Copycat - a Jen/francis collaboration (PG-13) #128 ch. 1
Posted: Sun May 08, 2011 8:32 pm
So, here's the story Jenna and myself cooked over the last month or so. It was so much fun to work with Jenna, she's given me ideas, snippets of storyline, and whole chapters and scenes to include. I just had to put them in order and write the filling. So, this is like a cake with different layers.
Disclaimer: Of course we both don't own Moonlight, but we gain only fun of writing stories in that universe.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Prologue
You have no idea.
When I was first turned, the scope of the hunger shocked and terrified me. I never wanted this! I had other plans. Plans for a normal life, and maybe even a family. Folks I encountered thought of me as one of the good guys -- responsible, dependable and with a solid moral compass, but I think that was consumed in the fires of my becoming… this. I am driven by desires I tried to control for so long, struggled to control them but I usually lost the battle. They were just stronger than me and over time, those voices of reason grew fainter and fainter as my memory of life before this existence faded into memory.
Now, I am driven by hatred, too. Sometimes I try to conceal that part of me, but I am noticing that I don‘t try as often as I used to. I used to want to claw my guts out to end the pain that I would always be this monster but I don’t feel so bad about it any more. Okay. So, I’ll always be this monster and it‘s their fault. They made me this abomination, then abandoned me. Gave me a glimpse of a life of control and rules to live by, only to throw me out at the first sign of failure.
Fine.
You play the cards you are dealt and for this round, I’m the dealer…
Chapter 1
Mick and Josef returned to Mick's loft, having left the freshie club early.
”Looks like the coast is clear,” quipped Josef, “I don’t know why you are acting so glum. Not everyone has their own private fan club,” The elder vampire was thoroughly enjoying his friend’s discomfort. “After all, isn’t imitation the sincerest form of flattery?”
“Then they can go flatter somebody else,” Mick groused, “I don’t like someone copying my style and pretending to be me. The freshies think that I’m back on tap and were all over me to bite them.”
“Well, my friend, your reputation spans decades. They heard about you from their mothers and aunts. You were quite popular with the ladies back then, if I remember correctly. You stopped being fun somewhere in the late 80s. I still didn’t get why.”
“I changed a lot after I killed Coraline. That put a damper on a lot of things. And now someone is pretending to be me around the clubs. What if something goes wrong with the freshies and I get blamed?”
“You, my friend are taking this too seriously. In less than a month, Halloween will have children all over the world assailing their neighbors for sugar laden confections dressed as me and am I upset about it? No. What you need is a sense of humor. I thought Blondie was helping you develop one -- speaking of Blondie, where is your human half?”
“Working.”
“Ah, is Talbot cracking the whip?”
“No, actually Carl called her. The police have been aware of a serial killer active in the area and apparently he struck again. Carl called her to come to the crime scene. Apparently CSI hadn’t even been notified and it was close so she went directly there just after midnight. I was going to help her move some of her things in this afternoon but that is off the table for now.”
“Ahh. Young love,” teased Josef and Mick looked irritated.
“Josef, I’ve been thinking. You remember when the loft was redesigned, there was room for more. I didn’t need all that space and closed quite a bit of it off but with Beth moving in, some expansion would be nice.”
“That’s true. I had all but forgotten about all that space. Don’t think I’ve ever seen it. Shall we do a walk through?”
Mick shrugged. “Sure, I guess. Come on.” He lead the way up the stairs and turned left. He removed a panel and enough space for a whole apartment was revealed. It was empty except for cardboard boxes and filing cabinets in the bedrooms. There was an unplugged freezer in the other freezer room, in case he ever needed a spare. This part of the apartment had no access to his terrace, but had a separate entrance that was currently blocked.
“This is where I would expand the upstairs, adding a couple of bedrooms, baths and an office, at least. What do you think?”
Josef pointed to a panel with three leaping naked women. “You would throw out the artwork? At least use it for the door!”
“I can just imagine Beth’s reaction. ‘I’m not moving into your freshie wing!’”
“But I gave it to you as a present,” Josef whined.
“I know, and I appreciate it. It was totally okay for a bachelor pad, buddy, just…”
“Hey, and it totally would fit for a freshie wing. They look like freshies, and they have wings.”
“They mainly have boobs.”
“Don’t spoil my pun!”
“Very punny.”
Josef smirked. “If Beth doesn’t like it, she can live with me.” Mick growled.
Josef stepped back. “Easy, Mick I’m only joking.”
“So, would you take the panel back for YOUR freshie wing?”
“I have a better idea. I’ll give you the information about the artist and then you can sell it to a gallery. I bet you make enough from this to pay for the renovations.”
Mick nodded. That would work.
Josef turned around to walk back downstairs. “If I were you, I’d talk to her about the unused space and get her input. Let her know what is there and lay out the options. You can expand one apartment or open up a second apartment and connect them. Are you still worried about having two entrances into the living space?”
“Not really. As I recall, the paranoia came mostly from you. I was reasonably happy with the security system.”
“Yes, and as I recall that security system has been breached on several occasions.”
“It has, but on each occasion the weaknesses have been addressed and the overall security of the loft increased. There is a hidden exit into a utility closet three floors down that opens into a stairwell and I do have some concerns about that, but we can talk about it later.”
“Good man. The reason I think you should talk to Beth is that unlike the woman from your human years, women in this day and age want to be consulted with major decisions. She might have some good input. Besides, you are not precisely Mr. Communicative. She might prefer to have her own apartment. If you decide to combine apartments later, so be it, but this way, you can each have your own space and still be together -- like having your cake and eating it, too.”
Mick looked at him, raising one eyebrow.
“OK, so you don’t eat cake but you get my point.”
“Actually, I do and it is a great idea, Josef. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. In the meantime, I’ll call my designer and let him know that you are contemplating some changes.”
xxxxxxxxxxxx
Beth Turner knelt beside the body of a woman staring sightlessly at the graying dawn, her makeup and the post mortem lividity made her look older than her forty seven years. Her throat had been slit from ear to ear and her clothes soaked with her own blood. Beth had been at enough murder scenes in her seven months with the D.A.‘s office to learn how to read one. Usually, she liked her job but in moments like this, she wished she had chosen another line of work.
The victims’ hands were slashed, as well. Deep cuts into the palms of both hands that hardly bled at all.
Carl walked up to Beth. “The coroner will be here in a few minutes. What are you looking at?”
“The end of a life,” Beth said softly. “Who was she? Why did the killer pick her?”
“Her name was Helene Arnaugh. She was a hooker who graduated to bigger and better things. She ran a very fashionable, upscale escort service in the early nineties until it was tied to child prostitution and pornography. She spent seven years in prison but never was able to get clear of the stigma, not that she ever tried very hard.”
“I remember the case. It made national news. I thought the reason they made the connection to the vigilante slasher was because of the throat being cut.”
Carl nodded. “That was the first clue, but I recognized her once I got on scene and she fit the profile of the other victims. She wasn’t one of L.A.‘s most illustrious citizens. I was still in high school when the story broke and I read some of the articles. I have to admit, when I think of what she put those kids through to make a buck, I don’t have much compassion.”
“I’ll do a full background check when I get back to the office. In the meantime, I am just looking. Does it bother you that the hands don’t seem to have bled very much?”
“Not really. It probably indicates that the wounds occurred after her throat was cut. I’ve seen defensive wounds similar to this before. The killer surprised her and slashed her throat first, then they tussled and she actually grabbed the blade as it came at her. Her ability to resist was fueled by adrenalin, but in those seconds her body reacted to the blood loss, and the blood supply to the extremities shut down to a trickle in an attempt to keep her alive. Leave it to the ME to sort out.”
“Wow. You’ve been hanging around some medical personnel.” Beth observed.
“Not really. I got it off TV cop shows.” Carl walked over to the patrolmen who were establishing a perimeter.
Then, Beth saw them -- two tiny holes along the line of the knife wound on the victim’s neck. If she hadn’t been looking there, she never would have noticed them. It added another dimension to the crime--opening up many more questions. She walked over to a convenience store and called Mick.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
“Mick St. John.”
“Hi, Sweetie. We are about wrapped up for now. The coroner’s office will be here to take the body to the medical examiner for autopsy. I wish there was a way Guillermo could handle this one.”
“Why?”
“Because I think a vampire is involved.”
“Give me details,” he asked.
Beth relayed her findings and Mick called Josef. The coroner’s van dispatched to the crime scene was rerouted to another call and another van responded and delivered the body to the County morgue and Guillermo Gasol.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Beth arrived at the loft less than an hour later. She dropped her purse and coat, filled a glass with orange juice and sat down on the couch.
“So, how did it go?” Mick asked from the armchair.
“All right. I don’t know how Josef did it, but the body was picked up by two vampires dressed as paramedics and will be delivered to Guillermo. Damn, those contacts are good. The victim was female, forty seven years old, her throat slashed and a lot of blood all over her, her hands slashed as well but there was practically no bleeding from her hands.”
“You’re thinking that the hand wounds were inflicted post mortem.” Mick said thoughtfully. “I should check with G-man after he is done with the autopsy. “
“Possibly, but the real reason I called you was those tiny puncture wounds wounds here,” she pointed to her carotid. “I couldn’t see if the artery beneath was punctured, but it was definitely slashed. I don’t think the ME will catch it -- the only reason I did was because of my involvement with the vampire community -- , but it might be safer having one of the Tribe on this.”
Mick nodded. “Good catch. Maybe Guillermo can give us some answers, or at least verify whether the killer was one of us.”
He scooped forward. “Do you have the energy to think about moving?”
“Sorry, I don’t think moving this afternoon is going to be a particularly good idea. Can we do it another day?”
“Of course. I have some other ideas I want to talk to you about later anyway. I’m working a case myself and have some loose ends to tie up. You‘ve been out half the night and need to eat something, soak in a hot bath and get some sleep. I will finish up my business and be back in a few hours.” He kissed her. “You know that I love you, right?”
She smiled up into his warm, hazel eyes. “I’ve heard a rumor.” She kissed him with warmth. “I love you, too. Call me when you’ve talked to Guillermo?”
Mick nodded and Beth watched him walk out of the loft. Wearily, she picked up her shoes and purse and walked up the stairs.
xxxxxxxxxxx
An hour later, Mick entered the morgue.
“I thought I’d see you today,” Guillermo said.
“So, what did you find?”
Without a word, Guillermo walked over and uncovered the head and shoulders of Helen Arnaugh.
“You tell me.” Guillermo stepped back and Mick leaned in and inhaled deeply.
He frowned. “Nothing.”
“Try again.”
Mick inhaled again. There was a very faint scent. “It’s chemical. Hard to place.”
“I would have though you, of all people, would recognize it -- that industrial deodorozer breakthrough from a couple of years back that wipes out all scent -- even we can’t read through it. She was bitten just as you thought. The carotid was punctured and she was drained in seconds. COD was indeed blood loss from the neck wound that stopped the heart. The knife wounds on the hands were made after the wound on the throat and if that didn’t make them post mortem it was so close that it doesn’t make any difference.”
“Beth went out to this crime scene as part of a serial killer case. Are there any other crimes that fit this M.O?”
“I can check but Beth could probably give you more information than I can.”
Mick nodded. “Check anyway. I am particularly interested to know if this air freshener was used. We always knew that it was only a matter of time before the effects of the compound became more widely known.”
Disclaimer: Of course we both don't own Moonlight, but we gain only fun of writing stories in that universe.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Prologue
You have no idea.
When I was first turned, the scope of the hunger shocked and terrified me. I never wanted this! I had other plans. Plans for a normal life, and maybe even a family. Folks I encountered thought of me as one of the good guys -- responsible, dependable and with a solid moral compass, but I think that was consumed in the fires of my becoming… this. I am driven by desires I tried to control for so long, struggled to control them but I usually lost the battle. They were just stronger than me and over time, those voices of reason grew fainter and fainter as my memory of life before this existence faded into memory.
Now, I am driven by hatred, too. Sometimes I try to conceal that part of me, but I am noticing that I don‘t try as often as I used to. I used to want to claw my guts out to end the pain that I would always be this monster but I don’t feel so bad about it any more. Okay. So, I’ll always be this monster and it‘s their fault. They made me this abomination, then abandoned me. Gave me a glimpse of a life of control and rules to live by, only to throw me out at the first sign of failure.
Fine.
You play the cards you are dealt and for this round, I’m the dealer…
Chapter 1
Mick and Josef returned to Mick's loft, having left the freshie club early.
”Looks like the coast is clear,” quipped Josef, “I don’t know why you are acting so glum. Not everyone has their own private fan club,” The elder vampire was thoroughly enjoying his friend’s discomfort. “After all, isn’t imitation the sincerest form of flattery?”
“Then they can go flatter somebody else,” Mick groused, “I don’t like someone copying my style and pretending to be me. The freshies think that I’m back on tap and were all over me to bite them.”
“Well, my friend, your reputation spans decades. They heard about you from their mothers and aunts. You were quite popular with the ladies back then, if I remember correctly. You stopped being fun somewhere in the late 80s. I still didn’t get why.”
“I changed a lot after I killed Coraline. That put a damper on a lot of things. And now someone is pretending to be me around the clubs. What if something goes wrong with the freshies and I get blamed?”
“You, my friend are taking this too seriously. In less than a month, Halloween will have children all over the world assailing their neighbors for sugar laden confections dressed as me and am I upset about it? No. What you need is a sense of humor. I thought Blondie was helping you develop one -- speaking of Blondie, where is your human half?”
“Working.”
“Ah, is Talbot cracking the whip?”
“No, actually Carl called her. The police have been aware of a serial killer active in the area and apparently he struck again. Carl called her to come to the crime scene. Apparently CSI hadn’t even been notified and it was close so she went directly there just after midnight. I was going to help her move some of her things in this afternoon but that is off the table for now.”
“Ahh. Young love,” teased Josef and Mick looked irritated.
“Josef, I’ve been thinking. You remember when the loft was redesigned, there was room for more. I didn’t need all that space and closed quite a bit of it off but with Beth moving in, some expansion would be nice.”
“That’s true. I had all but forgotten about all that space. Don’t think I’ve ever seen it. Shall we do a walk through?”
Mick shrugged. “Sure, I guess. Come on.” He lead the way up the stairs and turned left. He removed a panel and enough space for a whole apartment was revealed. It was empty except for cardboard boxes and filing cabinets in the bedrooms. There was an unplugged freezer in the other freezer room, in case he ever needed a spare. This part of the apartment had no access to his terrace, but had a separate entrance that was currently blocked.
“This is where I would expand the upstairs, adding a couple of bedrooms, baths and an office, at least. What do you think?”
Josef pointed to a panel with three leaping naked women. “You would throw out the artwork? At least use it for the door!”
“I can just imagine Beth’s reaction. ‘I’m not moving into your freshie wing!’”
“But I gave it to you as a present,” Josef whined.
“I know, and I appreciate it. It was totally okay for a bachelor pad, buddy, just…”
“Hey, and it totally would fit for a freshie wing. They look like freshies, and they have wings.”
“They mainly have boobs.”
“Don’t spoil my pun!”
“Very punny.”
Josef smirked. “If Beth doesn’t like it, she can live with me.” Mick growled.
Josef stepped back. “Easy, Mick I’m only joking.”
“So, would you take the panel back for YOUR freshie wing?”
“I have a better idea. I’ll give you the information about the artist and then you can sell it to a gallery. I bet you make enough from this to pay for the renovations.”
Mick nodded. That would work.
Josef turned around to walk back downstairs. “If I were you, I’d talk to her about the unused space and get her input. Let her know what is there and lay out the options. You can expand one apartment or open up a second apartment and connect them. Are you still worried about having two entrances into the living space?”
“Not really. As I recall, the paranoia came mostly from you. I was reasonably happy with the security system.”
“Yes, and as I recall that security system has been breached on several occasions.”
“It has, but on each occasion the weaknesses have been addressed and the overall security of the loft increased. There is a hidden exit into a utility closet three floors down that opens into a stairwell and I do have some concerns about that, but we can talk about it later.”
“Good man. The reason I think you should talk to Beth is that unlike the woman from your human years, women in this day and age want to be consulted with major decisions. She might have some good input. Besides, you are not precisely Mr. Communicative. She might prefer to have her own apartment. If you decide to combine apartments later, so be it, but this way, you can each have your own space and still be together -- like having your cake and eating it, too.”
Mick looked at him, raising one eyebrow.
“OK, so you don’t eat cake but you get my point.”
“Actually, I do and it is a great idea, Josef. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. In the meantime, I’ll call my designer and let him know that you are contemplating some changes.”
xxxxxxxxxxxx
Beth Turner knelt beside the body of a woman staring sightlessly at the graying dawn, her makeup and the post mortem lividity made her look older than her forty seven years. Her throat had been slit from ear to ear and her clothes soaked with her own blood. Beth had been at enough murder scenes in her seven months with the D.A.‘s office to learn how to read one. Usually, she liked her job but in moments like this, she wished she had chosen another line of work.
The victims’ hands were slashed, as well. Deep cuts into the palms of both hands that hardly bled at all.
Carl walked up to Beth. “The coroner will be here in a few minutes. What are you looking at?”
“The end of a life,” Beth said softly. “Who was she? Why did the killer pick her?”
“Her name was Helene Arnaugh. She was a hooker who graduated to bigger and better things. She ran a very fashionable, upscale escort service in the early nineties until it was tied to child prostitution and pornography. She spent seven years in prison but never was able to get clear of the stigma, not that she ever tried very hard.”
“I remember the case. It made national news. I thought the reason they made the connection to the vigilante slasher was because of the throat being cut.”
Carl nodded. “That was the first clue, but I recognized her once I got on scene and she fit the profile of the other victims. She wasn’t one of L.A.‘s most illustrious citizens. I was still in high school when the story broke and I read some of the articles. I have to admit, when I think of what she put those kids through to make a buck, I don’t have much compassion.”
“I’ll do a full background check when I get back to the office. In the meantime, I am just looking. Does it bother you that the hands don’t seem to have bled very much?”
“Not really. It probably indicates that the wounds occurred after her throat was cut. I’ve seen defensive wounds similar to this before. The killer surprised her and slashed her throat first, then they tussled and she actually grabbed the blade as it came at her. Her ability to resist was fueled by adrenalin, but in those seconds her body reacted to the blood loss, and the blood supply to the extremities shut down to a trickle in an attempt to keep her alive. Leave it to the ME to sort out.”
“Wow. You’ve been hanging around some medical personnel.” Beth observed.
“Not really. I got it off TV cop shows.” Carl walked over to the patrolmen who were establishing a perimeter.
Then, Beth saw them -- two tiny holes along the line of the knife wound on the victim’s neck. If she hadn’t been looking there, she never would have noticed them. It added another dimension to the crime--opening up many more questions. She walked over to a convenience store and called Mick.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
“Mick St. John.”
“Hi, Sweetie. We are about wrapped up for now. The coroner’s office will be here to take the body to the medical examiner for autopsy. I wish there was a way Guillermo could handle this one.”
“Why?”
“Because I think a vampire is involved.”
“Give me details,” he asked.
Beth relayed her findings and Mick called Josef. The coroner’s van dispatched to the crime scene was rerouted to another call and another van responded and delivered the body to the County morgue and Guillermo Gasol.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Beth arrived at the loft less than an hour later. She dropped her purse and coat, filled a glass with orange juice and sat down on the couch.
“So, how did it go?” Mick asked from the armchair.
“All right. I don’t know how Josef did it, but the body was picked up by two vampires dressed as paramedics and will be delivered to Guillermo. Damn, those contacts are good. The victim was female, forty seven years old, her throat slashed and a lot of blood all over her, her hands slashed as well but there was practically no bleeding from her hands.”
“You’re thinking that the hand wounds were inflicted post mortem.” Mick said thoughtfully. “I should check with G-man after he is done with the autopsy. “
“Possibly, but the real reason I called you was those tiny puncture wounds wounds here,” she pointed to her carotid. “I couldn’t see if the artery beneath was punctured, but it was definitely slashed. I don’t think the ME will catch it -- the only reason I did was because of my involvement with the vampire community -- , but it might be safer having one of the Tribe on this.”
Mick nodded. “Good catch. Maybe Guillermo can give us some answers, or at least verify whether the killer was one of us.”
He scooped forward. “Do you have the energy to think about moving?”
“Sorry, I don’t think moving this afternoon is going to be a particularly good idea. Can we do it another day?”
“Of course. I have some other ideas I want to talk to you about later anyway. I’m working a case myself and have some loose ends to tie up. You‘ve been out half the night and need to eat something, soak in a hot bath and get some sleep. I will finish up my business and be back in a few hours.” He kissed her. “You know that I love you, right?”
She smiled up into his warm, hazel eyes. “I’ve heard a rumor.” She kissed him with warmth. “I love you, too. Call me when you’ve talked to Guillermo?”
Mick nodded and Beth watched him walk out of the loft. Wearily, she picked up her shoes and purse and walked up the stairs.
xxxxxxxxxxx
An hour later, Mick entered the morgue.
“I thought I’d see you today,” Guillermo said.
“So, what did you find?”
Without a word, Guillermo walked over and uncovered the head and shoulders of Helen Arnaugh.
“You tell me.” Guillermo stepped back and Mick leaned in and inhaled deeply.
He frowned. “Nothing.”
“Try again.”
Mick inhaled again. There was a very faint scent. “It’s chemical. Hard to place.”
“I would have though you, of all people, would recognize it -- that industrial deodorozer breakthrough from a couple of years back that wipes out all scent -- even we can’t read through it. She was bitten just as you thought. The carotid was punctured and she was drained in seconds. COD was indeed blood loss from the neck wound that stopped the heart. The knife wounds on the hands were made after the wound on the throat and if that didn’t make them post mortem it was so close that it doesn’t make any difference.”
“Beth went out to this crime scene as part of a serial killer case. Are there any other crimes that fit this M.O?”
“I can check but Beth could probably give you more information than I can.”
Mick nodded. “Check anyway. I am particularly interested to know if this air freshener was used. We always knew that it was only a matter of time before the effects of the compound became more widely known.”
How often do you plan to post? 
-- there's a lot more going on here than any of our protagonists can imagine. 
