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The Killer and The Victim (I_Am_Nobody x CyanideDisaster) (Completed)

RE: The Killer and The Victim (I_Am_Nobody x CyanideDisaster)

Emile scoffed, "'Drug habit'? It was a little pot I smoked in college. My lord, we must be uneducated." She sighed heavily, but then pressed her fingers against the edge of the table, shaking her head. She lifted a hand to run her fingers through her hair, shaking the long tendrils out to fall against her shoulders.

"No one is free from accusations, Lieutenant, the law says "innocent until prove guilty" but we all know this is a lie. The moment someone sees or hears something that sounds at least plausible, we assume that person is guilty. Mostly if they are the most convenient answer," Emile looked towards the man, huffing an irritated sigh. "But go on with your theories. I will never change what I say, or how I say it. My fiance was a wonderful man who did wonderful things for people who needed it. He was a saint and he did not deserve to die."

When he continued, Emile fell silent to listen. She nodded, "I did know, he told me about them vaguely. I never asked many questions, though I was never told not to, if that's where you were going to take that." She would have glared at him, but it would look more-so strange on her, than frightening. "Some people just witness more things that others, Lieutenant," She shrugged her thin shoulders. "Shouldn't you police be glad he was a witness? Helped you catch the sickos that did it, did it not?" She cocked her head slightly, a thin smile coming onto her pale lips.

Emile removed her hands from the dog, and shifted in her seat. The dog moved with her, lifting his head to allow her freedom. She crossed her legs and replaced her hands on her knee. Sparky on the other hand, shifted to lay on the floor next to Emile's feet. She pursed her lips for a long moment, before starting to spin the engagement ring on her left hand. "At this point though, Lieutenant, as all niceties seemed to have fled the room. I would like to see my lawyer."

She did her best not to bare her teeth like an angry dog. "Unless you're finished with me here, in which case. I'd like to go home now. All other information you can get from your files. You know, the ones that were made with people asking me these questions before. Nothing has changed, officer." Emile allowed the little 'slip up' keeping the smile from showing on her lips. "Unless I'm under arrest, of course. But I don't believe that is the case."
 
RE: The Killer and The Victim (I_Am_Nobody x CyanideDisaster)

"Of course you're not under arrest," Kinsman said with a slight laugh. "Yet. Of course this conversation could be construed as a deliberate obstruction of an investigation and lying to the police. Rubbish of course, any halfway competent lawyer would have the charges dismissed in a heartbeat. But we could hold you for twenty-four hours, and that's just enough time and justification to turn your home and life completely upside down looking for what else you might be hiding," Kinsman continued, his voice still calm, almost cheerfully friendly as he detailed the ways in which they could make her life even more miserable.

"Because you can continue to claim that Koh was a saint, and that you don't know the first thing about what he was doing behind your back. And maybe you simply don't know that you know. But the Bogeyman killed your fiance, and he left you alive. There is nothing that will stop me from learning why." A chair could be heard pushing back, Kinsman standing. "I'll give your lawyer a call," he said, as though he was doing her a favor. He could be heard taking a few steps, the door closing behind him as he left the room.

With a faint smile, he pulled out his phone and started dialing.

-------------------

The drive was nearly empty when Joseph's phone, the one he used when he needed to do something as a cop instead of a murderer, began to ring. Still tapping on the computer, he pulled it from his pocket and flipped it open. "Hello?"

"Hello, Officer Heller. Have you learned anything yet?" Heller's grip tightened on the phone as the Lieutenant's voice came out; not exactly a welcome surprise.

"No, sir. Can't say I expect to find anything, either."

"Of course you don't. Well if there is something to find, it's very likely that it will be in Kohr's old study, on the computer."

The fact that Joseph was sitting in Kohr's study and was currently eliminating valuable evidence from the aforementioned computer did not calm him down. It took far too long for Heller to stop screaming that they had to kill the Lieutenant now, giving Joseph enough time to respond. "What makes you say that?"

"Let's call it a hunch. Back to work, Officer." The phone clicked, buzzing as the Lieutenant hung up. Joseph stared at it for a few moments. He's an annoying, godawful son of a bitch.

But he's better than I thought. This might be a problem.
 
RE: The Killer and The Victim (I_Am_Nobody x CyanideDisaster)

"What else I might be hiding?" Emile's face turned a bright red with anger for a moment. "Are you implying I've already hidden something from you? You..." She stopped herself, taking a deep, calming breath. "I've told you nothing but the truth, officer. I spend nearly every day in this little room with your men, telling them again and again and again what I know." Emile scoffed again, sitting back in her chair and shaking her curls.

After Kinsman loved around, and as he walked towards the door, Emile sighed loudly. "My theory on why he didn't kill me, was because my suffering was pleasure enough." She rolled her sightless eyes, "Please do."

This had been the first time Emile had ever called her lawyer, this was also the first time she'd been angered, disrespected, and treated like some sort of degenerate to need to. The old Lieutenant, Miller, was nothing but a sweet man. He was gentle in the sense he never forgot the victims' names, but sturdy and rough in the sense he also got what he needed from her. Emile felt this terrible urge to cry, for a strange reason, as Kinsman left the room. Dennis would have been so disappointed in her actions in the room today. Her temper flared -- making her look guilty -- and she spoke with anything but respect for the officer.

Her thin fingers snaked up to rub Sparky's ears softly, closing her eyes as she felt the silken ears, and listened to the rustle of the fur. "You believe me, don't you Sparky? You know Dennis was a great man. He was." She spoke softly, barely over a whisper. The dog lapped at her finger tips when he tilted his head from her hands. "Aw, god boy. You giving me kisses?" She cooed in her 'puppy voice', distracted by the dog at her feet.

She really did need one of these.

Emile strained her ears, tilting her head as she tried to listen to what may be happening outside her little metal room. But she knew she'd hear nothing, the room was sound proof. Heaving a sigh, she flopped into her chair again. "I just want to go home." She muttered, kicking her heels against the floor.
 
RE: The Killer and The Victim (I_Am_Nobody x CyanideDisaster)

Kinsman would have been pleased to simply tell Emile that he had called her lawyer and gone on with the questioning while her lawyer was "unexpectedly delayed" in arriving. But all of her sessions were being recorded, and it was now on the record that she had asked for her lawyer. He wasn't ready to buck the rules that much, not quite yet anyway. So instead he simply left her alone for the twenty or so minutes that it took for her lawyer to arrive.

Eventually the low cacophony of voices and shouting that generally filled the police station could be heard as the door opened, Emile catching the tail end of an ongoing 'discussion' that was more likely a tightly controlled argument. "-presence is absolutely not required, Lieutenant. And I'll thank you to turn off the cameras."

"What makes you think-"

"This is not up for debate. Now either charge my client, or get out of the room so I can speak to her confidentially. Without anyone watching."

There was a pause before Kinsman responded. "Of course," he said in the same calm, just shy of friendly tone he'd used through much of the interrogation. "We'll be just outside, should you require anything." Footsteps, until finally the Lieutenant had left the room and shut the door behind him.

"Any more time with that man and I might have done him an injury," the lawyer muttered as he approached Emile, laying a comforting hand on her shoulder. "How are you, Emile?" he asked gently. "I would ask why you called me, but after speaking with that specimen, I understand completely."

((I left the lawyer vague, in case you had anything in mind.))

--------------------------------

Heller glared at the computer, trying to work out what to do. Once Kinsman latched onto an idea like this, Heller had the uneasy feeling that he wouldn't let go easily. Which meant that if Joseph didn't find anything, then Kinsman would just send in someone else who would probably discover that large portions of the drive had been wiped. The only real option was a wild goose chase, and one that didn't implicate Kohr in any other crimes. Not only would it defeat the purpose of the lie, but it would give Kinsman more reason to hunt through the rest of Kohr's belongings and find everything else; if Kohr had printed out any of the photos or put them on a disc...

It was several minutes before he began typing. It was risky, and would mean quite a bit of legwork to be sure that the trail led far enough away from the truth, but he could make it work.

Probably.
 
RE: The Killer and The Victim (I_Am_Nobody x CyanideDisaster)

Emile kept patting the dog's head peering up as she heard the door open. She tilted her head and offered a little smile to her lawyer. She remembered how he walked, and knew he was a heavier man. His footsteps sounded as if he were waddling a little, he was a bit older too, his head bald with gentle green eyes. Not that Emile was aware of the finer details. She kept quiet at the end half of the conversation, nodding her head a little. "For some reason I doubt the camera's will be completely turned off." She muttered softly, shaking her head.

She felt his hand, and lifted a hand to pat his gently, before hearing his chair push back, and the heavy set man huff as he sat down. "Well, you can see what I've been dealing with this last little while. After months of being treated with respect he comes in, guns blazing about Dennis being a criminal, even forgets his name!" She struggled to keep her emotions in check. She sighs again, tapping her finger nails on the metal table. "I felt it was best that I speak to you before continuing this."

She could hear him nod, his chin brushing the collar of his shirt. "No, you did what you should have. I completely understand."

"Other than that, I guess I've been doing okay... I decided I am going to get a trained dog."

Her lawyer nodded again, shifting in his seat. "Now, what happened?"

Emile took the time to explain the last hour, in detail, to her lawyer, when she had exhausted herself she sat further back into her seat, eyes downwards and lips pursed. Her lawyer-- Gary O'Leary -- nodded along with her story, before rapping his nails along the table. "Well, the Lieutenant doesn't seem like he's about to press charges. And if not, I'd suggest we take you home. This situation is stressful for you. And if they need anymore information from you that they don't already have, they can call me directly and we'll take it from there."

The woman nodded her head at Gary, a soft smile on her pale lips. "It would be nice not to have to be asked these questions every day." She shrugged her shoulders, when Gary patted her arm lightly. "Should we call the Lieutenant back in?" She asked, pursing her lips. Obviously not wanting to speak to him again.
 
RE: The Killer and The Victim (I_Am_Nobody x CyanideDisaster)

"I suppose we must," Gary sighed, standing up from the table. "Don't worry, I'll handle this." A few moments later the door opened, and almost immediately Kinsman's voice could be heard.

"Well, now that we've cleared up this little misunderstanding, I would like to-"

"Your likes are irrelevant," Gary interrupted, his voice taking on the authoritative, harsh tones he used when he went full-lawyer on someone. "Ms. Burns is not feeling well, and this interrogation is over."

"I would hardly call it an-"

"As I said, your opinion on the matter is irrelevant. We are leaving now, and in the future you will speak to me before you subject my client to any more of these direct, personal attacks. Are there any more objections, or shall I prepare to file charges of unlawful detainment?" Gary demanded, fixing the Lieutenant with an icy glare.

"I can't imagine why you would," Kinsman replied calmly. "I'll arrange for an officer to escort Ms. Burns home."

"Fine. Let us know when Heller gets here."

"Officer Heller is currently unavailable," Kinsman answered, and you could hear the smile creeping along his face. "But I'm sure another officer capable of driving her home can be found."

There was a pause. "Is that alright, Emile?" Gary answered, turning his head towards her. On the surface it didn't really matter, but Heller had been assigned to be her driver and contact for weeks. He didn't want to make the day even more uncomfortable for her if he could help it.

-------------------------------------

Heller had nearly finished when his phone rang again. He hesitated before answering it; if it was the Lieutenant again, the man must be a fucking psychic. Finally he picked it up. "Hello?"

"Hey Joseph, it's me," came Angela's voice. "Sounds like they're about to release Ms. Burns."

"Great, thanks. I'll be back soon." Heller snapped the phone closed and quickly logged out of the computer, grabbing the few documents he'd printed off. It would have to do.
 
RE: The Killer and The Victim (I_Am_Nobody x CyanideDisaster)

Emile had to hide her amused smile as she patted Sparky's head. The Lieutenant getting an ear-full made her quite happy. She nearly giggled in glee when Gary not only cut off Kinsman, but put him on the spot. She wiggled her toes in her slip-on shoes happily. Then came the important news. Heller was not around. She pursed her lips and tilted her head as if to regard the two men at the opening of the room. Her brows knitted. "I... I guess so." She said, after a little hesitation. After today's mishap, she had no desire to really be taken home by another person she didn't trust.

Pushing her chair out, the woman gathered herself to her feet, Sparky joined her in standing, his tailing wagging as he was more than ready to move. "I'd be more comfortable with Officer Heller, but I guess another officer will be fine." She chewed on the inside of her cheek as she gathered Sparky's leash into her fine hands. The dog took his job as her lead very seriously, pulling her gently towards the door.

"Morric cleared me with the use of Sparky, until I can get my own dog. I hope this isn't an inconvenience Lieutenant." Emile nearly purred, allowing the dog to pull her past the two men. She listened as Gary turned and waddled after her, his pace easily falling in with hers. She could also hear Kinsman following, but he stopped when they passed a desk, to speak with someone quietly. She didn't even care to listen in.

Gary then took lead, and led her down back into the waiting room she was sitting in before her interrogation. This time she didn't take a seat. Instead she stood in the room, hands fiddling with Sparky's leash nervously. Heller said he'd be back to drive her home. Worry filled her, what if the Bogeyman knew about Heller and wanted him dead too? She frowned at the thought, tilting her head to listen for her trusted officer distinct voice.

She nearly pouted when she heard nothing.
 
RE: The Killer and The Victim (I_Am_Nobody x CyanideDisaster)

Joseph drove back quickly, listening to Heller's complaints about what he was about to do. It was too risky, too complicated, too likely to backfire horribly. Frankly, Joseph agreed. But it was the best idea he'd come up with, and he didn't see Heller volunteering anything else.

-----------------------------

"Ms. Burns?" came an unfamiliar voice a few minutes later, as someone approached her. "I'm Officer Trent, to escort you home." The voice was trying to sound professional, but there was a plain note of fascination and perhaps incredulity in it. Being this close to the Bogeygirl...the insensitive and frankly inappropriate questions would wait until they were in the car, but only barely. A hand was placed on her arm, one more used to guiding suspects then the blind, starting to pull her towards the front entrance, to the endless steps and ever-present reporters. "If you could just come this way-"

"Hold it!" came a blessedly familiar voice; not Heller's, but Sparky's welcoming bark showed he was familiar with it as well. "Hey Trent," Morric said in a friendly tone, briefly placing his hand on Emile's arm. "Ms. Burns. If you're leaving now, I don't want you to go without the rest of Sparky's stuff. Trent, why don't you go head down to the K-9 supply closet and grab a bag of dog-food?"

"Don't you think-" Trent started to protest.

"Your son still in that ballet class?" Morric asked lightly.

Silence for a moment, then grumbling as Trent released Emile and started to walk away. Morric waited a few moments before bursting out with a laugh. "The kid's actually pretty good," he chuckled. "But Mrs. Trent brought in a video of it last week, and Trent's face is still red. Anyway, I figured you could use a stall until Heller gets back." He hefted something in his arms, the clattering revealing he was holding a box of stuff. "Don't worry, Sparky's easy. I've got his food and water bowls here. Just fill those a couple of times a day, let him out if he scratches at the door, and make sure he gets to play with his squeaky." Something squeaked in his grip, Sparky whining a little until the toy was dropped to the floor where it was happily savaged.
 
RE: The Killer and The Victim (I_Am_Nobody x CyanideDisaster)

'Ms. Burns' turned when her name was called. She kept her eyes half-lidded, though she smiled sweetly. "Yes?" She asked, before hearing the rest of it. She nodded softly. The enthusiastic Officer Trent grabbed Emile's arm, and she felt swept away by him, she yelped a little to catch her balance and footing, before getting into a comfortable stride. She gave his hand on her arm a light pat, swaying her hips as she walked with him.

Morric's unforgettable voice sounded behind her and she couldn't help the wide grin from spreading across her face. She stopped, almost pulling Trent up straight with her. Sparky was excited at Morric's presence, pulling on Emile a little to move closer to his true owner. She leaned into Morric's touch, he was such a gentle giant. Emile let out a little gasp. "Oh! I nearly forgot about food." She clicked her tongue in disappointment at herself.

The mention of ballet made her tilt her head in confusion. She could almost feel Trent warm up on her opposite arm, she held back her soft giggle. She listened to the officer leave, before facing where she believed Morric still stood. Then a wide grin broke across her feature. "Thanks Morric, Officer Trent seems like a great guy, but I like my current driving thank you. Where has Heller been?" She snickered a little, "Off getting some coffee and donuts?" She joked, but knew that most of the cops (mostly with the threat of the Bogeyman) were in quite good shape. Even Morric, who was a heavier set man, could probably lift a small car.

The squeaking drew her out of her reverie. Emile laughed softly. "Sparky wants his Squeaky? Reminds me of Missy and her baby.. my old lab, she had this little plush of a lab that she would carry around with her. It was her baby." Emile sighed warmly at the memories, over the noise of Sparky attacking the toy.

"Sparky won't dig for the food right? So if I leave it in a fairly open area, he's not gonna rip a hole in it or something. I can't really hide it on him-- I'd never find it either." Emile laughed softly patting Morric's arm gently. She listened for approaching footsteps.

"No no. Sparky's a good dog. He won't go lookin' for food unless you don't feed him for a few days. And I know you will."

Emile nodded, "Of course. I could never let a sweet-heart like Sparky stave. That's just mean."
 
RE: The Killer and The Victim (I_Am_Nobody x CyanideDisaster)

Sparky growled happily as his name was mentioned, occasional squeaking coming from him as he chewed upon his squeaky. Morric chuckled as he reached down to scratch him between the ears, laughing again at the mention of doughnuts. "He might as well be; our esteemed Lieutenant decided that the best use of Heller's time was sending him halfway across town to pick up some paperwork." It was a lie, and Morric knew it was a lie. It was what Heller had told him, but Heller couldn't lie to save his life (which was another carefully constructed lie, though Morric remained ignorant of that one.) Still, if Heller didn't want Emile knowing what the Lieutenant had ordered him to do, then he was willing to cover for him. "But Angela gave him a call and told him to hurry, should be back any moment now."

The sound of a grunt came down the hallway, Trent returning as he staggered under the weight of a particularly large bag of dog food. (The guys down in K-9 were nothing if not fun-loving.) "Oh, there you are," Morric told him. "Well don't just stand around here, go dump it in your car."

"I'm not-"

"Good man," Morric exclaimed, turning away from him back towards Emile. "And if you decide to get a dog of your own, I stuck a brochure in for a great agency; it's in braille, since they train great seeing-eye dogs."

The sound of hurrying footsteps began to echo down the hallway, someone quickly moving through the station towards them. "Em- Ms. Burns," came Heller's voice, already apologetic. "I'm sorry for being late, the Lieutenant sent me off on some ridiculous errand. Is everything alright?"

Once he was sure that everything was as fine as it could be, he turned towards Morric. "Thanks, Morric. I owe you,"

"Eh, don't worry about it," Morric answered. "Hang on. Trent! Wrong way, dump it in Heller's car out back!" He chuckled at the sound of muffled cursing, handing the box of Sparky's stuff over to Heller. "Here's Sparky's stuff, already told Ms. Burns what she needs to do. That the paperwork Kinsman asked for?"

"Yeah," Heller answered after a brief, barely noticable hesitation. "You mind dropping it off for me?"

"Not a problem. See you around Heller, Ms. Burns. You be a good boy Sparks, alright?" There was a squeak. "Atta boy." Footsteps began to recede, leaving the two of them briefly alone in the hallway.
 
RE: The Killer and The Victim (I_Am_Nobody x CyanideDisaster)

Emile rolled her eyes a little, a small smile on her face. She was glad there wasn't people running around singing praises to the Lieutenant, it would have made it a lot harder getting out of that room. A shudder ran down her spine. She wondered how far that man was going to take it, how long he would pester her about her fiance before she had broken down and cried. She made a stern face as she thought, she wouldn't have let him. She did the right hing calling her lawyer. Emile zoned back in to catch the ass-end of Morric's words. "I hope I'm not being any sort of inconvenience..." As true as her words were, she didn't want any other driver.

A small laugh escaped her lips at the officer's entertaining chatter. When the third pair of boots began to clatter down the hall, she almost assumed it was another young and eager officer, looking to get a word or two out of the Bogeygirl. But Heller's voice-- sweet Heller --was the one that greeted her. All the tension in her shoulders faded as she smiled widely. "It's fine, I'm glad you're back and okay. I wouldn't say alright, but I'm fine." She reached to pat his arm gently.

She listened to their chatter, wondering what sort of paper-work it was. Generally Heller waited on her in the station, doing some menial paper-work at his desk or some such while she spoke to Miller. I guess a few things changed with the change of power, she snorted mentally.

"See you later Officer Morric." She said in a soft tone, raising a hand in a wave.

Emile's hands tightened on Sparky's leash as she turned to Heller's direction. "I don't know which exit we are at... mind leading me? It's been a rough day." She admitted in a little voice, she could hear Sparky chewing on the toy even as he got to his feet. She could almost picture a proud dog carrying a neon coloured squeaky toy as if it were nothing.

"I understand why you wanted to warn me about the new Lieutenant and his theories. You know I even had to call Gary-- My lawyer." She said, conversationally in a low tone, as if people might have been listening. "I don't think I'll be coming back to the station again tomorrow, unless they're charging me with something."
 
RE: The Killer and The Victim (I_Am_Nobody x CyanideDisaster)

"Of course," Joseph told her, shifting the box around until he could hold it under one arm and place his other upon Emile's. "My car's around the back, this way," he explained as he began to lead her through the station's halls. Sparky obediently took the lead, gently pulling her in the right direction as Heller made sure none of the other officers or suspects they were leading got close enough to bother her. She seemed tired, restrained; whatever the new Lieutenant had put her through, it seemed to have taken a lot out of her. As she began to explain at least part of what had happened, his face began to darken. "I should have found an excuse to stay," he muttered, half to himself. "I'm sorry; I knew he was going to be harsher, but I had no idea it was going to be that bad."

Eventually they made it to the back entrance, Trent's faint cursing once more audible as he wrestled the box of dog food into the trunk of Joseph's squad car. "Hey, thanks Trent," oseph said with a smile. "I'll take care of Ms. Burns, you can get back to your work."

"Yeah...sure," Trent muttered, returning to the station where he would remain the low man on the totem pole, at least until someone else's wife brought in a video of their kid.

"Hold on a moment," Joseph told Emile as he stepped up to the front, sliding the box of dog supplies into the passenger seat before opening up the back door. Sparky quickly leaped up into the back as Heller moved back around to help her in. "Mind your head."

--------------------

"Lieutenant!" Morric called out as he finally found Kinsman; the lieutenant was alone in one of the conference rooms, several files on the Bogeyman spread out across the table and taped up onto the wall. "Here's the stuff you sent Heller for."

Kinsman glanced up, pausing for a moment before he nodded slightly. "Thank you, officer," he said as he took the folder. "I understand you were the one who told Ms. Burns she could borrow one of our dogs?"

"Yes, sir. Cleared it under our citizen outreach program, everything's in order."

"Of course it is," Kinsman said in a friendly tone, though his eyes were anything but. "That'll be all, officer." He flipped open the folder as Morric left, his eyes widening slightly as he read the note Heller had written and left on top. Not quite what he was expecting, but interesting nonetheless. Internet search history and documents found on computer (reproduced within) indicate Dennis Kohr was in the initial stages of an independent investigation into the Bogeyman.

Could the answer be as simple as that? Kohr began searching and stumbled on something that he shouldn't have? Interesting.

Very interesting.
 
RE: The Killer and The Victim (I_Am_Nobody x CyanideDisaster)

Emile followed, allowing the dog and the man to lead her away. By now, you;d think she'd be able to get through the station without incident, but it was better safe than sorry. "No no. You're a cop, not my nanny." She chuckled softly, shaking her head, "I should have known you might not be the one who is always there to drive me around." She patted his hand lightly with the hand with Sparky's leash wrapped around it. "No no. I knew Miller was going easy on me.."

She chuckled softly as they pushed out the back doors, using her toes to get down the stairs. She listened as Trent passed them, "Thank you Trent." She also murmured to Trent. "I wish I could have heard that video of you son." She cooed as he went up the back stairs, she stifled a little laugh.

She hesitated as he asked her to. Rocking back on her heels as she waited for him to come back. She listened to Sparky move around. "Have you worked with him before?" She asked softly, cocking her head before he lead her to the car. She ducked her head and slipped into the back seat. Sparky's warmth curling up against her side. He laid down on the faux leather seats, his head resting in Emile's lap. She automatically began to pat the dog's head soothingly.

"I want a puppy just like you." She cooed at the dog, her stressed shoulders lax.

As the car started up and the engine began to purr under her seat she leaned back into the seat with a soft sigh. "That Kinsman is terrible. He made Dennis sound like he was kidnapping little children or something. Then he went off like I killed him-- again!" She sighed heavily, patting the dogs head.
 
RE: The Killer and The Victim (I_Am_Nobody x CyanideDisaster)

"I still should have been there," Joseph muttered, his voice low. Subjecting her to this sort of treatment was not what he'd had in mind when he decided to stay. And Heller was already shouting that Kinsman would find something, he was just the sort of bull-headed asshole that dug until he found something, even if it was bullshit. But Joseph was more concerned with the woman climbing into his car; if Kinsman kept digging, she would be the one paying the price.

He waited until he had climbed into the front seat before he answered her question. "You mean Sparky? I've never been on a case with him, but the K-9s need to be familiar with everyone in the station. That way it doesn't matter who he ends up in the field with, he trusts us all and we all know what commands he responds to. I'll teach you a few of them once I've gotten you home." Sparky himself seemed more than happy to be with Emile, his wagging tail making a soft, rhythmic sound.

When she mentioned Kinsman's latest accusations, he felt a sudden wave of relief that she was blind. It meant she couldn't see the sudden stiffening of his shoulders, the sudden glance he shot in her direction before returning his eyes to the road. What did Kinsman have? Was it a guess? No, it was far too close to the truth to just be a guess. Something had led him in that direction. Hadn't Kohr been questioned in a few of the abduction cases? Surely Kinsman couldn't have learned anything significant from that, or at least couldn't have anything more then suspicions. But what if he had something else?

Heller was trying to get his attention; suddenly Joseph realized he hadn't answered Emile yet. The pause couldn't have been longer then a few seconds, but surely she must have noticed. Shit, he was slowing down. "Ms. Burns," he finally said a bit slowly, as though he'd been debating something internally. In a sense he had, but maybe that would distract her from the actual reason for his silence. "I don't know how much I can influence him yet, but I'm going to do everything I can to make Kinsman back off. One new theory doesn't give him the right to attack you like this."
 
RE: The Killer and The Victim (I_Am_Nobody x CyanideDisaster)

Emile was glad that she could trust Heller with this information. "Well, you made it in time, so it's all good." She admitted with a little smile, scratching at the dog's ears. "Oh, that's good. Would be much easier if I knew the commands he had already, you know?" Already Emile was trying to push the day's events-- as short as they were --from her mind.

His hesitation struck her as odd, and she listened carefully to him. The only other noises aside from the dog and the car was their breathing. For a moment she thought she could even hear his heart beating. When he finally did speak she tilted her head up to regard him-- or at least mimic the motion.

A faint blush touched her pale cheeks and she fiddled her thumbs together, suddenly feeling helpless, foolish, and entirely girlie. She reached up to brush locks from her eyes, as useless as they were, and settled her hand back down on Sparky's head. "Thank you Heller." She said in a soft voice, "I could understand why the questions come up, but I've answered them so many times... so very many times..." She drifted off for a moment, leaning her forehead against the cool glass of the window pane. "Could he not have just watched the old tapes?" She whined a little, tapping her toes against the back of his seat, sighing softly.

"He's not as bad as the reporters though... did I tell you that woman called me again? Trying to see if she could come try and read my palm-- the one the Bogeyman touched --to connect with him." She snorts a little, "She said she was in love with him. Is that weird? I think so, but I don't know if I'm weird." She chewed on the side of her cheek as she thought about it.
 
RE: The Killer and The Victim (I_Am_Nobody x CyanideDisaster)

"You're not weird," Joseph answered immediately, wishing he was back there to put a reassuring hand on her arm. "There are just too many crazy people out there, even a few in uniform." Kinsman wasn't crazy though, at least not that he could tell. It would be better if he was. Easier to discredit, easier to mislead. "The next time one of them bothers you at home, give me a call," he offered. "I'll take care of it, scare them off. You shouldn't have to deal with...any of this."

A woman in love with the Bogeyman? Heller dismissed the idea immediately. Probably just some nut who hated one of the victims, and now had some twisted idea that he had killed for her. Still, Joseph couldn't but wonder just what the woman would think if she knew exactly who, and what, the Bogeyman was. Depended on how crazy she was. He shook his head slightly. Irrelevant. Well, mostly. If she was obsessed enough, then she might eventually uncover something. Perhaps he would have no choice but to deal with that little detail eventually. But right now he needed to focus on Emile.

He was quiet for a few moments before he spoke again. "Is there anywhere you need to go before I take you home?" he asked, trying to keep his voice light and conversational. Anything to distract her from the unpleasantness of the day, of Kinsman's accusations that hit far too close to home. "The grocery, or something. Or if you're hungry I could stop somewhere," he continued, Heller finally smacking Joseph into silence. A few weeks of driving a grieving widow back and forth apparently did not qualify him to not babble like an idiot whenever he tried to say something other than quiet sympathies.

((Sorry for the shortness; not sure what else to write in the middle of conversations like this.))
 
RE: The Killer and The Victim (I_Am_Nobody x CyanideDisaster)

//No no, it's fine. I have the same problem too. Dx //

"Yeah, Morric is crazy, but in a good way. He was so kind to let me keep Sparky for a few days." She patted the dog's head again, a weak smile coming to her lips. Inside, she was still shaken from Kinsman, but until she was safe in her home with her drawn drapes and TV cover-up, she'd hold in her emotions. "Well, this is what I get for being the bogeygirl. But I will, you programmed my phone with your number right?" Emile could barely remember if he had placed his personal number in her phone, or just his professional one. She shook her head, she could reach him on either if she really had to.

Emile listened to the question before nodding vigorously-- knowing he was watching. "I do need to pick up some food--" her voice was cut off by the not-so-subtle sound of her belly roaring out into the car. The rumble even startled Sparky, who lifted his head to look up at her. She managed a little laugh. "Food might be best too, but I can make something.. I don't want to burden you any further. And I'm sure you've got other police work to do. My case can't be the only one..."

Though in this town, it wouldn't be surprising if it were. Most of the people in this place were friendly, easy-going, and generally not the criminal types. There were still teen-aged vandalism and gangs, but nothing ever escalated to the level of the Bogeyman's crimes.

"Do you like Italian, Heller?" Emile pursed her lips for a moment, "Is Heller your first name?" She queried after her small hesitation. "It's not fair that you know my whole name, what I look like, and all my personal information... and I only know your last time."
 
RE: The Killer and The Victim (I_Am_Nobody x CyanideDisaster)

Someone needs to stop that nickname. So far it was mostly only within the station, a bit of a running gag that had already stopped being funny yet was still often repeated. But if the press got a hold of the name, it would follow Emile for the rest of her life, even after the Bogeyman (or the person Heller eventually framed) was caught. The incident would probably haunt her anyway, she didn't need a name like that reminding her of it every day. "Yeah, my cell number's in your phone," he told her with a nod; she couldn't see it, but the reflexive action of giving one was hard to shake. "If they give you any more trouble, just give me a call and I'll deal with it."

He shook his head when she mentioned his police work, running a quick mental check over what he actually needed to do. Mostly paperwork, that would actually probably take him a few hours. Plus he was technically on duty, so if dispatch called in an emergency he was supposed to drop everything and go check it out. But instead Joseph said "It might as well be my only case. And really, it's no trouble at all. I couldn't just drive away and leave a lady in need." Hell, that was the reason he was here in the first place. Heller may still think that they were making a mistake, but on that snowy day, Joseph hadn't been able to just walk away. And so here he was, still trying to figure out what he needed to do to make things right.

Joseph looked slightly surprised when Emile mentioned Italian, falling into a slightly embarrassed silence after she asked his name. Such a simple thing, and yet such a complicated answer. He knew which name she was looking for, but what would happen if he told her his others? Downtown Decapitator? The Gold Street Murderer? The Bogeyman? "It's Joseph," he told her after a moment, glancing back at her in the rear view mirror. "Joseph Heller. Pleasure to meet you," he added with a slight chuckle. "And yes, I do like Italian. Did you have a place in mind?"
 
RE: The Killer and The Victim (I_Am_Nobody x CyanideDisaster)

"Good, good." She murmured, nodding her head a little. She smiled warmly at him but kept her head down. Was it wrong that her fiance was only dead for this long yet already she was forgetting about him more and more? She found herself no longer looking for his warmth in bed, calling his name when she stumbled, and even looking forward to talking with him. Now her life revolved around her strange relationship with Heller.

Emile listened as he spoke, she knew it couldn't all be true, but she smiled warmly anyways, accepting the little mercies of life. A soft laugh passed through her lips, "Well, I'm lucky you've become my driver then. Instead of some lout who'd drop me off at home and allow the reporters and such to get at me." Emile continued to stroke the dog's head with her pale fingers, she wondered vaguely what breed of dog he was, not that it mattered. As her fingers stroked his skull, she could tell he was a lab of sorts. She cooed at the dog in her puppy voice as Heller fell to silence.

"The pleasure is mine, Joseph." She retorted in her sweet little way. Emile tilted her head up towards the front of the car making a face as if she were thinking. "I'm not sure.. I just had a craving for it. I don't need to go somewhere fancy where I'll draw more attention to myself-- is there an Olive Garden or something like that around?" Being as she had been the wife-to-be of a pretty wealthy man, Emile knew all the fancy restaurants by name. But the rich lifestyle was not hers, she called a fancy dinner Red Lobster! "Plus, I hate keeping you from work... but you will join me, right? My treat. You don't have to tell Mrs. Heller about it either." She giggled softly, the thought that this man was not married never even coming to mind.
 
RE: The Killer and The Victim (I_Am_Nobody x CyanideDisaster)

"Oh, no, there's uh.." Joseph cleared his throat, suddenly hesitant for some odd, unknown reason. "There's no Mrs. Heller. It just...never happened, I guess." Of course he wasn't married, how could he possibly hide his work, hide Heller, from a wife? Or anyone for that matter, if they spent that much time together? The thought came unbidden to his mind; he'd been spending quite a lot of time with Emile, and she hadn't noticed a thing. Yet. "But," he said in a brighter voice, trying to change the subject, "the Olive Garden's about half an hour away, but there's a great little Italian place a few blocks from here. Small, so we shouldn't draw much attention."

It wasn't that much longer before the car pulled to a stop, Joseph quickly getting out of the car to open up Emile's door and help her out. Sparky jumped out behind her, sniffing the air excitedly. Carefully the two of them guided Emile a short distance down the street. "There's a few steps down," he warned before they began to descend, the short flight of steps leading down to a door. A wave of warm air and delicious smells enveloped Emile as Joseph opened the door, the babble of conversation filling the air.

"No no no," a man suddenly exclaimed, footsteps hurrying towards them. "No dogs, not in-" the heavily accented Italian voice paused as the door shut. "Heller! How are you, my friend?"

"Good, good," Joseph answered with a smile. This was one of the best parts of being a cop; eventually you got to know everyone in your patrol route, and quickly figured out who was worth knowing. "Franco, this is-"

"Of course!" Franco exclaimed, hands taking hold of Emile's shoulders as she was suddenly lightly kissed on each cheek, his full beard scratching against her face. "Come, a table for you and your young lady," he said, rapidly demonstrating that exclamations were his only method of speech.

"Sorry," Joseph said to Emile, embarrassment in his tone. "He's always like that."
 
RE: The Killer and The Victim (I_Am_Nobody x CyanideDisaster)

"Oh." She said softly, looking mildly confused in the back seat. He was such a nice, sound guy, or so he seemed to her. She grinned at the change of subject, a bright smile coming to her pale face. "Sounds good!" Emile clapped her hands together a few times in excitement, startling poor Sparky, before she apologized by showering him in affection-- he was about to get quite pampered. "The family owned ones are always the best, the food is usually much better and the atmosphere is much more... welcoming." A little shrug came over her, "But maybe it's just me, awkward-ing things up."

Emile laughed at her little (bad) joke as they pulled to a stop. Like an animal would, she swiveled her head to look around, as futile as it was. The door clicked open to her left and she allowed Joseph to help her out. Grasping his forearms for balance before settling on her feet. The smell of hand-made breads, pastas and cheeses assaulted her, a moan of appreciation for fine food passed her lips.

The conversation in the background was nothing compared to the loud voice then directly in front of her. Emile started, looking up with her blind eyes and blinking. She smiled weakly as she went to explain the need of Sparky, but the man quickly bounced topics to Heller. "Well known in this place? I bet they serve coffee or something." She teased, not knowing her humor was not very good. Emile felt her face get assaulted by this Franco person, and her cheeks when a deep red in flush.

"Must be a genetic thing, I've got a few Italian friends whose parents do that to me all the time." She whispered back at him as they were lead to a table. Franco pulled the chair out for Emile and she sat down with a smile and a thank you, Sparky taking up his spot to her right, laying on his belly to show he wasn't begging. Emile only knew this because of his body heat on her toes.

"It's smells so good." She mused aloud, taking in a deep breath. "I wonder if their fettuccine Alfredo is good-- it's my favorite" She explained as an after thought.
 
RE: The Killer and The Victim (I_Am_Nobody x CyanideDisaster)

"Of course it is good," Franco exclaimed. "I defy you to find a better alfredo in this city. So that is the lasagna for Mr. Heller, and the alfredo for his lady?" He waited just long enough for her to confirm or deny the order before he vanished back into his restaurant, seemingly always laughing or exclaiming loudly as he spoke with his other customers.

"There were some vandals giving him a hard time a couple of months ago," Heller explained as Franco slipped away, "tagging the stairs and leaving crap piled up in front of the door. I ended up being the one to scare them away, and in the process I ended up getting hooked on his lasagna," he admitted a bit sheepishly. Besides, if you showed up with a bottle of Sambuca and a few dirty stories, Franco would end up too drunk to remember whether you showed up at eight or midnight. It was very helpful when you needed a quick alibi, or just somewhere to hole up while the heat died down.

It was no more than a few minutes later that a waitress came by and set a pair of water glasses onto the table. "Can I get you two anything else to drink?" she asked politely as she picked up a basket of warm, fresh bread from her tray and set in on the table along with a small plate of herbs and garlic floating in olive oil.

"Nothing for me, thanks," Joseph told her, glancing at Emile.
 
RE: The Killer and The Victim (I_Am_Nobody x CyanideDisaster)

Emile nodded excitedly. "Yes please!" His loud voice did hurt her ears a little, but it was welcome. His overpowering presence was gentle, unlike Kinsman's earlier, who was over shadowing and dark. A shudder passed down her spine as she thought of the conversation she had with that vile man.

Joseph's voice brought her back and she flattered him with a smile as he spoke. "That's awesome," she said, mild fixation in her voice. "I've always admired what cops to, must be hard with half the population going around with their hair dyed black screaming for anarchy." She shook her head with a little laugh. "Though I'll admit, I was like that when I was young. Went through a little phase."

Emile tilted her head to the female voice to her side, the smell of the fresh bread wafting up to meet Emile, making her mouth nearly water. "Mm.. no. I really shouldn't. The water will be fine." She waved a hand in a dismissive motion, a gentle smile on her lips. She tilted her head back to Joseph.

"I've had a question for you for a while." She could feel the heat coming to her cheeks. "Did you want to take my case? I mean... did you volunteer? Or were you chosen?"
 
RE: The Killer and The Victim (I_Am_Nobody x CyanideDisaster)

The conversation was bound to turn in this direction. She had already said that she knew next to nothing about him, was plainly starting to wonder about the man she'd been spending so much time with. Already Heller was starting to warn him to tread cautiously, to think very carefully about every word he said. So far he'd protected himself by making sure people knew as little about him as possible, but Joseph was stubborn enough that simply saying nothing wouldn't be an option. That meant the web needed to be perfect; enough lies to completely obscure the truth, but enough truth to make it easy to remember and maintain. Even this first, seemingly innocuous question had to be answered very carefully, lest he reveal that he knew exactly who she was long before Officer Heller ever met her.

"I volunteered," he said after a moment, his voice quiet, reflective. "When I was younger, my brother..." Oh, so we're brothers now? Heller laughed, falling silent with a faint chuckle when Joseph shushed him. "It wasn't the Bogeyman, but it was someone a lot like him," he continued quietly, a faint tapping coming from his hands as he idly played with a fork. "It was part of the reason I became a cop. To try and help those that get left behind, and make sure that the guilty are found. And when I heard that they were trying to paint you as a suspect...I hoped I could help you get through it."

There was silence for a moment, broken suddenly when Joseph spoke with a self-deprecating chuckle. "I'm sorry, I'm just making things worse, aren't I? You've had a hard enough day without my making things worse. What else would you care to talk about?"
 
RE: The Killer and The Victim (I_Am_Nobody x CyanideDisaster)

Emile listened to him carefully as he pondered her question. When he spoke softly she answered him with a grave nod, pursing her lips in sympathy. "I'm so sorry for your loss..." She said, unaccustomed to the words coming from her lips and not another's. Nodding again the woman smiled softly, "I see. Well thank you, from all the people who have been left behind. You're a sweet man, Joseph." Awkwardly without her sight, the woman reached towards him. The sound of his fingers on his fork his dead give away.

Her hands were gentle and smooth as she placed them on his, her little digits tapping the top of his hand in something she considered to be soothing. "You've done a wonderful job so far, I'll admit," another disarming smile, "Some days I don't even think about it, or him... I think that's progress."

Emile pulled her hands back and waved them dismissively, "No no. The fact that you're here means I can relax a little, I doubt you'd let anyone speak to me the way your lieutenant did, it was downright uncivil." She bobbed her head as if it were fact. A care-free shrug moved her shoulders as she settled into her little chair more comfortably. "I've been curious about the name Heller... where does that originate from?"
 
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