Disclaimer: X-Files and its characters belong to C.C. and 1013 Productions. No copyright infringement intended, no money be made.
A/N1: Some dialogue taken directly from the show. Although I do a bit of research for my stories, I’ve never been a cop, doctor, herbalist, psychologist, or theologist.
A/N2: Special thanks to sinadino for the German translations, and to xhuggles and ivy_wang for the Chinese translations.
A/N3: All mistakes are my own. Special thanks to oxfordshoes2 for the beta. Feedback is welcome.
Dana’s Malakim
Part 9
Dreams
New Orleans, LA
Sunday, June 22nd, 1997
Nicole and Monica had coordinated their outfits for the night because of the dance contest. Nicole was dressed all in white. She was wearing white, form fitting jeans; a very snug, low scoop neck, white tank top under a crisp starched white oxford, and white boots. Monica was dressed identically, except her clothes were black and her pants were leather.
The result was a striking study of contrasts. Light and dark, blonde and brunette, yin and yang. They looked so different yet they completed a perfect picture, complimented each other, belonged together. There was an aura about them as they entered the club – heads turned as they moved through the crowd.
“Damn...” Sgt. Laffite said.
Scully turned to her. “What?” Then she saw her partner and the brunette agent.
“Well if our suspect didn’t notice her before, he will tonight!” Laffite said. “If we weren’t working a case I’d ask her out,” she added.
They heard muted agreements from both Larry and Ben over their ear pieces. Scully kept her thoughts to herself. But there was definitely something about Logan, something different, an air about her that she hadn’t seen before. Several words came to mind: animal magnetism, charisma, sensuality, nobility. It wasn’t that she didn’t think Logan was an attractive woman before, it was just... Her partner just seemed to be projecting an aura of all these things and it made... Scully couldn’t really put it into words, but the effect was obvious. Heads were turning everywhere.
Nicole and Monica found a table and it was as if they were royalty holding court. They received excellent service from the staff and many people came and went from their company.
Once again, a nagging hint of irritation gnawed at Scully when she saw the ‘loving’ looks Logan and Reyes were exchanging. She shoved it to the back of her mind, telling herself she needed to be on alert. She needed to keep her eyes open for any possible suspects.
About an hour before the dance contest was to begin Monica and Nicole made their way to the dance floor. They wanted to warm up and prepare for the contest. While they were dancing Scully went to the bar to get refills for herself and Laffite. By the time she got back to the table, Det. Moore had arrived. Laffite’s arm was around the detective’s shoulders, keeping up their cover as a couple.
Suddenly Moore’s jaw dropped. She was looking toward the dance floor and she had just gotten a look at Monica and Nicole dancing together on the floor. “Um,” she shook her head absently and sort of pointed toward the dance floor. “Damn...” she whispered as Monica and Nicole gracefully moved toward their table.
“Tell me about it,” Laffite commiserated.
“What the hell did she do? Jump into a vat of ‘look at me, I’m hot’ pheromones or something?” Moore asked incredulously. “Damn, I’m tempted to go over and ask her for a date.”
Laffite made an amused noise and bumped her shoulder against Scully’s. “Well, your partner just got the straight girl vote. So it’s official – she’s hot.”
Moore let out a chuckle. “It’s not going to be a problem finding someone watching her tonight. It’s going to be hard to find someone that isn’t,” she said grinning.
The detective’s comment made Laffite and Scully exchange a look.
~~~
The dance contest was fun to watch. It started with several couples on the floor at the same time while the judges pared them down. Nicole and Monica seemed to move well together as if they were quite accustomed to dancing together. When the large number of couples was pared down to a dozen, they were still standing. There were four couples each of female/female, male/male and male/female. There would be a first, second and third place picked in each category, and then an overall champion couple picked.
It was the overall competition that everyone was really looking forward to, because that’s when the couples really went all out and also got to do freestyle routines of their own choosing in addition to the required dances.
During the finals for the women Monica and Nicole had to dance the Swing, the Cha-Cha, and the Salsa.
“They look like they’ve been dance partners for years,” Moore said.
“I know they practiced all this afternoon,” Scully replied.
“Well, your partner is a hell of dancer,” Laffite chipped in.
“They’ve both got some great moves,” Moore added.
After all 12 couples were done dancing the results were announced. Nicole and Monica took first in their group. They would now compete against the other two first place couples for the overall competition. There was going to be a break, however before the competition resumed, giving everyone a chance to rest.
Nicole and Monica sat at their table and rested. Since several people were stopping by and congratulating the couple, the law enforcement women decided to do so as well. It gave them the chance to move around the crowd and to touch base with the couple.
Scully and Laffite were first to go by their table.
“You were great!” said the sergeant.
“Thanks,” replied Monica.
Scully put her hand on Logan’s shoulder and gave it a squeeze. “You’ve got some hidden talents there, Logan,” she said with an amused smile and a sparkle in her eyes. “Who would have thought?”
“Gee thanks, Scully,” the blonde replied with a smirk.
Scully and Laffite returned to their own table. Other well wishers stopped by their table to compliment the couple and wish them luck.
Nicole and Monica were finally alone at their table. They were holding hands and sitting close. They continued to play their roles as lovers. In truth, it wasn’t very hard. Even though Nicole was in a different state of mind – on the hunt – she was not immune to the beauty and allure that was Monica Reyes. Especially while dancing, holding her body, feeling her move in perfect rhythm with her own. She leaned in and spoke softly in Monica’s ear.
“In case I haven’t told you tonight, you’re beautiful.”
Monica pulled back to she could look in Nicole’s eyes. She tenderly caressed Nicole’s cheek and then leaned in and kissed the blonde. She pulled back and smiled at Nicole. “I want you to know, regardless of the circumstances, I’m glad our paths crossed again. I’ll always be your friend.”
Nicole returned her smile. “Same here.” She leaned in and they kissed once again.
~~~
The final three couples took the floor.
The emcee took the microphone. “Ladies and gentleman, as our finalists in the overall competition take the floor I’d like to go over the rules for this part of the competition. We will be doing things a little differently than we did in the earlier portions. Rather than having prearranged dance selections, our couples will now be judged on their knowledge and ability perform without preparation. Our couples have no idea what dances they will be asked to perform, and you, our audience, will be the ones to decide.”
A murmur went through the audience.
“Then we will finish up with a freestyle performance by each couple. And now, let me once again introduce our judges for this evening’s competition.” The judges stood as he reintroduced them.
An audience member was chosen at random to pick the first dance.
“How about the Bolero?”
Not only was the Bolero a bit slower than the earlier dances, but it was a bit more suggestive since the partners held each other much closer. It was also clear that one couple, the male/male couple, was not as familiar with the Bolero.
For the next dance someone chose the Tango. The emcee continued to pick people from the audience. Rumba, Mambo, Waltz, even Dirty Dancing were requested.
When it came to the final performances, the freestyles, it was pretty clear it was going to be between Nicole and Monica, and the male/female couple. They drew numbers to see in what order they would go. Monica and Nicole would be last.
The crowd absolutely loved the freestyle dances. The couples got to show off their best moves. Both the male/male couple and the female/male couple showed off their best steps and seemed to have fun.
Finally it was Nicole and Monica’s turn. Their number had humor in it. It started with Nicole trying to instruct Monica in textbook, stiff, formal dance steps. Correcting her posture, arm position, etc. as they danced. And for her part, the brunette was having trouble with the steps and keeping time with the formal metered music. Then Monica appeared to throw up her hands in aggravation. She marched over to the DJ to request different music. The music changed to something very sensual and romantic.
Monica went back to Nicole who tried to start over with her ‘dance lesson’. Monica shook her head though, and took over the lesson. She moved behind Nicole, put her hands on the blonde’s hips, and by moving her own hips while pressed against Nicole, got the blonde to slowly loosen up and get into the new music. From there she eased her ‘instructor’ into loosening up more and more. It was a dance of pure seduction. It was full of sensuality, romance, and eroticism. During their dance the only sound in the whole club was the music they danced to. Not a single drink was poured or served – not that one was ordered. All eyes were on them.
Once they finished there were a couple of seconds of complete silence. Then the whole place burst out in applause. Nicole and Monica kissed tenderly, then retrieved their oxford over-shirts which had been discarded during the dance.
My god, that was... Scully searched for the right word.
“That was the most incredible thing I’ve ever seen,” Moore said in awe.
“It was pretty amazing,” Scully agreed.
“Incredible? I’d say that was hottest thing I’ve ever seen,” Laffite said in no uncertain terms.
Hot... yeah, that’s one word for it. Hot, sexy... erotic.
“If that didn’t get the suspect’s attention nothing will,” Moore added softly.
It wasn’t long before the judges were ready with the results. The male/male couple came in third; the female/male couple second. And, not surprisingly, Nicole and Monica came in first.
The emcee called them up to the stage. “And what are your names?”
“Monica Reyes.”
“Nicole Logan.”
“What do you do for a living?”
“I’m on sabbatical from teaching, writing a book.” Nicole gave Monica a glance and tightened her arm around the brunette’s waist. “And I’m so very glad I’m here.”
“What do you do, Ms. Reyes?”
“I’m a post grad student at Tulane,” she answered.
“Well, congratulations to both of you.” He handed the trophy to them.
~~~
Bait Condo
Nicole and Monica opted to go out for something light to eat after leaving the club. It was also a way to see if they were being followed. They played up their roles and were very obvious about being a couple – holding hands, kissing, whispering in each other’s ear, etc.
They then drove to the condo building. Upon entering the bait condo Nicole pointed out the hidden surveillance equipment. “At least there’s privacy in the bathroom,” she said with a smirk.
She poured them both a drink and they stepped out onto the small balcony. It was a move specifically designed to let anyone watching the building know which condo was Nicole’s. Once they finished their drinks, Monica left and drove home.
~~~
Monday, June 23rd, 1997
Only a few short hours later, despite being out so late, Logan got up in the morning, dressed, and headed out for a run. Det. Ben Corbin discreetly shadowed her on a bike on her run. They were both cataloging who they saw on her run so they could hopefully recognize someone from the club, or determine if she was being followed by someone.
When she returned to the condo Scully was waiting for her. She tossed Logan a cold bottle of water. “I can’t believe you went for run so early this morning.”
The blonde smiled. “Have to make myself a choice target – make our boy take the bait,” she replied.
“Were you followed?”
“I didn’t see him, but he was there – I could feel his eyes.” She started for the bathroom. “I need a shower. I’ll just be a couple of minutes.”
“Okay.”
Logan took a fast shower and changed into some clean clothes. She then joined Scully and they had some breakfast and mapped out the day.
~~~
The French Quarter
Logan decided on a little bit of window shopping. While she was browsing she ran into a familiar face – Brian Monroe. Brian was one of the doormen/bouncers from Dreams. He was a nice guy that everyone at the club knew and liked. He was always protective of the patrons, ensuring their safety both inside and outside the doors. If someone, male or female, didn’t want to walk to their car alone, Brian was always there to escort them. If someone got out of hand inside the club Brian had a way of calming people down and convincing them to behave. And if they got out of hand he had the size, strength, and will to enforce their good behavior, or if necessary, compel their departure.
They decided to have a cup of coffee. At the coffee shop Brian offered to get their drinks while Nicole got a table. She indicated she’d prefer tea to coffee. While Brian got their drinks Logan got a table next to the window. She was trying to keep an eye out for anyone following her. She spotted Det. North and Sgt. Laffite, though they were inconspicuous.
Nicole and Brian had a nice visit over tea and coffee. Afterwards they prepared to go their separate ways. Brian walked with Logan to her car and then bade her farewell. As the blonde opened her car door she suddenly felt lightheaded.
“Nicole?”
She heard concern in the voice. She looked up and saw Brian looking at her from several yards away.
“Are you alright?” He started coming back towards her.
She took a deep breath and held up a hand in the universal gesture for stop. “Yeah, I’m okay. Just a little lightheaded.”
Brian stopped in his tracks. “Are you sure?”
She nodded. “Yeah. I’m headed home. I think I just need some rest.”
“If you’re sure...” he replied, but stood his ground and watched her, presumably to make sure she got away alright.
As Nicole bent to get into the driver’s seat she wavered and almost nosedived into the parking lot.
Brian raced to her side and helped to steady her. “I’ve got you. Nicole, I don’t think you should be driving. Let me drive you home.”
She groggily nodded and handed him her keys. He helped her around to the passenger’s side, then got her settled into the seat and even put her seatbelt on for her. She fought to stay conscious. Brian got behind the wheel of the car and started it up. She managed to look in his eyes – he either hid, or controlled, the evil within very well – she had never sensed it in him... until now. She fought the substance within her but before he got out of the parking lot Logan was out cold. He pulled out of the lot, but did not go in the direction of the condo.
At first, Laffite and North weren’t sure what was going on. The equipment they had allowed them to hear what Logan and Brian had said. And they knew Logan had not slept but a couple of hours the night before. But when Brian drove by, they saw Logan’s slumped form in the passenger seat. They rushed to their car and called for backup. They had no idea what condition the blonde was in.
~~~
Logan came to as a flashlight was shined in her eyes. She swatted at it. The blonde tried to sit up but was pushed back against the car seat by a firm hand on her shoulder.
“Take it easy, Nicole. You’ve been drugged,” Scully’s concerned voice soothed. She gave Logan’s shoulder a gentle squeeze.
Logan swallowed. “I’m fine. I just need a couple minutes.” She took a few deep breaths, trying to clear her head and get her system going again. She felt Scully’s hand on her wrist, checking her pulse.
The redhead gently lifted the blonde’s eyelids so she could get a better look in her eyes. “Follow my finger,” she said holding her index finger up in front her partner’s face. She moved it around and watched Logan’s eyes as they tracked the movement of her finger. “Do you remember what happened?”
She nodded. “I ran into Brian window shopping. Agreed to have coffee with him. He must have put it in my tea. I didn’t smell or taste it because I had spiced tea.” Logan sat up again. She took a couple of slow, deep breaths before pushing herself to her feet, forcing Scully to back out the way. She held onto the car door to steady herself.
“You should wait for an ambulance, Logan. You need to be checked out.”
She shook her head. “I’m fine, Scully.” She looked around. “Where’s Brian?”
“They took him in. Reyes is heading up a team to go through his apartment.”
Logan lowered her head and rubbed her temples. “They won’t find anything, not at his apartment. He would have to have somewhere more private. Let’s get back. If they don’t find anything on him, he’s going to walk.”
“We can at least hold him for drugging you.”
The blonde shook her head. “No proof if they don’t find anything at his apartment. He’ll say he knows nothing about it. A lawyer would say I could have been drugged at lunch, and that he was just being nice and helpful, taking me home since I got sick. And he’ll be able to produce over a hundred character witnesses to say it would have been out of character for Brian not to do so.”
“That’s just another reason to get you checked out. We need to find out what he gave you.”
“You can draw my blood back at the station and have it analyzed.” Logan got back into the car, a bit unsteady but completely on her own. “You can drive,” she added a touch sarcastically.
Scully drove car to the police station, keeping a discreet eye on her partner as she did so. She was still concerned about Logan, despite the fact that the blonde seemed to have come to only a few minutes after she’d passed out.
~~~
New Orleans Police Department
Logan was still a little lightheaded as she and Scully walked into the police station. Scully led her partner to the lab and pointed at a stool.
“Sit,” Scully ordered.
Logan didn’t argue. She sat down and leaned against the counter. Scully opened a couple of cabinets looking for a blood collection kit.
One of the techs entered. His name was Eddie. “Can I help you find something?” he asked.
“I need to draw Logan’s blood. Where do you keep the kits?” Scully asked.
“I’ll get it for you.” He was only gone a minute.
Scully drew a couple of vials of blood from Logan. “Could you have a complete tox screen run for us?”
“Sure. Is there anything in particular you’re looking for?”
Scully shook her head. “We don’t know what he gave her. Test for as many things as you can think of.”
“Alright.” Eddie left with the vials.
Logan and Scully then sought out Lt. Grant Scipio. The three of them stood outside the interview room and observed their suspect.
“Has he asked for a lawyer yet?” Logan asked.
“No. He says he doesn’t need one. That he doesn’t understand what’s going on. He says he was helping you because you seemed to get sick, and he’s expressed concern for you. He’s asked if you’re alright.” Scipio looked over at Logan. “Are you sure he’s the one? That he drugged you? Even Sgt. Laffite reported he didn’t say anything to indicate he was anything but a nice guy helping someone he knew.”
“It’s him,” Logan said confidently, remembering the taint of his soul.
Lt. Scipio nodded. He looked at her again. “Are you alright, Agent Logan?”
“I’m fine. Whatever he gave me seems to have worn off quickly. I don’t think I got a full dose,” she stated with a touch of humor coloring her tone.
“What was it?”
“We don’t know yet. I drew her blood and asked your people to analyze it for us,” Scully supplied.
“Well it wasn’t Rohypnol – I remember everything. And I seriously doubt it was GHB, ketamine, or MDMA.”
“You want to interview him?” he asked.
“Yes. But I want to know everything we can about him first. And I want to wait to see what Monica and the others turn up at his place. If they don’t find anything the only way we’ll get him is through a confession.”
Logan suddenly turned and made her way to the break room where she made herself a cup of hot tea. She then went into the bathroom. She was doing a fairly good job of fighting whatever he’d slipped into her drink, but she needed to clear her system. She locked the door to the bathroom long enough to extend her wings and pluck a feather. After snapping open the quill and mixing the liquid into her tea, she retracted her wings and unlocked the bathroom door. She returned to the break room and made herself comfortable on the couch, drinking her tea.
Once Logan finished her tea she settled herself, closed her eyes, and turned her mind inward. After a few deep, cleansing breaths her entire being stilled. Her heart slowed to a slow but steady 20 beats per minute, and her respiration to a slow and deep four breaths per minute.
Scully walked into the break room and found Logan with her eyes closed and head down a bit. She was so still Scully thought she may be asleep, or possibly unconscious again – a real concern since she didn’t know what Brian had dosed her partner with yet. Even though Logan seemed to shake the effects of whatever she’d ingested rather quickly, Scully didn’t like that the blonde wouldn’t go get checked out.
She was just about to call Logan’s name when she realized Logan’s back was perfectly straight and she was basically sitting in a classic lotus position. Scully simply observed her. Although slow, the blonde’s respirations were steady.
Logan’s mind had turned inward to assist her body. However, she immediately sensed Scully’s presence. She allowed part of her mind to linger there.
“Do you need me, Scully?” she asked softly.
Scully startled at the sound of Logan’s voice. The blonde hadn’t opened her eyes or given any sign she was at all aware of her presence. “We’ll need a urine sample when you go to the bathroom. I brought you a specimen jar.”
“Alright.”
Scully lingered for a several more moments before she left.
~~~
Since Logan had upped her preventative steps that morning, the additional dose she drank in the break room was enough to aid her in cleansing the foreign substances from her system. It didn’t take as long as it could have. When she opened her eyes she felt good and her mind was perfectly clear. She picked up the specimen jar Scully had left and went to the bathroom. She took the jar to the lab where her blood was being analyzed. She found both Scully and the lab tech Eddie working. She set the sample on the counter.
“Found anything yet?” Logan asked.
Scully looked up. “Not yet. But it may not have been long enough for whatever drug it was to get into your bloodstream. We’ll take another sample in a few hours.”
“He’s too smart to use a drug you’d normally test for. Certainly nothing synthetic or artificial. I’d look at organics – possibly biological, probably botanical.”
“Do you have any idea how many drugs and toxins are of biological or botanical origin?” Eddie asked.
Logan shook her head. “That’s not what I mean.”
“I think I understand,” Scully replied. “You’re talking about something that’s not too difficult to obtain and can be used by an informed lay person. You’re thinking homeopathic and herbal substances.”
“Yes.”
“Alright. We’ll get started on it. Sgt. Laffite has been doing some background work on Brian. You might want to see what she has so far.”
“Thanks, Scully.”
~~~
Logan found Laffite working at a computer. “Hey, Sergeant.”
The police sergeant popped her head up. “Agent Logan! How are you?”
“I’m okay. Scully says you’ve been digging into Brian’s background.”
She nodded. “I haven’t found much. He’s coming up clean. No record, no arrests, not even any traffic tickets. Checked his past employers, all of them say the same thing – couldn’t ask for a nicer person or a better employee; would hire him back in a second. I still can’t believe it’s him myself.” She shook her head. “Anyway,” she took a deep breath, “no college or other higher education on his record.”
“Where did he go to high school?”
“He was tutored overseas. His mother was with the consulate in Hong Kong.”
Logan’s eyes lit up as a piece of the puzzle fell into place. “Alright. Keep digging.”
Laffite nodded.
Logan stepped out into the hallway and pulled out her phone.
“Reyes.”
“Hey, Monica.”
“Nicole, are you alright?” she asked clearly concerned.
“Yeah. I’m alright.”
“They told me you were unconscious when they stopped Brian Monroe in your car.”
“I’m okay, Monica, really. I was only out for a few minutes. I may not have gotten a full dose.”
“A dose of what?”
“Still working on that. Are you finding anything at his apartment?”
The brunette let out a sigh. “Nothing out of the ordinary. There’s no blood to be found anywhere, no drugs – not even aspirin. They’ve dusted only a few places so far, but there’s no indication anyone but Brian was ever here.”
“I’m not surprised. Listen, can you do me favor?”
“Name it.”
“Take pictures of everything, every room, every book shelf, everything. And bring them back as soon as you’re done.”
“Alright. I’ll get right on it.”
“Thanks, Monica. I’ll see you when you get here.”
~~~
Logan was on a computer doing some research when Reyes entered. She walked up to Nicole and put a hand on her shoulder. “Hey there.”
Nicole turned on the stool to face her. “Hi.”
Monica just looked at her for a few moments.
The blonde gave her a small smile. “I’m alright, Monica. Really.”
The brunette lightly touched Nicole’s cheek. “I was worried about you,” she said softly.
Nicole stood and they embraced. Once they released each other Logan sat back down. Monica pulled the digital storage disk out of the camera.
“Your pictures,” she said with a smile.
“Great.”
They got to work.
~~~
Logan stared at pictures of the kitchen.
“Do you want to see inside the cabinets?” Monica asked.
“You got pictures of that?”
“You said you wanted everything, every detail,” she replied with a hint of a smirk.
“Yes, please,” Nicole said, pleasantly surprised. She then addressed Scully who had just entered. “Hey, Scully.”
Scully held up a folder. “We have some results. Kava-lactones and valeric acid.”
Logan nodded. “Kava and valerian. Not surprising.”
“There are some other things in smaller concentrations that we haven’t nailed down yet.”
“I think I know what they are,” Logan replied cryptically and looked at the image on the computer screen with the open kitchen cabinets. She took a breath and let it out. “It’s time to talk to him.”
“But we don’t have anything to tie him to any of the crime scenes and the only prints we recovered from his apartment are his,” Monica said. “We didn’t find anything that indicated he owns, rents, or leases any property, dwelling, or storage locker anywhere – except for his apartment. And no clean suits or any paper trail showing he procured any. We can’t even prove he was the one who drugged you. Basically, we have nothing.”
Logan took another breath. “Then he’ll have to confess.” With that the blonde turned and left the room.
~~~
Part 10
New Orleans Police Department
Interrogation Room
Monday, June 23rd, 1997
A video camera was set up and sound was recording. The camera was focused on Brian Monroe where he sat at the table. A uniformed officer stood near the door to the room with his arms crossed. He’d been waiting literally for hours. Finally the door opened and Agent Nicole Logan entered. She indicated for the uniformed officer to leave.
Brian got up. “Nicole, are you alright? They wouldn’t tell me what happened to you.”
“I’m fine. Please, sit down, Brian.”
He sat down but looked at her a bit puzzled as she sat across from him.
“Have you been read your rights, Brian?”
“Yes. But I don’t know what’s going on, why I’m here.”
“Are you willing to talk to me without a lawyer present?”
“Yes, yes. But tell me what’s going on, Nicole.”
“Brian, the police have arrested you because they believe you drugged me.”
“What?! You were drugged? Is that why you got sick?”
~~~
Observation Room
Monitoring the interview from the observation room were Scully, Reyes, Laffite, and Scipio.
“He’s sticking to his story,” Scipio needlessly observed.
“If I didn’t know better, I’d believe him,” Laffite commented.
“Don’t worry, she’ll get him,” Monica replied quietly.
Scully remained silent, keeping her own thoughts to herself.
~~~
Interrogation Room
“I didn’t get sick, Brian, I was sedated. And I think you know that.”
The door opened and the uniformed officer handed Logan a folder. “Here you go, Agent Logan.”
“Thank you.”
Brian’s expression was one of disbelief and confusion. “Agent? Y-You’re not a teacher?”
Logan shook her head. “I’m a special agent with the FBI.” She paused. “Are you still willing to speak with me without a lawyer?”
“Of course. I don’t know what this is all about, but I haven’t done anything.”
The blonde took a deep breath and let it out. “Would you care for something to drink, Brian? I know I would.”
“Yeah, sure.”
“Tea?”
“I don’t like most teas. Coffee would be fine.”
Logan got up, opened the door, and asked someone to retrieve the items she’d prepared. “The coffee here is atrocious. I prefer tea. I think you’ll like this tea, Brian.”
He looked at her unsure.
“Trust me,” she said.
“Alright,” he acquiesced. His eyes lit up as the tray of prepared items were brought in.
Logan stood. Using chopsticks she filled a Chinese teapot approximately one third full with tea leaves. She then poured very hot water into the pot, holding the teapot over a large bowl and letting the overflow run into the bowl. She gave the tea leaves a rinse by filling the pot half full with hot water, then drained the water out immediately, leaving only the soaked tea leaves. She then filled the teapot to the top with more hot water, covered it, and poured additional water over the teapot resting in the tea bowl.
Though she did not take her eyes off her task the genuine smile on Brian’s face was not missed by the observers.
After half a minute Logan poured the tea into the cups by moving the teapot around in a continual motion over the cups so that they were filled together. She then poured the remaining tea into a second teapot. She placed a cup in front of Brian and retook her seat.
“Tie Guan Yin?” he asked.
She graced him with a small smile and shook her head. “Da Hong Pao.”
He smile conveyed his pleasure. He took a sip. “Yeun may,” [Perfect,] he said softly, respectfully.
“Douh cheh,” [Thank you,] she replied with a nod of acknowledgment.
They drank the first pot of tea without further comment from either. After Logan prepared a second pot in the same manner as the first she finally broke the silence as she once again poured the tea.
“Did you enjoy living in China?” she asked.
“Hong Kong... it’s hard to call it China – it’s been so westernized. But there are things I miss.”
“Like good tea?” she asked lightly.
He smiled. “Yes. But I benefited greatly growing up there.”
“Undoubtedly. Did you attend the western school with the British and other American children?”
“No. I was taught privately.”
They spoke a little about his Oxford educated Chinese teacher.
“But he wasn’t your only teacher. Not even the one you most respected. Tell me about Zhi Cao.”
Brian was obviously surprised she knew about his true teacher, but he talked about Zhi Cao. It was obvious Brian loved his teacher. He was the one who actually inspired Brian, encouraged him and instilled a thirst for knowledge. A thirst that ‘George’, his Oxford educated teacher, undoubtedly took credit for. Either way, Brian’s thirst was fed. He excelled in his studies far beyond any of his peers. He had working knowledge of several languages, which Logan was able to get him to demonstrate by conversing in them – Italian, Latin, Greek, German, Japanese, Spanish, and of course Chinese – which was his best.
He also learned ancient Chinese medicine – acupuncture and herbal remedies. During their talk, Logan continued to periodically prepare more tea which they sipped. She even sent out for a replacement set up when she had steeped the tea leaves in the first pot for the final time.
“Nay ho ming hein hai yat gor ho huwok shang. Nay de chee sick wing yi nay sheen shang.” [You were obviously a good student. Your knowledge honors your teacher,] she said. “Yat gor yuk pui may gah gong hay mo yung, yat gor yun may yau huwok shek hay mo yung gah,” [A Jade stone is useless before it is processed; a man is good-for-nothing until he is educated,] she added the ancient Chinese proverb to make her point.
He couldn’t help but smile. “Douh cheh,” [Thank you,] he replied. “Yu gwouh nay shai gwouh ng low leek dook shui, nay dai gwouh chi how wuy how fui,” [If you do not study hard when young you'll end up bewailing your failures as you grow up,] he quoted another proverb that his teacher favored.
Logan nodded in agreement. “Brian, my knowledge of Chinese medicine is limited. Perhaps you can help me with something.”
“If I can.” Brian seemed genuinely eager to help.
“According to the lab reports, I was given a mixture of kava and valerian. But there were other ingredients that they haven’t identified yet. There had to be something mixed in to accelerate the effects of the kava and valerian. With your knowledge, can you tell me what that might have been?”
“Possibly another sedative/pain reliever, like dong quai.” He knit his eyebrows and shook his head. “But to mix not two but three such sedatives would be very difficult. It would be too easy to obtain a toxic affect rather than sedation. It would take an exceptionally skilled herbalist,” he concluded.
Logan nodded. “I also believe there was something included to lower my blood pressure – I’m thinking qu mai.” Her inflection made her statement sound like a question.
Uncertainty may have passed behind his eyes. “Qu mai would do that,” he replied slowly.
“Alright. Can you solve another puzzle for me, Brian?”
He gave a nod indicating for her to continue.
“Such a concoction, a mixture of kava, valerian, don quai, and qu mai would be very difficult to blend properly for the desired effect. As you said, it would take an exceptionally skilled herbalist. But even if such a skilled person did make this mixture, he would still have a remedy with a distinctive taste. Even mixed with soda or coffee or tea,” she held up her teacup, “the flavor would not go unnoticed.”
~~~
Observation Room
Eddie, the forensic tech that had been working with Scully came rushing in. “I have the other substances identified. It took some research and I had to consult with an herbalist. Her drink was spiked with, besides the kava and valerian we already identified, three other herbs – don quai, a sedative and pain reliever–”
“Qu mai?” Scully asked knowing her partner was right.
“Yes,” Eddie answered surprised. “It’s a diuretic.”
“Which lowers the blood pressure,” Dana added.
“Yes. And the final ingredient was–”
“Gan cao,” they all heard Brian’s voice say.
Eddie looked at the screen. “Gan cao, which cleanses toxins from the body,” he said, a little disappointed to have his thunder stolen.
~~~
Interrogation Room
“But gan cao has a distinctive flavor, Brian.”
“If taken alone, certainly. However if used in correct balance it mutes the taste and smell of less palatable herbs. Again, great skill would be required to avoid overpowering whatever it’s added to with its own flavor. Having achieved that, the remedy you describe would likely be undetected in a strong beverage such as cola, coffee, and many teas. It also has the added benefit of cleansing toxins from the body. Since mixing three sedatives and not crossing the line from sedation to toxicity is so difficult, it would be a wise precaution to add gan cao for that reason alone, even if masking flavor was not an issue,” he concluded.
Logan nodded thoughtfully. “I see, thank you, Brian. Your teacher would be proud of your knowledge.” She laconically poured them some more tea.
The blonde then took their conversation off on a completely different tangent. She asked him about his life in the States. She asked about his previous jobs, places he’d lived, things he’d done, people he’d gotten to know. All things he readily supplied without hesitation. She even answered a few questions about herself.
“Yes. I may not be a teacher, but I have resided in the United Kingdom. I have a family home in Wales and I had a flat just off campus while I was at university.”
“Oxford?” he asked genuinely interested.
She smirked and replied with a chuckle. “Don’t be insulting. I went to Cambridge.”
He laughed at her lighthearted jab at the rival sister university. “George would have challenged you to a duel for that.”
“Well, that’s only proper.” She paused. “You had an extraordinary education, informal though it was. Have you ever considered continuing your education – going to graduate school?”
His disposition seemed to change a little to disappointment. “I don’t think that’s possible. I don’t officially have a high school diploma, much less an undergraduate degree.”
“All of which is merely a technicality. Brian, you would have no problem passing the GED. But I don’t know of a single university that would require one after you demonstrated your comprehensive knowledge. You studied at the feet of a master teacher, Zhi Cao. And with George’s instruction you’ve learned the Italian, Latin, Greek, German, Japanese, Spanish and Chinese languages.”
Brian seemed to cheer up as Logan pointed out his accomplishments and learning.
“If you did go on with your formal education, have you thought about where you’d like to go?”
His smile was almost an embarrassed one. “I’d love to go to Oxford. No disrespect intended,” he added quickly.
“Nothing wrong with wanting to go the second best school in the world,” she said with a smile.
He returned her smile knowingly.
“What would you like to study there?”
“I’d like to study in depth the differences between Eastern and Western philosophies. Zhi Cao said that all of man is the same, yet we fight over different ways of expressing the same ideals. We’ve forgotten our common ground, our common ancestry. If man could only see that we’re the same then there would be peace.” He paused. “Man’s ideals are expressed in our religions and philosophies. I want to study them and see where we are the same, even if we are different peoples. If we are all part of this creation then Buddhism, Taoism, Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Paganism, and others, must all come from the same seeds, the same roots, the same soil.”
You are more right than you know. It’s a shame you wasted such a mind on killing, Logan thought.
~~~
Observation Room
“I think he’s actually sincere,” observed Laffite. She shook her head. “I still can’t believe it’s him.” She glanced at her watch. “She’s been in there a long time and we still don’t have enough to convict him.”
“Be patient. Nicole knows what she’s doing. She’ll get him,” Monica said quietly, remaining attentive to things as they played out before them.
~~~
Interrogation Room
“If you really want to do an in depth comparison like that, then you would want to visit the library at the Vatican. They have a very extensive collection of religious texts – many of which are first editions in their original languages. They have a Talmud which has been proven to being from the seventh century. Of course it’s written in Aramaic, so you’d have to have someone translate it for you. The same goes for their Korans. And unless you read Hebrew you wouldn’t be able to read their oldest bibles without a translator either.”
“George didn’t teach me those languages. But I have tried to study them on my own. I wanted to be able to read the holy texts in their original languages, to read the words as they were written – not rely on someone else’s biased translation.”
Logan nodded. “Good, so you realize a translation often becomes an interpretation.”
“Yes! That was one of the first things I realized when I was learning Chinese! Chinese proverbs that have made it into the English language are worded so differently that many times the meaning itself is completely twisted. ‘Yu gwouh nay shai gwouh ng low leek dook shui, nay dai gwouh chi how wuy how fui,’ [‘All warfare is deception,’] is not ‘All’s fair in love and war.’”
“Indeed. Sun Tzu must roll over in his grave often.”
~~~
Observation Room
“Sun Tzu?” Laffite asked.
“The Art of War,” Scully explained softly. She smiled to herself. Her partner was obviously well read. The Art of War was one of her father’s favorites, although he never read it in the original Chinese. Well, she did say she had to have a basic knowledge of several languages, but I think she downplayed her abilities. At least she’s gotten him to admit knowledge of the herbs used to drug her and of the languages used in the notes. Keep it up, Logan.
Scully had observed and participated in quite a number of interviews and interrogations over the years. She felt Logan was on the right track with their suspect. The blonde continued her conversation with Brian. Scully could tell Sgt. Laffite was getting antsy, but Lt. Scipio and Agent Reyes seemed to understand that getting someone like Brian to confess sometimes took time. One had to tread lightly.
~~~
Interrogation Room
Logan and Brian continued to talk for a while, going off on a number of tangents. Finally Logan felt it was time to press. She’d built the relationship she needed with Brian and, more importantly, Brian was ready. He had finally started to let go of the control he kept over the darkness within.
“Brian, why did you do it?”
“Do what?”
“Spike my tea.”
“But I didn’t.”
Her eyes bored into his. “Ting ah! Nay ching hai geen ngor jung chong tong,” [Stop it! I have shown you nothing but respect and hospitality,] she growled and gestured to the tea. “Nay gor gah mien yi ging mo yuk jorh ngor. Ng ho jour gwang dai wah lay mo yuk ngor!” [You insult me with your pretence and false face. Do not insult me further by lying!]
After a couple of moments of silence Brian’s expression hardened and his whole demeanor changed. He hadn’t expected such an outburst from the blonde. His control slipped.
“Would you have come with me otherwise?” he asked.
“No.”
“Right. None of you would.” He went on to point out his ‘positive attributes’ and bemoan how women like her wouldn’t give him the time of day. It angered him how a woman would prefer to be with another woman instead of him.
“Women like me. You mean like Melody Spearman?”
He just glared at her. Logan didn’t let up.
“Why did you wash her body afterwards?”
“I washed her before – to remove the stink from her. To make her clean.”
“You washed her when you were done with her. Why bother washing her since you just dumped her, threw her away like yesterday’s trash?”
“I didn’t dump her! She was cleansed, purified, she wasn’t trash. She was clean. I left her in a clean place.”
Logan continued pressing Brian. Once she had locked eyes with him and got his control to slip, she knew she’d get it all from him. She got him to admit to the other killings and rapes.
For his part, Brian, was angry, defiant, arrogant, and somewhat confused. He knew the police couldn’t prove anything. He knew if he just kept to the plan, played his part, they couldn’t touch him. Yet somehow, something he didn’t understand was compelling him to tell all. He couldn’t look away from her eyes. Her eyes saw his soul... and he couldn’t look away. He knew he should stop talking, but he couldn’t. Her eyes were compelling him to tell all. He couldn’t look away... not from those eyes... those eyes...
Logan wrung every last detail from Brian. Names, places, deeds, everything. Often times, perps, once relieved of their secrets, their burdens, the darkness in their souls eased. Some were even completely freed of it. But not this one. The darkness was too deeply rooted. He would tell her all, but it would not help his soul.
Finally finished, Logan stood. She picked up the tea tray. “Goodbye, Brian.” She opened the door.
Two uniformed officers came in and cuffed Brian. Logan was walking down the corridor away from them when the officers brought him out of the room. He looked at her receding back. He had to know. Even as the officers led him in a different direction he called out.
“Dim yurng? Ngor ho yuen may gah. Mo yuen chi gah. Dim yurng gah?” [How? I was perfect. No one knew. How?] he called out.
Logan stopped, turned to look at him, and quoted Sun Tzu, “‘Xi zhi shan zhan zhe, xian wei bu ke sheng, yi dai di zhi ke sheng.’” [‘The good fighters of old first put themselves beyond the possibility of defeat, and then waited for an opportunity of defeating the enemy.’] She paused for a beat. “I waited.” She then resumed her journey to the break room.
They took him away and locked him up.
~~~
Break Room
When Scully found Logan in the break room, the blonde was standing at a window gazing out. The tea set she’d used was washed and drying near the sink. It had been a long day... a long interview. Scully could easily sense the weariness in her partner as she neared.
Logan took a sip of water, let out a deep breath, and closed her eyes.
“They’re never easy,” Scully said softly.
“No, they’re not.”
“You did a great job in there, Logan.”
“Thank you,” she replied quietly.
“Look, it’s been a long day for you. Why don’t you go on? Go to the hotel, or take a walk, or whatever. I’ll stay and finish things up here. I’ll see you at the hotel later. The case is over and we can go home tomorrow.”
Logan took another deep breath and slowly let it out. She looked at Scully. “Alright. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
“Do you want me to arrange for our flight out tomorrow?”
Scully shook her head. “No. I’ll take care of it.”
Logan nodded and then left.
~~~
Warehouse Basement
When Logan found her, she grabbed her by the throat and slammed her up against a wall. “I told you that I would know if you broke the rules!”
“Wait! Wait!”
Logan didn’t. She slammed the stake into Val’s chest. “You already had your second chance,” she growled as the vampire turned to dust.
She had wanted to do that as soon as she found out Val had been feeding again, but she couldn’t because of the case. Now, she felt all the loose ends in New Orleans were taken care of. The blonde headed to the hotel.
~~~
Red Roof Inn
Logan’s Room
Once Scully had finalized things with the NOPD she went to the hotel. It had been a long day. She slipped out of her heels and let out a silent sigh. She was surprised to see a file folder sitting on her bed. She picked it up and opened it. Inside was a copy of Logan’s finished case report. Well no one can accuse her of being a slacker.
After Scully changed clothes she tapped on the adjoining door which was slightly ajar. There was no response. She slowly opened the door. It was mostly dark in the room, except for a weak table light. Logan wasn’t in the room, but the sliding door to the balcony was open a few inches. She approached and finally saw her partner. The blonde was slouched down in the chair with her head laying back on the top of the chair back, seemingly looking up into the sky. Her long legs were stretched out in front her with her feet up on the railing. It was a pose of relaxation, but Scully could tell her partner was anything but relaxed.
“Logan?” she said softly as she slid the door open further so she wouldn’t startle her.
Logan took a deep breath and let it out. “Come on out, Scully. Take in the night air.” Her voice was flat.
The redhead stepped out and stood to the side of the chair. “You alright?”
“Why wouldn’t I be?” she replied with no inflection whatsoever.
Scully wasn’t sure what to say to her partner. She could tell something was bothering her – probably the case. But she had no way to know for sure. And Logan didn’t seem very willing to offer up any hints. Considering her own reticence to open up she couldn’t really condemn the blonde for it now. She then realized that after almost a month of working with this woman, she had already come to expect openness and selflessness from her new partner. And now that Logan seemed to be closed off to her, she missed it.
The question was whether to let things go for now, giving her partner some space; or press forward, taking the risk of really caring about the woman. Oh, who the hell do you think you’re fooling, Dana. You do care how she’s doing. Not even a month and she’s already gotten through some of your walls. And she’s gone out of her way to be there for you on more than one occasion. The least you can do is show her some support now.
She put her hand on Logan’s shoulder and gave it a light squeeze. “I know today wasn’t easy, Nicole. I’m here if you want to talk about it... and even if you don’t.”
The blonde opened her eyes and looked up at Scully. “Thanks.”
“Have you eaten dinner yet?”
She shook her head a little.
“Come on then. Let’s go get some dinner. I’m buying.”
Logan carefully lifted her feet off the railing and set them down on the floor. She then unfolded herself from the chair. “Alright.”
~~~
Pierre’s Restaurant
Logan wasn’t very talkative at first. Scully moved the conversation along, finding herself talking much more than she usually did in such circumstances. But she felt more at ease than she had in quite some time. As dinner progressed the blonde’s spirits seemed to lift. By the time they had their second after dinner drink both women were smiling and sharing a few laughs.
It was rather late when they made their way back to their rooms. Fortunately their flight home was not an early one.
~~~
Red Roof Inn
Scully’s Room
In the morning Logan found Scully dressed and sitting at the small table in her room, typing on her laptop. She set a cup of hot tea on the table for the redhead as she leaned her hip against it, which elicited a smile.
“You know, I’ll never give up coffee,” Scully quipped lightly.
“Or the occasional cigarette, right?” Logan smirked affectionately.
Scully stopptared at her partner. “How the...”
Logan just smiled knowingly.
“If you say it was just a hunch, I’m going to smack you.”
“No. I just have a good sense of smell.” She patted Scully’s shoulder and chuckled. “Just know you don’t have to hide it from me. We all have our peccadilloes, Agent Scully.”
A fine auburn brow arched as Scully sipped the delicious morning tea. “And what are yours, Agent Logan?”
The blonde just smiled. “I guess time will tell,” she said as she stood straight and returned to her own room.
Scully smiled into her mug and gave a slight shake of her head. You are indeed a bit of a mystery, Nicole Logan.
~~~
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XF Dana's Malakim 9-10
