Spoilers for 2x11: Trapped
Taylor was sitting on the bed watching Danny wash his face in the bathroom. Jerry had been right – the room was getting pretty toasty. She had disposed of her sweater, and was extremely grateful that she had decided to wear shorts. She had resorted to clipping her hair back with a pen, but she was still hot. Danny had also lost his shirt, and was walking around in just a wife-beater and his jeans – if it got any hotter, Taylor was pretty certain they would end up walking around in their underwear.
Next to her, Danny’s phone started ringing.
“Yo, detective, you alright?” Jerry called.
“Yeah, I’m good, thanks,” said Danny as he put his glasses back on and walked back into the bedroom.
“I think your phone’s ringing,” said Jerry.
“Yeah, I know,” Danny told him, as he took it off of Taylor, who was holding it out for him.
“You not gonna answer it?”
“It’s my brother. Got enough problems for one day.”
“You don’t get on with him?” asked Taylor, trying to strike up conversation.
“We used to,” Danny answered, shortly.
Taylor sighed, “Sorry, I don’t want to pry.”
Danny frowned, “So you say your dad was in the Navy?”
“Yeah, no jokes, thanks,” she added with a small smile.
“And your mother is Italian?” Danny cocked his head, looking at Taylor as she nodded affirmatively.. “You kinda look Italian – what with the dark hair and eyes.”
“I get told all the time I look like my mother,” Taylor told him.
“Can you speak Italian?” Danny asked her, curious.
“Yeah, but not around my dad,” Taylor replied. She lay back on the bed and stared up at the pale grey ceiling.
“Your dad doesn’t like you talking in Italian?” Danny asked in surprise.
Taylor shrugged. “He met my mother when he was stationed out in Sicily, and like every family who lived in her village at the time, they had connections to the mob. Well, that’s dad’s story, anyway. Mamma says she was a poor farmer’s daughter and a handsome knight came and rescued her. I don’t real know what the truth it. I suspect it’s somewhere in between the two. I do know all her family is dead now, and when she left, they were on good terms, but my dad says that when she speaks Italian it reminds him of who she was. So, my mom taught me, but she never let me speak it around my dad. Which wasn’t that hard considering he was away for most of the year, anyway.”
“Sounds rough.”
“Not really. Thanks to Maddy, I can speak some Spanish too, although I understand it better than I can speak it. Her mother was from Cuba.” Taylor froze and glanced at her watch. It was already after 1. She swore and grabbed her cell from her pocket, calling the hospital. A minute later, after a short conversation, she hung up, threw the phone behind her on the bed, and flung herself backwards.
“Something wrong?” Danny asked her, coming to sit next to her.
“I finally managed to get Maddy to agree to stay at mine, but because I’m stuck in here, and couldn’t pick her up, apparently her no-good abusive boyfriend picked her up instead.”
Danny looked down at her, and placed a hand on her thigh, “C’mon. Let’s process Hunter’s clothes – there’s nothing you can do until you get out of her, so take your mind off it.”
Next to her, Danny’s phone started ringing.
“Yo, detective, you alright?” Jerry called.
“Yeah, I’m good, thanks,” said Danny as he put his glasses back on and walked back into the bedroom.
“I think your phone’s ringing,” said Jerry.
“Yeah, I know,” Danny told him, as he took it off of Taylor, who was holding it out for him.
“You not gonna answer it?”
“It’s my brother. Got enough problems for one day.”
“You don’t get on with him?” asked Taylor, trying to strike up conversation.
“We used to,” Danny answered, shortly.
Taylor sighed, “Sorry, I don’t want to pry.”
Danny frowned, “So you say your dad was in the Navy?”
“Yeah, no jokes, thanks,” she added with a small smile.
“And your mother is Italian?” Danny cocked his head, looking at Taylor as she nodded affirmatively.. “You kinda look Italian – what with the dark hair and eyes.”
“I get told all the time I look like my mother,” Taylor told him.
“Can you speak Italian?” Danny asked her, curious.
“Yeah, but not around my dad,” Taylor replied. She lay back on the bed and stared up at the pale grey ceiling.
“Your dad doesn’t like you talking in Italian?” Danny asked in surprise.
Taylor shrugged. “He met my mother when he was stationed out in Sicily, and like every family who lived in her village at the time, they had connections to the mob. Well, that’s dad’s story, anyway. Mamma says she was a poor farmer’s daughter and a handsome knight came and rescued her. I don’t real know what the truth it. I suspect it’s somewhere in between the two. I do know all her family is dead now, and when she left, they were on good terms, but my dad says that when she speaks Italian it reminds him of who she was. So, my mom taught me, but she never let me speak it around my dad. Which wasn’t that hard considering he was away for most of the year, anyway.”
“Sounds rough.”
“Not really. Thanks to Maddy, I can speak some Spanish too, although I understand it better than I can speak it. Her mother was from Cuba.” Taylor froze and glanced at her watch. It was already after 1. She swore and grabbed her cell from her pocket, calling the hospital. A minute later, after a short conversation, she hung up, threw the phone behind her on the bed, and flung herself backwards.
“Something wrong?” Danny asked her, coming to sit next to her.
“I finally managed to get Maddy to agree to stay at mine, but because I’m stuck in here, and couldn’t pick her up, apparently her no-good abusive boyfriend picked her up instead.”
Danny looked down at her, and placed a hand on her thigh, “C’mon. Let’s process Hunter’s clothes – there’s nothing you can do until you get out of her, so take your mind off it.”
* * *
“Hey Danny, I’m back,” came Stella’s voice through the monitor. “What have you got?”
“We think we’ve found some trace,” Danny told her. “It looks smeared. Like it could have been deposited in a scuffle.”
“Ok, then we’re gonna test it,” Stella told them.
Danny looked at Taylor, “With what?”
“Look around,” Stella told them, “Improvise.”
“The word of the day – improvise,” Danny muttered to Taylor as he helped her to her feet. “You wanna go find what you can from the supplies.”
Taylor nodded, and went back to the shelves. She was about to grab a few items when she noticed the fridge. Feeling hungry, she opened it. And instantly lost her appetite. Inside it, inside a jar, was an ear. Suppressing the urge to vomit, she picked it up and carried it in for Danny.
“Guess what Taylor found?” he asked Stella, taking the jar off her and holding it up for Stella to see.
“What? What’d ya find?” She peered at the screen. “Is that an ear?”
“Yeah. Belonged to Hunter’s brother, Joshua. Twenty years ago he was taken from the house in the middle of the night. Hunter was sleeping five feet away. Kidnappers sent back the ear as proof of life. Parent’s paid the ransom, but the kid was still killed. Few years later, the parents died in a plane crash. Left him all alone. Maybe the trace on his clothes will tell us something.”
He left the ear with Taylor, who was holding it at arm’s length with a creeped out expression on her face. Minutes later, Danny returned, his arms full of various chemicals and items. Taylor stood transfixed as he began tearing at fabric, sticking it to a piece of glass he cut to size with another razor blade, and dabbing the trace on it, before sitting it in a cup of chemicals and waiting for it to soak up. She actually had no idea what he was doing, and for some reason, didn’t want to ask.
Finally, the ‘experiment’ was complete – not that Taylor could tell how Danny knew that. Danny pulled the fabric strips out of the chemicals and lined it up with a pad of legal paper. “Alright,” Danny shouted over to Stella, who had been patiently waiting at her laptop. “I’ve got seven lines on the notepad for the unknown, and ten lines for the solvent.”
“That means our ratio is 0.7,” Stella called back, “That’s our RF value.”
“The solvent is isopropyl alcohol.”
Stella typed away on her computer, “Okay, the mystery stain is, nicotine.”
“You managed to find that out by dunking the trace in a random chemical?” asked Taylor in disbelief. “That’s incredible.”
“Don’t ya just wish you’d done a chemistry degree?” Danny asked, although looking quite proud.
Taylor shook her head. “No thank you. I’ll leave that to people like you.”
“Alright, so, who do we like so far that smokes?” Danny called over to Stella.
“Dr Penn.”
“We think we’ve found some trace,” Danny told her. “It looks smeared. Like it could have been deposited in a scuffle.”
“Ok, then we’re gonna test it,” Stella told them.
Danny looked at Taylor, “With what?”
“Look around,” Stella told them, “Improvise.”
“The word of the day – improvise,” Danny muttered to Taylor as he helped her to her feet. “You wanna go find what you can from the supplies.”
Taylor nodded, and went back to the shelves. She was about to grab a few items when she noticed the fridge. Feeling hungry, she opened it. And instantly lost her appetite. Inside it, inside a jar, was an ear. Suppressing the urge to vomit, she picked it up and carried it in for Danny.
“Guess what Taylor found?” he asked Stella, taking the jar off her and holding it up for Stella to see.
“What? What’d ya find?” She peered at the screen. “Is that an ear?”
“Yeah. Belonged to Hunter’s brother, Joshua. Twenty years ago he was taken from the house in the middle of the night. Hunter was sleeping five feet away. Kidnappers sent back the ear as proof of life. Parent’s paid the ransom, but the kid was still killed. Few years later, the parents died in a plane crash. Left him all alone. Maybe the trace on his clothes will tell us something.”
He left the ear with Taylor, who was holding it at arm’s length with a creeped out expression on her face. Minutes later, Danny returned, his arms full of various chemicals and items. Taylor stood transfixed as he began tearing at fabric, sticking it to a piece of glass he cut to size with another razor blade, and dabbing the trace on it, before sitting it in a cup of chemicals and waiting for it to soak up. She actually had no idea what he was doing, and for some reason, didn’t want to ask.
Finally, the ‘experiment’ was complete – not that Taylor could tell how Danny knew that. Danny pulled the fabric strips out of the chemicals and lined it up with a pad of legal paper. “Alright,” Danny shouted over to Stella, who had been patiently waiting at her laptop. “I’ve got seven lines on the notepad for the unknown, and ten lines for the solvent.”
“That means our ratio is 0.7,” Stella called back, “That’s our RF value.”
“The solvent is isopropyl alcohol.”
Stella typed away on her computer, “Okay, the mystery stain is, nicotine.”
“You managed to find that out by dunking the trace in a random chemical?” asked Taylor in disbelief. “That’s incredible.”
“Don’t ya just wish you’d done a chemistry degree?” Danny asked, although looking quite proud.
Taylor shook her head. “No thank you. I’ll leave that to people like you.”
“Alright, so, who do we like so far that smokes?” Danny called over to Stella.
“Dr Penn.”
* * *
Another couple of hours had passed, and Taylor was lying on the bed with her camisole rolled up as far as she could decently get it, in order to try and stay cool. Next to her lay Danny, both of whom were trying not to move too much. Not only had the temperature risen another couple of degrees, the lights were beginning to flicker too.
Danny’s phone had been ringing on and off, and he still had yet to answer it. Taylor wasn’t going to press him any further – it wasn’t her business whether or not he spoke to his brother. She had tried ringing Maddy a few times, but it always went straight to the answer phone - something, Taylor was semi-convinced was Pete’s doing.
The body was also beginning to smell. Then again, Taylor and Danny were also getting sweaty, and not smelling too brilliant either.
Taylor’s phone rang, and she leapt up, over Danny, (ignoring his protests as she lay over him) and grabbed it, hoping it was Maddy. It wasn’t. It was her editor. She sighed and flicked her phone open, “Hi Alex.”
“Taylor, you know I don’t push you for your article right?”
Taylor slumped back onto the bed, lying back down next to Danny, “Yes?”
“It’s 4, Taylor. I know you like cutting it short, but you do remember that I wanted to proof-read it today, and that I have my daughter’s ballet recital later this evening?”
Taylor shut her eyes and took a deep breath, “About that, Alex. I, uh, I’ve been trapped in a panic room for the past six hours.”
“And you’re telling me this, because?”
“Because my computer’s not with me.”
There was a long pause on the other end of the phone. “And when do you expect to be out of this panic room?” Alex asked, sounding incredibly annoyed.
“Um… another seven or so hours, if I’m lucky.” The phone went silent. Taylor took it away from her ear and looked at it – the battery had gone dead. “Oh, no,” she groaned, dropping it on the bed beside her.
“You alright?” Danny asked her.
“Yeah,” Taylor sighed. “Not so sure about my job, though.” The lights were flickering again.
Danny sighed and got to his feet, walking over to the body and sitting down besides it.
“Hey,” said Stella, appearing on the monitor. “How are you guys holding out?”
Taylor gave a non-committal shrug from the bed.
“Well, I’ve got a body that’s degrading, and blood that’s starting to clot,” said Danny from his position on the floor, sticking a gloved hand in the blood.
“Well, maybe what he was taking wasn’t an anti-depressant,” Stella suggested, referring to the clotting blood.
“Well, maybe if he was off his meds, he killed himself,” said Danny. Although her eyes were closed, Taylor felt the room go cold – Hunter had turned up. “Jerry, I don’t know what you did about the air in here, but keep it like that,” said Danny, taking in a deep breath.
“It wasn’t me,” said Hunter.
“Then who was it?” Danny asked, thinking it was Jerry who replied.
“I didn’t say anything,” said Jerry peering into the monitor.
“Are you guys alright in there?” Stella asked.
“I think that being trapped in here with this crazy suicide victim is turning me a little crazy,” Danny muttered.
“It wasn’t me,” repeated Hunter.
“You just told me that, Jerry,” said Danny, getting slightly aggravated.
“Danny,” said Stella, “Jerry hasn’t said anything.”
“It was Hunter, Danny,” Taylor explained. “He’s trying to tell you he didn’t commit suicide.” She had rolled over onto her stomach and was finding the concept that Danny was hearing voices slightly amusing.
Danny shook his head, as though trying to dislodge something inside. “I have been in here far too long,” he muttered, before taking his glasses of and rubbing his face.
Danny’s phone had been ringing on and off, and he still had yet to answer it. Taylor wasn’t going to press him any further – it wasn’t her business whether or not he spoke to his brother. She had tried ringing Maddy a few times, but it always went straight to the answer phone - something, Taylor was semi-convinced was Pete’s doing.
The body was also beginning to smell. Then again, Taylor and Danny were also getting sweaty, and not smelling too brilliant either.
Taylor’s phone rang, and she leapt up, over Danny, (ignoring his protests as she lay over him) and grabbed it, hoping it was Maddy. It wasn’t. It was her editor. She sighed and flicked her phone open, “Hi Alex.”
“Taylor, you know I don’t push you for your article right?”
Taylor slumped back onto the bed, lying back down next to Danny, “Yes?”
“It’s 4, Taylor. I know you like cutting it short, but you do remember that I wanted to proof-read it today, and that I have my daughter’s ballet recital later this evening?”
Taylor shut her eyes and took a deep breath, “About that, Alex. I, uh, I’ve been trapped in a panic room for the past six hours.”
“And you’re telling me this, because?”
“Because my computer’s not with me.”
There was a long pause on the other end of the phone. “And when do you expect to be out of this panic room?” Alex asked, sounding incredibly annoyed.
“Um… another seven or so hours, if I’m lucky.” The phone went silent. Taylor took it away from her ear and looked at it – the battery had gone dead. “Oh, no,” she groaned, dropping it on the bed beside her.
“You alright?” Danny asked her.
“Yeah,” Taylor sighed. “Not so sure about my job, though.” The lights were flickering again.
Danny sighed and got to his feet, walking over to the body and sitting down besides it.
“Hey,” said Stella, appearing on the monitor. “How are you guys holding out?”
Taylor gave a non-committal shrug from the bed.
“Well, I’ve got a body that’s degrading, and blood that’s starting to clot,” said Danny from his position on the floor, sticking a gloved hand in the blood.
“Well, maybe what he was taking wasn’t an anti-depressant,” Stella suggested, referring to the clotting blood.
“Well, maybe if he was off his meds, he killed himself,” said Danny. Although her eyes were closed, Taylor felt the room go cold – Hunter had turned up. “Jerry, I don’t know what you did about the air in here, but keep it like that,” said Danny, taking in a deep breath.
“It wasn’t me,” said Hunter.
“Then who was it?” Danny asked, thinking it was Jerry who replied.
“I didn’t say anything,” said Jerry peering into the monitor.
“Are you guys alright in there?” Stella asked.
“I think that being trapped in here with this crazy suicide victim is turning me a little crazy,” Danny muttered.
“It wasn’t me,” repeated Hunter.
“You just told me that, Jerry,” said Danny, getting slightly aggravated.
“Danny,” said Stella, “Jerry hasn’t said anything.”
“It was Hunter, Danny,” Taylor explained. “He’s trying to tell you he didn’t commit suicide.” She had rolled over onto her stomach and was finding the concept that Danny was hearing voices slightly amusing.
Danny shook his head, as though trying to dislodge something inside. “I have been in here far too long,” he muttered, before taking his glasses of and rubbing his face.
* * *
Another couple of hours had passed, and Taylor was lying on the bed with her camisole rolled up as far as she could decently get it, in order to try and stay cool. Next to her lay Danny, both of whom were trying not to move too much. Not only had the temperature risen another couple of degrees, the lights were beginning to flicker too.
Danny’s phone had been ringing on and off, and he still had yet to answer it. Taylor wasn’t going to press him any further – it wasn’t her business whether or not he spoke to his brother. She had tried ringing Maddy a few times, but it always went straight to the answer phone - something, Taylor was semi-convinced was Pete’s doing.
The body was also beginning to smell. Then again, Taylor and Danny were also getting sweaty, and not smelling too brilliant either.
Taylor’s phone rang, and she leapt up, over Danny, (ignoring his protests as she lay over him) and grabbed it, hoping it was Maddy. It wasn’t. It was her editor. She sighed and flicked her phone open, “Hi Alex.”
“Taylor, you know I don’t push you for your article right?”
Taylor slumped back onto the bed, lying back down next to Danny, “Yes?”
“It’s 4, Taylor. I know you like cutting it short, but you do remember that I wanted to proof-read it today, and that I have my daughter’s ballet recital later this evening?”
Taylor shut her eyes and took a deep breath, “About that, Alex. I, uh, I’ve been trapped in a panic room for the past six hours.”
“And you’re telling me this, because?”
“Because my computer’s not with me.”
There was a long pause on the other end of the phone. “And when do you expect to be out of this panic room?” Alex asked, sounding incredibly annoyed.
“Um… another seven or so hours, if I’m lucky.” The phone went silent. Taylor took it away from her ear and looked at it – the battery had gone dead. “Oh, no,” she groaned, dropping it on the bed beside her.
“You alright?” Danny asked her.
“Yeah,” Taylor sighed. “Not so sure about my job, though.” The lights were flickering again.
Danny sighed and got to his feet, walking over to the body and sitting down besides it.
“Hey,” said Stella, appearing on the monitor. “How are you guys holding out?”
Taylor gave a non-committal shrug from the bed.
“Well, I’ve got a body that’s degrading, and blood that’s starting to clot,” said Danny from his position on the floor, sticking a gloved hand in the blood.
“Well, maybe what he was taking wasn’t an anti-depressant,” Stella suggested, referring to the clotting blood.
“Well, maybe if he was off his meds, he killed himself,” said Danny. Although her eyes were closed, Taylor felt the room go cold – Hunter had turned up. “Jerry, I don’t know what you did about the air in here, but keep it like that,” said Danny, taking in a deep breath.
“It wasn’t me,” said Hunter.
“Then who was it?” Danny asked, thinking it was Jerry who replied.
“I didn’t say anything,” said Jerry peering into the monitor.
“Are you guys alright in there?” Stella asked.
“I think that being trapped in here with this crazy suicide victim is turning me a little crazy,” Danny muttered.
“It wasn’t me,” repeated Hunter.
“You just told me that, Jerry,” said Danny, getting slightly aggravated.
“Danny,” said Stella, “Jerry hasn’t said anything.”
“It was Hunter, Danny,” Taylor explained. “He’s trying to tell you he didn’t commit suicide.” She had rolled over onto her stomach and was finding the concept that Danny was hearing voices slightly amusing.
Danny shook his head, as though trying to dislodge something inside. “I have been in here far too long,” he muttered, before taking his glasses of and rubbing his face.
Danny’s phone had been ringing on and off, and he still had yet to answer it. Taylor wasn’t going to press him any further – it wasn’t her business whether or not he spoke to his brother. She had tried ringing Maddy a few times, but it always went straight to the answer phone - something, Taylor was semi-convinced was Pete’s doing.
The body was also beginning to smell. Then again, Taylor and Danny were also getting sweaty, and not smelling too brilliant either.
Taylor’s phone rang, and she leapt up, over Danny, (ignoring his protests as she lay over him) and grabbed it, hoping it was Maddy. It wasn’t. It was her editor. She sighed and flicked her phone open, “Hi Alex.”
“Taylor, you know I don’t push you for your article right?”
Taylor slumped back onto the bed, lying back down next to Danny, “Yes?”
“It’s 4, Taylor. I know you like cutting it short, but you do remember that I wanted to proof-read it today, and that I have my daughter’s ballet recital later this evening?”
Taylor shut her eyes and took a deep breath, “About that, Alex. I, uh, I’ve been trapped in a panic room for the past six hours.”
“And you’re telling me this, because?”
“Because my computer’s not with me.”
There was a long pause on the other end of the phone. “And when do you expect to be out of this panic room?” Alex asked, sounding incredibly annoyed.
“Um… another seven or so hours, if I’m lucky.” The phone went silent. Taylor took it away from her ear and looked at it – the battery had gone dead. “Oh, no,” she groaned, dropping it on the bed beside her.
“You alright?” Danny asked her.
“Yeah,” Taylor sighed. “Not so sure about my job, though.” The lights were flickering again.
Danny sighed and got to his feet, walking over to the body and sitting down besides it.
“Hey,” said Stella, appearing on the monitor. “How are you guys holding out?”
Taylor gave a non-committal shrug from the bed.
“Well, I’ve got a body that’s degrading, and blood that’s starting to clot,” said Danny from his position on the floor, sticking a gloved hand in the blood.
“Well, maybe what he was taking wasn’t an anti-depressant,” Stella suggested, referring to the clotting blood.
“Well, maybe if he was off his meds, he killed himself,” said Danny. Although her eyes were closed, Taylor felt the room go cold – Hunter had turned up. “Jerry, I don’t know what you did about the air in here, but keep it like that,” said Danny, taking in a deep breath.
“It wasn’t me,” said Hunter.
“Then who was it?” Danny asked, thinking it was Jerry who replied.
“I didn’t say anything,” said Jerry peering into the monitor.
“Are you guys alright in there?” Stella asked.
“I think that being trapped in here with this crazy suicide victim is turning me a little crazy,” Danny muttered.
“It wasn’t me,” repeated Hunter.
“You just told me that, Jerry,” said Danny, getting slightly aggravated.
“Danny,” said Stella, “Jerry hasn’t said anything.”
“It was Hunter, Danny,” Taylor explained. “He’s trying to tell you he didn’t commit suicide.” She had rolled over onto her stomach and was finding the concept that Danny was hearing voices slightly amusing.
Danny shook his head, as though trying to dislodge something inside. “I have been in here far too long,” he muttered, before taking his glasses of and rubbing his face.
There was a small pop at the door, and Danny and Taylor turned around, simultaneously to see Jerry peering through an hole, no bigger than an inch in diameter. “Hello, can you see me?” Jerry called through the hole.
“Yeah, you look beautiful,” said Danny, “Now get me outta here.”
Jerry smiled, “A couple more of these, and then we will be able to start cutting you a new door.”
“A couple more!” Taylor exclaimed, far from happy. It had taken hours just to cut that one small hole.
“Hey guys, stay with me,” Stella said, again appearing at the monitor. “We’re getting closer, alright. Remember that blue trace we found when we first arrived? Send it through.”
Danny got to his feet and grabbed a q-tip, wrapped it in a sheet of paper and sent it through the small hole, “I’m sending it through; here it comes.”
“Got it.”
Taylor got up and stretched, making her way over to the monitor, just in time to see Flack arrive. “Making progress?” Flack asked Danny.
“Yeah, crime stopper,” Danny replied. “Do me a favour, take a break and run to Ray’s, grab me a slice – extra pepperoni. Bring it back,” he told the detective. “Just fold it up and slide it right through. Alright?”
“Oh, no,” said Taylor, as her stomach let out a rather loud grumble. “Forget about the slice and grab a box. We’ll wait for you to pass it through, slice by slice, right, Danny?”
Danny nodded, “Oh yeah.”
“That’s no way to treat good pizza, you two,” he told them with a grin. He turned to Stella. “I checked on Hagler and Dr Penn. Alibis check out.” He pointed to Stella’s laptop monitor. “What have you got there?”
“Surfactant and hypochloride,” Stella told him.
“And for those of us with just a high school diploma?” Flack asked her, blankly.
Stella gave him a smile. “Soap and bleach – laundry detergent.”
As Stella and Flack walked away from the panic room door, Taylor turned to Danny. “I take it that means we’re not getting pizza?”
“Yeah, you look beautiful,” said Danny, “Now get me outta here.”
Jerry smiled, “A couple more of these, and then we will be able to start cutting you a new door.”
“A couple more!” Taylor exclaimed, far from happy. It had taken hours just to cut that one small hole.
“Hey guys, stay with me,” Stella said, again appearing at the monitor. “We’re getting closer, alright. Remember that blue trace we found when we first arrived? Send it through.”
Danny got to his feet and grabbed a q-tip, wrapped it in a sheet of paper and sent it through the small hole, “I’m sending it through; here it comes.”
“Got it.”
Taylor got up and stretched, making her way over to the monitor, just in time to see Flack arrive. “Making progress?” Flack asked Danny.
“Yeah, crime stopper,” Danny replied. “Do me a favour, take a break and run to Ray’s, grab me a slice – extra pepperoni. Bring it back,” he told the detective. “Just fold it up and slide it right through. Alright?”
“Oh, no,” said Taylor, as her stomach let out a rather loud grumble. “Forget about the slice and grab a box. We’ll wait for you to pass it through, slice by slice, right, Danny?”
Danny nodded, “Oh yeah.”
“That’s no way to treat good pizza, you two,” he told them with a grin. He turned to Stella. “I checked on Hagler and Dr Penn. Alibis check out.” He pointed to Stella’s laptop monitor. “What have you got there?”
“Surfactant and hypochloride,” Stella told him.
“And for those of us with just a high school diploma?” Flack asked her, blankly.
Stella gave him a smile. “Soap and bleach – laundry detergent.”
As Stella and Flack walked away from the panic room door, Taylor turned to Danny. “I take it that means we’re not getting pizza?”
Originally posted: 26/05/2006