Law & Order

[Abracadabra]

Maggie stared down the double doors of the station, she'd been hesitant to take on such an assignment, but...the orders came from above, so there really was no choice in the matter, regardless of whether or not she'd been deceived into agreeing before knowing all the details - infiltrate, and uncover the truth, that was her objective; whispers of dirty dealings had made their way up to HQ, as well as potential connections to an underground drug ring, which was nothing out of the ordinary, and nothing she hadn't handled before...but usually, she'd run solo.


This was not to be the case this time...ohhh no - this time, her cover was to be a transfer from another department a county over, sent to be the new partner of one Detective Laurence Blake, and there in lied the problem...Maggie didn't work with others...period...things only got messy when she was put on a team, not only due to her own lack of social skills, but also because she almost always wound up dragging her partner's around by the nose, but...there was just no helping it in this case.


'Just suck it up...this should be a nice, easy case...should maybe take a few weeks...a month max...you can do this.' she told herself as she made her way up the steps, and pushed open the door, 'Just play the part of the good-natured transfer case, get in, get out...nothing to it.' Maggie mused, absentmindedly brushing her bangs away from her face as she approached the front desk and donned a congenial mask, complete with a feigned, warm smile as she approached the secretary, "Good afternoon, I'm Deputy First Class, Margaret Stein from the King County precinct, here to see Detective Blake?"


The man behind the desk eyed her critically - it wasn't that big of a surprise though...she didn't really look the part; a slight, five-foot four-inch babyfaced woman with freckles dusted across her cheeks, and a blinded eye, scar peeking out from above and below the fabric of her eyepatch, but the look of skepticism was quickly exchanged for one of sympathy, "Down the hall and to the right, you can't miss it...and hey...better you than me." he remarked, making her raise an eyebrow at him questioningly, only to have him shake his head, "You'll see." was the only reply she received.


'Must be a real charmer to get a warning straight out the gate.' Maggie mused as she made her way to the door, and with little to no hesitation, rapping on it sharply with the backs of her knuckles.

 

[quiescentLunacy]

One knock would be ignored. Two knocks was a higher-up. Three knocks was standard. By the steadfast fourth knock, Laurence resigned himself to the fact that this one wouldn't be deterred by a locked door. There was a pause and a collection of loud clicks signaling an unnecessary amount of deadbolts before the door cracked open. A single blue-grey eye surrounded by what looked like a faded burn peeked out of the slit and down at the figure that stood staunchly in front of his office. Laurence opened the door fully as he gazed down at the tiny woman before him with a mixture of irritation and suspicion. "Who the hell are you?" His voice was low and not particularly friendly, with a faint Southern twang. Something rose to the back of his mind as he examined the girl. "Right, transfer." He grunted. "Didn't bother reading your file, so I didn't get a picture of..." He gestured vaguely in a way that emphasized her stature. "Paper lies a hell of a lot better than people do. People read better, too." He gave as an explanation, flicking on the lights in his office, which until that point had been illuminated only by several glowing computer monitors. "Well, don't just stand there." He said, stepping aside to let the girl enter.


The man's office was surprisingly tidy, although there were documents and scraps of paper everywhere. There was a sense of order to the chaos of notes and annotations tacked up on every wall, and Blake's desk made use of every inch of space on its dark metal surface. There was only one chair in the room, but Laurence neither took the seat for himself nor gestured for the girl to sit in it. Instead, he stood by the desk, tapping out a haphazard pattern on its polished surface impatiently. "Not much for a proper introduction since you probably think you know my file, but I don't have all day. Name's Laurence Blake, Detective, SSgt, etc. Now I'll ask again: Who the hell are you?"

 

[Abracadabra]

'Well...guess the warning was well warranted...oh well...at least I don't have to pretend to be the chipper young rookie.' Maggie mused, the smile leaving her face as it slid back into its usual, impassive expression at the brusque introduction - he wasn't wrong, she did know all about him, and not simply from the files provided; thanks to the intell HQ had provided, she knew more about the man than she was certain anyone would be comfortable with; not too mention, were it not for the information, she would have recoiled on sight of him - of course Laurence would be incredibly tall, and of course his eyes would be the same shade of blue and his hair black...of course he would embody everything she was phobic of...it had taken weeks of looking at his photograph to get to a point where she could stare the image down without being sick...it honestly felt like a cruel joke, and knowing the higher ups the way she did, it very well could be, "I'm Deputy First Class, Margaret Stein - as you've previously stated, yes...I'm a transfer from the King County precinct...however, had you bothered to read the file, you would have seen the annotation about being assigned as your new partner." she murmured, her voice as flat and neutral as her facial expression, though her light German accent tinted the words as she folded her arms and rested her weight on one hip.


"Today's just a courtesy call before I start next week - wanted to get a feel for you in person, rather than delaying the inevitable, sir...after all...as you said...paper lies more than people." Maggie remarked, inwardly wishing she hadn't tied her hair back into the tight, professional bun today, just being around this man made her anxiety levels rise exponentially and she desperately wished she could fall back on the nervous habit of twisting her fingers through her hair - she technically wasn't on duty today, so she could have gotten away with it, but she knew all about this man and his paranoia...looking professional was just just part of the role she was playing, though inwardly, she was already taking mental notes to unearth who'd made assignment calls this time and string them up by their toes.

 

[quiescentLunacy]

Laurence watched the girl intently as she spoke. Although she hid it well, there was no doubting the slight twitching in her fingers, the dilation of her pupils, the stiffness of her posture. There was a distinct difference between the stance of someone speaking to authority and someone who was tense because of an underlying emotion like anger or fear. The girl crossed her arms unconsciously, putting up an imaginary barrier between the two. Protecting her own body and making herself smaller crossed off anger from the checklist, so..."You won't work out well." Laurence muttered. He moved calmly, crossing the room in three short strides to stand directly in front of the girl. Her crossed arms tensed tighter, her pupils dilated, her breath hitched almost imperceptibly. "I can tell you're not looking forward to working with me, because at the moment every microexpression in your body language is betraying you. You haven't looked me in the eyes since I first opened that door, you've been staring at my chin or over my left ear. Your use of the term "delaying the inevitable" has direct connotations of dread or at the very least apprehension. Having read my file, you're aware of parts of my personality and a chunk of my background, which means you certainly understand that I am not a likeable person. But, Miss Stein, what you are exhibiting is not dislike nor apprehension but rather an intense and irrational fear. I don't much care about what it is you're so afraid of, but I will tell you right now that I have no intention of partnering with anyone, not in the least someone who was forcibly partnered with me despite factors that will prevent both parties from working together. In short, meeting you has confirmed my suspicions that this partnership is a farce, although I don't know why and I really don't care."


Once his rant was complete, Laurence stepped back to a comfortable distance. "And that is the best introduction I can give you at this time, both as a detective and as a person. If you want to carry on whatever it is you're doing here, don't let anyone watch you as closely as I just did, and try not to get in my way while doing your own work." He glanced at one of the computer monitors, signaling that the conversation was over. Without looking up, he added, "Oh, and one last thing. Don't call me Sir, because I don't want to be bothered giving you the same courtesy."

 

[Abracadabra]

Maggie merely raised an eyebrow as he closed the distance between, forcing her to look up at him as he proceeded to psychoanalyze her down to her breathing patterns and really...it was all she could do not to laugh - she'd give it to him, he was good, but even so, "Not bad...you're exactly as your files described, and your associates warned of." she remarked evenly, approaching the desk and pressing her palms against its surface, boring into his blue eyes now with her own mismatched ones without wavering, "However...of all the things on earth that I may fear...you are most certainly not on that list...you don't even make the top thirty." Maggie drawled coolly, her gaze unfaltering and her voice cold and level, "As for whether or not we'll work well together or not, as you yourself have stated, I don't care - I have my orders, and you have yours. Whether or not we find each other pleasant has nothing to do with it."


She pushed away from the desk then, and casually strode to the door, "On that note...looking forwards to working with you...sir." Maggie murmured, shutting the door after herself quietly, only breaking eye contact after the door shut; she took a deep breath and loosed it silently as she walked back out to the lobby, the secretary looking at her almost expectantly, 'No doubt this isn't the first person he's turned up his nose at...may as well have some fun with it.' Maggie mused, sliding on her congenial mask once again and smiling at the man warmly, a move that clearly startled him - no doubt he'd expected her to either look dejected, mortified, or both, "I really didn't see what you were talking about - he seems pleasant enough to me." she said cheerfully, having to bite down on the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing at the slack jawed look of disbelief he gave her as she gave him a small wave as she made her way to the exit, "See you next week." Maggie called over her shoulder to the secretary before exiting the precinct and allowing the mask to fall as she strode back to her car; as soon as she'd started the engine and pulled into traffic, she was on the phone with headquarters, relaying what she'd learned.


"Subject is prone to extreme paranoia and exhibits alpha behavior in an effort to appear in control and intimidate others into keeping distance as per intel, please advise, have not established contact with the sister." Maggie muttered into the traceless cellphone as she pulled to a stop at a red light, "Copy that, Agent Stein - proceed with the investigation." a voice replied evenly on the other end of the line, "Duly noted...and by the way, Kowalski...if I find out it was you who assigned case files this month, I will be extracting your toenails one at a time when I get back." she growled irritably, shifting her foot off the brake as the traffic signal turned green, "Roger that, Agent Stein." came the laughing reply as she abruptly hung up.

 

[quiescentLunacy]

Stein left the man's office with one final jab, shutting the door with a loud click behind her. "Damn nuisance, this whole affair." Laurence grumbled. After making sure the deadbolts on the door were secure, Laurence returned to his work. It was several hours before his next interruption.


His phone buzzed in a familiar pattern as a text appeared on the screen, underneath a clock reading 10:46 PM.


"Stop working. Eat something. Get some fresh air. For God's sake, stare at something other than a computer screen for a while. You're gonna ruin your eyes."


It was a regular ritual at this point, a texted reminder to take a break from work. Without it, he could lose track of time and work until he collapsed. Laurence tapped back a short reply and stood up slowly, popping his joints as he walked towards the door.


"Roger. Case unsolved. Returning to base."


Another buzz.


"God, you're a dork. Get home safe, bro."


----------------------------------------------------------------------------


Laurence approached the crime scene, not stopping as he flashed his badge at the barricade of cops surrounding the perimeter. A team of forensic analysts swarmed the bodies, covering and uncovering them to take notes. From what Laurence could see--and for that matter, smell--the three bodies laid out were charred black. The stench made his own burns itch. He glanced at one of the forensics guys. "What do we have?"


"Physically? Not much." These guys had a fucked up sense of humor. "The burns are too severe to get much evidence. What we have figured, though, is that they were inflicted post-mortem. Kill the family, make it look like they died in a fire."


Laurence finished the unspoken thought, "Except no accidental fire would be so thorough. Gasoline?"


The guy shrugged, "Looks like. Can't be sure yet. Teams can't sweep the house until they get the g0-ahead. The fire damaged the entire structure of the building, so this whole area is a hazard zone. Nothing on the bodies either. We did find signs of deep wounds in all three bodies, but they're so badly cauterized we can't classify if they're the cause of death."


"Tell me when you get anything." Laurence ordered. He moved away from the grotesque scene, already forming questions in his mind when he saw a familiar figure appear behind the tape. "You picked a hell of a day to start, transfer." Laurence called out, catching Maggie's eye. His tone was casual, if not as gruff as usual. True to his word, Laurence acted as if their confrontation a week prior had never taken place. At the moment, the woman was nothing more than an unlucky transfer who got stuck with the wrong guy.

 

[Abracadabra]

Maggie easily ducked under the police tape, regarding the taller man impassively as she strode over to examine the body's more closely, "Save your pity for these poor souls, sir...I neither want or need it." she remarked flatly, squatting down beside one of the forensics team - three bodies, to large, one small; a quick glance around the scene revealed several heavily charred picture frames, and she rose up and walked over to inspect the closest one, pulling a pair of gloves on before lifting it up and wiping away the black film from the glass.


Four faces stared back at her - a rather attractive brunette with large green eyes and a sweet smile, a stern, yet handsome blond with dark brown eyes, a small little girl with wide hazel eyes and rambunctious honey colored curls, and a thin gangling teenage boy with amber eyes and messy brown hair that fell untidily about his chin, 'There should be four...where is he?' she mused, turning back around and approaching her...partner...oh how that word rang sour in her ears, and handed the photograph to him, "...one's missing." Maggie remarked evenly as she peeled off her gloves and handed them over to forensics - no need to let potential trace be thrown away carelessly, "...the largest body is definitely the father, the curvature of the smaller one suggests the mother and the tiny one is obviously the girl...where's the son?"


She slid her piercing gaze to the CSI unit, "Have you done a sweep upstairs?" Maggie asked placidly, hoping to everything she still believed in that she was wrong, "Yes ma'am, but there was no one up there and believe me, we did check everywhere - in closets, under beds, but the only bodies present are those three on the living room floor." The comment made a small sigh escape her as a clear mental image formed, 'Don't jump to conclusions just yet...he could have stayed over at a friend's tonight...it could have been a disgruntled former employee or perhaps a jilted lover...still...there is the potential for it to be the son...can't rule it out.'


"Put out an APB for the boy, bring him in for questioning." she murmured, receiving a nod from another officer who immediately sounded the alert, 'Please let me be wrong...please...please don't tell me someone so young would willingly kill their own family.'

 

[quiescentLunacy]

Laurence spared no second glance at the woman now tossing out orders as freely as she cared to. If there was evidence to be found at the crime scene, she could handle rounding it up. The man ducked under the tape barricade and walked leisurely around the block, examining the neighborhood. In his plain clothes of a dark blue button-up shirt and darkwash jeans, he looked sufficiently like a civilian. Perhaps ex-army, as people might rightly guess. Completing his circuit around the block, Laurence entered the crowd of onlookers who surrounded one side of the sectioned-off area. He had avoided moving through the crowd on his way in for this express purpose. Some people were more willing to give information if they didn't think they were being interrogated.


He directed his first line of questions at a concerned looking woman who appeared to be in her late 50's. She was fussing to catch a glimpse of what was going on behind the wall of similarly anxious people blocking her view. "What happened here?" Laurence inquired, feigning ignorance with practiced ease.


The woman turned to look at the person addressing her. A momentary flicker of shock flitted across her face as she took in the sight of the man behind her, but the expression quickly returned to worry and a deep sadness. "There was a horrible fire, early this morn'. That poor family, they all got burned up." She raised up a hand to the cross around her neck, like a silent prayer.


All? "Did you know them well?" Laurence asked, his tone softening to express condolences.


She shook her head, "Didn't get a chance. Kids were always comin' and goin'. I think the wife had something wrong with her stomach, couldn't have kids. So they acted as fosters. Poor dears," The woman said quietly.


Well that would explain all the picture frames. Must be different foster kids. So the boy would be another one. Laurence gave a quiet murmur of agreement with the woman before leaving, his expression returning to its usual impassive state once he had turned away. A few more rounds of questioning with other members of the crowd turned up similar reports. Janice and Matthew Campbell were foster parents, an elementary school teacher and an electrician, respectively. Sophie Evans was eight, and had been living with the Campbells for somewhere between one and two years. Jamie Cox was new to the family, and only a handful of neighbors knew he was living in that house. Age estimates were around sixteen, maybe younger. Laurence mumbled to himself, forming new questions and organizing the information in his mind. He paced around a distance from the scene, lighting up a cigarette as he thought. "Foster parents, so paperwork will be easy to find, reports on all kids from the past few years. Focus on the missing one, get a background. Details, details." He probably looked a little crazy, talking to himself nearby an active crime scene.

 

[Abracadabra]

Maggie scrolled through the case reports she'd been forwarded regarding the missing teenager on her laptop anxiously jiggling one foot - the APB had thus far been an unmitigated failure, and no trace of the boy had been found...that in and of itself was unusual, considering how few resources a teenager had at that age...and it certainly wasn't supporting her initial worry that perhaps he'd killed the Campbell's and little Sophie; the more she read up, the more concerned she became - Jamie had come to foster from a truly horrific living situation, she looked over photo after photo of the boy when he'd first been pulled, covered in bruises, tearing on his wrists and ankles where he'd been bound to a water heater in the family basement as punishment, clumps of hair missing, cigarette burns peppering his thin arms.


'In the photo at the house...he looked healthy...happy...it makes no sense for him to destroy his new way of life...unless extraordinary paranoia is coming into play and a conspiracy theory bloomed in his mind...still then...that wouldn't explain the little girl...it just doesn't fit.' she mused, loosing a soft sigh, letting her chin rest in her hand as she absentmindedly drummed her fingers and stared at her ill matched, unwanted partner for a moment, growing almost instantly irritated - the two hadn't exchanged so much as a single word since the crime scene - which she was actually grateful for, but she'd caught him staring her down more than once and that was what was grinding on her nerves, "What could it be then? ...where are you, kid?" Maggie muttered under her breath, leaning back and allowing her spine to realign with a succession of pops; massaging her temples, scanning through the documents again, her eye coming to rest on the names of the mother and father, the abusers in question - one Delia and Alfred Cox.


On a whim, she pulled up their police records and the pair looked as most child abusers did...like they weren't child abusers - Delia had a kindly face, light brown hair and hazel eyes and Alfred was balding with a thick mustache and brown eyes...but their gaze betrayed them - there was no warmth in their eyes, like dark chips of ice in the sockets, and soon, after a bit more scrolling...there it was...glaring her in the face, 'They...they posted bail...they posted bail...meaning...they're not in jail...they're out on bond and roaming free.' Maggie realized, dread filling the pit of her stomach as the images of poor Jamie filled her mind, 'Were the Campbell's notified?' she wondered, scrolling down the release forms - legally, they had to be so an effort could be made to protect the boy, 'Failure to respond; message left? ...are you kidding me? Did these officers have their heads up their asses?' Maggie thought incredulously, feeling more than slightly sick to her stomach.


Knowing better than trying to speak to Detective Blake, she turned on the shared monitor feature, highlighting the key section of the Cox's police files and sending them to his computer, blocking whatever documents he'd been currently looking at behind them.

 

[quiescentLunacy]

As much as Laurence tried to ignore it, the presence of another person in his office was immensely distracting. More than once, he began mumbling to himself only to realize that Maggie was still there, doing her own research in passive-aggressive silence. It wasn't irritating, but it was...distracting. He couldn't think straight when other people were close by. It divided his absolute attention between the details of a case and the natural paranoia that made him wary of surprise attacks. He was barely focusing on his own screen when a slew of new files appeared, sent from an impassive Maggie. The title of the files caught his attention, detailing information that was relevant to what he had previously been staring at. First, a handful of clips scrounged up from various sources; videos of the suspects, mostly security footage from the county jail. Next, a detailed account of Cox's assets, homes, vehicles, and bank status. Both currently unemployed after being charged with intentional grievous harm of a minor. He had been cross-referencing reports for a confirmation that neither Delia nor Alfred Cox had been home for several days, disappearing, coincidentally, the day before the murder of their son's foster family. Current whereabouts unknown. A warrant was pending for a search of the Cox's home, but it would take valuable time.


Laurence stood up suddenly, unable to control himself in the clenched twitching of his usually steady hands. The prolonged presence of a questionably trustworthy body was intolerable. Besides, there was something he needed to do. "Can't wait for a sighting of the suspects. I'm going to a specialist." He announced quietly. Laurence glanced at Maggie, waiting for her to move. "Well, come on. I'm not leaving you in my office while I'm out. You're coming too." There was no room for argument in his voice.

 

[Abracadabra]

Maggie blinked a moment when he addressed her - it was the first time that he'd spoken to her in the past forty-eight hours, and while it was mildly startling, any shock she may have experienced was quickly overtaken by immense displeasure for the detective when he ordered her out of the office; even though while in this setting, he was technically her superior, and she had to follow his orders, his paranoia was evident - shaking hands, minuscule beads of sweat on his brow. constriction of his pupils, '...it is so tempting to throw his psychoanalytical bullshit back at him.' she thought to herself as she rose silently from her chair, and allowing the much taller man to usher her out of the office, taking note that he locked the door after him.


She fell in step behind him, making a mental note to go over the footage from the hidden cameras she'd placed all throughout the department, wishing inwardly that Detective Blake wasn't so on edge - if she wasn't so certain that he'd snap the phone clean out of her hand, she would have simply begun her review via the mobile application, 'If it isn't his instincts telling him I don't belong, its his need for regulations and control that would make him chew me out for checking my phone on the job rather than focusing on the Campbell murders and Cox disappearance.' she mused, staring at the back of his head pointedly as they made their way to the other side of the precinct, coming to an abrupt stop in front of a door, nearly causing her to run straight into Detective Blake's back.


Maggie kept her outward impassivity while silently chanting a mantra to remind herself to stay frosty and that her own mission wouldn't take that long, 'Then he'll be out of my hair and he won't have me invading his space and everything will be back to whatever constitutes normal for us.' she told herself silently, shifting just enough to peer around the detective's bulky frame at the door, 'Lana Blake, Forensic Psychologist? ...ah...the sister...wonder if she's as charming as her brother, or if she'll be as her files describe?' Maggie wondered, easing back behind the detective and out of sight.

 

[quiescentLunacy]

The brief period where the two had to pass through an outside passageway to reach the next building was enough to calm Laurence's twitching hands, at least a little. Enclosed spaces, he could stand. Enclosed spaces with other people present was a tiny bit more stressful. The fresh air and open sky allowed the man to forget the constant presence attempting to keep up with his long strides. Returning back inside, the duo walked only a little further until Laurence stopped in front of one particular door. He knocked, really more of a formality than anything else. A voice called out from the other side, "It's open!"


"It shouldn't be." The man grumbled under his breath. Pushing the door open, Laurence made his way into a room that appeared to be the exact opposite of his. Papers were still everywhere, but rather than the color-coded, pristine stacks that accumulated on every flat surface of the man's office, everywhere the eye could see was a jumble of messy loose sheets, books, and empty disposable coffee cups. A woman looked up from her work and beamed, jumping to her feet.


"Hey, this is a surprise! You never visit me at work." There was no doubt the woman was his sister. Lana was only slightly shorter than her brother at 5'8", but despite being as thin as a twig, the resemblance was uncanny. Lana shared her brother's jet-black hair and piercing blue eyes, although her's were warmer as they turned to gaze at the tiny figure who was peering out behind Laurence. Lana gave a bright smile, "Oh, you must be Law's new partner! I was wondering who managed to put up with him so long."


Laurence grunted, unable to deny the implication of that comment. "Doesn't matter. I need a reading."


Lana waved her brother's request aside. "It does matter. I wanna see what kind of person would be calm enough or stubborn enough to willingly stick around you." Lana carefully maneuvered around the haphazard stacks of books and papers on the floor around her desk and approached Maggie, sticking out a hand. "Nice to meet you! I'm Lana, the unlucky sibling of that grump over there." She jabbed lightheartedly at Laurence. Again, a quiet grunt could be heard in response.

 

[Abracadabra]

Maggie stared from brother to sister to back again - there wasn't a shred of doubt that the two were related, even if it seemed as though the more pleasant of the pair was undoubtedly Lana...still, there was an air about the woman that made her uneasy, not that most people didn't, but she couldn't put her finger on what it was exactly as she reached out to accept the hand she had been offered, careful to keep her monstrous strength in check as she squeezed the appendage as lightly as she physically could...even though the contact in and of itself was so uncomfortable it made a wave of goosebumps travel up her arm.


"Deputy First Class, Margaret Stein...pleasure to meet you, Miss Blake." she murmured politely, releasing her grip and allowing her arms to fall casually back to her sides - she knew she'd have to stay on her toes with this one; bubbly or not, she was a forensic psychologist, and reading body language like books and delving into the inner reaches of the human psyche was this woman's specialty, and she would have to be an idiot to underestimate her abilities, "I'm assuming that you're the specialist that my...partner...spoke of?" Maggie asked, maintaining her ever present impassiveness on her face, while making no effort to conceal in the tone of her voice how she felt about being paired with Detective Blake...or anyone for that matter.


She allowed her eye to travel around the disorder in the office, the countless piles of papers, overstuffed file folders, ceiling high book stacks and the garbage in desperate need of being emptied before allowing her good eye to rest on the detective's face, watching as his own gaze traveled around the space and thinking about the almost obsessive compulsive order of his office and having to fight to keep a smirk from forming on her lips, 'This is killing him...I can tell...its taking everything he has not to start cleaning up this chaos.' she mused, allowing her mismatched gaze to return to the forensic psychologist who'd closed some of the distance between them when she'd been analyzing the room, '...she's fast...note to self, never take your eyes off Miss Blake when in her presence.' Maggie told herself silently.

 

[quiescentLunacy]

Lana pulled away from Maggie's brief, limp handshake, a strange look flickering on the woman's face before her smile returned. "Wow. No wonder you didn't ditch him." She bit back the second half of that statement, 'You're just the same'. It's not polite to tell people about themselves, even if one can't help reading them. Instead, she merely said, "Try not to get too fed up with him." Lana chuckled. With introductions out of the way, Lana gave a tiny, theatrical bow. "Yeah, I suppose if Law called someone a specialist it would be me. I'm not too happy about that term, though." A hint of distaste entered the woman's otherwise cheerful voice.


Laurence cleared his throat loudly, "So, the reading?"


Lana nodded. "Show me." The man passed her a file and a small tablet. Working the device, Lana flicked through the video clips in silence. Afterwards she scanned through the files quickly, squinting her face in just the same way that her brother did as she moved her mouth to the words. She glanced up at Laurence. "So, all three of them?"


He nodded, "Start with the kid."


Lana placed down the files and shut her eyes for just long enough for the silence to be uncomfortable. When she opened them, her entire demeanor had changed. Her body drew in, posture becoming defensive to the point of fearful. It was unnerving, how different her voice was when she spoke, "H-he wo-wo-wouldn't have...I mean, he...he was in p-pain. I...I d-didn't wa-want to, uh...I..." She flinched, seemingly caught in a trance of her own design. "I ju-just want to g-go back. It was my ho-home." Her trembling stopped as she closed her eyes again.


Once more, her posture shifted into an aggressive stance, hands balled into fists and her voice now struck with a sudden brash anger. "He couldn't stand the damn thought of it. How dare you take away my kid! Don't tell me how to raise my fucking kid! You were going to ruin him!" She roared, her eyes open but vacant, staring at something far away. "He couldn't even follow simple orders, what the hell do you know about how to treat him?! You already fucked him up this much. You bastards deserved to burn." Those last words were dark and ugly, but as soon as Lana said them, all expression slipped off her face.


Her eyes shut one last time, opening wide and innocent, even surprised. Her voice tool on a shrill tone, but as motherly as it, it was also sickening. "I bet he was just a problem for you, anyway." She laughed harshly. "It was better we took him off your hands. Only we could handle him properly. He was such an ungrateful little boy. We wanted to take him away to re-educate him, that's all. Somewhere remote. Just a little family vacation, that's all. Why would you bother chasing after him? Let us handle it, we can go to a nice little lodge. Really remote. Gives us plenty of time to educate that ungrateful child." So calm, but the words were unhinged and remorseless.


The moment Lana's final trance faded out, the woman's knees buckled. Laurence moved quickly, catching her as if he had done so a million times before. She groaned, "Three in a row. That was awful, Law." The woman looked like she was going to be sick.


"Sorry. It did give us a location and a motive, though." The man's voice was tinged with genuine concern, making sure his sister was okay before releasing her and stepping back. "So, the kid is innocent, the dad did the dirty work, and the mom planned it all. We need to search out campgrounds and hunting lodges in the area. Probably nothing connected to internet, no cell phones but there's gonna be a landline." Laurence muttered, completely forgetting Maggie's presence. Lana merely gave an exhausted smile, still looking quite ill.

 

[Abracadabra]

Maggie drank in the scene in silence, '...just as her files described...ability to delve headfirst into the mind to the point she takes on the personalities of those she analyzes...I really can't give an inch with her - the detective aside, she's the more troublesome of the two.' she thought to herself, her expression as neutral as ever as Laurence helped Lana over to a chair, the shift in his usually stoic demeanor not enough to phase her as she eased her weight off her hip and turned to leave, "...I'll have the boys downstairs do a sweep of the area for any locations that fit, Detective...you stay put and look after your sister until she's a less impressive shade of green, mm?" she murmured placidly, her tone making it absolutely clear that he was not to leave his sister to fend for herself in this condition before exiting the space.


The familial atmosphere between the siblings was making her feel nauseous and she had to focus solely on her breathing as she made her way down the steps to not lose her vice grip on her composure, '...if Tahlia had lived...she would have been just about Miss Blake's age...how stupid...getting worked up over something like this...get it together.' she told herself irritably, realizing too late she'd clenched her hands into far too tight fists and her nails had bitten through the flesh of her palms, blood sliding between the thin spaces of her fingers, '...great...another mess.' Maggie sighed, pulling a pair of leather gloves from the rear pocket of her slacks and sliding them over her hands to conceal the self made injuries, thanking her lucky stars that the flooring was black before moving on.


"I need an immediate sweep of the area in a fifty mile radius." Maggie said sharply as she entered the space, ten faces of varying race, gender and age snapping to attention at the order, "We're looking for hunting lodges and campgrounds, most likely off the highway in more densely wooded areas." she directed, the sound of fingers flying over keys ringing in her ears, "No internet connection, or wifi available, most likely a singular landline, two at the most." Maggie called out evenly as the clacking of keys filled the space, "We've got a hit!"


Maggie focused her gaze on a man in his thirties, Caucasian with hazel eyes, high and tight light brown hair with a scar cutting through his lip...but that wasn't what caught her attention - the wear on his septum and the familiar abrasions on his nostrils did, and behind her impassive mask...she smiled, 'Suspect number one located...bet he's pawning it off on allergies...not smart.' she thought to herself as she approached him and looked over his shoulder, "Buena Vista Hunting Lodge - just on the edge of the fifty mile perimeter, located deep within the woods." he remarked, enlarging the image of the lodge on screen as she took a look of the name engraved on his nameplate - R. Abbott, "It's on the smaller size, and has some pretty poor reviews due to the lack of indoor plumbing."


"Any other hits?" Maggie asked coolly of the other officers, all of whom shook their heads, "No ma'am - Buena Vista is the only one that fits the search parameters." a female officer stated firmly, the others nodding in agreement, "Very well then - refrain from notifying dispatch until we get the all clear from Detective Blake, and when you do, advise the squad cars to approach with lights and sirens off, and for the officers to make the final approach on foot." she ordered brusquely, striding to the coat hooks just outside of her...partner's office and quickly sliding on her deputy's jacket, "These two are crafty, and need as little warning of our approach as is feasibly possible...presume them armed and dangerous."