The police car stops in front of the two large glass doors of the New Scotland Yard. Gregory and Kendall exit the car and the two inspectors drive off nearly immediately. Kendal quickly jumps back with a scowl to avoid being splashed by kicked up mud.383Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡidU0rr6gb7
"Rude!"383Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡezHc52LKi0
"You know the morons can't help it." He chuckles getting the door. "Now come on."383Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx0rodwXIji
Kendall walks in, barely ducking under his arm. Like usual, the Met was crowded and busy. She follows as Gregory walks up to the receptionist.383Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSZjRjh2zNc
"Hey Flora, Ian's in, right?" he asks.383Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqhpyOrD0Z0
"He's waiting in his office for you and Miss Bell." She nods, stapling a stack of papers.383Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqnsNWfkbEF
"Alright, thanks." He nods, tapping the counter as he steps away. Kendall walks quickly to keep up. They turn and walk down a long hallway of offices before Greg stops and knocks on one.383Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzFFJcwjI3V
"It's not locked," the police chief calls from inside.383Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBWTMmtwr13
Gregory opens the door and Kendall follows him in.383Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHgL9jQ3IpO
"Go ahead and take a seat. This isn't going to be one of those talk and run conversations," he says, turning from his computer.383Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeeCnwHVdQO
"What did Greg do this time, Chief?" Kendall sighs.383Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNEfqTkfD0K
Ian laughs, a deep baritone. "For once, not a thing."383Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB2MLcpiECq
"Told you so." He smirks, crossing his arms behind his head. "So what do you need, Ian?"383Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1eTfafT7fl
Ian glances at his computer monitor before he stands from his desk. He is a sturdy, burly shaped man with short salt and pepper black hair. Tall, but still not as tall as Gregory. He gets the door. "I have a case for you, however let's walk and talk."383Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfPXo1CZctQ
"Make up your mind, ol' chap. First you want us to sit, now to walk?"383Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7rI0t6ZZZq
"You want the case or not, Harris?"383Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmTqVu4LmF3
"He wants the case, sir." Kendall sighs, getting up.383Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡscm16oeZIt
The chief nods and walks out. "You have heard about the riverside murders?"383Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡemW9rfe6Im
"I've heard of a lot of murders, Ian, you're going to have to narrow that down."383Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTigyYDllrk
"The ones coming in from the Thames."383Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP6MKNFvkqw
"Ah yes, I have heard a thing or two about that one."383Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb50ie9EpkH
Ian nods, and stands in front of the lift. "Fourth body was found early this morning right after the papers about the third went out." He pushes button. "I'll let the Dyes explain the way they were murdered. I'll meet you down there shortly, I need to find someone else first."383Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL720SeN4h7
The lift opens with a ding and Kendall and Gregory step on. "We'll see you then, Ian." The door closes as the police chief walks away.383Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkV7DtllGW3
Kendall looks towards Gregory. "A fourth this morning? The criminal must be speeding up."383Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPxndNtapMu
Greg nods slowly, looking at the lift door in thought. "I'm sure there is a further connection besides they each being dumped in the river. Setting only tells a part of the story, Kendall. But wherever they're being killed, it must be near the Thames."383Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh7EQ9jiJP8
"Maybe Daan or Amber will have more details..."383Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlC37ijtmZc
"Probably."383Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5tOuZhd2lH
The lift opens with a ding and the two are met by a wall of blaring Eurodance music. Kendall covers her ears against the loudness as they step into the morgue.383Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡecrTEbtiYH
"DR. DYE?" Gregory shouts. "HELLO?"383Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYJqum4pRvW
The music stops abruptly and the two doctors look sheepishly around the corner. "Ah! Mr. Harris and Ms. Bell, McIntosh sent you down, ja?" Dr. Amber Dye chuckles. She's a slender woman with long blonde hair held back with an orange bow as bright as her personality and bright blue eyes. "You'll have to excuse the music, Daan's singing could raise the dead, you have to blare it to drown him out."383Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkSifXpG7me
"Hoi!" Dr. Daan Dye frowns. He's also slender built with short blond hair with dark rimmed glasses framing his blue eyes. "I wouldn't say it would be too bad if it were though." He then grins.383Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3ZJ83qTjQT
"The chief said he'd be down here soon, too," Kendall says.383Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoScrB8Ov10
"I'm sure he will be eventually, but let's go ahead and get started, ja?"383Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKgr7YCT5yi
Amber taps his shoulder. "I'll finish up that homicide autopsy while you show them our friends."383Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrIDQ8rNA0w
"Still think it's going to turn out as a suicide, Amber, but you do that. I enjoy my steak cooked medium when you see I'm right."383Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBABbMfrcdm
"And I want lobster when you see that I am right after all. Now shoo! Show them the bodies, Liefje!" Amber swats at him before walking back to the other end of the room.383Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRd46ousjIx
Daan rolls his eyes before walking over to the wall of drawers. He unhooks a clipboard from the first drawer handle and flips back a few pages on it. "Okay let's see....Four." He pulls out that slab and moves to the next. "Six....seven....and ten."383Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6eIyZElsrg
On the metals slabs there are three men and one woman. Just looking at the surface, there is nothing very similar about the four to each other. One man is broad and fat and old, another is a black man of average height and build. The third man has a deep tan but bright red hair and freckles. The woman herself has a buzz cut and a long flower tattoo along her neck and arm.383Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIHKx91tqeD
Gregory looks them over as Kendall pulls out her notepad and pen. "Care to tell us about the victims?"383Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCjKGOJPkSp
Daan pushes his glasses up. "They each were fairly simple murders." He gestures to the old man. "Theodore Harrelson, age sixty-eight. His throat was slit as you can see here." He points to it with a gloved hand. "And there's evidence that he was smothered while he was bleeding out." He moves to the black man. "Fletcher Vance, age thirty-three. His blood showed signs of being heavily intoxicated at the time of death, but there were also high traces of arsenic.383Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ46wBHZqIsK
"Victim three, Karl Moore, age twenty-one and an American. He also had his throat slit and another stab wound on his abdomen. Lastly, Janice Laurel, age forty. Blunt force trauma to her skull. The kind of imprint it left could have either been a club or perhaps the leg of a chair. She was this morning's new victim."383Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSQAkMh2oa3
Kendall nods as she takes notes. "Alright then, I'll grab Rufford and see if we can find out some more on their backgrounds." She clicks the pen closed and starts to walk away, but Gregory grabs her shoulder before she gets far.383Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxG1w5zZTxQ
"Not yet, Kendall. I might need notes from when McIntosh gets his arse down here."383Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1AaHrShcUh
"Why do you need me to take notes? You have the better handwriting and always complain you can't read mine," she huffs.383Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWfozHVTFub
Greg smirks with a half nod. "True, but I don't feel like taking them myself."383Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9w2t0I8m2p
Kendall rolls her eyes and mumbles, "I'm not your secretary," as she takes out the pen once again.383Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWSsQp0xaiy
Daan clears his throat, gesturing towards the other side of the room. "Feel free to wait for the chief anywhere you want. I'm going to see how Amber's autopsy is proceeding." He then walks away.
383Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHAwpz89H3f
