"Mr Hsu" Collins asks as they walk "Did Wilson have any enemies? Anyone with whom he's recently had a dispute?"
"Mr Hsu" Collins asks as they walk "Did Wilson have any enemies? Anyone with whom he's recently had a dispute?"
Graham acknowledges Collins' response with a nod and some relief. At the end of the day the only person entitled to get pissed off because folks aren't doing it their way is the mission commander. It's not like you didn't "earn" your current rank fair and square, Booker he thinks. Collins' question immediately makes him think of Fastolfe: he assumes that's where she's going with it. He'd have already asked Mr. Hsu to have somebody throw his ass in a holding cell, but, on second thought, thinks differently.
"Hey Doc, Rangin," he asks. "If adrenaline pops you out of Sporetown, I've got think stabbing somebody would do the trick. Could you tell, medically, if a guest was no longer under their influence?" He pauses a second; Kylah's still speaking to the resort's doctor, so he doesn't interrupt her. "Or--Kylah's, ah...interacted...more with a guest under the influence than anyone. Maybe she could suss it out in an interview."
He's thinking before word gets out the Doc or Kylah or both ought to just happen to bump into Fastolfe, low-key style. He chuckles to himself. If I suggest this to Collins, I might convince Rangin I'm capable of walking upright for sustained periods.
Kylah maintains her sympathetic gaze on Halsey, although in the back of her mind she is aware that his prior excitement could simply be that of someone thrilled by the prospect of working on a difficult case at last--not unlike her own feelings when walking onto the Yorktown bridge for the first time. Or, for that matter, her own feelings now: she is very glad to have something to distract her from her own problems.
Another explanation for his earlier happiness could be that he genuinely disliked Wilson; an emotion such as that by itself does not make him a murderer.
Nevertheless, Halsey's reaction is an anomaly and she wants to make certain there is nothing behind it. "Then this should be especially challenging for you, Doctor--attending your first homicide when the victim is a colleague. Were you and Mr. Wilson close?"
Rangin looks at Graham and nods in acknowledgement.
"Although spores users are inclined towards more peaceful behaviour, they are still capable of violence, certainly if provoked. But any violent act like that will remove the effect of the spores from the person until are re-introduced to them again. In terms of seeing the effect, yes you can. The person's biosystems return to a normal pattern instead of enhanced, euphoric or heightened state."
Rangin considers further.
"If true, then if it was someone under spore therapy the only way they could hide it would be to have a second supply of the spore to take after the event. But the only sources of the spore locally are locked in the resort and the research station under controlled access. Also if someone did have a plant, it could be discovered, would cover an area and should be noticeable. But you would also have to consider what, or possibly who, would provoke a spore user to that kind of anger."
"In short, its unlikely to be a spore user, without a third party being involved."
In the land of the blind, the one-arm man is king.
Dr. Halsey shakes his head vigorously and says, "I don't think a person under the influence of the spores would be capable of murder. Very unlikely. The spores tend to suppress aggression of any kind."
Mr. Hsu says, "I don't know of anyone who'd recently had a dispute with Mr. Wilson." Only T'Var is looking right at Hsu as he says this, and notices his eyes flicker for the briefest of moments towards Dr. Halsey. He goes on, "Sensors would not pick up a stabbing, as such, although the space where the, er, body was found was out in the open and would have been under continuous audiovisual surveillance. I've already given orders that the records be safeguarded." He makes a note on his data pad. "I'll see that two officers attend to that, as Mr. Graham suggests, and will upload the security logs to the Yorktown."
Kylah does not turn to look at Velir when he responds to Graham, but his confident yet non-grandstanding intelligence makes her both proud and sad. Proud because his expertise is of great use here and deserves to be acknowledged--and sad because while he is exactly the sort of man she most admires, her behavior has ruined everything between them. He is too fine, and she too degraded, for them to have any chance.
When Halsey at last speaks, Kylah does not miss the fact that Halsey has not answered her question about his relationship with Mr. Wilson. However, she cannot think of a way to ask again without placing undue emphasis on her interest.
His emotions remain unusual--he is doing his best to hide his happiness and excitement--but not necessarily suspicious. A doctor at a resort where spores do most of the healing could very well be excited to have a case like this on his hands, especially if he was not particularly close to Wilson.
Nevertheless, she will continue to monitor Halsey and look for an opportunity to learn more about him. At last there is a legitimate use for my ability, she realizes with a sudden jolt of confidence. If the cold air and terrible news about Wilson hadn't already woken her up, this realization certainly does the trick.
Last edited by choie; 26 Jan 2014 at 08:18 PM.
T'Var notices Hsu's brief glance at Halsey. Definitely a suspect, she thinks. Those under the influence of spores would be less inclined to act aggressively, so the guests at the resort would be least likely to have murdered Wilson.
The doctor whispers to Graham, "We should be able to tell whether someone is still using the spores or not. However, I believe those not using spores -- and those who knew Mr. Wilson -- are probably the prime suspects in his murder."
"Wilson's assistant, what was her name?" Collins says "We'll want to talk to her first."
if I have the gender wrong, please fix it without fuss - thanks
Mrs. Hsu blanches. "Do you mean me?"
"I thought there was someone else working with him," Collins covers "but since you're here, where were you all night?"
Both Hsus stop in their tracks, and thus so does everyone else. "For God's sake," Mr. Hsu flares, "you haven't even seen the crime scene yet, and you're already asking my wife questions?"
Rangin sighs and wishes he had bought two cups of coffee and not just the one.
"Perhaps, I may point out the following." he begins as if speaking to an audience, "It is currently just gone half past four in the morning. I doubt anyone has truly woken up and yet we have to deal with a crime and tragedy unfolding. I would not be surprised if people were not at their best at this time in the morning, especially given the circumstances, and things might be said that could, in another light, be misconstrued."
Slightly aware that most people are looking at him, he continues onward. "It would probably be better for some of us to gain an idea of the crime scene before beginning any questioning in order to gain some facts about what has occurred and allow us to to prepare any questions we may wish to ask above and beyond those that might be expected."
Turning to the Hsu's. "Please, how far is the crime scene? We have been walking for a while and as a result we have little to do but ask questions and speculate on what might have occurred without knowing what has occurred."
and to no-one in particular, "and I really need another coffee."
Last edited by CatInASuit; 27 Jan 2014 at 03:34 PM. Reason: need more coffee
In the land of the blind, the one-arm man is king.
For the first time in what feels like eons, Kylah nearly smiles at both Collins's embarrassing error and Rangin's adroit handling of the gaffe. Usually Kylah herself is the one trying to clean up messes in diplomacy, but she's been too preoccupied--and, admittedly, bitter--to be willing to smooth feathers invariably ruffled by the pair of security officers. It is a miracle that they have survived this long without getting a phaser blast to their skulls after one of their tactless questions.
But their behavior is typical of people in their position, she knows; on Elas, on Earth, on Qo'noS. There is a human saying that applies to both Graham and Collins: When all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail. And that is clearly what the problem is here -- to them, people are but nails to be pounded into mercy.
She cannot help glancing back at Rangin with a flicker of appreciation in her eyes before quickly returning her gaze forward again.
Last edited by choie; 27 Jan 2014 at 03:51 PM.
Graham nods acknowledgement of T'Var's tactfulluy whispered comment, which he agrees with: most murders, are, after all, by people who know each other.
But while he agrees with the concept, he's shocked by Collins leaping into the third-degree on Hsu. Not that we shouldn't consider her as a suspect, he thinks, but if she were guilty she'd have to be a hundred kinds of stupid to give us something that trips her up when we don't know anything about the murder yet and don't have an interrogation strategy...
Rangin, thankfully, does a little diplomatic song and dance that might smooth things over.
He grimaces a little. I guess I can't claim I haven't tried unorthodox approaches before but I hope the lieutenant knows what she's doing...maybe I should have encouraged her a bit more strongly to write I-D-E-A on her palm ...
Mrs. Hsu looks shaken, and Mr. Hsu still looks angry, but he exchanges a look with his wife and then nods. "This way, please," he says, a little stiffly.
The Yorktown landing party and the others pass through a hallway and then out into the open air (it has only taken about two minutes to walk from the resort's lobby to here). It is still dark. You are now standing in a park, which is square and about a hundred meters or so on a side. Small post-mounted lights, each about a half-meter tall, illuminate the paths that bisect it. Around each side of the square are the guest houses, twelve of them, each two or three stories tall, and each built in a different architectural style. There is a fountain in the park, its waters quietly trickling, and benches here and there. Trees and bushes of various heights are spotted throughout the park, as well as in the yards of the smaller houses.
It is a beautiful area, empty of people at the moment, and spoiled only by the silent presence of a body under a sheet in one corner of the park. A tall man in WR&R Security uniform stands by it.
"Over here," says Mr. Hsu, rather unnecessarily.
Graham takes out his tricorder and starts a program to take take and save continuous wide-scan readings: layout of the area, life signs in the buildings, video and audio of the immediate surroundings, and so forth.
He approaches Collins. "Ah, if you want my input, ma'am," he says softly, "I'd put T'Var on examining the body for sure, Rangin scanning the hell out of the area in expanding circles--I'd bet he knows more tricks with a tricorder than we do--and I'd include Kylah on any interviews. And one of us checking out the body and then the area, or doing twenty questions with the officer who found Wilson." He pauses and clears his throat. "Anyway--that's my two cents."
Collins nods and smiles at Graham "Doctor T'Var, would you please take care of the body? Even though the COD looks obvious, perhaps an autopsy will reveal some secrets? Mr Delaney and Mr Rangin, please do a scan of the scene, start with the immediate scene and work outwards to the surrounding area. There may be traces of blood or footprints not visible to the naked eye. Ensign Kylah, you and Ensign Graham will conduct the interviews; I'll keep feeding the updates to the Yorktown and hopefully we can get to the bottom of things before too long."
Graham gives Collins a quick thumbs up.
"Looks like we're a team," he says quietly to Kylah. He leans in close to her and lowers his voice further. "For the record, I know you're good at talking to people, Mr. Kylah. Fact is, probably a lot better than me. But I'm good at hunting killers, so roll with things, sometimes, rather than jumping straight to the conclusion I don't care what you think or appreciate what you can do, please?"
Before he does anything else, he waits until the sheet is lifted off Wilson. The guy got on my nerves, but sure as hell didn't deserve to die, he thinks. Ought to show a little respect. Plus, I trust the Doc but want to see the entry wounds first hand.
He rubs his jaw and says to the Hsus--Mrs. Hsu in particular--"Look, I'm not much of a grief counselor, but for what it's worth, and before we get into the nitty-gritty of investigation...I'm sorry."
Last edited by general_urko; 27 Jan 2014 at 09:13 PM.
Kylah is somewhat surprised to be assigned to interviewing people, but her concern at being paired with Graham makes her stomach tighten. Sure enough, he comes near her and speaks very closely. It is all she can do not to jerk backwards away from him. He certainly is not an expert on reading people, or he would know just how much she cannot bear to be crowded right now.
She waits for him to finish his request and tries not to flinch due to his proximity. When he's done, she just nods dully. She can hardly do otherwise; her judgment is clearly impaired and her instincts not to be trusted. Her only use will be her empathic abiliities, and she cannot even reveal them to Graham.
And that is when she realizes her wish to deal only with the staff cannot come true. They will certainly have to speak with some guests, Lord Fastolfe included. A ripple of nausea goes through her. Kylah has been hoping to avoid anyone affected by the spores as much as possible. That, clearly, can no longer be the case.
Swallowing, she holds her arms across her waist and waits for poor Mr. Wilson's body to be revealed.
T'Var kneels down to examine the body. She gestures for Graham to join her.
"We should transport Mr. Wilson's remains to the medical center," she says.
Grateful that the tension seems to have eased slightly, Rangin hears Collins orders, puts everything else out of his mind to concentrate on the task at hand before going across to Delaney to start working out what to do.
"Sir, can I suggest you take the technical side, changes to the environment, position of cameras, could this scene by viewed from any of the houses and I'll take the biological, footprints, blood stains, scents and such like."
Rangin changes his tricorder to look specifically for certain things, as well as the broad scan. He remembers using chemicals in a lab to highlight various things, but the tricorder would be much better at picking out the trace iron elements in Wilson's human blood that he would expect to be scattered across the site from a stabbing. That would be a good start. In fact with a blood sample, he could probably scan and track down Wilson's blood where ever it was on the site. It's not like it was freely given away. Stabbings were always messy, it would be somewhere.
Also, while everyone was looking, he would be doing like the animals he loved and would use his nose. If there were creatures who could follow a scent from a scene like this, he would be doing the same with a tricorder. It was all a matter of knowing what to look for.
What would be more worrying, Rangin muses, would be if nothing of the sort was there. That would be a real mystery.
In the land of the blind, the one-arm man is king.
Mrs. Hsu hears Graham's condolences and says, "Thank you." She musters a small smile of gratitude.
The WR&R Security officer, Gary Adelman, stands by.
Dr. T'Var crouches and lifts the sheet from the body. Anthony Wilson is sprawled on his back on the grass, his right arm over his head and his left sticking out slightly from his side. His legs are parted and his left knee slightly lifted. His right hip is slightly elevated. His eyes are closed and his mouth slightly agape. He is wearing the same dark suit he had on when you last saw him. There are two visible stab wounds, both in his left upper torso, and a lot of blood across his tunic's front and, from what you can see without moving him, beneath him, too. Dr. T'Var notes a visible bruise on his right wrist. A knife, apparently identical to the one confiscated from Lord Fastolfe yesterday, is a meter away from Wilson's right hip, pointing away from him, its blade covered in blood.
Delaney and Rangin begin their tricorder scans. The blood is all Wilson's. The paths around and through the park are poured thermocrete, too hard to take the imprint of a footstep. There are quite a few footprints on the grass, perhaps as many as two dozen. They are not, by their pattern, centered around the body.
Last edited by Elendil's Heir; 28 Jan 2014 at 11:19 AM.
Graham looks over Dr. T'Var's shoulder. "Right, Doc, right after we get photos and readings here."
Partly to the Doctor and those around him, partly to his own tricorder log, he thinks out loud: "Looks like some sign of resistance. No sign of flight. When you're ready to move him, Doc, I'd be interested if there is an entry would in the back. Wounds are fatal--obviously--reasonably well-placed, not overboard. If these is a wound in the back, placement near the kidneys or other vulnerable spot would suggest someone who knew what they were doing. Knife matches description of one we saw earlier--need to confirm that weapon is still secure. Wilson wasn't too happy when I showed that knife earlier: did he have prior history with Argelians or Argelian knives? Knife is a meter way from his right hip: unless our killer was a lefty, it probably means they moved off in that direction."
Graham stands up and frowns. "Well, I'll leave it to you, Doc. Are you ready, Mr. Kylah?" He turns to Adelman. "You're Officer Gary Adelman, I presume? I'm Ensign Graham, Starfleet Security. My Colleague Ensign Kylah is a communications officer. I'm sure you know the drill - we're going to ask you some questions. All business, nothing personal, officer."
Rangin stops taking measurements for a moment and scratches the side of his head. Something seems wrong. Footprints around, but nowhere near the body which should show signs of struggles. It was an open area, anything that took place here would be too obvious. He stores the data for the footprints anyway.
But the scent trail Rangin was expecting to see of Mr Wilson didn't appear to be there either. If he had been assaulted here, there should be some trace of it leading off down one of the paths.
While recalibrating his tricorder to try again, he goes across to Delaney and asks very quietly, "Excuse me Sir, could you tell me if there have been any teleport signatures in this area. I'm wondering if Mr Wilson wasn't necessarily killed here."
In the land of the blind, the one-arm man is king.
Adelman nods. "Of course. Ask away, Ens. Graham."
Delaney scans with his tricorder. "You're right, I'm picking up muons and vuliri particles. There's a very faint transporter signature." He makes an adjustment. "Looks like it's at least two hours old."
Kylah looks with pity at Mr. Wilson. She's seen dead bodies before--not just on the Sakathian station, but back home, when her parents had their accident. But it is not something to which she is immune; she wonders if, as she gets older, she'll become like the rest of her crewmates--apparently unmoved by the sight of death, or at least better able to hide it than she is now.
Perhaps it is especially difficult because, looking at Wilson, she gets... nothing. No empathic sense whatsoever. It is like staring into a statue, an inanimate object. She has yet to encounter a living being she cannot read. Only the dead and lifeless.
She kneels down to him and touches his left hand, wishing to make some last connection with him. After a moment she looks at T'Var. "Excuse me, doctor," she says quietly. "May I see if there is anything in his pockets--a communicator, for example? We might be able to see with whom he last spoke. Perhaps someone contacted him and arranged a meeting."
"We should have sterile gloves beamed down from the ship," Delaney says.
"I brought some with me," Dr. Halsey says, reaching into his pocket.
"Thank you," Kylah says, glancing back at Dr. Halsey with gratitude, reaching for the gloves. She might as well stay polite to him, even if he is still oddly excited. There is no way of telling whether it might simply be this professional novelty, or if he feels--or felt--some animus toward Wilson.
When she puts the gloves on, she reaches to check all of Wilson's pockets to determine their contents.
Graham wonders what Kylah is doing with the body and almost says something, then chides himself and remains silent.
For god's sake Booker, how old is she--how many dead bodies could she have seen? His jaw tightens a little. Well, hopefully it's not many. Plus, she's obviously been distracted and worked up about some...stuff, maybe multiple things...on this mission, but that doesn't mean she isn't competent. She's just as likely to have a good idea as anybody else. Well except maybe Rangin, he thinks.
Collins opens her communicator and calls in a report to the Yorktown, letting the Captain and Vargas know what each of the crew is doing, and the theories they are exploring.
For all subsequent reports, please include exactly what she is saying, as dialogue. Is she calling the ship within earshot of the others?
"What theories are those, Mr. Collins?" the Captain asks.
Kylah finds a small WR&R-issue communicator/PDA, a handkerchief and a penknife in Wilson's pockets.
Last edited by Elendil's Heir; 28 Jan 2014 at 07:18 PM.
"We're looking into possible disputes Wilson may have had with someone," Collins tells the Captain, "And that he may have been stabbed elsewhere and transported here, as we have not yet found foot prints or drag marks."
Please note my question in post 1431.
"We found footprints, Jeri," Delaney murmurs, too quietly to be heard over the channel, "we just haven't identified them."
Last edited by Elendil's Heir; 28 Jan 2014 at 08:09 PM.
Kylah stands up and turns to Graham. "He had his own knife," she says almost to herself, frowning. "Yet, despite signs of a struggle, it was still in his pocket. Of course, a small knife like this is no match for the apparent murder weapon, but I would think Mr. Wilson would have at least tried to reach for it. The attack may have been too quick. Or," she adds with a sudden glance at Wilson's right hand, "perhaps the killer saw him reach for his knife and grabbed his hand to prevent it.
"But that is mere speculation, and I suppose it would require that the other person knew or at least suspected he had some weapon of his own." She gives an apologetic shrug, knowing she is probably wrong. Looking down at the objects in her hand, Kylah asks quietly, "Do you think it worthwhile for me to attempt to access the communicator now, Mr. Graham?"
The fact that he had Kylah's traditional Elasian knife so recently pressed against his vulnerable areas provides some context for her ruminations. He's tempted to explain--because he understands where she's coming from, culturally--that a knife that small would almost certainly be more of a liability than an asset in a real life-and-death situation. But that would be more appropriate for an Academy self-defense class, he thinks.
And she asked what to do as if I were a superior officer, he reminds himself. That's either a gesture of respect, or manifestation of an inferiority complex, so don't be a jerk, Booker...
He smiles a little. "Don't sell yourself short, Mr. Kylah. You're the communications specialist. You tell me - if you have what you need, and you think this is the right time, I'll start with Officer Adelman and you join in when you're done."
He pauses a second. "And good initiative. The Doc is obviously most qualified to examine the body, but other than maybe Delaney, nobody here knows more about hacking a communicator than you."
Last edited by general_urko; 28 Jan 2014 at 10:10 PM. Reason: Added last line, because Graham is such the mensch
Kylah pauses, turning the communicator over in thought. She might be useful during the interview even if she does not know what to ask; if someone's emotions are noteworthy--although it would hardly be unusual to be upset or nervous during such a situation no matter how innocent--she might be able to discern whether it's normal fear/grief, or something more nuanced.
"I should be able to get into the communicator without a problem, unless it is password-protected; even so, I--or Lt. Delaney--can work past that." She holds the objects carefully and keeps them close to her. "I should also get them scanned by Mr. Rangin for fingerprints or other biological signs that do not belong to Mr. Wilson. It is a very slim chance, but the killer may have searched his pockets if he or she were looking for something. Robbery seems extremely unlikely as a motive, but there may have been some other object..." She shakes her head. "But it can wait until after the interview. Please forgive me for interrupting."
Last edited by choie; 28 Jan 2014 at 10:18 PM.
"You don't need to apologize," Graham says softly and gently. Then he shrugs. "Not to me--and not for this anyway. But that's another discussion. Let's not keep Officer Adelman waiting then."
Rangin mutters quietly to Delaney while adjusting his tricorder. "Sir, is she always so imprecise? Anyway, about those footprints lets start eliminating them from the equation. If Wilson was killed here, I would expect to see three or four sets of footprints to and from the crime scene. Wilson's, the murderer's, Officer Adelmann's and who ever bought the cover for the body which could be a second set the for the Officer. Scans of their footwear will be most telling. But all we have seen are normal footprints. If he was killed here you would expect a scuffle, if not, then he would have to be moved here, carrying would deepen any impression of the footprint. But not here and I don't think we will find Wilson's leading to this post either."
Rangin doesn't mention that he knows Wilson didn't make it to this point due to the lack of scent trail he was looking for.
Rangin looks around the area. "Another thing to consider, this is an open area with a lot of houses around. If someone attacked you, wouldn't you scream and try to get as much attention as possible. And yet, how much attention has this little gathering gained. Little to nothing. He has a bruise on the right wrist and stab wounds on the left showing both hands of the attacker in use. Nothing to stop Wilson from shouting at all. Think anyone heard anything? or was there a second attacker to stop it. But that's yet another set of footprints, which would have three people in a very small area and as we can see that isn't so from our scans. In fact the scans don't show two people in a very small area."
Rangin pauses slightly, "There is one other option worth eliminating actually, but I wonder if there would still be a trace. If Wilson had been under the effect of spores at the time he was killed, he would be much easier to kill but the act of the violence might remove the spores from his system. Worth checking his clothes for traces, although I would expect them to be removed as we were shown earlier."
Rangin looks at Delaney, "A question for you Sir. Ask yourself, why would anyone teleport to or from this area in the middle of the night. And if you found the teleport pad that was used, could you determine what was transported? There is a teleport pad here at the resort by the hospital, perhaps a good place to start looking. If you will excuse me, I have some extra scans to get."
If allowed Rangin will get scans of Wilson's and Officer Adelmann's footwear to compare against the footprints. He will also scan Wilson for any signs of spores, both in the body and on his clothes to match up against what he already has stored from previous scans of the spores.
On a whim, he will also scan Wilson's left hand. It appears it was free during the attack, so is anything foreign there?
In the land of the blind, the one-arm man is king.
T'Var puts on the sterile gloves, then gently moves Wilson's body so that she can examine his back.
"Mr. Graham, if you'd like to take a look," the doctor says.
Adelman allows his shoes to be scanned, but says, "I haven't stepped on the grass." He is still waiting for any questions by Graham and Kylah.
Rangin scans Wilson's shoes, too. Comparing both of those scans to the faint footprints on the grass - and Rangin notes that the ground is hard, underneath the grass - indicates no match to either man. Wilson's body and clothing show no sign of Omicron spores, either visually or to Rangin's tricorder scan, although an autopsy may reveal more.
Delaney insists on photographing the body from several angles with his tricorder before T'Var moves it. She and Graham then see no wounds and nothing on Wilson's back, other than some stray blades of grass and a few particles of dirt.
"Thank you Mr Adelman and I'm sure I'm about to prove it as well.", says Rangin trying to put the security guard at ease.
Having scanned for what he was looking for and certain he has found nothing, he walks across to Delaney to get a second opinion and make sure he hasn't missed anything obvious. "Sir, it appears my theory was correct, if you would like to confirm. Mr Wilson has no footprints to this point, there's no trace of a struggle, no trace of spores, but I wasn't really expecting to find those. Now, it may be that someone transported in with Mr Wilson, put him down and left, either on foot or by transporter, or someone just transported him in, its not easy to say from the foot marks remaining."
Rangin stops and thinks for a moment trying to work through what he knew and what was speculation before deciding on what might be the best course of action.
"Sir, if your scan was correct and there was a transport into this area, and my scan is correct and Mr Wilson did not get here under his own volition, then it leaves two questions to be answered. Where did any transport take place from and if Mr Wilson did not make his own way here, where did he go instead?"
In the land of the blind, the one-arm man is king.
Let's not keep Adelman waiting. Kylah is surprised by Graham's comment. Does he mean for her to ask the questions? That seems unlike him. Nevertheless, Mr. Adelman is indeed waiting and someone should ask something of the poor man. She turns to him and says softly, "I apologize for the delay, sir. I understand you were on your regular rounds when you found Mr. Wilson. This was at... 03:50? Can you tell us please what exactly alerted you to the body? Did you hear anything at all unusual earlier in your rounds, even before you approached this area? And--I do not know if this would be something you would know, but are all these cottages occupied? Were they all dark, with no lights on?" She glances around the houses. The darkness does not help her discern different colors, and while they're different styles, none seems to stand out as unusual. "These are not all the guest houses, are they?" She pauses to consider. "When you found him, what exactly was your next step? I mean, did you test his pulse, call for help, look around, see anything unusual... whatever may have occurred to you at the time?"
Graham's somewhat pleased that Kylah takes the initiative to start asking questions. And doesn't do a bad job at all getting things started, he thinks. Half the time we've interacted she's been shaken by something, the other half--well, really angry with me, for reasons I don't fully get. But if this group is going to function as a team--he corrects himself, turn into a functioning team--she'll need to get her feet under her, and one way or another we'll have to get along.
Graham takes a position just behind her, partially behind her right shoulder, listening attentively and waiting to follow up as needed on Adelman's answers. And I can be bad cop, if needed. Heh - unless she gets up close and personal and threatens to stab the guy with her hidden Elasian knife, he thinks, almost laughing. In that case, I'm good cop.
T'Var gently lays the body flat again.
Delaney rubs his chin and says to Rangin, "Well, it looks like there was transporter activity, true, but that doesn't necessarily mean that Wilson was beamed here, either alive or dead. He might've been on the paths the entire time, leaving no footprints, until he died and fell onto the grass. He's close enough to have done so. Although it does seem risky for the killer or killers to attack him here, taking the chance that no one would walk by or look out of one of these houses and see them here."
Adelman answers Kylah's questions in a calm, professional manner, as Graham listens. "I went on duty at 3am and started my rounds a few minutes later. I found Mr. Wilson here at 3:50am, as you said. Nothing really alerted me to the body, I just saw it here. At first I thought it might be someone who'd passed out drunk or had some medical issue; that happens now and then. When I got closer I saw it was him, and he didn't respond when I spoke to him or nudged him. I saw his stab wounds at pretty much that instant. I checked his pulse and found none; his body was already cool to the touch. I called for help and Mr. Hsu was here within five minutes. I didn't see or hear anything else unusual. I don't know exactly how many of the guest houses are occupied at the moment, but I believe most of them are. Most were dark, as you see them now, other than lights at their front doors, but I think just one had other interior lights on - that one right there," he says, pointing to what appears to be a dark red house of Neo-Victorian design with white trim, which is three doors down. "Yes, these are all the guest houses. There's a proposal to build more, I've heard, but for now, this is it."
Last edited by Elendil's Heir; 29 Jan 2014 at 11:17 PM.
Kylah follows Adelman's gesture to look at the Victorian house, then takes another look around. "Thank you, sir," she says, trying not to be obvious while she attempts to figure out the colors of the houses surrounding them. Which are the hotly contested blue and yellow houses? None of them looks especially remarkable. She continues: "So that was the only light that was on. But it is dark now. I understand you may have been busy guarding the body, but did you happen to notice when the interior light was turned off?"
She hesitates, thinking about his recitation. "Oh, and I beg your pardon, I may have missed something. I do not recall your mentioning noticing the knife. Did you see it when you arrived?"
Kylah glances quickly back at Graham. "I am sure Mr. Graham has more questions I am forgetting."
Last edited by choie; 30 Jan 2014 at 01:36 AM.
Adelman thinks for a moment and says, "The light probably was turned off right after Mr. Hsu arrived, but I wasn't particularly keeping track of it. I did see the knife when I got closer and noticed his wounds. Just to make it clear, I haven't touched it or the body."
Dr. Halsey is now crouching near the body, scanning it. He stands and asks T'Var, "Would you like to do the autopsy, or shall I?"
"You were very thorough, Mr. Kylah," Graham replies to Kylah. "As were you, Officer Adelman, much appreciated. When you say 'your rounds'--do you have a set pattern you follow that would put you in this area about that time each shift? And did you notice anything unusual on your rounds before finding the body, even a small thing?"
The WR&R officer says, "I don't have a set pattern for my route; I was trained not to. I do always come by this park at least once in any watch, though - sometimes in the first hour, sometimes later." He thinks again. "Sorry, but I didn't notice anything unusual before I got here. Pretty boring patrol, actually, up to that point."
Kylah nods as if he were responding to her, and lightly focuses on Adelman's emotions, although she is fairly convinced he is telling the truth.
Assuming he is:
She thanks him and then turns to Mr. Graham, speaking very softly. "Despite the lateness of the hour, we must speak to everyone who lives in these quarters, do you not agree? And--I fear we may get some disagreement from the staff, but I believe we should have the houses guarded so that no one can leave or enter before we speak with everyone. There may be a witness here. And clearly the first we should speak to would be Lord Fastolfe, although--"
Kylah shuts her mouth and shakes her head at her own words. There is no need to go into her suspicions yet, not in public. Even when it comes to believing someone innocent.
"What do you think, sir--I mean, Mr. Graham?"
Last edited by choie; 30 Jan 2014 at 06:50 PM.
T'Var considers Halsey a possible suspect. It would be a good idea to keep him close at hand to observe his behavior.
"Perhaps we can perform the autopsy together," she tells him. "Your assistance would be greatly appreciated."
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