nothing major to do.
So his chief agreed but askd to be informed of the nature of the case. Derek hoped it was something he could explain to his superior. If it was Nation related it might be harder. Well he’ll cross that bridge when he gets there. He picked his gun, his badge, pen, notebook, cuffs..everythign he needed and then went outside to wait for Izzy.
He got in the car “Morning Detective” He said, nodding, offering her a small smile. They were working at the moment, and he knew Izzy liekd to keep her professional life separate from her personal one. Hence why o familiary..unless she initiate it. “What can I do for you today?” It could mean a lot of things, but liek Izzy, his tone was serious.
He sat, letting Izzy drive him where she wanted to.
[Izzy Montoya] Away from the station, she lights a cigarette, and drives to pick up Derek. The window’s rolled down, and she blows the smoke outside, though the car pretty much smells like an old ash tray anyway. Fortunately, she’s the only one that drives it. Fortunately, Derek’s used to it, too – and it could be worse.
She watches him as he climbs into the car, and doesn’t answer until she’s found her way back to traffic, consulted the GPS and gotten onto the right path toward the woods where the body was found.
“Got a file dropped on my desk this morning, with orders to solve it. Inside were two separate cases, possibly related, two different precincts. Both involved kidnapping, sexual assault, strangulation. No apparent like with the two women at first glance, but I want to get to the most recent scene and see if I pick anything up before I read any further. You get to watch my ass.”
The last is said with a little smirk, before she takes another drag, then tosses the butt of the cigarette out the window. Litterbug.
[Somethign wicked] He roll down his window as he listen to her. He was used to the smell of her car but he did prefer fresh air. He turn to look at her “Hmmm you’re one lucky woman to get fun stuff liek that thrown on your lap and being ordered to solve it” He shook his head slightly. It was nice and all to be ordered to solve a crime..it was their jobs after all, but sometimes, it’s just near impossible.”
He did smile a little at her last comment “You made my day, you know, allowing me to watch your ass” He grin, teasing her. He was glad that she called him to watch her back. Seem liek she didn’t trust her collegues much..or maybe there was something more behind it..either from her..or because she thought the case was more than it seemed.
“Can i see the files?”
[Izzy Montoya] She smirks at him, then nudges her briefcase over to him as he asks to see the files, and nods. “Yeah. Lucky. There’s no explanation as to why it was me – might just be my record, might not. They expect me to take Finn. So – called you, instead.” The glance she shoots him recognizes that little bit of jealousy he admitted to when it came to Finn, a tease written briefly in the twist of her lips, before she returns her gaze to the road.
“Most recent is Vivian Connor – athlete, good little girl from all appearances. Found two days ago – time of death was the 29th, so it’s likely I won’t get shit all from the scene, but a case of poison ivy and irritation.” But she’ll try anyway. She’s never been able to hear anything longer than a week old, but maybe… just maybe. She shakes her head. “Went missing without a trace, no ransom though Daddy’s rich. The one from last year had similar circumstances, but was a stripper. Found in the woods too.”
[Somethign wicked] He nodded, listening to her, picking up the briefcase and opening it. “You think it could be related with the..Finn problem?”He ask, one brow raised. He picked the files, looking at them. There might still be jealousy there, maybe not. They had spoken about how she felt about Finn and since then..well things have been..different between him and her.
“Hmm yeah, you’re right, they seem to be pretty different girls.” He scan the pages quickly “An the first girl was killed 8months ago? Not a lot of chances to find anything there. Body buried, crime scene has been covered with snow. Man, that is pretty messed up”
He pass a hand in his hair. “Any theories yet, or are you waiting to see where they found her body first?”He asks, watching her. She was the experienced homicide detective, he wasn’t even homicide.
[Izzy Montoya] “I don’t know. But since I’d usually take him, and I don’t fuckin’ trust him right now, and this was dropped in my lap… figured it’d be better not to do the expected. Just in case.”
She scrubs her fingers through her hair, along the back of her neck, as she checks the GPS, before she answers. “There doesn’t seem to be too much in common other than time frame and injuries, and the cause of death. Could mean they’re connected, could mean shit. I want to see the scene before it gets too much more tore up – I’ll only have the photos of the one last year.”
She reaches for her pack and lights up another cigarette with a look that might be considered apologetic. She thinks better when she’s got enough nicotine in her system. “IF they’re connected, it takes three to be considered serial. I want to find ‘im fuckin’ first.”
Before it turns into another Miami. Way before, preferably.
[Somethign wicked] He nodded to her “All right. How do you want to do this? Want me along for everything or just today to check out your ass while you do your thing?” He ask, with a teasing grin “Of course I can always help you outside of my work hours” He shrug. He didn’t know how much she wanted him involved. She was a really good detective and didn’t trust many people. She trusted him but enoguh to work on a case when he wasn’t homicide..maybe, he’ll see.
He continued to read the files, comitting as much to memory as possible so he coudl think about the facts later. he did take a few notes of things he wanted to remember correctly. Dates, names, ages, family, the details that could easilly be mixed up. Finally he place everything back in the suitcase and close it. He looked at her for a moment, just because he liked to do so.
“Once we’re done here, I can always help you with some background research”
[Izzy Montoya] She looks over at him for a moment longer than is comfortable considering she’s the one driving. She, like many of her profession, holds traffic laws in casual disregard, ignoring the rules when she wants too, driving with an easy negligence – and she doesn’t wear a seatbelt. Courting death, maybe, but she never really thinks about it.
She eventually turns toward the road, and then makes the turn that will take them to the crime scene. “We’ll see how you do today, boy wonder, and go from there.”
It’s said with an easy smirk, familiar and fond. Her mind is already clicking at a hundred miles a minute, trying to figure an angle, what she might need to pull it together, what she might find – what she’ll likely find. She trusts him enough to have called. That will have to be enough for now.
“It’s just ahead.”
[Somethign wicked] He nodded “All right” He grinned slightly, knowing things will happen the way they will. Either he’ll work with her, help her part time or not at all. Either way, it’s not like they won’t bge seeing each other again after all.
Izzy has to park the car on the curb. The site where they found the body was inaccessible by car. They got out and walked into the woods. Derek was careful to disturb as little as possible, moving with an easy grace men his size shouldn’t possess. He let Izzy lead him to the spot she wanted to check. Once there, he nodded to her, let her prepare herself to listen to the echoes.
His eyes were alert as he scan around in case someone would be around. He doubted it but you never knew. Killers like to come back to the site of their crimes. But since it was a little over 2 weeks since they discovered the body, it was unlikely he would be around.
[Izzy Montoya] She parks and when they get out of the car, she checks the load on her gun, before tucking it at the small of her back. It’s safe to assume it’s not the only weapon she wears, too – he’ll know she has an ankle holster as well. She doesn’t bother to check that one. She adds a pair of blue latex gloves to a pocket in her jacket, and an evidence bag, just in case she gets lucky to the other pocket.
She moves as he does, careful not to disturb anything more than necessary, until they come to the remnants of the crime scene, yellow tape broken apart and flittering in the Chicago breeze. She sets her jaw, and when he nods at her… she moves to the center of the scene, where the body was found according to the pictures, and she sinks to a crouch, and just.. stares. For a long, long moment, before she even tries a listen.
IT’s never worked for longer than a week – but maybe she’ll get lucky.
[Trying – though it’d have to be one hella roll. Heh. Echo, echo, do I hear an echo?]
Dice Rolled:[ 7 d10 ] 1, 3, 4, 8, 8, 8, 9, 10, 10, 10 (Success x 6 at target 7) Re-rolls: 3
[Somethign wicked] She stare at nothing for a long time, hearing nothing, seeing nothing and then things changes.
It was night, the air cool. A big shadow dressd in black arrives holding a big black blanket covered form. He put it down, and move away, moving with grace, almsot silent. The really big and fit man comes back with a shovel and start to dig a hole. He was silent, features and hair hidden by a hat. After a moment, he pick the inert form and unroll the blanket unceremoniously and letting the corpse fall in the hole with a thud. Dropping the blanket aside, he covers the hole back then add some rocks and twigs, making it look liek there the eart neverhad been disturbed.
Maybe it wasn’t his first time, maybe he know how cops looked at things. He picked the lbanket up and walked away with it and his shovel, the way he moved was confident, almsot smug, satisfied with his actions.
In the meantime, Derek, contrary ot what he told Izzy, isn’t looknig at her ass but at everything else, all around. He’d stare at that thight butt when she was back with him.
[Izzy Montoya] She loses track of time. She knows that. It takes a while to hear things, to sort them through, but this was no where near as overwhelming as listening to hundreds of conversations all at once, while trying to pick out a single thread in the crowd. This was almost… easy.
And it really told her nothing. She shakes her head, slightly, and then looks to where the grave had been, and tips her head. “How was the body discovered, again?” Idle the question, as she studies the area….
[Somethign wicked] His attention snap back ot Izzy when she spoke “What did you see?” He ask with curiosity, while he search his memory to answer her question
“SHe was found by a guy trekking the woods. It has been raining a lot lately, ground was soft and his foot sank nad when he took it out, he noticed some skin. He called the cops right after.” He pass his hand in his hair “I suppose that animals might have digged some too thining the layer of earth covering her, or maybe he has been sloppy when he buried her.
[Izzy Montoya] She shakes her head. “He wasn’t sloppy.”
She scrubs her face with her hand, slightly. “He was fuckin’ smug, and confident, and careful, an bloody fuckin’ silent – but not sloppy.” She shakes her head, and presses her hands to her thighs, and pushes upwards to stand again. “Can figure his build, but not anything that would identify him. He moved virtually silently, graceful even if he was big. But…” She shakes her head. He hadn’t said a thing.. just done his job and moved on.
She starts a systematic search of the area, looking for anything that the team might have missed when they canvassed the area.
[Somethign wicked] He nodded to her words “Hmmm, what do you think? He has done it more than twice? Professional hitman? Something else?” He watches her as she scan the scene. He does as well, his kind blue eyes looking around, moving carefully around.
The ground is uneven, muddly, full of bushes, roots, no clear trail as it was deep in the woods and only people enjoying cross country trekknig and having some survival knowledge or at least a good compass would come this way. Or maybe also posessing a good knowledge of the area. There seem to be nothing to be found, the killer had been really careful. If Izzy move in the direction she saw the man leaving, she will end up further down the road, where the car was likely parked.
If she looks really really carefully, she’ll find a little pice of fiber, probably from the blanket.
[Izzy Montoya] She looks. Really. Really. Really. carefully.
“Too confident and sure to be a first timer. Professional – maybe. I don’t think so. They tend to go for the hit, not the kidnap and torture.”
She frowns, then pulls on one of the latex gloves, and reaches out to pluck the little piece of fiber free, and tuck it away into the evidence bag. Not a great chance anything can be gotten from it, but at least it’s something. She stands near where the car must have been parked, looking for any possible tracks. If she doesn’t find any, she nods back to the car.
“Guess its time to go talk to daddy dearest.”
[Somethign wicked] He noddeed once more at her words “Hmmm guess we’re..well you’re in for one heck on an investigation. If he had time to refine his thing, he mgiht not make too many mistakes…then again..it’s when they are confident that they do”
He watch her pick up the fiber and walks back with her, gently nudging her “Though if someone can solve this it’s you” The head back to the car, his eyes glancing at her once in a while “What do you hink you’ll get from her dad?”
He gets in the car, looking at her as he had nothing much to do as she drove them away.
[Izzy Montoya] She nods, slightly, and when he nudges her and voices his confidence, she snorts. “You’re confidence is well placed.” She winks, before she pauses by the car to write the time and date, place and case number on the outside of the bag, before it gets tossed into the briefcase again. She starts up the car as she gives the question a bit of thought.
“A feel for the girl. The family. The father and if he might be involved, if he has any enemies or if this is some random thing.” A brief shrug. “I’ll see if I can find anyone who knew the other girl, too, Katie. Same thing there, if I can.”
[Somethign wicked] He leaned into the seat, looking her “All right. Who knows, maybe we’ll be lucky and get something from him. And the other girl was a stripper, want me to handle that part? I think I”m well suited ot interrogate her co workers and all”
He grin, teasing her. She probably know he doesn’t care much about seeing random girls naked. He had the occasion of seeing her naked often enough, and he had other lovers too. Women much more interesting than plain human girls. Still teasing he was always fun
“I mean with your looks, they’ll jsut be envious..or er ex boss will have you on stage and all”
[Izzy Montoya] She snorts, and reaches over to slug him in the shoulder, but its all in fun, as he well knows. Not that there’s much less a chance that she has other lovers, too – just not feminine. She likes her men to be men, after all.
She nods after a moment though. “Yeah – see what you can dig up.” And its then that he knows for sure she considers him a part of the investigation. “Keep your eyes out for anything out of the ordinary too – in case we have to bring in the asshole brigade.” Which she doesn’t want to do. At all.
[Somethign wicked] He grinned at her punch “Awww don’t worry, you know you’re my favorite”He was teasing, using that ot cover the honesty of the comment. She truly was his favorite lover. And in some ways the one with whom it could be more serious..because one was mated,, one was metis, making them both fun but without any future. Not that it’d get serious with Izzy btu it was the one with the potential to.
“All right, I’ll go to the ckub tonight, see if there’s any of the girls let there who knew Katie. Then I’ll try to double check what the detecitves found in october. Will check with her family and friends, then tell you about what i’ve found or not.
“And for the “asshole brigade” I’ll keep my eyes open, hopefully we can handle things ourselves”
[Izzy Montoya] She nods, slightly. He’s seen her work herself near to death, seen how she can get so immersed that she thinks of nothing but a case. That this shows signs of being more, of being similar to what she had seen before doesn’t make it any easier at all – it makes it worse. He’s about to see a very dark side of Izzy Montoya, and some little part of her wonders if he’ll want to see her after, if this goes bad. The rest of her can’t even think of such things – and is already planning her next step.
“I’ll make copies of the whole file and drop it off before you hit the club. Approve your outfit, and all.” Absent, the tease, but it exists.
In the meantime, she plans to eat, sleep, breath, live Vivian Connor.
[Somethign wicked] He nodded to her “All right mom, I’ll get your approval.”He say, teasing her then looked at her “Mind if I come by your place after the club?” Did he want to keep an eye on her? Maybe. After all he had seen how she didn’t get some rest when she was upset. And this case has gotten to her. Even if she doesn’t admit it, chances are she’ll need someone around, just to make sure she get some food and sleep.
Of course others could probably do it, thught they might think of fucknig her first. He found himself a little past that. Yeah he still wanted her badly, every time he saw her, but he also wanted to keep her healthy..and safe from herself.
“Oh and maybe you should talk to my chief, so my participation in this case is official”
[Izzy Montoya] She snorts “call me old again, and I’ll take the stripper gig myself…” She glances at him, as if searching his intentions, trying to decide if he’ll simply need release, or if he’s doing the worst and checking up on her. In the end, it’s likely both, a little bit, and a part of her decided last time he assured she started sleeping again, that she didn’t really mind. As long as he wasn’t obvious about trying to take care of her.
She is Fenrir. She takes care of herself.
[with a little help from her friends, Jack and Jose – and occasionally Derek]
“Yeah, come by. We can compare notes. I’ll talk to your chief. Tell him you were thinking of making the switch to Homicide, and I offered to let you shadow my next case. This is that case.”
[Somethign wicked] He laughed at her words “Never said you’re old. Never would dare think it. don’t want gettin my as kicked”
He grinned at her. They both knew he wanted to watch over her. Not ot hold her by the hand and force her to do anything, or hold her in his arms telling her it’ll be all right. As he has done before, he’ll be present, subtly making sure she ate once in a while, and then doing what they both enjoyed to spend her completly so she would rest. Of course there will be drinking involved here and there.
And it’s not like he’ll be around her every nights, unless seh ask him to. He knew she liked her fredom, being able ot see who she wanted, so as always, he’s not going to impose himself.
“We’ll see how my chief will like me working for another precinct, though he might not mind me switching to homicide, as lnog as it’s under his orders”He smile.d He knew Chief Pearson liekd him enough. Of course it didn’t hurt that he was a competent cop.
[Izzy Montoya] She smirks. “I’ll assure him it’s just this case. I don’t have a partner, not looking for a partner. I work alone.”
Which they both know is a bit of bullshit, but if it saves his bacon, it works. “Besides, I won’t have you at 13. That’s my place to shine. At best it’ll foster inter-precinct communications and working together instead of strife and competition.”
She can’t even say that last with a straight face….
[Somethign wicked] He laughed at that “Yeah…right. We cna always hope. Pretty sure all that it’ll accomplish, us working together, in the eyes of others is me gettign teased that I”m your latest victim” He grin, at her “Not that I mind, I lvoe being your vicim”
And he could take the teasing. It’s not going to bother him and if it amuses the others. He looked at the windshield, as they were now in the city, wondering if they’ll find anything at the Connors.
[Izzy Montoya] She smirks, “Careful. You used the L word.”
She reaches forward and keys in the address of the Connor’s residence into the GPS and concentrates on following the directions. In no time at all they arrive at the residence, and she takes it in for a long moment, before she takes a breath and steps out of the car. There’s no need to see to her weapons this time. Instead, she simpl takes out her badge and hangs it around her neck. She grabs her notebook and nods. “come on then.”
And it’s up to the door, and ringing the bell.
[Somethign wicked] He tilt his head “I said lesbian?” He grinned at her “I said I lvoed being your victim, which mean I can’t get enough of your sexy ass. Doesn’t mean I love you you know..be careful, might be whishful thinking there”
He winked at her then got out of the car. He walked with her to the door. The bell is rang and a woman in her 40’s answered. “Good day, how may I help you?”
Izzy ask for Vivian’s father, Richard. The woman, who they learned was the maid, told them to come in and wait. As it happen, Mister Connors was in the house, having taken a few days off to be with his wife after learning of the tragedy. After a few minutes, a man in his mid 40’s arrived, his features drawn from lack of sleep, his blond hair cut short with a trimmed beard. He was good looking, dressed nicely in expensive penats, shoes and polo short.
“How may I be of service, detectives?” He ask, his voice sounding tired, his tone polite.
[Izzy Montoya] She just swats at him, and then she’s all business before the door opens. She steps inside at the invite of the maid, and looks around, committing every detail of the entryway – and of Mr. Connor when he arrives – to memory. First impressions, anything that might give her that much more of an edge, a hope of solving the tragedy of what happened to his daughter.
She can’t bring her back, but she can find the asshole who did this.
“Mr. Connor, I’m Detective Montoya, and this is Detective Anderson. I am very sorry for your loss.” There is no doubt, at all, that she is sincere. SHe hates victim interviews, but she knows their importance – both to the investigation, and for the family to feel she is on their side.
“Earlier today I was assigned to your case, and I assure you, I will work night and day until I find out exactly what happened to your daughter. I was hoping for a moment of your time, to hear what happened directly from you and your wife.”
[Somethign wicked] Derek nodded to the man when Izzy introduced him. His eyes scanned the place, watched the odler man but he stayed silent. It was Izzy’s show and he was there to observe, learn and only when something really pertinent pop to mind, then ask questions or comment.
Richard Connors looked at Izzy for a moment “Thank you Detective, we can’t ask anything more from you.” He looked back the way he came then at Izzy again “My wife is very distraught right now. I’ll answer your questions right now if oyu want. Then if you absolutly need my wife’s version, I hope you could wait later. She’s not taknig Vivian’s death really well”
He wasn’t either but he had a little more control over his emotions. His blue eyes looked at Izzy “What happened is..well I don’t know what happened. Vivian went to a party with some friends and never came home. They told me she had been taken outside of her appartment building. After that, no news, until two days ago when i had to come down and identify her”
His voice craked slightly at the end.
[Izzy Montoya] She nods, with the idea she should talk to the missus later. “Of course.”
Then she listens. There is something about Izzy that few people stick around to learn: She listens with her whole body. There is no doubt in Mr. Connor’s mind that he has her whole attention, even with what little he knows. And when she asks questions – though she has the capacity to terrify a perp – it is gently, and encouraging, and most of all – understanding.
“Who were the friends? Did you know any of them – for how long? Where was the party? Was there any contact at all from the perpetrators?”
[Somethign wicked] Mr Connors motion them to sit in nearby chairs, taking a seat himself. He seem to think about her questions before answering “She was Emily Kleiser, her best friend. They’ve known each other since 3rd grade. She’s a bright young woman, funny, charming, she studies chemistry. I have her phone number somewhere if you need it. The others with her..could be Sasha Allary and Jean Manson. Both were girls she and Emily hung with. Emily would know more than me.
I don’t know where the party was, I think it was on campus. And no one contacted us about taking her”
Derek leaned forward ot look at the man “How was it determined that she was missing after the party and outside the appartment. There was no witnesses”
Mister Connor looked back at him “She was last seen by her firends on the corner of her appartment’s street. From what the cops told me when he declared her missing, was that the door was locked. Emily, my wife and I were brought there to see if anything was missing, clothes, jewelry, personal effects that would indicate that she went away but nothing obvious was amiss. They worked with the suspiscion that she had been abducted, and their theory was thati th appened after hte party, outside her building. And with the news of 2 days ago, now we know that she had indeed been kidnapped”
[Izzy Montoya] She makes careful notes, but she doesn’t look away from the girl’s father to do so. She is watching him, his expressions, for anything that would trigger a response that would suggest he knows more than he’s letting on.
She nods slightly as he answers Derek’s question, a question she was about to ask as well. Then she adds one of her own. “When’s the last time you saw your daughter? Did she give any indication someone was amis? And I hate to ask this, sir, but do you have any enemies, anyone who would want to hurt you and your family?”
[Somethign wicked] He looked at Izzy “Last time I saw Vivian was 2 days before she was taken, on the 7th. She came over for dinner. We had a nice evening, everything seemed normal to me. She was smiling, happy that the semester was ending. Her track and field season had went wel. She seemed just happy.”
He then shook his head as he answered Izzy’s other question “Enemies? None that I know of. I mena I have competitors, people i might have angered on a business deal or another but that’s the way things work, I have been angered by others as wel. But it’s nothing bad enough to kidnap someone’s daughter and kill her you know.”
He say, looking into her eyes. He seem to be telling the truth.
[Izzy Montoya] She nods, again, and closes her notebook. “I think we have enough to get started. Here’s my card – if you think of anything, please call me. Day or night, call. I’ll return it as soon as I can if I’m not available.” It’s her cell number she gives him, as well as the station number, placing herself at his disposal should he need anything at all.
“I’ll be in touch. Please give my condolences to your wife, as well.” She will need to speak to the wife, but that cna wait a couple of days.
[Somethign wicked] He nodded to her, taking the card, shaking their hands “Thank you detective. I wish you the best of luck. I want this person found. I want him or her to pay the price of their actions. I’m not seeknig death, but justice. That person should rot in jail”
He closed his eyes “I’m sorry, I’m getting emotional. I’ll call you if anything else come up. Have a good day” He let hte maid lead them back out as he walked back presumably to his wife.
Once they got back in the car, Derek turne to look at her “What do you think? Beside telling me the father doesn’t seem involved, I haven’t learned anything new..you? Maybe you understood something I didn’t”
[Izzy Montoya] Something he says there strikes her the wrong way, but she hides it behind her professional facade. She doesn’t say anything, until they’re back in the car. Then she drums her fingers against the steering wheel lightly, her mind ticktickticking along a mile a minute.
“What father doesn’t want death and dismemberment of their daughter’s rapist and murderer?”
She pulls out her notebook, and jots down a couple other things – she’ll be researching late into the night, for sure.
[Somethign wicked] He shrug “I don’t know, maybe the type who doesn’t want to look like a violent person in front of cops. Who knows, maybe he’s telling his wife how much he want the man dead. Or maybe he truly doesn’t want the murderer dead for a reason or another. Maybe he suspect someone he knows”
He look at Izzy “We should get some lunch. What are your plans for the afternoon?” He ask, knowing his part would come later in the day. It was no use gonig ot the club in the day. There wouldn’t be many of the girls working at the moment. Later tonight would be much better.
[Izzy Montoya] She shakes her head. “Maybe. But in my experience, distraught father’s don’t give two shits what the cops think of them – they just want the job done.” And she has experience in spades – and it doesn’t sit well with her.
She starts the car, though, and pulls away, after giving the house a long look, searching the windows, thinking, thinking, always thinking.
Then, she answers the question. “Research. The files they gave are no where near complete. I’m going to dig up everything I can on the Connors -business and personal- and the other girl as well and search for a connection, as well as anything that will tip the scales. I didn’t question his alibi, but I’m going to recheck that as well – and I’ll need to talk to the wife, soon, as well as the girls he mentioned.”
A beat. “And I want to see her apartment too.”
[Somethign wicked] There was no one looknig throught the windows at them, the house seemed normal. almsot deserted though they knew at least three persons where inside.
Derek nodded to her, looking at her for a moment then straight ahead, watching the road “All right, what do you wnat me ot help you with? Or do you have an assignment for me?”He ask, looking back at her.
ZHe could check things out on his own, might do so anyway but she was the one handling the case so, maybe she had plans for him, for what he should do.
[Izzy Montoya] “Tired of watching my ass already?” It’s said with a little smirk, that is almost a grin, even as she nods. “Yeah – you got research chops, I assume. dig into the White girl, everything ou can get your hands on. Take some pictures of where they think she was taken, too. No detail is too small.”
She’s obsessive. No wonder she solves more than anyone else, often by finding obscure little clues the other people miss.
A beat, and then a little smirk. “If you have a laptop, set it up at my place, and we can set up a timeline board together.”
In anyone else that’d be an euphemism. She really means a giant white board with pictures, time lines, and every possible connection she can think of…
[Somethign wicked] He grinned “No, I’ll never get tired of watching your ass, but staring at it, while doing wonders to me, won’t help us much in finding those poor girls murderer. Let’s get some lunch, then drive me back to the station and I’ll do a few things on my own, check on the White girl. I’ll come by your appartment with my laptop, let’s say around 6:30, we can have dinner, the I’ll go to that club, come back, tell you what I’ve learned. Then after some discussion, I’ll make sure you sleep and are rested for tomorrow”
He smiled at her “Admit it, I”m full of good ideas”
[Izzy Montoya] He’s full of good ideas. She glances at him, and then snorts, amused.
But while she doesn’t deny it, it could be noted that she doesn’t exactly confirm it either. But, in the long run, she simply heads toward the station to put his ideas into motion.
And if her touch lingers against his hand when she asks him to hand her a new pack of cigarettes from the glove box, well. She doesn’t confirm that, either.