Participants:
| Scene Title | Interdepartmental Cooperation |
|---|---|
| Synopsis | The NYPD and Homeland Security engage in a little of that interdepartmental cooperation they're all hearing so much about. |
| Date | September 5, 2008 |
Harlem - County Morgue
Harlem's morgue is, as it is most often described, cold and quiet. Inside the sounds of footsteps can be heard, coming from Dr. Zachery Miller making his way to the morgue table, the latter of which is currently occupied by the dead, pale body of an overweight man, whose chest has already been neatly folded open and lower regions conveniently covered by a white sheet. Zachery is not /much/ more stylishly dressed in his usual work outfit, complete with pale green scrubs, gloves and a thin mask over the lower part of his face that easily covers the grin he cracks as he reaches a hand for the exposed organs to inspect them further. Time to dig in!
Officer Trask is down at the Morgue picking up some paperwork for a case he is working. Checking it over and making sure everything is correct before he heads back to his own office. He chooses not to watch the Doctor working in the next room through the window, concentrating on his own job, in order to keep his lunch down.
Detective Judah Demsky likes morgues. Incidentally, he also likes hospitals; the smell is clean, sterile, the same scent that fills the air when you crack open a fresh package of gauze or twist open a bottle of iodine. As he enters through the front doors, he inhales deeply, his broad chest seeming to expand beneath his shirt. This is a good place, a safe place, a place away from the ringing phones, the loud voices and the shrieking Police Commissioner. Dr. Miller, you don't know how good you've got it. "Hurry up," he says, shooting a reproachful glance over his shoulder at his partner behind him, "you're such a turtle sometimes, Damaris."
"I prefer tortoise," Kay offers flatly in response. She isn't… entirely opposed to morgues, but this one in particular has never been anywhere she wants to be. "Are we really sure about this info? I mean really, really?" It's not that she's apprehensive. Bodies have never bothered her. But there's something unsettled about her in this place. "We wouldn't want to waste our time, right?" Detective Damaris adjusts the collar of her coat, takes in a deep breath, and follows her partner in a bit quicker. Truth be told, but she's just as fond of the smell of these sorts of places as Demsky is.
A few beats after the two detectives enter the morgue, a third officer of the law comes in behind them with a pair of lower ranking men. Matt Parkman keeps his chin tucked in, but with his arms at his sides and the way his overcoat billows around him, he looks a bit like a raptor waiting to strike.
The Homeland Security agent doesn't really have an opinion on how morgues smell, and he's seen his fair share of death and gore not to be too terribly effected by the horrors held within them. This morgue, though…this one holds memories. All the same, Parkman strives for the epitome of professionalism. "It'd be a bigger waste if you didn't take a look," he remarks, picking up the last bit of the detective's conversation. Those who know him may recognize the slight squint of his eyes, characteristic of his habit of skimming the 'airwaves' for thoughts. "Leave no stone unturned, right Detective Damaris?"
Dr. Miller thinks he knows exactly how good he's got it. But it just got a little less good, what with other people now ruining the peace. But he's working, and he's persistent in finishing this little check-up before the day is over. Every sickly organ is prodded, turned over and examined as though it is of the greatest importance. Eventually, once Parkman's voice joins the others, he straightens and narrows his eyes as he looks toward the entrance. He waits patiently. This had better be quick, or particularly interesting.
Trask raises an eyebrow, a pair of detectives is one thing, but a trio of Homeland on top of that means something is up. He moves to the door way to see if he can hear whats going on, not trying to be stealthy more casual. Just another Uniform doing his job.
Detective Demsky opens his mouth to say something to his partner when his thoughts are interrupted by the entrance of Homeland Security. Never a waste of time. Especially now that they're here.
"Holy—" Kaydence Lee whips around at the sound of the new voice addressing her. "Detective Parkman!" She blinks dumbly several times before she corrects her mistake. "Is it Agent Parkman now? What do I call you these days?" She smiles, but it's a sad one. They both know the significance this place holds to each other and though it goes unspoken, she's certain he can see it in her face just as certain as she can in his. Even if he actually just reads it in her thoughts. "It's been far too long since you've been by. Cole's been asking after you. She misses you a ton." So wrapped up in her conversation is she that she doesn't even notice the expectant looks of the officer or the coroner.
"Agent," Parkman says with a gentle smile at Damaris. But far be it from Matt to mix his professional and personal lives. He lifts a hand to the woman's shoulder, all the same, and gives it a small squeeze. Support? Sympathy? "Later, Kay. Work first." He nods to Demsky and then the coroner before glancing the uniform in the next room. "Dr. Miller, is it?" he asks as if he already knows he's correct.
But there is a new, strained tenor to the agent's expression. Something's wrong. Things are…too fuzzy. He squints a bit further, looking as if he is untrusting without cause, in order to try and break through the proverbial fog.
Parkman reaches into his coat and the suit beneath to extract his credentials, which are held up for the coroner's inspection. "I believe you have a Ms. Caroline Carter here somewhere? I'd like to take a peek at her, if you don't mind."
The coroner quirks a brow. Dr. Miller is not privy to the details of this conversation, but he's starting to think that this is going to be worth his time! Not that he bothers to move, what with his hands still in some poor man's chest. He very much doubts anyone would want to shake the bloodied gloves anyway. "Agent Parkman." Apparently. He hadn't bothered to remember if he knew, but Kaydence was kind enough to inquire for him. "Carter, Carter." He mumbles through the mask, "Yes, we rounded that one up yesterday. The paperwork should still be in the office, if you want to see it. Abuse case." … it looks … anyway.
Trask turns and steps into the office, checking for the case file in question he does some digging <The static clears as he steps out of the room> He pulls the file in question after only a few moments of looking.
Judah refrains from rolling his eyes at his partner's flighty enthusiasm. At least Parkman calls her on it right away, rather than encourage or - heaven forbid - participate in it. For now, he observes the others.
Kay has the grace to look sheepish when she's reminded about things like time and place. "Of course." She gives his hand a little squeeze before it drops from her shoulder and then puts on her Business Face. Which really doesn't last when she discovers they're here for the very same reasons. Oh… tell… Midway through her thoughts, Trask leaves the room, and the 'static' clears. …going to take jurisdiction on this one.
Even in the static, there is enough compelling information being unspoken that Parkman is, at least initially, easily deterred. "Yes," he says with an all-business smile as he pockets his credentials once more. "Both would be excellent, thank you." He glances to Damaris and lifts his eyebrows in a half amused, half apologetic way.
Zachery shows few signs of worry behind his mask, turning down again to continue pushing aside the organs with a silent but sickening slosh of the ribcage's contents. When it is clear that Parkman probably won't think the paperwork enough of a 'peek', the coroner sighs and steps away from the morgue table to make his way toward a sink and waste bin. Bloody bother. Just put these things on, I'm sure there's a bullet or two in there somewhere. It'll have to wait. His gloves and are quickly disposed of, before he pulls the mask down onto his neck and starts a thorough scrubbing of his hands and arms. "You're all here for the same thing, then?" Lucky me. Even in thoughts, he's sarcastic.
Trask collects the file Parkman asked for, taking a second to peek at it, after all what's important to Homeland Security is important to Pariah, then brings it back to the room. He walks over to where Officer Parkman stands, and well the static starts again, and then just cuts out into complete silence as the uniform holds the file asked for.
What is that all about? Judah's brows furrow at the look his partner gets from Agent Parkman. Despite the apparent curiosity, Detective Demsky is hard man to read.
"Hey. Hey. You're doing that thing again. You know I hate it when you do that." Kay's frown is faint, and she's more chiding the telepath than she is truly admonishing him for doing what comes naturally. Our tipster must have informed your office as well, hm?
Unfortunately for Matt, he doesn't hear any of what he normally can once Trask enters the room fully and walks toward him. This prompts the agent to frown, but next to his squinting face, there really isn't that much change. "Thank you," Parkman says dully as he takes the file and opens it. All the paperwork appears to be in order, but paperwork isn't as trustworthy as first hand knowledge. "Sorry to take you away from your work," the agent says somewhat idly as he closes the file and tucks it under his arm. "I'm sure you know we wouldn't be bothering you if it weren't important."
Zachery, while curious what this is all about, focuses on drying his hands off some some paper towels instead of asking questions. Pretending everything is fine. There must have been a mistake somewhere. Yep. La dee da. "I know. I just find it strange that this particular case would interest you." Parkman, Kaydence and Trask all get a look over, before he turns and heads to open a large, metal door. It gives its usual hiss as it clicks open, and the temperature difference is all too clear as Zachery walks in and the air inside spills out— bodies have to stay frozen in there. "Just a moment, I'll be right with you."
Trask stands just to one side of Parkman, ready if there are any other errands he needs the lowly uniform to run. Gives him the perfect opportunity to listen in on whats going on, and just happens to keep Parkman firmly inside the effect of his power without even meaning to, since he has no idea of the Homeland agents abilities.
Just when Judah seems to decide to cut in on the conversation, Night on Bald Mountain begins to sound from his pocket. A cell phone is quickly procured and he all but scowls at the number. The phone is flipped open as he steps away and answers, simply, "Demsky."
Kay glances to Judah as he walks away, mouthing 'what?' at him, only to have him wave her off. He's absolutely impossible.
From the cell phone comes a shrieking woman's voice. "…Colette Nichols, yes. I remember."
Well, that really piques his partner's interest. She watches his face as it grows tense. She doesn't like that look on him.
"She what? I'll be right there." The phone is snapped shut and tucked back into his coat pocket. Demsky's already pointing his finger at Kay and giving the order: "Stay here. Do your job."
Before she can protest, he's gone.
Parkman carefully watches the exchange, but he doesn't speak until after Demsky is through the doors. "Everything alright?" he asks, his voice and face searching the wife of his former partner.
"I didn't expect you two to show up," Parkman continues, sighing softly, obviously doing his best to be patient. It takes him a second before he looks to the man in blue again. "Do you mind if I see your identification, officer?"
Really, he couldn't ask in a more polite tone or with a nicer smile.
A few metal clanks and wheelie squeaks later, the coroner comes back out of the cold chamber, rolling a bodybag plus body on a cot out ahead of him. After a quick but disinterested look around the room, he closes the door behind him and moves to zip open the bag. From head to toe, poor Caroline. The paperwork seems in order, at least as far as anyone can see- the incisions made to doublecheck his suspicions on the mystery burns have long been sewn shut. "There were are." He mutters in a vaguely annoyed tone, stepping aside with an icy lack of expression. It's all in order.
Trask frowns, looking a little put off by the sudden request for his ID, but he doesn't make a fuss about it, taking his ID out he flips it open for the Homeland Security agent. The name matches the one on his badge, and the faces match as well, perhaps more to Parkman's inquiry there is that code at the bottom that screams "Tier 0 Evolved" to the trained eye. "Is there a problem sir?"
"I don't know yet…" Kay responds when he asks if everything is all right. "I didn't want to come," she admits. There's never been any point in lying to Matt before, so why start now? But when the bag is open and Caroline Carter's body is revealed, the look of disgust on her face is clear. Disgust and determination. It isn't distaste or nausea. She's simply thoroughly displeased to see what became of this woman. Poor thing.
Parkman spends a fair amount of time looking at the officer's card, then sniffs as he nods his approval. "If you wouldn't mind, Officer Trask. Thank you for the file." With a thin smile, Parkman pulls it from under his arm and opens it again. "You may go back to what you were doing." Over there.
The agent then proceeds to compare the file with the dead body that has been produced for his perusal. "Doctor Miller," Parkman says after a moment, squinting again. "I think that something must have fallen out. I'm not seeing any of the internal photographs." Looking to Kaydence, Parkman frowns a bit, but it's clear it's an act. "When did that stop being part of the autopsy procedure?" Parkman lifts the open file away from himself, using it to gesture toward the girl's corpse. "You did open her up. What's in there?"
If Zachery's face could be any icier, then that is what just happened. One of his eyes may have twitched a little, too. "What." He concludes, moreso than asks. "The, ah- photographer must have forgotten to include those. Can I see?" Leaving the body where it is, he steps toward Parkman, fully intending to snatch the files away before the agent has the chance to spot any more potential holes in this plan.
Trask nods to Parkman, giving him a little bit of a look, and steps back, one step, two steps, three steps, as he gets outside the radius Parkman's powers come back on suddenly. Knowing when it is going to happen, the police officer studies the Homeland agents face for any tells.
…listening to me? I know I told you not to pry, but I'm trying to talk to you, dammit. The annoyance stays off of Kaydence Lee's face, though her tone carries over in her thoughts. "You could just… open her up again and let us take a peek. Parkman and I aren't squeamish. Are we, Agent Parkman?" Her smile is mild, maybe even encouraging. "It's been so long since I've been able to watch an autopsy. I really find them quite fascinating."
There is an audible sigh when that familiar rush of babbling thoughts comes back to Parkman, and indeed, the man looks quite relieved for things to be 'normal' again. Even if that does mean having Kaydence bitching in his head. Look, it's not me, he quickly thinks, thankful for that near effortless connection he gets when the other end of the line is willing. There's something with that guy. Couldn't hear you when he was-
But Parkman's thoughts are interrupted when the coroner reaches for the file. He tightens his grip on the folder and papers within, not wanting to fully relinquish them, but he does hold them so the doctor can see. See? "I think that'd be the best way to go about it. I can't really wait around for negatives, or even for digitals, if that's the way you're doing things. And I'm sure Detective Damaris has a laundry list of things to do today as well." He smiles again - another one of those forced, professional smiles. "We just want to make sure everything is in order."
Better do what they say, the telepath inserts, the voice soft enough not to be distinguishable as his own. A lean. A suggestion? A command. Then, remembering the doctor's previous sentiments, Parkman adds.
They'll go away faster that way.
Doctor Miller has no professional smiles left. He opens his mouth to argue that he simply just can't, but closes it again when the first suggestion enters his mind. The annoyed look on his face partly remains, but makes place for something a little more thoughtful, and the file is given up on all together. Kaydence gets a brief, sharp glance. "I'm doing you a /favor/." He finally insists, and turns to open a cabinet nearby to fetch the proper tools, and snap a second pair of gloves on. "It was all ready to go to her funeral or… wherever they wanted the body. Sewing it back up will be messy." Nevertheless, he does as he's told.
Well, shit, Parkman. Would you take a look at that? Kay beams a smile. "Oh, excellent. I'm sorry for all this trouble, but it will really make things so much easier on us all. We can say we saw everything personally and then everybody will be happy." Well, she and Agent Parkman will be happy. Probably not anybody else, really.
"Yes, thank you," Parkman adds with a brighter, more genuine smile. "Besides, if they put her in a casket wearing anything /that/ revealing, well…" But humor about the dead is always in bad taste, so while the agent chuckles awkwardly, he shakes his head. Bad Matt. Bad.
Zachery will not be happy. Although he's not perfectly sure what he is right now. Apart from stupidly obliging and being very unprofessional in opening the body right there on the cot. "I don't know what you're expecting to find." He utters, still slightly vacant and unsure. At least he manages to conjure up a vaguely puzzled look when the inner workings of the murder victim are exposed, some of which… strangely blackened. Of course. NOW I remember. Bollocks.
Trask isn't sure what he expected to see, but that was definitely not it. Blood and gore he was prepped for, but an overcooked microwave dinner? No! He steps out into the hall for a second to find a trashcan, and send his own pot-pie to an impromptu roller coaster ride.
Gulping a little to keep his own stomach in check (because no one /entirely/ gets over seeing someone's insides), Parkman hands the file off to the detective beside him. "Is there anything in there about looking like my attempts at grilling burgers, Detective?"
Parkman steps closer to the body, then glances up at the doctor before he pulls his phone from his pocket and flips it open. Click. Isn't technology wonderful?
Kay fires Matt a quirky smile. I cannot believe you said that. You're terrible. She actually chuckles, less awkwardly. But that fades away entirely when the woman on the table is opened up. She's seen enough bodies opened up to know that that ain't right. "Parkman, that looks more appetizing than your attempts at grilling." She just can't resist. She opens up the file without hesitation, scanning the contents quickly. "Nope. I see nothing about Kentucky Fried Organs." The drawl even seeps into her voice, perhaps unconsciously. Something is rotten in the state of Denmark, Matt. There's… nothing to explain this at all. Shit. If this is… You gotta keep me on this case. Please don't cut me out.
Click? No no no! Zachery waves his hands in front of the phone's lens, but is too late to catch it. "This must be a mistake." He finally concludes all too confidently. Think of— there must be something, maybe— "There were several bodies I was working on the evening of the transcript. I must have gotten them mixed up somehow." That's a poor lie and you know it. He keeps a straight face, but his thoughts are all too desperate sounding.
Oh, but you shouldn't even try to lie to a man who is a known telepath and a government official. Parkman gives the doctor a look of lazy authority before he just smiles. "We all make mistakes, Doctor. That's understandable. Try not to intentionally make any more to cover for others."
Parkman closes his phone with a snap and pockets it like a western gunslinger holstering his revolver. "I'll be taking this file with me today, and you can expect some of our people to come this afternoon for the others. Just to check up on you. It is a system of checks and balances, you know. Thanks again for your cooperation. Let's go, Detective."
Of course I wouldn't cut you out. But if I'm told to, you know I can't help that.
As quickly as he came, both Parkman and his the junior agents leave the morgue.
 September 5th: A New Hope |
Previously in this storyline… Next in the storyline… |
 September 5th: Practically Family |