The man who had interrupted them was Ian Collier, a Charge Hand from Block L. With him and John, Danny, Kaile and Taylor entered Block L. The first thing that hit Taylor was the smell, followed at a very close second by the noise. Over the drones of the machine, Taylor could barely hear herself think, let alone hear what Ian was trying to tell John. Thankfully, they were led to an area of the factory where all the machines had been shut down, making it easier to be heard.
John stopped and turned to them. “We stopped the machines as soon as we found out what was in the mix.” He led them a little further to a machine which towered above them with pipes and metal melding into one very intimidating machine – not the way Taylor would choose to go.
“In there,” Ian said, pointing at a drum.
Danny pulled on his gloves and opened the drum for them to peer in. The bottom inch was full of black, gloopy looking… stuff, full of blue fibres, and in the middle, peering up, was a very badly damaged skull – very little of the skin and flesh left on it.
“We drained the machine,” John explained. “And this was what was in the bottom of it.”
“Are all of your staff accounted for?” Kaile asked.
John nodded.
“Is it possible for someone to get into here and-”
“No,” John cut Danny off. The only access is through the front gates, which have twenty four hour security.”
“Perhaps it’s an old body,” Taylor suggested. “A dump job.”
“We’ll need to get an ME to take a closer look at the skull,” Danny said. “See if we can confirm the age.”
“Who has access to this area?” Maka asked.
“Potentially, anyone in a BPLM or RRS uniform, but the people who mainly go in here are the boys on the mix job. There are nine of them in total, spilt up into three shifts. Three are in the office now, the five are on their way in.”
“What about the other one?”
“Mike’s on holiday,” John shrugged.
Danny sighed. “This area has just become a crime scene. I’m going to have to ask you to leave whilst I process it.”
John stopped and turned to them. “We stopped the machines as soon as we found out what was in the mix.” He led them a little further to a machine which towered above them with pipes and metal melding into one very intimidating machine – not the way Taylor would choose to go.
“In there,” Ian said, pointing at a drum.
Danny pulled on his gloves and opened the drum for them to peer in. The bottom inch was full of black, gloopy looking… stuff, full of blue fibres, and in the middle, peering up, was a very badly damaged skull – very little of the skin and flesh left on it.
“We drained the machine,” John explained. “And this was what was in the bottom of it.”
“Are all of your staff accounted for?” Kaile asked.
John nodded.
“Is it possible for someone to get into here and-”
“No,” John cut Danny off. The only access is through the front gates, which have twenty four hour security.”
“Perhaps it’s an old body,” Taylor suggested. “A dump job.”
“We’ll need to get an ME to take a closer look at the skull,” Danny said. “See if we can confirm the age.”
“Who has access to this area?” Maka asked.
“Potentially, anyone in a BPLM or RRS uniform, but the people who mainly go in here are the boys on the mix job. There are nine of them in total, spilt up into three shifts. Three are in the office now, the five are on their way in.”
“What about the other one?”
“Mike’s on holiday,” John shrugged.
Danny sighed. “This area has just become a crime scene. I’m going to have to ask you to leave whilst I process it.”
* * *
The factory was a dust machine. Fine black dust everywhere, which had no problem going anywhere either. And despite the protective jackets they were wearing, Danny and Taylor were soon black. The dust was not only making it exceedingly difficult for Danny to print anything, but it was also making it difficult to not sneeze. In the end, Taylor went outside to the car, to wait for Danny. At least in the car it was warm: the factory was freezing.
Finally, Danny appeared, handfuls of evidence in his arms, including the one, very grubby skull. “Has your ghost given us anything else to go on?” Danny asked Taylor, as he turned the heating up and rubbed his hands.
Taylor shook her head. “No, but he definitely worked in the factor. He was wearing blue overalls, like the BPLM workers.”
Danny nodded, “I suspected that the blue fibres in the mix were from his clothing.”
“But if all the workers are accounted for, then how are we going to ID the vic?”
“Once we’ve taken the skull to,” Danny looked at his watch. “Sid, we’ll put what we have in the FASTSCAN and see if anyone can then ID him.”
Taylor nodded. “Okay.”
Danny gave her a sideways glance. “You alright?”
“I stink of brake pads,” Taylor moaned.
Danny laughed. “Yeah, you do.”
Taylor’s eyes narrowed. “You don’t smell like a bed of roses yourself, Messer.”
“I didn’t have the assumption that crime was clean.”
“Neither did I,” Taylor objected.
Finally, Danny appeared, handfuls of evidence in his arms, including the one, very grubby skull. “Has your ghost given us anything else to go on?” Danny asked Taylor, as he turned the heating up and rubbed his hands.
Taylor shook her head. “No, but he definitely worked in the factor. He was wearing blue overalls, like the BPLM workers.”
Danny nodded, “I suspected that the blue fibres in the mix were from his clothing.”
“But if all the workers are accounted for, then how are we going to ID the vic?”
“Once we’ve taken the skull to,” Danny looked at his watch. “Sid, we’ll put what we have in the FASTSCAN and see if anyone can then ID him.”
Taylor nodded. “Okay.”
Danny gave her a sideways glance. “You alright?”
“I stink of brake pads,” Taylor moaned.
Danny laughed. “Yeah, you do.”
Taylor’s eyes narrowed. “You don’t smell like a bed of roses yourself, Messer.”
“I didn’t have the assumption that crime was clean.”
“Neither did I,” Taylor objected.
* * *
Sid stared at the remains of the skull. “Is this it?”
Danny nodded. “That and about sixty gallons of friction material, and about eight thousand brake linings.”
Sid looked at Danny, and then snapped his glasses on. “I can’t tell you much, other than your vic is in his late forties to early fifties, is a white Caucasian, and wasn’t dead before he went in.”
Taylor blanched. “You can tell that from half a skull?”
Sid nodded. “It’s all about the blood in what’s left of the fle-”
“Don’t,” Taylor cut him off as she felt her stomach churn. “Just a simple yes would have done it.”
“Is there enough for a dental impression?” Danny asked, looking at what was left of the jaw.
Sid shook his head. “Not enough for an ID – perhaps for a confirmation, though.”
Danny sighed. “I’ll take this up to AV, then.” Taylor followed him up and to the lab, where they found Adam lying on the floor, his head under a computer. “Hey, Adam, whatcha doing?” Danny called under the table.
Adam jumped, smacking his head, and cursed loudly. “Jeeze Messer, a little warning next time,” he glared at him, rubbing his head as he emerged to get to his feet. “I’m trying to replace the wires for the audio system in the Mac.”
Danny pulled a face. “Sounds like fun. Well, can you set me up with the FASTSCAN, please?”
Adam shook his head. “No can do.”
“Why not?”
“We lent it to the Albany Crime lab for one of their cases. It’s due back tomorrow evening.”
Danny groaned. “Great, now I’ll never get an ID.”
“You could try it by hand,” Adam suggested, getting back on his knees. “You know, like what you did before computers,” he added as he stuck his head under the desk.
“I hope you hit your head again,” Danny muttered as he stalked out of the lab. “I’m going to process the other evidence,” Danny told Taylor. “You want in?”
“Really?” Taylor asked in surprise.
Danny shrugged. “Well, it’s going over the paperwork, nothing interesting, but it’s nothing which Mac would object to.” He pointed to a stack of multi-coloured papers on the end of the table of the layout room they were in. Taylor nodded – it wasn’t like she had anything better to do.
Danny had been gone twenty minutes when she had another visitor. “Aiden?” asked Taylor, looking around the room, expecting something to try to jump out and get her.
“Don’t worry,” Aiden reassured her. “I’m here purely out of nostalgia.”
“Nostalgia?”
“You found that,” she said, pointing to the skull. “I miss the days when I’d recreate the face. Now they have some hi-tech laser to do it.”
Taylor put down the orange sheets she had been pouring over. “Well, actually, that hi-tech laser is in Albany. Danny’s going to have to do it by hand.”
Aiden’s trademark, ear-to-ear grin appeared on her face. “I could kiss him,” she cried in excitement.
“What are you doing?” Taylor asked, watching the ghost move around the room, collecting various items and setting them up around the skull. Taylor peered anxiously to the door, hoping that no one would enter whilst Aiden was making the items fly around. That would be an interesting thing to try to explain.
“My job,” Aiden exclaimed gleefully. “Well, my old job.”
“Aiden!” Taylor exclaimed anxiously, glancing at the door.
Aiden shrugged at her. “If anyone asks, you can take the credit. But I’m good, so no one is going to care, trust me!”
Taylor watched in amazement as Aiden began attaching little white nodes to various parts of what was left of the skull. “How can you do that?”
“I was always good at art at school,” said Aiden.
“No, I mean, how come you can move things around,” Taylor asked. “Maddy can’t. It just goes through her.”
Aiden stopped moulding the clay, and looked at her. “Have you really not figured it out yet?” Taylor shook her head. Aiden sighed, but didn’t stop what she was doing. “Supernatural 101. There are two kinds of ghosts. Your average, my-job-here-isn’t-complete Casper, and your I’m-pissed-off-with-the-world-even-though-I’m-dead poltergeist.”
Taylor studied the woman in front of her. “Are you telling me you’re a poltergeist?”
“Yup, except, I’m not pissed off with the world. Just the evil in it. Hence why I can move things,” she explained.
Suddenly, it all made sense to Taylor, except for one thing, “Maddy pushed Sheldon once.”
Aiden shrugged. “I can’t explain that one. But by all rights, she shouldn’t have been able to.” There was a shuffling at the door, and Aiden vanished, leaving Taylor with an almost complete facial reconstruction.
“Yeah, about seven… Montana… Yes, Lindsay.” Danny stopped listening and stared in disbelief at the semi-head. “I’ll call you back.” Without waiting for an answer, he hung up. “Drew? Did you do this?”
“Um… yeah?” Taylor offered with an uncomfortable shrug.
Danny walked over to the head to take a closer look, not noticing the uncertainty in Taylor’s voice. “This is incredible.”
Time for a change of conversation. “So, what have you and your girlfriend got planned for seven this evening?”
“Dinner.” Danny stopped and slowly straightened up before turning to face Taylor, who had a huge grin on her face. “Oh, girlfriend? I thought you said Lin… aw, crap.”
Taylor burst out laughing. “Busted!”
Danny glared at her. “What made you use the word girlfriend?” he asked accusingly. “Has Montana said something to you?”
“No, it was…” Taylor trailed off.
“It was…?” Danny pressed.
Taylor sighed, “Maddy.”
“Maddy? What? Is she stalking me, or something?”
Taylor shook her head then frowned. “I think the term is haunting, and you’re lucky. It’s Sheldon she has a crush on. However, I do believe she is responsible for a certain text message.”
Danny’s mouth dropped open. “That was Maddy!”
And Aiden, Taylor thought. She just nodded.
“Don’t tell anyone,” he pleaded.
“I won’t,” said Taylor. “But why don’t you want anyone to know?”
“Because she’s something good in my life, and I don’t want that to get screwed up.”
Taylor stared in puzzlement at him. “But I thought Louie was doing better too?”
Danny sighed and sat down in the seat previously occupied by Aiden. “He is. I mean, he’s still in hospital, but the doctors aren’t worried, and he is out of his coma.” He took his glasses off and rubbed his hands over his face, “Montana is a different happy. She makes me feel different.”
“The city boy falling for the country girl,” Taylor mused playfully. “Who’d have thought it?”
“Not me,” Danny muttered, although a grin was plastered on his face. He turned back to the reconstructed face. “You really do have talent you know?” Taylor said nothing, and just stared at the solitary blue eye which had been inserted, by Aiden, into the empty socket. “I’m going to take some copies of this back to the factory. You want to come?”
Taylor shook her head. “I have a detective I need to check up on.”
Danny nodded. “That and about sixty gallons of friction material, and about eight thousand brake linings.”
Sid looked at Danny, and then snapped his glasses on. “I can’t tell you much, other than your vic is in his late forties to early fifties, is a white Caucasian, and wasn’t dead before he went in.”
Taylor blanched. “You can tell that from half a skull?”
Sid nodded. “It’s all about the blood in what’s left of the fle-”
“Don’t,” Taylor cut him off as she felt her stomach churn. “Just a simple yes would have done it.”
“Is there enough for a dental impression?” Danny asked, looking at what was left of the jaw.
Sid shook his head. “Not enough for an ID – perhaps for a confirmation, though.”
Danny sighed. “I’ll take this up to AV, then.” Taylor followed him up and to the lab, where they found Adam lying on the floor, his head under a computer. “Hey, Adam, whatcha doing?” Danny called under the table.
Adam jumped, smacking his head, and cursed loudly. “Jeeze Messer, a little warning next time,” he glared at him, rubbing his head as he emerged to get to his feet. “I’m trying to replace the wires for the audio system in the Mac.”
Danny pulled a face. “Sounds like fun. Well, can you set me up with the FASTSCAN, please?”
Adam shook his head. “No can do.”
“Why not?”
“We lent it to the Albany Crime lab for one of their cases. It’s due back tomorrow evening.”
Danny groaned. “Great, now I’ll never get an ID.”
“You could try it by hand,” Adam suggested, getting back on his knees. “You know, like what you did before computers,” he added as he stuck his head under the desk.
“I hope you hit your head again,” Danny muttered as he stalked out of the lab. “I’m going to process the other evidence,” Danny told Taylor. “You want in?”
“Really?” Taylor asked in surprise.
Danny shrugged. “Well, it’s going over the paperwork, nothing interesting, but it’s nothing which Mac would object to.” He pointed to a stack of multi-coloured papers on the end of the table of the layout room they were in. Taylor nodded – it wasn’t like she had anything better to do.
Danny had been gone twenty minutes when she had another visitor. “Aiden?” asked Taylor, looking around the room, expecting something to try to jump out and get her.
“Don’t worry,” Aiden reassured her. “I’m here purely out of nostalgia.”
“Nostalgia?”
“You found that,” she said, pointing to the skull. “I miss the days when I’d recreate the face. Now they have some hi-tech laser to do it.”
Taylor put down the orange sheets she had been pouring over. “Well, actually, that hi-tech laser is in Albany. Danny’s going to have to do it by hand.”
Aiden’s trademark, ear-to-ear grin appeared on her face. “I could kiss him,” she cried in excitement.
“What are you doing?” Taylor asked, watching the ghost move around the room, collecting various items and setting them up around the skull. Taylor peered anxiously to the door, hoping that no one would enter whilst Aiden was making the items fly around. That would be an interesting thing to try to explain.
“My job,” Aiden exclaimed gleefully. “Well, my old job.”
“Aiden!” Taylor exclaimed anxiously, glancing at the door.
Aiden shrugged at her. “If anyone asks, you can take the credit. But I’m good, so no one is going to care, trust me!”
Taylor watched in amazement as Aiden began attaching little white nodes to various parts of what was left of the skull. “How can you do that?”
“I was always good at art at school,” said Aiden.
“No, I mean, how come you can move things around,” Taylor asked. “Maddy can’t. It just goes through her.”
Aiden stopped moulding the clay, and looked at her. “Have you really not figured it out yet?” Taylor shook her head. Aiden sighed, but didn’t stop what she was doing. “Supernatural 101. There are two kinds of ghosts. Your average, my-job-here-isn’t-complete Casper, and your I’m-pissed-off-with-the-world-even-though-I’m-dead poltergeist.”
Taylor studied the woman in front of her. “Are you telling me you’re a poltergeist?”
“Yup, except, I’m not pissed off with the world. Just the evil in it. Hence why I can move things,” she explained.
Suddenly, it all made sense to Taylor, except for one thing, “Maddy pushed Sheldon once.”
Aiden shrugged. “I can’t explain that one. But by all rights, she shouldn’t have been able to.” There was a shuffling at the door, and Aiden vanished, leaving Taylor with an almost complete facial reconstruction.
“Yeah, about seven… Montana… Yes, Lindsay.” Danny stopped listening and stared in disbelief at the semi-head. “I’ll call you back.” Without waiting for an answer, he hung up. “Drew? Did you do this?”
“Um… yeah?” Taylor offered with an uncomfortable shrug.
Danny walked over to the head to take a closer look, not noticing the uncertainty in Taylor’s voice. “This is incredible.”
Time for a change of conversation. “So, what have you and your girlfriend got planned for seven this evening?”
“Dinner.” Danny stopped and slowly straightened up before turning to face Taylor, who had a huge grin on her face. “Oh, girlfriend? I thought you said Lin… aw, crap.”
Taylor burst out laughing. “Busted!”
Danny glared at her. “What made you use the word girlfriend?” he asked accusingly. “Has Montana said something to you?”
“No, it was…” Taylor trailed off.
“It was…?” Danny pressed.
Taylor sighed, “Maddy.”
“Maddy? What? Is she stalking me, or something?”
Taylor shook her head then frowned. “I think the term is haunting, and you’re lucky. It’s Sheldon she has a crush on. However, I do believe she is responsible for a certain text message.”
Danny’s mouth dropped open. “That was Maddy!”
And Aiden, Taylor thought. She just nodded.
“Don’t tell anyone,” he pleaded.
“I won’t,” said Taylor. “But why don’t you want anyone to know?”
“Because she’s something good in my life, and I don’t want that to get screwed up.”
Taylor stared in puzzlement at him. “But I thought Louie was doing better too?”
Danny sighed and sat down in the seat previously occupied by Aiden. “He is. I mean, he’s still in hospital, but the doctors aren’t worried, and he is out of his coma.” He took his glasses off and rubbed his hands over his face, “Montana is a different happy. She makes me feel different.”
“The city boy falling for the country girl,” Taylor mused playfully. “Who’d have thought it?”
“Not me,” Danny muttered, although a grin was plastered on his face. He turned back to the reconstructed face. “You really do have talent you know?” Taylor said nothing, and just stared at the solitary blue eye which had been inserted, by Aiden, into the empty socket. “I’m going to take some copies of this back to the factory. You want to come?”
Taylor shook her head. “I have a detective I need to check up on.”
* * *
Taylor entered the homicide detectives’ office carrying a large mug of coffee a while later. “And how is my favourite detective doing?” she asked brightly.
Flack looked up from his paperwork with a huge grin spreading across his face. “Favourite detective? I better had be your favourite detective, or I may have to take countermeasures on that one.”
Taylor raised an eyebrow. “And what would they be?”
“I can’t tell you - half of the detectives in here aren’t getting any,” he smirked at her.
Taylor looked around the office. The only other person in there was detective Maka. Taylor burst into hysterical laughter. She couldn’t help it. “You are terrible,” she tried to scold, but failed miserably.
Flack leant over. “No, terrible is what I want to do you right now, in front of Maka.”
Taylor’s mouth dropped open. “Donald!” she cried, actually achieving her aim of scolding the detective.
Flack shrugged, “I’m pushing paperclips. I have a lot of free time on my mind. At least I’m thinking of you.”
“Perhaps I should leave before I gag,” Taylor said pulling a face. Flack raised his eyebrows, wiggling them suggestively. “Paperclips, Don. Paperclips!”
She flung one at him, and then grabbed her phone which had begun vibrating in her pocket. It was a text from Danny. 2 noisy 2 call. Think we hav an ID. Can u come confirm?
“And now I’m going to go meet Danny and,” she glanced over at Maka and lowered her voice. “Confirm the ID of our vic.”
Flack looked up from his paperwork with a huge grin spreading across his face. “Favourite detective? I better had be your favourite detective, or I may have to take countermeasures on that one.”
Taylor raised an eyebrow. “And what would they be?”
“I can’t tell you - half of the detectives in here aren’t getting any,” he smirked at her.
Taylor looked around the office. The only other person in there was detective Maka. Taylor burst into hysterical laughter. She couldn’t help it. “You are terrible,” she tried to scold, but failed miserably.
Flack leant over. “No, terrible is what I want to do you right now, in front of Maka.”
Taylor’s mouth dropped open. “Donald!” she cried, actually achieving her aim of scolding the detective.
Flack shrugged, “I’m pushing paperclips. I have a lot of free time on my mind. At least I’m thinking of you.”
“Perhaps I should leave before I gag,” Taylor said pulling a face. Flack raised his eyebrows, wiggling them suggestively. “Paperclips, Don. Paperclips!”
She flung one at him, and then grabbed her phone which had begun vibrating in her pocket. It was a text from Danny. 2 noisy 2 call. Think we hav an ID. Can u come confirm?
“And now I’m going to go meet Danny and,” she glanced over at Maka and lowered her voice. “Confirm the ID of our vic.”
Originally posted 10/08/2006