Bones and Blood-stories from tvguy347 (JM)

[Ron]

I enjoy writing so I thought I'd do this, which is roughly based off of Elastic's crime journal.

Summary:

Montgomery "Stacholmo" Keynaro is an aspired author who quickly runs into an FBI agent. With his many talents and quick thinking, is welcomed into the FBI. He is put onto a "force" that specializes in murders and disappearances. Montgomery is give in the nickname "Key" because he is different, like every Key and because the first three letters in in last name are k-e-y. One of his friends he makes, Ted, makes up a name for him called Stacholmo and he gets very aggressive when someone else calls him that. Key is paired with a woman named Sandra Bridges. The two get along great together and usually do the investigating in the department. The other people in the department are Ted, Julian, Jade, Lilian, Todd, and Sandy.

Notes

*I may make a spin off version of this with Sandy being the squirrel and not the character Sandy.

*This isn't a spin off

[Ron]

?á?á ?á Jonathon Sparks sat on a bench in the subway awaiting his train. He was deep in thought about his job. He had been recently divorced and had lost just about everything. He was living in a crappy apartment and with so many lay-offs, he was worried.

?á?á ?á His train arrived and Jonathon boarded. It was around nine oÔÇÖ clock at night and he was exhausted from work. Jonathon started to doze until the train stopped and he was awoken by the abrupt jolt.

?á?á ?á Jonathon got off and walked towards his apartment. The two small buildings that made up Sunshine Apartments were completely dark. All must have gone to sleep, Jonathon thought as he walked onto the premises. He walked up the flight of stairs to his apartment. He fumbled with his keys when a dark figure appeared in the shadows.

?á?á ?á Jonathon didnÔÇÖt seem to notice, as he still fumbled around, in search of his keys. He started to check his pocket when the figure emerged. Jonathon was taken aback. The figure pulled out a handgun and fired several bullets at Jonathon.

?á?á ?á As Jonathon crumpled down in pain, the murderer calmly kicked Jonathon. Jonathon spat up blood and a few moments later, was completely dead. The figure then continued on, and shattered JonathonÔÇÖs apartment window. He hauled himself in and thrashed it apart. He then found what he was looking for, grabbed it, knocked the door down, and fled.

?á

~ ~ ~

?á?á ?á "What did you say his name was again?" Colby Shepherd, homicide detective for the FBI, stood above the dead body of Jonathon Sparks.

?á?á ?á "Jonathon Sparks," Lily Conrad replied. "He was found dead by the manager this morning. He said he was lying here just like this and his window was shattered."

?á?á ?á "Did he go inside his apartment?" Shepherd asked.

?á?á ?á "No. He said he didnÔÇÖt want to contaminate the scene," Conrad replied.

?á?á ?á "Good," Shepherd said, looking up at Conrad. "The last thing we need is the managerÔÇÖs fingerprints all over the trashed apartments."

?á?á ?á "IÔÇÖm going to call Martha,"Conrad said. She pulled out her iPhone and dialed MarthaÔÇÖs number.

?á?á ?á Shepherd then proceeded inside the apartment. He took several pictures of the apartment.

?á?á ?á "SheÔÇÖll be here in a second to take the body for an autopsy," Conrad said, walking in.

?á?á ?á Shepherd stood right in front of the door, not acknowledging Conrad.

?á?á ?á "Shepherd?" asked Conrad.

?á?á ?á "Look at this," he said.

?á?á ?á "Yeah, itÔÇÖs a wall," Conrad said.

?á?á ?á "No. Look at the hinges. TheyÔÇÖre perfect. It looks as if someone unscrewed the door off the hinges, rather than breaking it down," said Shepherd.

?á?á ?á "YouÔÇÖre right," Conrad replied. "But why would the murderer take the time to unscrew the door and lay it down over the body? It doesnÔÇÖt make sense."

?á?á ?á Shepherd thought for a second. "Who lives next door, here?" He pointed to the door next to SparkÔÇÖs.

?á?á ?á "Umm," Conrad said, looking at a piece of paper. "According to this, Muriel Marian."

?á?á ?á "Odd name," Shepherd said and he knocked on the door. A frail, old woman appeared.

?á?á ?á "Hello," she said. "WhoÔÇÖre you?

?á?á ?á "FBI, maÔÇÖam. WeÔÇÖd like to ask you some questions. Mind if we come in?"

?á?á ?á "Oh not at all. Come, come." She gestured for them to come in.

?á?á ?á A few minutes later, the three were seated on a couch, eating crackers and sipping tea.

?á?á ?á "Thank you for the snack, Mrs. Marian," said Shepherd.

?á?á ?á "Oh, youÔÇÖre very welcome. Now whatÔÇÖs all the fuss about?"

?á?á ?á ?á ?á "Well, last night, your neighbor was murdered. Did you know him very well?"

?á?á ?á "Oh no," she said. "He was always so absorbed in his work. See, Jonathon wasnÔÇÖt doing very well. He had just been divorced and his wife took everything. So he got this not-so-good job and rented the horrible apartment next door. I tried to loan him some money, but he was always so quiet. He would sometimes ignore me when I talked to him.

?á?á ?á "I see," Shepherd said. He jotted down some notes while Conrad started to speak.

?á?á ?á "What sort of behavior did Jonathon have? Do you know of any enemies he had?"

?á?á ?á "Umm, like I said, very quiet. Sort of shy. But when he got angry, he threw tantrums. I once heard him talking to his wife on the phone about custody issues and-

?á?á ?á "He has children?"

?á?á ?á "Yes. 13 and 17. So then Jonathon-

?á?á ?á "When did they divorce exactly?"

?á?á ?á "Around two months ago. Jonathon then started-"

?á?á ?á "What did Jonathon do? They were married for over 30 years."?á

?á?á ?á "I do not know. Jonathon didnÔÇÖt tell me. Now can I finish?"

?á?á ?á "Just one more thing. How old was Jonathon?"

?á?á ?á "32."?á

?á?á ?á "But thatÔÇÖs not possible. If he was married for over 30 years, then that means he had sex with his wife at age 2."?á

?á?á ?á "ThatÔÇÖs what he told me," Muriel said. "So anyway, Jonathon got in a tantrum about what his wife told him. He tore up his apartment and left to his night job."

?á?á ?á "And when was this?"

?á?á ?á "Last night."

?á?á ?á Shepherd and Conrad looked at each other.

?á?á ?á "Thank you very much," Shepherd said.

?á?á ?á "YouÔÇÖre very welcome. Feel free to come and visit me another time," Muriel said.

?á

~ ~ ~

?á?á ?á "Well, his birth certificate proves that Muriel was right. He was 32," Coop said.

?á?á ?á "Can you see if his children really are 13 and 17?" Conrad asked.

?á?á ?á "Sure," Coop said, and exited the office.

?á?á ?á "It just doesnÔÇÖt make sense," Shepherd said.

?á?á ?á "I know. The thing is, what was stolen from the apartment?" Shepherd said.

?á?á ?á "I donÔÇÖt know. Muriel might know. WeÔÇÖll have to talk to her again. SheÔÇÖs seems to know a lot," Conrad said.

?á?á ?á "You cut her off," replied Shepherd.

?á?á ?á "What?"

?á?á ?á "She was telling us about JonathonÔÇÖs temper when you kept cutting her off with the questions about JonathonÔÇÖs age."

?á?á ?á "Oh, well, IÔÇÖll apologize to her when we talk to her tomorrow. Do you want to call her in and talk to her here, or go back to her apartment?"

?á?á ?á "Well, her being old," Shepherd said, "LetÔÇÖs just go back."

?á?á ?á "Ok. So what do you think the deal is with-

?á?á ?á "ItÔÇÖs true," Coop said coming back in with a few papers in his hands. "His children are in fact 13 and 17."

?á?á ?á "How is that possible?" Conrad said.

?á?á ?á "I donÔÇÖt know, but itÔÇÖs positive. I got their records right here," Coop said, handing Conrad the papers. Conrad scanned over them and then tossed them on the table.

?á?á ?á "I donÔÇÖt get it," said Conrad, exasperated.

?á?á ?á "Well,were they adopted? Shepherd asked.

?á?á ?á "Umm," Conrad said looking over the papers. "It doesnÔÇÖt say here."

?á?á ?á "Are they step-children?"

"DoesnÔÇÖt say here."

"Then we have something else to do tomorrow," Shepherd said. He smiled and got up. "IÔÇÖm going to go and get a coffee. Be back in a few.ÔÇØ

"Get me one!" Coop said as he walked out the door.

"Hey, will you do me a favor, Cooper?" Conrad asked.

"Sure, but you know I donÔÇÖt like that name," Coop said.

"I know, whatever. Will you call Muriel Marian from Sunshine Apartments down here?"

"Sure, but why? WerenÔÇÖt you and Shepherd going to just go and question her tomorrow?"

"Yes, but IÔÇÖm a bit suspicious and eager to know the truth. SheÔÇÖs knows a whole damn lot about Jonathon Sparks and I want to know why. Why would a 32 year old and an old lady be so close for her to know so much?"

"IÔÇÖll call her in."

"Thank you."

~ ~ ~

?á?á ?á "Hello again!" Muriel said as she walked in, although her expression exploded with "irritated."?á

?á?á ?á "WeÔÇÖre sorry for calling you in again, Muriel," Conrad said.

?á?á ?á "Quite alright, dear. But I thought I answered all your questions yesterday?"

?á?á ?á "Well...you did. But we have a few more," Shepherd said.

?á?á ?á "For starters," Conrad started. "Why do you know so much about Jonathon Sparks?"

?á?á ?á "Well," Muriel said. She suddenly stopped. She stared blankly at the table separating the two detectives and the old woman.

?á?á ?á "Ms Marian," Shepherd said, leaning forward and folding his hands on the table. "Please answer the question."

?á?á ?á "You think I murdered him, donÔÇÖt you?" she said after a while.

?á?á ?á "No, but you seem to know a ton about him. We just want to be sure," Conrad said.

?á?á ?á "So IÔÇÖm a suspect?" Muriel asked, her voice cracking.

?á?á ?á "Well,yes. You are," Shepherd said.

?á?á ?á "ThatÔÇÖs it. IÔÇÖm through with the law. Good day to you." Muriel started to walk out the door.

?á?á ?á "Ms Marian sit down right now," Shepherd said sternly.

?á?á ?á Muriel obeyed and sat back down.

?á?á ?á "Why are you through with the law, Marian? We arenÔÇÖt going to arrest you," Conrad asked. "Have you gotten in trouble with the law before?"

?á?á ?á "Umm...," Muriel said. "Yes,I have."

?á?á ?á "What happened?" asked Conrad.

?á?á ?á "I,uh,I...," she stuttered.

?á?á ?á "Ms Marian answer this instant!" Shepherd hollered.

?á?á ?á "I MURDERED SEVERAL DOGS!" she screamed.

?á?á ?á "You murdered several dogs?" Conrad said.

?á?á ?á "Yes. What happened was that my husband had died in World War II. I was getting lonely so I bought a dog. I named him Kibbles. He was the best dog. But I wasnÔÇÖt doing well on money. I couldnÔÇÖt afford doggy food. But thatÔÇÖs all he liked. I tried feeding him everything. Steak, bacon, sausage, eggs, sandwiches, and much, much, much, more.

?á?á ?á One night he started howling. This went on non-stop for another three months. I was annoyed in the day, and didnÔÇÖt get sleep in the night. Then one night I cracked. He was in the backyard, howling as usual. I got out of bed and snatched a butter knife from the drawer in the kitchen. I went in the backyard and saw him standing there, howling. Hate just rushed through me. I lunged on top of him and stabbed him to death. He tried to run but it turned out I had disabled him just by jumping on him.

?á?á ?á Later that year, dogs in the neighborhood started howling. I then snuck into the backyards of my neighbors and killed their dogs. They didnÔÇÖt find out until I was arrested for animal abuse a year and a half later. I had killed about fifty dogs by then. I was never allowed to buy another dog." Muriel looked down sadly at the table.

?á?á ?á "So,do you have an alibi?" Shepherd asked.

?á?á ?á "Yes. I had gone to buy a cat."

?á

~ ~ ~

?á?á ?á The next morning, Dexter and Coop were waiting in ShepherdÔÇÖs office as Shepherd and Conrad walked in. They had wore grins.

?á?á ?á "Good news!" Dexter exclaimed. "We have another suspect!"

?á?á ?á "Who?"

?á?á ?á "JonathonÔÇÖs old boss, Stewart Patterson."

?á?á ?á "Do you have an address?"

?á?á ?á "Yes."

?á?á ?á "Good, letÔÇÖs roll."

?á

~ ~ ~

?á?á ?á "Here it is," Coop said as they pulled up the steep driveway.

?á?á ?á "Nice house," Shepherd admired.

?á?á ?á Once they got out, a large man in a suit immediately appeared in the doorway. An AK-42 was held in his hands.

?á?á ?á "HALT!" the man roared. He pointed the gun at the group of four.

?á?á ?á "FBI," Shepherd said calmly.

?á?á ?á "This is not the place!ÔÇØ the man screeched.

?á?á ?á "LET US IN!" Shepherd yelled.

?á?á ?á "Make an appointment at Patterson Car Rentals! He does not wish to be disturbed!ÔÇØ

?á?á ?á "Sir, we are FBI. Your boss is a possible murder suspect,ÔÇØ Conrad said politely.

?á?á ?á "I CANÔÇÖT LET YOU IN! Now leave the premises! This is private property. Can you not read?" The man was losing his patience.

?á?á ?á "Sir, open the door now."

?á?á ?á The four pulled out guns and aimed them at the man. The man did the same.

?á?á ?á "GO!" The four fired their guns at the man. Three bullets purposely missed, and one hit him in the leg. Dexter handcuffed him and grabbed his gun.

?á?á ?á "Stay out here," he yelled. They walked in, guns drawn.

?á?á ?á "MR. PATTERSON?!" Coop yelled.

?á?á ?á "Who is there?" a shrill voice called.

?á?á ?á "The FBI! WeÔÇÖd like to ask you a few questions! If youÔÇÖll come with us downtown then-

---------

First little chapter. I changed it up a bit.

[Ron]

ÔÇ£The FBI! WeÔÇÖd like to ask you a few questions! If youÔÇÖll come with us downtown then-

ÔÇ£GET THE HELL OUTTA MY HOUSE!ÔÇØ

Shepherd nodded and the four burst into the room where the voice came from, guns drawn.

ÔÇ£Split up. I want a full sweep of the house,ÔÇØ Conrad said.

ÔÇ£IÔÇÖll go and take a look upstairs,ÔÇØ Coop said, eying the stairs. He started ascending up them, his gun aimed directly at the landing.

ÔÇ£Where the hell could he have gone?ÔÇØ Conrad wondered.

ÔÇ£I donÔÇÖt know. But take a look at this,ÔÇØ Shepherd said. He gestured to a painting.

ÔÇ£ThatÔÇÖs Jonathon!ÔÇØ exclaimed Conrad. ÔÇ£WhyÔÇÖs that here?ÔÇØ

There are markings around itas if someone took a knife or dart and continuously threw it at the painting. Shepherd ran his fingers across the painting, and immediately pulled them back. Gaw, its blazing hot!

ÔÇ£What?ÔÇØ Conrad walked up to the painting and yanked it off the wall.

ÔÇ£CONRAD! You canÔÇÖt-

ÔÇ£Look,ÔÇØ she said. A metal door was hidden behind it.

Conrad walked up to it and pulled out a match and a piece of wood. She wedged the wood into the narrow slit between wall and metal and then lit it on fire. The fire eventually spread until the slit was entirely on fire.

ÔÇ£WhatÔÇÖre you doing?ÔÇØ Shepherd asked.

ÔÇ£IÔÇÖm trying to burn the lock off so we can shoot it open.ÔÇØ Around half an hour later, Conrad shot the door open and put out the fire.

ÔÇ£ItÔÇÖs a tunnel,ÔÇØ Shepherd said.

ÔÇ£LetÔÇÖs go.ÔÇØ They crawled along until they eventually came to another door. This one, however, was open. They hoisted themselves out of the tunnel and into a small study.

ÔÇ£MR. PATTERSON?ÔÇØ Shepherd hollered. They both pulled out their guns and searched the room. But, he was clearly not in there.

ÔÇ£Where is he? And why so aggressive?ÔÇØ Conrad was stressed.

ÔÇ£I have no clue. But letÔÇÖs set up a surveillance camera in here,ÔÇØ said Shepherd.

ÔÇ£IÔÇÖll go get one from the van,ÔÇØ said Conrad. She was just about to crawl back into the narrow tunnel when a shot split the quiet air.

Conrad looked back at Shepherd.

ÔÇ£Coop and Dexter never came back down,ÔÇØ Shepherd realized.

ÔÇ£GO!ÔÇØ Conrad shouted. They both dove into the tunnel and crawled back into the living room. They raced up the stairs and came to a locked door. They rammed it down and drew their guns.

ÔÇ£FBI! PUT YOUR HANDS IN THE AIR!ÔÇØ Conrad screamed. A fifty-year old man stood in the middle of room, holding a gun. Dexter and Coop both held their guns, aimed at the man.

ÔÇ£GET OUTTA MY HOUSE!ÔÇØ

ÔÇ£HeÔÇÖs Mr. Patterson,ÔÇØ Shepherd said.

ÔÇ£Hell yeah! WhatÔÇÖd yah want from me?!ÔÇØ Mr. PatternÔÇÖs face was painted red. He was a firecracker, snapping every second.

ÔÇ£Sir, put down the gun,ÔÇØ said Shepherd, calmly.

ÔÇ£I donÔÇÖt see why-

ÔÇ£PUT DOWN THE DAMN GUN,ÔÇØ Shepherd yelled.

Mr. Patterson tossed the gun onto the floor and raised his hands into the air.

ÔÇ£Come with us,ÔÇØ Conrad said. Dexter and Coop and Shepherd went behind him while Conrad led in the front. They walked outside and saw the guard still handcuffed and wounded on the floor.

ÔÇ£Do you want to get him, Conrad?ÔÇØ Coop asked.

ÔÇ£No. WeÔÇÖll get him later,ÔÇØ Conrad said, and smirked.

ÔÇ£Are you kidding me?ÔÇØ the guard called as they got into the van.

ÔÇ£No,ÔÇØ Conrad replied, as they drove down the driveway. She smiled.

~ ~ ~

ÔÇ£I DIDNÔÇÖT KILL HIM!ÔÇØ Mr. Patterson yelled.

ÔÇ£Well, we found a painting of him with marks on him and it was-

ÔÇ£I HATED HIM! BUT I DIDNÔÇÖT KILL HIM! DO YOU PEOPLE LISTEN AT ALL?ÔÇØ

ÔÇ£Well then where were you the night he was murdered?ÔÇØ Conrad asked.

I was at the moviesI had gone with my friend, Jeff Hughes. He was an enemy of Sparks like me. He had to leave early for some reason. He wouldnt tell me, Mr. Patterson said, calming down.

ÔÇ£Wait, he left early on the night he was murdered?ÔÇØ Conrad asked.

ÔÇ£Yes.ÔÇØ

ÔÇ£Around what time did he leave?ÔÇØ

Er7:12.

ÔÇ£What time was he murdered?ÔÇØ

I think it was, Shepherd said. Like 7:45?

[Ron]

ÔÇ£Did he come back?ÔÇØ

ÔÇ£No. Can I leave now?ÔÇØ Mr. Patterson was annoyed and his face was cheery red.

ÔÇ£Yes.ÔÇØ

~ ~ ~

Jeff HughesJeff HughesJeff Hughes, Jill said, scanning the screen for an address. Ah! Here he is.

ÔÇ£Give me it,ÔÇØ Conrad asked.

ÔÇ£ItÔÇÖs printing out right now. I even went out of my way to paste a map and directions into the document,ÔÇØ Jill said, grinning.

ÔÇ£Thanks,ÔÇØ Conrad said. ÔÇ£LetÔÇÖs load up. Do you have a profile on him, Martha?ÔÇØ

Martha was leaning against the wall.

ÔÇ£IÔÇÖll check.ÔÇØ She started looking through files on the computer.

ÔÇ£Thank you. Shepherd, will you get five troops to come with us on the trek?ÔÇØ

ÔÇ£Yeah,ÔÇØ Shepherd said, leaving the room.

ÔÇ£Here it is,ÔÇØ Jill said, handing Conrad the papers.

ÔÇ£And I have his profile,ÔÇØ said Martha, showing her the screen.

ÔÇ£Will you print it out?ÔÇØ

ÔÇ£Sure thing.ÔÇØ

ÔÇ£James, Jock, Sidney, Rodney, and Sid are available. Is that alright?ÔÇØ Shepherd asked, poking his head back in.

ÔÇ£Yeah,ÔÇØ replied Conrad, retrieving the profile.

ÔÇ£Ah. He has gotten in trouble with the law before.ÔÇØ

ÔÇ£WhatÔÇÖd he do?ÔÇØ Coop asked.

He pushed a man off a cliff and then put the body in a cooler in his backyard. He was sentenced to fifty years in prison, which he completedjust two weeks ago. Hes 72 years old! But it says here he is very active and is extremely healthy. I dont think we need the troops after all, Shepherd. If hes that old, said Conrad.

ÔÇ£It also says he was involved with gangs and to this day still has watch around him,ÔÇØ read Shepherd.

ÔÇ£I didnÔÇÖt see that. Thanks, Shepherd,ÔÇØ she said, winking at him. ÔÇ£LetÔÇÖs mount up.ÔÇØ

They all loaded up in the car and took off.

~~~

ÔÇ£Here it is,ÔÇØ Dexter said, gazing at the small, little house.

ÔÇ£LetÔÇÖs go,ÔÇØ Conrad said. They parked right outside and got off. The troops lined up in front of the five, waiting for Conrad and/or ShepherdÔÇÖs signal.

ÔÇ£It smells like weed!ÔÇØ Shepherd noticed.

ÔÇ£And marijuana,ÔÇØ Conrad noted. ÔÇ£His gang accomplices are probably here.ÔÇØ

ÔÇ£Go,ÔÇØ Shepherd said, giving the signal.

The five troops rushed in and kicked the door down. They aimed their guns straight and the ten men sitting in the living room. The other five followed, pulling their guns out of their holsters.

ÔÇ£ON THE GROUND!ÔÇØ Shepherd yelled. All ten men got on the ground and covered their heads.

ÔÇ£WHICH ONE IS JEFF HUGHES?ÔÇØ Dexter shrieked out.

ÔÇ£I am. WhatÔÇÖs it to you?ÔÇØ A tall figure appeared in a doorway, holding a United Defense M42 submachine gun.

ÔÇ£Put the gun down,ÔÇØ Conrad said.

ÔÇ£WhatÔÇÖd yah frigginÔÇÖ want? I ainÔÇÖt no slut that waits around for daÔÇÖ Blue Man Group to play in Vegas!ÔÇØ

ÔÇ£HeÔÇÖs drunk,ÔÇØ Conrad whispered to Shepherd. ÔÇ£Disarm him. HeÔÇÖll shoot.ÔÇØ

Shepherd knelt down between the troop and aimed his gun at the manÔÇÖs hand.

ÔÇ£Hey, whatÔÇÖs Winnie daÔÇÖ Pooh doinÔÇÖ on the ground? DYINÔÇÖ, thatÔÇÖs what!ÔÇØ He started to fire and the room exploded in gun fire. The ten gangsters on the floor bounced up with handguns in their hands.

ÔÇ£ON THE GROUND!ÔÇØ Conrad yelled. She fired five bullets around the room, hitting three gangsters. They collapsed on the ground as one man pulled out a match. He ran through the kitchen to a gallon gasoline he looped around the house, at an amazing speed. He then lit it and fire sprung up.

ÔÇ£GO!ÔÇØ Conrad yelled. The troops broke out of their line and raged on, shooting wildly at the gangsters and at the madman that was Jeff Hughes. He still held his gun and now was drinking out of a whiskey bottle.

ÔÇ£Get in front of me,ÔÇØ Conrad said. ÔÇ£IÔÇÖm going to the back of the house.ÔÇØ Cooper and Dexter got in front of her and held their guns straight out, so if any potential threat burst out from behind the corner, they would protect the detective.

ÔÇ£Where are we going?ÔÇØ Dexter asked.

ÔÇ£To find and arrest Jeff Hughes. If you noticed, he disappeared just as the fire went up,ÔÇØ replied Conrad.

ÔÇ£Oh.ÔÇØ Dexter looked around the corner and pointed his gun.

ÔÇ£Hello, Lily,ÔÇØ the man said, his eyes burning a hole in Conrad.

ÔÇ£Put the gun down,ÔÇØ Conrad said.

ÔÇ£WhatÔÇÖs daÔÇÖ fun in datÔÇÖ?ÔÇØ

ÔÇ£IÔÇÖm not playing, Hughes,ÔÇØ said Conrad.

ÔÇ£What would ya?ÔÇØ

ÔÇ£PUT IT DOWN!ÔÇØ Conrad fired just as he did. The bullets sped past her head, barely missing.

ÔÇ£Get down,ÔÇØ she whispered to Coop and Dexter. They did so, just as another raid of bullets collided with the wall.

ÔÇ£WhereÔÇÖd them basterds go?ÔÇØ he said, and then burped.

Dexter abruptly stood up and shot Hughes square in the chest. He stopped, his eyes locked on Dexter, who still held his gun pointed at Hughes.

ÔÇ£Bitch,ÔÇØ he said as he collapsed onto the toilet. He held up his gun and aimed at Dexter.

ÔÇ£DEXTER DUCK!ÔÇØ Shepherd came out of nowhere and pushed Dexter out of the way.

ÔÇ£Are you okay, Shepherd?ÔÇØ Conrad screamed.

ÔÇ£IÔÇÖm hit!ÔÇØ he howled.

ÔÇ£Where?ÔÇØ Conrad said, frantically. ÔÇ£Cooper, call an ambulance and backup!ÔÇØ

ÔÇ£Right there,ÔÇØ Shepherd said. Conrad then saw blood on his side.ÔÇØ

ÔÇ£ItÔÇÖs alright. An ambulance will be here in a few minutes,ÔÇØ replied Conrad.

ÔÇ£Thank god,ÔÇØ Shepherd breathed.

________________

Reviews appreciated.

[Ron]

ÔÇ£You still with me?ÔÇØ Conrad asked after a few minutes.

ÔÇ£Yeah,ÔÇØ he said. He abruptly coughed up blood over ConradÔÇÖs pants.

ÔÇ£Ah, Shepherd!ÔÇØ she said. Ambulance and police sirens filled the deadly air. About forty cops swarmed the area. Paramedics ran in and retrieved Shepherd. They then raced back into the ambulance and the engine came back to life. It roared down the street as each gang member was arrested.

ÔÇ£Is he dead?ÔÇØ an officer asked Conrad, who had gotten up.

ÔÇ£IÔÇÖm pretty sure,ÔÇØ Conrad said.

ÔÇ£Are you okay?ÔÇØ the officer asked, gesturing to the blood on her legs.

Oh, replied Conrad. Thats just my partners bloodhe was shot and he coughed it up while I helped him. Conrad chuckled.

ÔÇ£Good to know youÔÇÖre okay,ÔÇØ the officer said, nodding and smiling.

ÔÇ£Dexter, Coop?ÔÇØ Conrad said, realizing the two were no longer around.

ÔÇ£Are they on your team?ÔÇØ

ÔÇ£Yes. DEXTER? COOP?!ÔÇØ

Ill get my men looking for them, the officer said. HEY! You sixI want you to sweep the house for a Dexter and Coop. Theyre missing as of now.

~~~

ÔÇ£HowÔÇÖre you feeling?ÔÇØ Conrad walked into ShepherdÔÇÖs hospital room, holding an apple pie.

ÔÇ£Alright,ÔÇØ he said. ÔÇ£My chest hurts like hell, but other than that IÔÇÖm alright.ÔÇØ

ÔÇ£Not aching?ÔÇØ

A little bitis that for me? Shepherd asked, eying the pie.

ÔÇ£Oh,ÔÇØ said Conrad, smiling. ÔÇ£Yeah.ÔÇØ

ÔÇ£Aww, how thoughtful,ÔÇØ Shepherd said.

Sarcastic Shepherdgood nickname, said Conrad.

NoI genuinely think that was thoughtful of you, explained Shepherd.

ÔÇ£Well, IÔÇÖm glad youÔÇÖre feeling okay. It was brave of you to take the shot for Dexter,ÔÇØ said Conrad. ÔÇ£But theyÔÇÖre missing.ÔÇØ

ÔÇ£What?!ÔÇØ Shepherd started to sit up, but leaned back in pain.

ÔÇ£They disappeared after they rushed you here. I talked to the police chief and he had six cops sweep the house and they found nothing,ÔÇØ reported Conrad.

ÔÇ£Were all the gang members taken into custody?ÔÇØ

ÔÇ£Yes. They took HughesÔÇÖ body as well.ÔÇØ

ÔÇ£Do you think heÔÇÖs our murderer?ÔÇØ asked Shepherd.

I dont knowhe seemed crazy, but not the type to kill his co-worker.

ÔÇ£They both worked for Patterson?ÔÇØ

ÔÇ£Yeah, you knew that,ÔÇØ said Conrad.

ÔÇ£No I didnÔÇÖt. What is SparkÔÇÖs always stood over Hughes as a worker?ÔÇØ

ÔÇ£No, because he was fired, remember?ÔÇØ Conrad said. ÔÇ£It doesnÔÇÖt make sense for Patterson to fire the better worker.ÔÇØ

ÔÇ£But Patterson hated him!ÔÇØ

ÔÇ£But if he served him well, then why kill one of your best workers?ÔÇØ

I dont knowhe didnt seem to have a good relationship with him, guessed Shepherd.

ÔÇ£Then thereÔÇÖs the whole thing with the unscrewed door,ÔÇØ reminded Conrad. ÔÇ£Hughes isnÔÇÖt exactly the fittest to unscrew a door just to lay it over the body.ÔÇØ

ÔÇ£And what would he steal?ÔÇØ

ÔÇ£I think we overlooked something,ÔÇØ Conrad said.

ÔÇ£What do you mean?ÔÇØ

I meanwe didnt see something. Something there, will wrap this whole thing up.

ÔÇ£LetÔÇÖs go when I get out of this hell hole.ÔÇØ

~~~

A few days later, a black van pulled up to Sunshine Apartments. Conrad and Shepherd got out and walked up the flight of stairs to SparksÔÇÖ apartment. They had had it crossed off so no one new could move in. As they opened up the door, they were greeted with a blast of stink.

ÔÇ£It reeks more than the last time,ÔÇØ Shepherd observed.

ÔÇ£Yeah, whatever. Start looking,ÔÇØ Conrad said. The two searched the apartment once more.

ÔÇ£HEY CONRAD!ÔÇØ Shepherd called from the other room. ÔÇ£Come in here for a sec.ÔÇØ

ÔÇ£What is it?ÔÇØ She walked inside what seemed to be his study and saw Shepherd holding a piece of paper.

ÔÇ£What does it say?ÔÇØ

ÔÇ£ItÔÇÖs a letter.ÔÇØ

It read:

Dear Sparks,

I understand you are going through difficult times right now, but that is not give you any excuse to skip work. You will return tomorrow, or face the dreadful consequences. Also, your wife and children will not be covered in our insurance plan because you technically are not a family. I apologize for the inconvenience. Also, meet Mr. Hughes at 7:40 PM at Starbucks Caf?® on February 17. No delays or face the horrible outcomes. Bring your wallet. Thank you again for your hard work and dedication.

Sincerely,

Mr. Patterson, your boss

ÔÇ£That was the day he died!ÔÇØ

So Sparks didnt show upHughes gets madand kills him.

ÔÇ£That doesnÔÇÖt explain the unscrewing of the door and what he took.ÔÇØ

Wellhe said to bring your wallet. What was in his wallet that was so important?

ÔÇ£And why did he lie to us? WhatÔÇÖs he trying to hide?ÔÇØ

ÔÇ£Oh nothing,ÔÇØ a voice said. Both heads turned at the exact same time, only to see Muriel Marian standing in the doorway, holding a leather wallet.

ÔÇ£Muriel,ÔÇØ Conrad said. ÔÇ£Hello.ÔÇØ

Hello, Muriel said. The odd thing was, her voice was coldnot sweet and warm like before. What are you doing in here? I thought your murderer was killed.

ÔÇ£He was but-how did you know that?ÔÇØ

Ididnt. I guessed, she said.

ÔÇ£Muriel, what do you know that we donÔÇÖt know?ÔÇØ asked Shepherd.

NothingIve told you everything I know. Her voice was shaky, and a tear ran down her cheek.

ÔÇ£Muriel, tell us,ÔÇØ demanded Conrad.

ÔÇ£I donÔÇÖt have anything to tell you,ÔÇØ she said, voice cracking.

ÔÇ£Muriel!ÔÇØ

She hesitated then spoke. ÔÇ£Follow me. Be quick and quiet.ÔÇØ She led them through the apartment until coming to his bedroom. She walked into his bathroom and smashed the mirror. A hole appeared behind it. ÔÇ£Crawl through here,ÔÇØ she instructed. ÔÇ£When you get to the yellow split, take to the left. Then when the tunnel stops, wait. Just wait. It might take an hour to drop you.ÔÇØ

ÔÇ£What are you talking about?ÔÇØ Conrad asked, flabbergasted.

ÔÇ£Just get in there. ThereÔÇÖs no time to-

ÔÇ£MURIEL?! You in here?ÔÇØ a gruff voice came.

ÔÇ£Go, go!ÔÇØ Muriel whispered.

Conrad and Shepherd rushed into the hole just as Muriel pressed a hidden button. The shards snapped back into place. Just as they were closed, a muscular man walked into the bathroom, with two goons behind him.

~~~

ÔÇ£She said to turn left at the yellow split,ÔÇØ Conrad repeated.

ÔÇ£There it is,ÔÇØ said Shepherd. The ground slowly turned yellow and they came to a split in the tunnel.

ÔÇ£Left,ÔÇØ Conrad muttered and they turned left. ÔÇ£Then she said to keep going until it ends. Then we wait.ÔÇØ

ÔÇ£IÔÇÖm just wondering where sheÔÇÖs leading us.ÔÇØ

ÔÇ£Wherever it is, I hope it gives us a clue.ÔÇØ

The two detectives continued on and on for hours. Finally, the tunnel ended.

ÔÇ£So we wait here?ÔÇØ Conrad asked, breathing hard.

ÔÇ£I suppose so,ÔÇØ he said. He rested his head on the dirt walls just as the muddy floor beneath them gave way. They freefell for a few seconds before landing face first in a pile of what seemed like dung.

ÔÇ£What the hell is this?ÔÇØ Conrad screeched, disgusted.

Eghfertilizer, Shepherd answered.

ÔÇ£Why the hell is fertilizer doing a mile underground?ÔÇØ

ÔÇ£I donÔÇÖt know. You have your gun?ÔÇØ

Yeahwhy? Conrad stood up and looked around.

ÔÇ£Look,ÔÇØ Shepherd said, arising and pointing.

Oh, Conrad said. An enormous man towered over the two, muscles bulging.

Youarentsupposedto be here, the man said, his veins popping out.

ÔÇ£WhoÔÇÖre you?ÔÇØ Shepherd said. He pulled out his gun, and aimed it at the man.

ÔÇ£None of your business,ÔÇØ the muscleman said.

FBItell me who you are.

ÔÇ£I donÔÇÖt care who the hell you are!ÔÇØ The man lunged at the two. Conrad dodged the man and Shepherd jumped up as he dove underneath him. Shepherd landed upon his back as the man struggled to get up.

ÔÇ£Stay on the ground,ÔÇØ Conrad yelled, pointing her gun at the manÔÇÖs head. ÔÇ£Now who are you?ÔÇØ

ÔÇ£You donÔÇÖt need to know,ÔÇØ the man said, still refusing.

ÔÇ£Tell me or I will take you down,ÔÇØ said Conrad.

ÔÇ£As will I,ÔÇØ Shepherd said.

ÔÇ£Shut up, shortie,ÔÇØ the man said. ÔÇ£IÔÇÖm a bodyguard.ÔÇØ

ÔÇ£For who?ÔÇØ

ÔÇ£You donÔÇÖt need-

ÔÇ£Tell me!ÔÇØ Conrad screeched, pressing her gun against his temple.

ÔÇ£His name is Mr. Saws,ÔÇØ he said.

ÔÇ£And what is all this?ÔÇØ she said.

ÔÇ£ThatÔÇÖs it!ÔÇØ He stood up, throwing Shepherd off his back.

ÔÇ£GET OUT!ÔÇØ He charged at Conrad who fired several bullets at his legs. Three met their target and he collapsed on the floor.

ÔÇ£Cuff him,ÔÇØ she said to Shepherd.

_____________

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