Item, Two Researchers

It is 2am. The pile of work is getting under control. The phone on his desk rings.

Eduardo stares at it a moment. It's one of those 'what the hell is someone doing calling me here *now*' looks that would ordinarily be accompanied by a curse. There is no curse.

Eduardo reaches out, and answers the phone. "Detective Chavez."

The voice of a tired-sounding coworker answers. "Ed? It's Pete. I've got the files on the two missing after that hospital bomb. You want details?"

<> Demiurge says "It's Pete Marguirez, Petreiro if you really want to, another guy on Homicide."

Eduardo nods, then catches himself; the delay notable. "Yes." A moment's pause as courtesy reasserts its grip. "Please."

Pete says, "Okay. Zelda Bayons, she was one of the serious acquired immunity deficiency researchers, main field. Brunette, five foot two, brown eyes, no body found." There's a pause as he drinks coffee, the sound audible.

Pete continues, "Duke Verne, her direct subordinate. Apparently this guy did all her filing and notes and whatever. Blonde, blue eyes, six foot straight. No body found."

Eduardo nods into the phone again, failing to catch it this time. He scrawls notes -- if scrawl is the word for someone who's handwriting is an immaculate copperplate. "Then he says "There would have been traces."

Pete sounds frustrated. "There should have been, but whatever the bombers used - forensic is _still_ working on it - was damn fierce."

Pete says, "Forensic says they can't rule out the possibility of no traces being found if they were at ground zero." He drinks more coffee.

<> Liz says ""How fierce?" "Damn fierce.""

Eduardo nods. "They would," he says, brow creased. "So we think it would have been hot enough to destroy their physical bodies?"

Pete says, "Forensic says they think it might. I tried to get a definite out of them, but they wouldn't give me a yes or no. What I want to know is why someone bombed an Aids research centre. I mean, dammit, why _there_ if you wanted a demo?"

<> Sephar says "Bone are damned hard to burn completely..."

<> Eduardo says "Eddie knows. :)"

Eduardo nods. "Mmm."

Eduardo says "If we have a motive, we have an idea who killed those two. And then a lead."

Pete says, "You got any ideas?"

Eduardo says "I have ... some experience with fire, and death by fire. I will look inti it."

Pete says, "Oh, yeah, you had that terrorist squad training thing. Well, keep me posted, right?"

Eduardo nods. "Something like that," he observces, voice dry. "I think I will look into the cult angle."

Eduardo says "Since there seems to be no sane reason."

Pete says, "Sure. Good talking." He doesn't bother with farewells either. The phone goes click.

Eduardo rubs at his eyes, and peers down at his desk. Then he reaches out, turns off the light and stands with a muttered "Coffee."

<> Shannen approves.

The CoffeeMaker (presented to Eduardo by the united office staff to stop him raiding theirs) bubbles hotly in the corner.

Eduardo laughs, and goes to get the coffee. He perches on the edge of the desk a moment, then scoops up the phone in one hand and dials Pat.

Eduardo . o O ( Why should he sleep when I can't.)

<> Demiurge says "Pat, it's 2am, you're on the computer, Daimon is snoozing on the sofa. Hitherby is flittering round your house."

Pat answers the phone. "Murphy."

Hitherby flitters around Pat's house. Thither. Hither. No one knows the why or whither.

Eduardo says "It is Edward."

Pat says "Good morning, Edward. What can I do for you?"

Eduardo says "Can you think of any reason why two AIDS raserchers would have vanished in that hospital bomb?"

<> Hitherby | Pat says, "Perhaps they were near the bomb when it exploded."

Pat says "I assume you want a reason beyond the obvious?"

<> Pat says "Hitherby keeps stealing my lines. :)"

<> Hitherby says "Yes, but I credited you!"

<> Pat grins. Good point.

Eduardo says "Yes."

Pat says "Celestials, perhaps?"

Eduardo says "I was assuming so."

Eduardo says "I can see no reason, however. And even demons usually have one."

Eduardo says "There is no trace of two bodies. That would require a quite extraordinary flame."

Pat says "Their work there may have come to an end."

Eduardo says "As you can imagine. I know such things."

Pat considers for a moment. "Were they known to be in the lab at the time of the explosion?"

Eduardo says "Then you draw that same conclusion. That the two were not human, but rather vessels."

Pat says "Edward. Are there photographs of the two missing individuals?"

Eduardo says "They were supposed to be there."

Eduardo says "I have those on file."

Pat says "Can you fax them to me?"

Eduardo nods. "I'll ... work on that."

>From afar, Eduardo does check them against his memory of the two Vapulans. Since he *did* chase them down.

<> Demiurge | Eduardo threatens the fax with his flaming sword.

You paged Eduardo with 'No, nothing like.'.

Eduardo tucks the phone under his chin and wanders over to give the fax a baleful look. "Neither of these resemble those two we took in the parking lot." Behind Eddie there is a crash as the phone is pulled off his desk, narrowly missing taking the coffee cup with it. Again, he looks like he is about to curse. Again. There is no curse.

Pat says "I didn't think they would. I'm running on something else entirely."

Eduardo says "Oh?"

Eduardo starts to attempt to insert the photocopies of the pictures into the fax. He gets it. They're even the correct way up. "Number?"

Pat says "202-555-2342"

Pat says "I'm wondering if they have anything to do with the Freer."

Eduardo pumnches the um ber into the fax. "The who?"

Pat says "The Freer Gallery. The corpse in the sarcophagus."

Eduardo says "Ah."

Eduardo's tone chills a little. "*That* one."

Pat says "Yes. That one."

Pat pulls the pictures out of the fax as they arrive. "They weren't demons."

Eduardo says "These two were not?"

Pat says "The two in the gallery."

Pat examines the pictures, looking for recognition of any sort.

<> Demiurge says "Alas, no. Look quite normal."

Pat says "Do you have names for these two, Edward?"

Eduardo nods.

Eduardo speaks after a moment. "Zelda Bayons and Duke Verne. Zelda is the woman."

Eduardo says "She was the researcher. The man, her assistant."

Pat says "Zelda and Duke. My."

Pat makes some notes on the fax paper. "Family in the area?"

Eduardo flicks through the dossier, checking.

<> Demiurge says "No, both from out of area."

<> Demiurge says "Zelda was from Switzerland, Duke from Kansas."

Hitherby flits a bug over to Pat's shoulder.

Eduardo moves back over to his desk and seat himself, almost primly upright. He collects his coffee and says "No."

Pat sits back down, leaning back and lighting a cigarette. "Alright. So we can't easily confirm their reality. Friends, coworkers, the like? Any statements made?"

Eduardo continues leafing over the dossier, checking the information to revive his memory.

Eduardo says "We cannot, correct."

<> Demiurge says "Zelda has plenty of research credentials."

<> Demiurge says "Duke only has a couple."

Eduardo says "There are research papers, however. The roles --if such they are -- were established some time ago."

Pat says "Papers can be faked. Can you get personal testimony as to how long they had been with the centre?"

<> Demiurge says "Both for three years, according to the records."

Eduardo says "I can."

Eduardo says "Though it is unlikely their coworkers would appreciate a call immediately."

Eduardo says "Other than that we have just that they have been there 3 years."

Pat says "Hm. Could easily be a Role. I'll get these pictures to the appropriate people, along with our cult victim friend."

Eduardo says "I suspect it is. Else they would not have vanished so well."

Eduardo says "The question is why a role, why there, and why so dramatic an ending to a well developed one."

Pat says "The conclusion of a project, perhaps?"

Eduardo says "And a destruction of evidence. An important project."

Eduardo says "An important, biologicai one."

Pat purses his lips. "Disease."

Eduardo adds. "The sewers."

Pat says "You were there."

Eduardo says "Those too were Vapulans."

Eduardo nods.

Pat says "Tell me about them."

<> Liz says "They burned up real good."

<> Pat says "Hee."

Eduardo considers. "We traced them to the sewers. They discussed disease. We killed them, and Sephar called for Jean to protect those of us still concious from Vapula."

<> Liz says "Well, except for the one that possessed my vessel and captured me."

Eduardo says "I suffered a mishap, and have few details."

<> Demiurge says "And one shot Eduardo in the back and knocked him into the sewer, the swine. Till Sephar pulled him out."

<> Eduardo, king of understatement.

Pat says "You didn't die, did you?"

<> Demiurge just laughs.

Eduardo says "All but."

Pat says "I see."

<> Eduardo says "To a Malakite, death *is* but a minor mishap. :)"

Pat says "And these were the same sewers that Terethel vanished into?"

Eduardo says "They were."

Eduardo says "He is becoming more of a nuisance. He needs to be dealt with."

Pat sighs. "Perfect." Odd that he doesn't sound pleased.

Eduardo says "Sarcasm, Mazpatiel?"

Pat says "We have one dead Davidian, entirely too much Vapulan activity, and undefined links with Disease. It's almost enough to make me want to go back to tapping Novalite phones."

<> Liz watches Shannen cough up her coffee at that.

<> Demiurge says "It's duh voo-doo, ah tell yah."

Eduardo mms. "It is merely an opportunity to flourish."

Eduardo says "We have beaten them before. We shall burn them again."

Pat chuckles, dry. "As we must, hm?"

Eduardo's voice is humourless as he says. "On my honour."

<> Liz puts on a doctor's coat, a stethoscope, and prescribes a barium enema for Eduardo.

<> Eduardo says "Hey! Eddie likes his job."

Pat says "Of course. Have you spoken with Sarah lately?"

<> Pat neglects to mention that Dom didn't say anything about Disease or Technology. Just Stone.

Eduardo says "No. I have been buried with the cult murder and this."

Eduardo says "This is not a peacable city."

<> Liz says "That's an understatement."

Pat says "I know, Edward. Speaking of the cult murder, have there been any developments?"

<> Eduardo is good at understatement. He has a .UK extension.

Eduardo says "None."

Pat says "I expected as much. Don't be offended, but I have no intention of turning myself in."

Eduardo says "I suspected not. I have no intention of solving that case."

Eduardo says "Having you in prison would be awkward."

Pat says "I apologize then, for hampering your reputation."

<> Pat says "Ok. This is officially a surreal discussion."

<> Sephar laughs!

Eduardo laughs, a dry cough of a sound. "We are freinds. I do not expect to solve every case. " A pause. " I would miss you."

<> Eduardo says "It is."

<> Demiurge says "It got surreal at the "Did you die?" question. ;)"

<> Sephar falls over laughing.

Pat says "Thank you, Edward." He rings off.

Pat faxes the pictures of the two scientists, along with the casket corpse, to Etecius, along with an attached request for any information known on them.

The fax machine chirrs a response and prints off an acceptance note.

---

Fiat Justitia