Part 7
Red Roof Inn
Logan’s Room
Friday, June 20th, 1997
When Logan entered her room she found Scully sitting on the end of her bed. It was the same spot she had sat down at once the blonde had left. She hadn’t moved. They looked at each other and spoke at the same time.
“I’m sorry.” “I’m sorry.”
They shared a look and rueful smiles. Both started to speak again, but Logan beat Scully by half a beat this time so the redhead held her tongue and let her partner go first.
“Look, Scully... Dana, I didn’t have the right to jump all over you like that. You didn’t deserve it and I don’t have an excuse. I’m sorry.”
“You were right. Erin Collins was hurting and I did see.” She paused. “And I’m ashamed to say that while I recognized that fact intellectually, it didn’t register for me emotionally. I’ve always prided myself on my professionalism at work. I know others have perceived me as cold and unfeeling, but that wasn’t the case. However, I have become even more distant in the last few weeks... not just from others, but from myself as well,” she finished softly. Scully stared at her hands in her lap. “I didn’t realize I’d cut myself off my own feelings until today,” she added.
Logan knelt down and put her hand over the ones in Scully’s lap. “Don’t be so hard on yourself, Dana. My god, you’ve had so much to deal with, it’s no wonder. It’s been a matter of emotional survival. And I don’t believe you cut yourself off from your feelings. You’ve just kept them under a tight rein – tighter than usual. And despite my outburst earlier I do not mistake your professionalism for insensitivity.” She squeezed the hand under her own. “You’re one of the strongest people I’ve ever met. I can see that you’re used to handling things by yourself, being very self-reliant. Believe me, I understand that. But I want you to know if you ever want to talk, or even if you don’t want to talk, I’m here. I’m your partner, Dana, and if you let me, I can be your friend.”
The blonde removed her hand, sensing the redhead had all the intimacy she could handle at the moment. She moved to sit in one of the chairs, still looking at her partner. Surprisingly, her partner’s eyes followed her.
“You and I are more alike than you may realize. I know you were embarrassed about getting sick in front of me, about appearing weak, out of control, unprofessional.”
Scully felt her cheeks blush as Logan zeroed in with unerring accuracy.
“I feel the same way about my mistake in Chattanooga and my outburst earlier. Like you, I’m used to being very self-reliant. Also, like you, I’ve learned that things, people, and situations are not always what they seem. We’ve both seen things that cannot be easily explained or dismissed.”
Scully took a few breaths, calming her mind and heart rate, never breaking their eye contact. Finally one corner of her mouth curled slightly. “So you are a believer.”
“If knowing there are things out there that I can’t explain scientifically makes me a believer, then yes. Even some things that can be explained by science are no less mystical for man’s limited understanding of them.”
An auburn eyebrow arched in question.
Logan smiled softly. “Childbirth. I dare anyone who’s witnessed a birth first hand, even a doctor, to say otherwise.”
It wasn’t an answer Scully was expecting, but she found herself smiling in complete and total agreement. She suddenly realized that Nicole had successfully eased the tension in the room and lifted the heaviness in her own heart and soul in only a few minutes.
Logan could see Scully’s expression change as she regarded the blonde a few moments.
“How do you do it?” Dana finally asked.
It was Logan’s turn to raise her eyebrow in question.
“Make people feel better.”
The blonde took a breath and let it out. “I can’t make anyone do anything. They have to want to; they have to make a choice. Free will.”
“Erin Collins didn’t feel better today simply because she decided to. You helped her. I could see the change come over her... and you. It was as if you took on her burden.”
Logan curled one side of her mouth slightly. “Now who’s the believer?” she said gently.
They just looked at each other and shared a small smile. There is definitely more to you than meets the eye, Nicole Logan.
Logan looked at her watch and stood. “I’m going to take a shower and get ready for dinner.”
Scully also stood. “Yeah, I need to do the same.”
~~~
Scully was a bit surprised by Logan’s outfit for the night. The blonde was wearing a pair of form fitting black jeans, leather boots and a crisp, green oxford shirt that really made her green eyes stand out. For her part, Logan didn’t miss how nice Scully looked in her jeans and silk shirt and vest (to hide the weapon at the small of her back). She decided she liked the redhead in casual clothes. The casual look definitely did something for her. Not that Scully didn’t look good in her work clothes, too.
“Here you go,” Logan said as she handed Scully a cup of hot tea. “This’ll help keep your stomach settled this evening.”
Scully’s brow creased. “My stomach’s fine.”
The blonde spoke as she poured her own cup. “Just a precaution. I don’t know about you, but it’s been a while since I’ve been clubbing. I certainly have no intention of allowing myself to succumb to the effects of too much alcohol. However, since I rarely have more than a glass or two of wine and since most drinks at the clubs around here have far more alcohol than one would need to dissolve the barnacles off a boat, I choose to be a little prudent,” she finished as she took her own seat and started to sip her tea.
~~~
Masquerades
Friday, June 20th, 1997
They met Agent Reyes for dinner. The brunette was dressed in leather pants, boots, and form-fitting top. The women had an enjoyable meal and discussed strategy a little. They were going to just get a feel for the clubs that night. After they had a chance to run the list Thea had provided and talked to the other assault victim, they would consider where to go from there.
The first club they went to was Masquerades. They had to wait in a short line to show their ID and get their hands stamped by a bouncer to get in. Once inside they staked claim to a table and ordered drinks. It wasn’t very long before a woman came over and asked Monica to dance. She accepted. Scully excused herself to go the bathroom before the brunette returned.
When the redhead returned she found their table empty. She looked around and spotted her partner on the dance floor with Reyes. She hated to admit they looked good and moved well together. The next song was a slow one. Scully really tried not to stare as the brunette took her partner in her arms and held her close.
What the hell am I irritated about? I hardly know the woman. I don’t even know if Logan’s attracted to other women. And even if she is it’s none of my business.
Scully downed the remainder of her drink as she watched the two women suddenly share a laugh and huge smiles. Just great, I’m the useless third wheel on a date, she thought.
After the slow dance Reyes returned to the table but Logan didn’t. The brunette sat down and waved a waitress over. She ordered a club soda while Dana ordered another drink.
“You might want to take it easy on those – they’ve got a pretty high alcohol content,” Monica warned.
“Where did Logan go?”
“She said she wanted to make a circuit around the room. Get a look at everyone here before we head to the Ginger Club.”
“She wants to leave already? We’ve been here less than an hour.”
“Nicole said she didn’t think this was the place.”
Scully arched an incredulous eyebrow. “And just like that you’re willing to move on?”
Monica looked at the redhead a moment before responding. “How long have you known Nicole?”
Scully was a little taken aback by the unexpected question but answered anyway. “Only about three weeks. My previous partner...” she swallowed and forced the words out, “... my partner... died. Nicole was assigned in his place.”
“I’m sorry,” Monica said with feeling and sincerity. “I was working a case with the Metairie police when Nicole was called in to help on the case. It was a serial killer who severely mutilated his victims. We cornered him a couple of times, but he managed to slip through our grasp. He disappeared into the bayous. We hired every local tracker we could – I’m talking the good ole boys that live on the bayous, who can look at still water and tell you how many gators are resting under it.”
Scully nodded. She knew exactly the kind people Reyes was talking about.
“Every single one of them lost the trail. No one could track this guy. We lost two of our search party to the wildlife before we gave up the search. When we got back and everyone was getting their gear put away in their trucks Nicole came over to me and asked me for a radio. I asked her what for. She said she was going to go back into the bayou – said she was going to follow her instincts. I expected her to take one of the air boats.” Reyes shook her head. “She simply walked into the bayou and disappeared.
“Three days later she called in on the radio saying she was coming in with the suspect, and to be ready for them in two hours. Two hours later she marches him into the police department – both of them caked from head to toe with mud. She stopped long enough to shower and change clothes in the locker room then sat him down in the interrogation room. You see, we knew it was him, but we had nothing to forensically tie him to the crimes. He had already been interviewed three times, but we had to release him due to lack of evidence. But before Nicole was done with him, he was practically in tears begging her to forgive him after confessing to everything.”
Reyes shook her head as she viewed the memory in her mind’s eye. “It was the damnedest thing – the son of a bitch actually thanked her afterwards.” Her sight returned to Scully. “I’ve seen and heard things that I can’t explain. Science, mumbo-jumbo, whatever – I’ll take Nicole’s instinct over a lot of people’s facts. There’s more to her than meets the eye.”
Logan returned to the table. “More to who than meets the eye?” she asked as she sat down.
Scully smirked. “You... She-Ra – queen of the jungle, or bayou rather,” she quipped with a chuckle.
Nicole rolled her eyes until they landed on the brunette. “For god’s sakes, Monica! Are you still telling that stupid story?”
“I don’t know, Nicole. Sounds pretty impressive to me. I mean walking into the bayou all by yourself and single-handedly capturing a serial killer when no one else could even track him. Impressive indeed. Impressive and mysterious,” Scully finished in a teasing tone.
“Oh, hell. Nothing mysterious about it. Just like I told you at the time,” she said with a pointed look at Reyes.
“How did you know where to look for him?”
“Have you ever had the feeling that someone was watching you?” she asked Scully, deliberately staring at her.
Scully nodded.
“There you go. Simple as that. No mystery.” Logan moved as if to shake loose an uncomfortable feeling. “I hated that case. I had mud in places I didn’t know I had places. Took me a week to feel clean again.”
“You ready to move on to the Ginger Club?” Monica asked.
“Yeah.”
~~~
Dreams
Nothing caught their attention at the Ginger Club either, so the agents moved on to Dreams. Dreams was a mixed club for men and women. It was the largest gay bar in the area, but also had a lot of straight customers.
As soon as they entered Logan felt her nerve endings begin to prickle. Her eyes started scanning the crowd immediately. Even if their serial killer wasn’t there, Dreams had more than enough undesirables for someone like her to deal with. Before they even got to a table the blonde spotted one such ‘undesirable’ headed out with her intended victim of the night.
“Go ahead and order me an amaretto sour. I’ll catch up to you in a few,” she told Scully. She was gone before the redhead had a chance to turn around and ask what was up.
Outside, Logan followed the couple until they entered a dark alley. A young, unsuspecting girl let out a shriek as her would-be paramour revealed her true face. Logan tapped the vampire on the shoulder. When the vampire turned to see who was interrupting her, the blonde punched her right in the nose, causing her to stagger back.
“Get out of here, kid!” she ordered the girl. The girl did as told and ran off.
The vampire roared at Logan and exploded in an attack. When she successfully parried the attack and landed a blow of her own the vampire pulled back and glared at her. “Virtue! I’ll send you back from whence you came!” she growled.
They fought for a couple of minutes, but Logan ended it with a makeshift stake. She took a deep breath and slowly let it out. After running her hands over her shirt and hair to smooth everything down she returned to the club and made her way to the table where her companions for the night were waiting for her.
“Everything alright, Logan?” Scully asked.
“Yeah. I just thought I saw someone I knew.” She looked around. “This place is busy.”
“I told you, everyone ends up here,” Reyes said with a smile.
Logan was quieter than she had been at the two previous clubs. Scully noticed, but she also noticed the predatory look in her partner’s eyes. Something was definitely going on with the blonde, but she didn’t know what. She was about to ask what was up when she saw something pass behind Nicole’s eyes. Dana swore she could see every muscle and nerve in her partner tense, ready to burst into action, yet Logan hadn’t so much as moved a millimeter.
Her own senses now on alert, Scully carefully scanned the crowd. She startled slightly when her partner spoke quietly in her ear.
“I’m going to make a circuit through the crowd. Try to get a look at faces.”
Logan was gone before Scully could turn her head. How the hell does she do that?!
Reyes sat down and handed Scully her drink. “You alright? You seem kind of tense.”
She let out a deep breath. “Yeah.” She shook her head. “Logan seemed kind of uptight – I guess it rubbed off on me.”
“Where is she?”
“She said she was going to make a circuit, try to get a look at faces.”
~~~
Alley Behind Dreams
Regardless of whether their suspect was at the club that night or not, Logan was having a rather successful night. She was actually enjoying the action. It was the kind of work she was used to. She was fighting with another vampire in the alley behind the club.
When it was over the vampire was dust, and she had a few aches and pains. But it was a good kind of hurt... the kind of hurt that came with a successful hunt. She made her way to the ladies room when she returned inside the club. She washed her scraped knuckles and inspected herself in the mirror. Fortunately her shirt was only wrinkled and not torn. She’d have to be careful to not let her partner know about her cracked ribs until she had a chance to heal.
~~~
Dreams
Logan exited the bathroom and resumed her circuit of the club. She came up on another vampire who was trying to pick up a very young looking girl. She decided to take a different approach this time. She slipped her arm around the vampire, quickly turning her around and then kissed her, surprising the hell out of the vampire.
“Sweetheart! Here you are. I wondered where you got off to. Come on, you promised me this dance.”
Before the shocked vampire could react, the blonde dragged her onto the dance floor. It was a slow dance so they could easily talk while dancing. The vampire quickly regained her equilibrium.
“Look, darling, not that I mind getting swept off my feet, but don’t you think introductions are in order?” she said with a seductive smile.
The blonde revealed herself in her eyes. “Yes, I do. I’m the one that’s going to dust your ass if I don’t like the answers I get to my questions.”
“Virtue!” the vampire hissed and tried to pull away.
Logan held on with a grip of steel. “Keep that up and I’ll dust you right here and now!” she hissed back.
The vampire stopped struggling but didn’t relax. “I wasn’t going to kill her,” she ground out quietly. “I just need to feed a little.”
“Then try going to the butcher shop for some pig’s blood.”
The vampire made a noise of disgust.
“You’ll live longer,” she said pointedly. “Because if I find out you’ve been feeding on humans, I’ll dust you. And don’t think I won’t – I’ve already taken care of two of your kind tonight and I just got here. This is your one and only second chance.”
The vampire snapped her eyes to the blonde’s and saw the truth of what she was saying in them. She nodded in defeat.
“What’s your name?”
“Val.”
“Well, Val, I’m looking for a serial rapist/murderer. Killed three women who’ve been customers here. Probably raped more than that. Could be male or female, human or vampire.”
“Bite marks?”
“No, but there’s no forensics. The bodies get dumped with no clues left behind – no hairs, no fibers. That’s easier for a vampire to do than a human.”
“There’s something else, isn’t there?” Val said, becoming interested despite herself.
Logan nodded. “Whoever it is, is multilingual – Hebrew, Latin, Aramaic, and Greek.”
Val’s eyebrow lifted. “Again, more likely to be a vampire.”
“I have a list of human suspects to investigate. I want your help in obtaining vampire suspects to check out – discreetly.”
“What’s in it for me?”
“I already told you – this is your one and only second chance. Live by the rules... and live. You know the alternative. It’s your choice. But you’re the one who has to choose.”
“How do I know you’ll live up to your end of the bargain?”
“I’m a Virtue.”
Val looked at her in silence a few moments. Finally she swallowed and nodded. “Alright.”
They finished their dance. Logan gave Val her card afterwards so she’d know how to contact her.
“Remember our deal, Val,” she said. “Any feeding off of a human and you’re dust... and I will know – you won’t be able to hide it from me. Your usefulness to me will not override my promise to dust you.”
“I hear you.”
By the time the blonde made it back to their table both Reyes and Scully were beginning to wonder where she was. She made it just in time for the drag show. After the show they decided to call it night and made arrangements to meet up the next day.
~~~
Red Roof Inn
Saturday, June 21st, 1997
Scully was surprised to find Logan up, dressed, and busily tapping away at her computer when she awoke the next morning. Still in her pajamas she stuck her head in the blonde’s room through the open, adjoining door.
“Morning,” Logan chirped much too cheerily for so early after their late night.
Scully yawned while mentally strangling her partner for being so cheery so early. “How long have you been up?”
“A couple of hours. I’ve been researching the list of names we got from Thea and working on the profiles.”
Scully shook her head in disbelief. She yawned again. “I’ll be ready shortly. I need a shower to wake up before I get dressed,” she said as she turned back into her own room.
Less than half an hour later Scully was fully transformed into her FBI-self, even if she was still a bit tired. As Logan had said the night before – it had been a long time since she’d been clubbing. When she entered her partner’s room Nicole was ready to go. The blonde handed her a manila envelope.
“Here, I’ll drive so you can take a look at these on the way.”
“Alright.”
Logan then handed her a steaming travel cup of tea as they headed out to the car. Scully took a sip of the tea without thinking and then paused. She smiled to herself. If Mulder had tried to replace her coffee – especially her morning coffee – with tea, she probably would have shot him... again. But somehow, coming from the blonde, it came across as gentle caring. And she was surprised how much she liked the tea. It tasted good and always made her stomach feel better – just as Logan had promised. It had even kept her stomach settled despite the amount of alcohol she drank the night before.
As Logan pulled out of the parking lot Scully set those thoughts aside and reviewed the printouts of her partner’s early morning labors. She was impressed with the blonde’s work. Her profiles were very well written and extremely insightful.
~~~
New Orleans Police Department
Scully and Logan met up with Reyes and Lt. Scipio at the lab. They went over all the information they had so far and the profiles.
Scipio pinned Logan with an even gaze. “So if I understand correctly, our guy has a thing for intelligent, professional women in relationships who are of medium height, athletic build, and blonde.”
As Lt. Scipio made the obvious summary, Scully felt her insides drop – he was describing her partner to a tee. Why the hell didn’t I realize that before? It’s so damn obvious.
“Am I right in assuming you want to use a decoy?” Scipio asked as he continued.
“It’s better than using a civilian as bait,” Logan replied with a nod.
“Agreed. The mayor’s office is getting pressure and wants this case solved as quickly as possible.”
“That’s something we all want, Lieutenant,” Scully stated.
He nodded. “I’ve been authorized to pull in assistance as needed and grant as much overtime as necessary. Go ahead and interview Linda Ellis. I’ll get you some help and have them here by the time you return,” Scipio said.
~~~
The interview with Linda Ellis didn’t provide them with much information. She had probably been assaulted by their suspect, but she could not give them any identifying information. She had been drugged, possibly GHB or Rohypnol or something similar, and didn’t remember much. She had been at Dreams, then woke up alone, dumped at an isolated corner of a park. After making her way home she discovered she’d been sexually assaulted. From there she did everything ‘right’. She called the police and reported the assault, but due to the lack of forensics her case was never solved and no one was ever arrested. The drug used on her was never identified, because of the amount of time that had passed before her blood and urine was tested. She didn’t even know if it was a man or a woman who had assaulted her – there was no semen.
So, the agents returned to the police station and met with Scipio, letting him know how the interview went. While they were with Lt. Scipio his phone rang. It was the front desk letting him know the help he requested had arrived.
“Send them back,” he said and hung up. “Let’s go to the conference room. Your help has arrived.”
Someone led the new arrivals to the conference room. A tall redhead about 5’10” walked in, followed by two 6’ blonde men. She walked up to Lt. Scipio.
“Sgt. Marie Laffite, it’s good to see you,” Scipio said with a smile.
“Lt. Scipio. It’s been a while.” She returned his smile as they shook hands.
Introductions were made all around. Logan and Scully then brought everyone up to date on the case.
“Now I know why our lieutenant sent us,” Sgt. Laffite said. “We’ve been investigating a string of assaults out of Dreams. And from the sounds of things they dovetail right into your profile.”
“Why didn’t it come up when we ran a check?” Reyes asked.
“Our investigation is being kept secret.”
“I think it would be more productive if our respective investigations and resources were pooled into one,” Scipio observed.
Laffite nodded. “I agree.”
The rest of the day was spent brainstorming and planning between the two teams. A plan was decided on. Logan was going to be the bait. Scully, Sgt. Laffite, Det. Alison Moore, Det. Larry North, and Det. Ben Corbin would provide backup. Reyes would provide cover as Logan’s girlfriend since they had already been seen together at the club. Logan would also have to be seen alone, of course, to leave open opportunities for the killer to make a move.
The department had two condos that they’d confiscated from a big time drug ring they’d busted. They were in a building in the warehouse district and they were next door to each other, sharing a wall. Logan would be using one while the team used the other. The one the blonde would be using was wired. The sound and video feeds from the condo were, of course, sent to monitors in the second condo where Scully and the four NOPD officers were going to be staying.
The group broke up so the police could get the condos ready. Since it was Saturday, Logan and Reyes were going to the bar again that night, everyone was going to have some time to get a little rest.
~~~
Red Roof Inn
Logan’s Room
Back at the hotel both Scully and Logan changed out of their work clothes. The blonde packed a small bag with a couple of changes of clothes. She put on her jeans and a t-shirt, but then changed her mind and decided she’d go for a run. She was in her bathroom changing clothes a second time when there was a knock on her room door. Scully heard it as she came through the adjoining doorway and answered it. She saw a woman she didn’t recognize through the peephole. She opened the door.
“May I help you?”
“Is Nicole here?”
“And you are?”
“Val. Nicole and I met at the club last night. May I come in?”
Scully moved out of the way to allow Val to enter.
Logan stepped out of the bathroom. “No. You are not invited in,” she stated firmly.
Scully looked at Logan. She was surprised at both her partner’s icy tone of voice and at her hard expression.
“Aw, don’t be like that.”
“What do you want, Val?”
“Just to talk.”
Logan walked up to the open doorway.
“Then you should have called. That’s why I gave you my number. You have a lot of nerve coming here.”
“I just thought–”
“Wait downstairs,” Logan said, cutting her off coldly.
Val, finally realizing she had indeed crossed the line, suddenly turned from femme fatale to contrite. Logan closed the door in her face before she even had a chance to respond.
“What was that about? And who is she?” Scully asked.
“I met her at the club last night. She’s a possible informant,” Logan responded as she clipped her phone to her waistband. “I don’t expect she’ll ever come by here again, but if she does do not invite her in – no matter what she might say. I’m going for a run.”
“But it’s already dark out. Don’t you think you should get some rest?”
“I’ll be fine; running relaxes me. Call me if anything comes up. I promise I’ll be back in time for us to head over to the condos,” she finished on her way out the door, leaving a confused partner behind.
~~~
Part 8
Alley Behind Red Roof Inn
Saturday, June 21st, 1997
Val stood when Logan entered the lobby.
“Outside,” was the blonde’s only response.
Val followed her outside and then behind the hotel to the empty alley. Before she could react Val found herself facing the wrath of an angry Virtue. Logan’s eyes flashed and her wings spread. She clamped her hand around Val’s neck and lifted her up several inches.
“Exactly what part of our conversation last night gave you the impression that your presence here would be welcome?” she growled in anger.
Val realized she was on the verge of being dusted if she said the wrong thing or made a wrong move. “I’m sorry. You’re right – I shouldn’t have come here,” she barely managed to get out around the hand constricting around her throat.
The blonde lowered Val to her feet but didn’t release her grip on her throat. She also retracted her wings. “Now tell me why you’re here.”
“I did some checking.” She told the blonde what she found out about the local vampire community. “I really don’t think a vampire is your killer in this case,” she finished up.
Logan mulled over what Val had told her a few moments, knowing she hadn’t lied – she would have known if Val had. Finally she released her grip from around the vampire’s throat and nodded. “You’re probably right. I am, however, still going to solve this case, so I will be around the bar for a while. You will not tell anyone who I am, nor will you compromise the identities of my partner or other officers working with us. If any of our covers are blown, pray I never pick up your scent again. Do I make myself clear?”
“Crystal.”
“Very well. If you break our agreement – any part of it – I will find you.”
Val gave a shaky nod.
“Go on. Get out of here.”
Val beat a hasty retreat.
Logan enjoyed her run.
~~~
760 Magazine St. #417
Upon her return to the hotel, the blonde took a shower and changed into her casual clothes. When it was time, she and Scully headed over to the condo on Magazine Street. Sgt. Marie Laffite let them in and showed them around the ‘bait’ condo before entering the surveillance condo.
Sgt. Laffite started wiring Logan. “Sound and video will be transmitted to this laptop. We’ll keep one person on this at all times once you hit the club tonight. We’ll all take shifts. When you’re in the condo there will always be someone here. The condo is completely wired, sound and video, except for the bathroom.”
“Good to know,” Logan said with a smile.
Laffite returned her smile. “Sound will be of limited use in the club because of the noise level, but will still work close up.”
“I figured as much.”
“We’ll also have at least one, if not two, of us in the club as well. My team and I have been in the club so much we’re already known regulars.” When Laffite was done attaching the mic and camera she did a quick test. “Okay, you’re all set.”
“I’ll call to let you know when Monica and I head to the club.”
Laffite nodded and headed to one of the bedrooms.
Scully looked at her partner. “You okay with this?” she asked with concern.
Logan gave her a gentle smile. “I was made for this, Scully. Undercover is my thing. I just wish all my UC assignments were this cushy. A nice condo and a whole team of backup. I don’t even have to be anybody but myself – Dr. Nicole Logan, PhD. And I don’t have to pretend to like someone I detest. This is a cakewalk compared to what I usually have to deal with.” She paused and noted the genuine concern in her partner’s blue eyes. “Still, I’m glad to know you’ve got my back, partner.”
Scully responded with a small smile.
“Did you talk to Skinner?”
“Yes. I brought him up to date with our plans. He said to run with it, especially since the locals are being so cooperative.”
Logan nodded. “Alright. Well, I better go. I need to meet Monica.”
“Be careful, Logan.”
“I will.”
~~~
Dreams
After dinner Monica and Nicole met up with Det. Corbin and Det. Moore in the parking lot of Dreams. They ran a check on the audio and video signals from the blonde’s bugs.
“Sgt. Laffite and Agent Scully are already inside,” Moore informed them.
“Where’s Det. North?” Monica asked.
Corbin smiled. “Wife duty.”
“What?”
“It’s his anniversary. He’s home with his wife while the kids are with the grandparents,” he explained.
They all smiled with understanding.
Inside the bar, Monica and Nicole found a table and waited for a waitress to bring them drinks. They spotted Laffite and Scully, but didn’t acknowledge them. They went about their evening as any couple would – drinking, talking, dancing... generally having a nice time.
During a slow dance Monica pulled back far enough to look into the blonde’s eyes a moment before pressing her lips against Nicole’s. Logan accepted and returned the gentle kiss. It had been so long since she’d allowed herself any intimate pleasure and Monica was a good kisser. They embraced closely again when the kiss broke.
“I wanted to do that four years ago,” Monica whispered softly in Nicole’s ear so she wasn’t overheard.
Nicole smiled gently. “I’d have let you,” she replied just as quietly, admitting to the brunette, and herself, that there had been some... spark between them four years earlier.
“We’re... not going to be able to do anything more than kiss... are we?”
Nicole tightened her arms around the brunette. “We’re working a case,” she replied in answer. “And when the case is over I’ll leave.”
“Just as I thought,” the brunette replied, disappointed but understanding.
“That doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy playing our roles.” Nicole pulled back and kissed Monica.
Watching the couple on the dance floor from a table not far away, Laffite turned to Scully. “I’d say they’re rather convincing as a couple,” she said with an amused smirk.
An eyebrow merely arched in response.
~~~
760 Magazine St. #417
Sunday, June 22nd, 1997
After a late night at the bar, Logan had little trouble falling asleep. However, loud knocking on the door to the condo woke her up just as the sun was rising. She tried to stifle a yawn as she opened the door, finding her partner wide awake and dressed.
“What’s up?”
For some reason she couldn’t quite fathom, Scully found herself strangely satisfied to see Logan rumpled and sleepy when the blonde answered the door. “We’ve got another body.”
Logan dropped her head and took a deep breath. “Okay. Just give me two minutes,” she said turning and heading for the bedroom.
Scully followed her partner into the condo. She was surprised when the blonde emerged from the bedroom in less than two minutes – looking refreshed and as if she’d gotten a full eight hours sleep.
~~~
Riverfront Park
Scully and Logan approached Sgt. Laffite.
“What do we have?” Scully asked.
“A couple of early morning joggers found her. They called it in. A patrol car was close and responded. The officers said they only got close enough to determine she was dead. They called it in and closed off the area. No one’s touched the body, it’s all yours.”
Both agents slipped on latex gloves and stepped under the yellow tape that cordoned off the area. Just then Reyes arrived at the scene.
“Sorry it took me a while to get here, but we’ve received another note.” The brunette held up an evidence bag.
Scully took the baggie from Reyes and looked at it. She turned to hand it to her partner, but found that Logan was kneeling next to the body. The expression on Logan’s face made her keep from calling out to the blonde.
Behind her sunglasses, Logan closed her eyes. The smell of death was of course present. She whispered under her breath – an apology to the soul that had known the pain she’d been unable to prevent. An answer whispered through her awareness and she gave an almost imperceptible nod.
“Now I hunt,” she breathed and opened her eyes.
When Logan looked up, Scully approached her. She handed the note to her partner.
“It’s Greek.” Logan read it out loud and then translated it before handing it back. She tenderly placed her hand on the victim’s arm, closed her eyes, and took a breath as she took in the trace of evil left behind. She didn’t realize she let out a quiet gasp. She felt Scully’s hand firmly grab her upper arm.
“Are you alright, Logan?”
The blonde swallowed and gave a small nod. She took a slow breath and let it out. Scully let go of her. There was a different kind of stink invading Logan’s senses now.
Scully returned her attention to the body. “There doesn’t appear to be anything under her nails, but I’ll scrape them anyway. Her left forearm is broken.”
“He’s washed her. I’m sure she’s been raped like the others but there won’t be any semen.”
“Just like the others,” the redhead sighed.
“He’s getting more violent. He’s escalating. Rape was just an appetizer. Now he’s starting to have to some real fun.” The blonde gazed into the dead woman’s face. “He took his time with her, toyed with her. I’ll bet we’ll find a missing person’s report on this one. That’s why there’s been a break between the other murders and this one. He kept her for a little while. You’ll find more injuries with her than the others.”
Agreeing with her partner’s assessment, Scully nodded. “I’ll do the autopsy as soon as I get her to the morgue.”
Logan suddenly stood and started slowly moving away from the body. From behind sunglasses, the blonde focused all of her attention, taking in the surrounding area, noting the total lack of debris in the area. It was as if the grass had been swept clean of any and everything. Not even a leaf was in the five foot area surrounding the body.
“Logan, where are–”
Reyes cut Scully off with a hand on her arm. The brunette shook her head.
She looked at the other agent questioningly.
“I’ve seen her like this before,” Monica said softly. “She... notices things.”
Logan continued on her path until she got to the perimeter. She ducked under the tape and very slowly continued on her way.
Scully caught up with her. “Where are you going?”
“I don’t know yet.”
The redhead shook her head as she watched her partner walk away. Dammit, that’s just like something Mulder would say.
The practically imperceptible prints in the grass gave way to the blacktop of the parking lot. However, she could still sense the trail the presence of evil had left. It was faint, and fading. She tracked it... behind a building and to a shed. She pulled her weapon. She was well away from the others – two blocks. The scent lingered a bit here. Logan carefully approached the shed at an oblique angle, keeping out of direct line of the door and small side window.
Once she was able to discern nobody was in or around the shed she looked around. Why did he pause or stop here? she asked herself. She spotted a large trash bin nearby and headed for it. She was looking into it when she suddenly swung around and pointed her gun at the person who’d come up behind her without warning.
Sgt. Marie Laffite was suddenly staring at the business end of Glock only inches from her nose. She’d never seen anyone move that fast. In fact, she hadn’t actually seen Logan move at all. One moment the blonde was looking into a large trash bin, the next moment Logan had a gun pointing at her.
Logan pulled back and holstered her weapon. “That’s a good way to get yourself killed, Sergeant.”
Laffite managed to swallow and find her voice. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”
The blonde arched an eyebrow. “Did I appear scared?” she intoned lowly.
Laffite realized she still had her hands up and lowered them as she blushed. “No.”
“Was there something you wanted?”
“I saw you walking away from the scene. I wondered why,” she said with a shrug.
Logan let out a deep breath. “He was here.”
“He was? How do you know? Did you find something?”
“Just a hunch. But there’s something in here, something left over after having been burned,” she indicated the dumpster.
“It could be from anything. Anyone could have left it.”
The blonde nodded. “True. But the odor tells me it was burned recently – certainly within the time frame of the body being dumped.”
The sergeant moved closer and peered into the trash bin. The smells seemed overpowering to her and she didn’t see how Logan could pick out the smell of the charred remains of whatever it was from anything else. “How the hell can you tell?” she said wrinkling her nose.
The agent took out her phone and called Reyes. She told her where she was and asked to have a forensic tech join her. Monica arrived with the tech.
“I wondered where you got off to. What have you got, Nicole?”
“A hunch. Something was burned and disposed of. And from the odor I’d say it was within the timeframe that our body was dumped.”
The forensic tech carefully retrieved the charred remains. “I’ll get these to the lab and see what we can find out.”
“Thank you.”
“Anything come back on her fingerprints, Agent Reyes?” Laffite asked.
“No hits. Sorry.”
“You’ll find out who she is by going through missing persons reports, Sergeant. Check the ones that went missing Friday,” Logan stated.
Sgt. Laffite gave the blonde a surprised look. “That’s not his MO.”
“It is now,” she replied and walked away.
Laffite stared after her a few moments as the tech packed his evidence up. “How the hell...” She turned to Reyes. “Do you really think that charred... whatever it is, has anything to do with the case?”
Monica looked at the back of Nicole until the blonde turned out of sight around the building. “I wouldn’t bet against it.”
~~~
Morgue
Monica had caught up with Nicole and they drove together to the morgue. Scully had already started the autopsy by the time they arrived.
She looked up at the two as they entered. “I’ve only just started, but so far I haven’t found anything surprising.”
Reyes, not particularly comfortable in an autopsy room, lingered near the doorway. “There wasn’t anything at the dump site either. There was nothing out of place, no debris of any kind, nothing left by the suspect, and nothing left by anyone else. That in itself is a clue – he cleaned the area around the body, giving it a place of cleanliness to rest. So he was as fastidious about his dump site as he was about the body.”
The brunette’s astute observation surprised Scully. She mentally shook her head at herself; she shouldn’t have been surprised that Agent Reyes was on the ball. She reminded herself that despite being a leggy brunette, Reyes wasn’t anything like the kind of women Mulder was perpetually drawn to. Dana paused on that mental note.
Is that it? Is that why I’ve felt annoyed? Mulder always screwed around with some leggy bimbo and Logan reminds me of Mulder, so I jump to the conclusion she would do the same thing – start screwing around while working a case? But Logan and Reyes are role-playing... I don’t know if there’s anything between them or not. And even if there is, it’s none of my business. She glanced at the brunette again before returning her eyes to her work. Well, if there is anything between them, at least Logan has much better taste in women, she thought to herself with a mental smile.
“He’s going to be looking for another victim,” said Monica.
“I know. I’d really like to make sure he doesn’t kill another innocent woman,” Nicole practically growled.
“There’s a dance contest at the club tonight. Participating in it might increase our visibility,” Monica observed.
The blonde nodded. “Sounds good. Anything that’ll make me his next target instead anyone else.” She turned and left the autopsy room, brushing past Monica.
Scully had felt a chill pass through her when her partner had talked about making herself the killer’s next target.
“I’ll, uh... I’m going to go see how the police are coming with that list of names you guys provided.” The brunette left.
~~~
New Orleans Police Department
By the time Scully arrived back at the police station, the latest victim had been identified – Melody Spearman. Just as Logan had predicted, there had been a missing report filed on the woman. She walked up to the desk Reyes was sitting at, dropping her autopsy report on the desk as she sat in the chair next to it.
“Nothing.”
“Pardon?”
“Nothing unusual or unexpected in the autopsy. She was raped, but there was no semen. Tox screen was clear and there was nothing forensically to tie anyone to the body.” She looked around. “Where’s Logan?”
“The victim’s name was Melody Spearman. Nicole went to speak with her lover.”
“So anything good come up with the list of names?”
Reyes sat back with a sigh. “No. They all have solid alibis for at least two of the killings. So unless each murder was committed by a different person...”
Scully glanced at the doorway just in time to see her partner enter. She frowned because she didn’t like the look in the blonde’s eyes. Scully got up and met Logan halfway, pulling her aside so they could talk.
“Hey, are you okay, Logan?”
Logan stiffened. “I’m fine.”
Suddenly Scully hated those two particular words.
The blonde brushed past her partner and spoke quietly with Agent Reyes before leaving the bullpen and heading to the break room.
Scully just stood in the same spot for a few moments frowning, trying to figure out what was going on with her partner. Well, she wasn’t going to figure it out just standing there, so she headed down the corridor after the blonde.
When the redhead entered the break room, Logan turned and immediately handed Scully a cup of hot tea. Scully gave her a grateful look and took a sip, giving the blonde an amused smirk when she tasted the familiar tea rather than the coffee she would have gotten for herself.
Logan smiled. “It’s better for you – especially on an empty stomach.” Just then Scully’s stomach growled and the blonde’s smile widened to a grin. “Come on, I’ll buy you lunch.”
~~~
Roubolet Café
Scully was again surprised, and pleased, at her appetite. She took a bite of her oversized sandwich. “Mmmm...”
Logan smiled at her partner’s enjoyment of their meal. “So what was the cause of death?” she asked before taking a bite of her own sandwich.
After the redhead washed down her mouthful of food with some ice water she wiped her mouth. “Strangulation. But she would have died from internal bleeding if he hadn’t strangled her. You were right – he was quite brutal. She had several cracked and broken bones. Both her spleen and liver were lacerated and one of her kidneys was damaged.” Scully shook her head.
“What?”
“He did a lot of damage to her, but without leaving much evidence of it externally.”
“It fits. He’s fastidious. He doesn’t like things messy. That’s why he drugged his rape victims, so they wouldn’t fight back, so things wouldn’t get out of hand and messy. But then simply raping them wasn’t enough, so he started killing them. Now raping and simply killing them isn’t enough. Now he’s starting to get creative.”
“He sodomized Melody as well. He didn’t do that to the others. I took cultures, but I doubt we’ll find anything. Her hands and nails were pristine.”
~~~
New Orleans Police Department
Logan and Scully were just returning to police headquarters when the blonde’s phone rang. It was Reyes. “We’re just getting back from lunch. We’ll be right there.” She hung up. “That was Monica. She said she has something for us in the lab.”
The two agents headed to the police lab where Reyes and a tech were waiting.
“So, what do you have?” Nicole asked.
“That charred material you found – we’ve identified it. It’s tyvek,” Monica said with a smile.
“Isn’t that the cloth-like paper envelopes the post office and FedEx use?” Nicole asked.
“Yes. But this stuff is actually New Tyvek,” the tech added.
“Clean suits,” Scully said.
Logan looked at her, her expression clearly asking her to continue.
“New Tyvek is used to make clean suits – shirts, pants, booties, overalls, lab coats, hoods, aprons, you name it. It’s used when one is looking for protection from dry particulates rather than bio-chemical or liquid contamination. It lightweight, durable, allows heat and moisture to escape and is disposable.”
“That’s why we don’t have any trace evidence!” Reyes exclaimed.
Logan nodded. “He washes the bodies and wears a clean suit when he dumps them.
“There can’t be too many places that use them,” Monica offered.
“Actually they’re fairly common in labs and in industrial environments. But there aren’t many sources for them,” Scully stated.
Logan let out a deep breath.
“What’s wrong?” Scully asked.
“It’s not exactly the missing the link. I mean it tells us how he manages to leave no trace evidence behind, but it’s not going to be how we catch him.”
“So, where did you find the charred tyvek?” Scully asked.
“Nicole found it. In a dumpster behind a building two blocks from the dump site.”
Scully arched an eyebrow. “Let me guess – it was a hunch.”
Logan just smiled.
“Well, you’re right – it’s not the way we’re going to catch him. It’s not even admissible as circumstantial evidence, but it does answer a question and we can use it as an investigative lead, a small piece of the overall puzzle.”
“I’ll get started on the sources and see who they sell to,” Reyes volunteered.
“No, I’ll do it. I believe you and Logan have some practicing to do,” Scully replied.
~~~
Reyes’ Apartment
Monica and Nicole moved some of the brunette’s furniture aside, turned on some music, and began to practice for the dance contest that night. They danced for hours, working on different dances. They didn’t know exactly what the contest was going to include. They worked on everything from the mambo and the tango to the waltz to the ‘50s swing and dirty dancing. They also worked on a fun and sexy freestyle. They had a good time, but were also serious and hard working. Both had worked up a sweat and had sore feet.
Nicole’s phone rang. She grabbed it and answered it out of breath. “Logan.”
“Logan, it’s me.”
“Hey, Scully,” she said panting.
“Are you alright, Logan?”
“No. Monica’s killing me. You need to come save me,” she panted in response.
Monica wasn’t going to let that go without a response. She grabbed Nicole’s phone. “Don’t believe a word she says. Nicole’s the one killing me,” she panted into the phone. “A free home cooked meal if you rescue me!” she managed before the blonde snatched the phone back. Although Scully did hear Reyes’ following lament, “God, my feet hurt!”
“What in the world are you doing over there?” Scully asked.
“Dying,” Nicole deadpanned.
“Well, do it after the case and off the clock. I hate all the paperwork I’d have to do otherwise,” Scully shot back. Her smirk could be heard over the phone.
“Ha ha.” The blonde took a deep breath. “So what can I do for you, Scully?”
“I’ve got the list of New Tyvek suppliers and their distributors.”
“Well, why don’t you bring it with you when you join us for dinner?”
“Oh, I don’t want to intrude.”
“Why would you think you’d be intruding?” Logan asked, surprise coloring her tone. “You’re my partner. Besides, Monica already invited you.” She gave Scully the address.
~~~
When Scully arrived at Reyes’ apartment she could hear the music coming from behind the door before she knocked. Her out of breath partner answered the door and gave her a big smile.
“Thank god! She’s going to kill me, Scully. Save me.”
“Wimp!” Monica’s voice called out from out of sight.
“Come on in.” Nicole moved to let Scully in. The blonde crossed the cleared space of the living room and turned off the CD player. She turned back to Scully. “Have a seat,” she said with a wave at the sofa.
“Dinner will be ready in about 20 minutes,” Reyes called from the kitchen.
“It smells wonderful,” the redhead replied.
The brunette came out of the kitchen. “I hope you’re hungry, I’ve made enough for a football team. Can I get you something to drink?”
Scully looked at the bottle of water in her partner’s hand. “Water would be fine.”
During dinner the three women had a nice time and Scully got a chance to get to know the brunette agent. Despite the traces of annoyance she’d originally felt towards Reyes, Scully found herself liking her. Reyes was highly intelligent and very easy going.
~~~
Surveillance Condo
After dinner, Logan and Scully returned to the condos to get a little rest before going out that night. When Scully got up from her nap, she found Det. Larry North going over some paperwork and keeping an eye on the monitors. They greeted each other and she asked about her partner.
“I don’t know where your partner gets her energy. She’s been working out ever since you guys got in. She just now went into the bathroom to take her shower.”
After Logan was showered and dressed, Det. Corbin once again wired her for sound and video. Corbin had just finished up when Reyes arrived to pick Logan up.
~~~
XF Dana's Malakim 7-8
