The lift opens and Chief McIntosh enters the morgue. He's followed by a petite woman with choppy, short raven hair. Her arms are clasped behind her back and she's frowning. McIntosh walks over to the two detectives and clears his throat. "Chief Tushingham, these are the detectives that I told you about; Mr. Gregory Harris and his colleague, Ms. Kendall Bell."249Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1HydSFIsbG
Gregory smiles and offers his hand to the woman. "Charmed, I'm sure."249Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCnH8ZdQyCh
Chief Tushingham snorts at his remark and looks at Kendall. "Bell..." she murmurs, glancing over at Ian. "You mean she is Victor's barmy daughter?"249Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZcrC14aVW4
"I beg your pardon! I am Victor Bell's daughter, but I surely refute that description!" Kendall exclaims before McIntosh can respond.249Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0Fsfn1JjTC
Tushingham smirks. "At ease, pansy. Just going off old memories." She then walks past Kendall to the corpses. "Tell me again, Ian, why the hell you are giving a police investigation over to a couple of armature private detectives?"249Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyK993eOU5t
Gregory now frowns. "Chief Tushingham—" McIntosh cuts him off with a sharp glance. "Nevermind...."249Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy0YeszQQed
"Gretchen, they're not armatures. Mr. Harris has cracked a number of cases that we simply were stumped upon. They have the means, the manpower, and the availability to do certain things pertaining to these cases that we simply...do not."249Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA3ns0sh5e3
"You mean like bending the law, Ian?"249Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz2oLRtDnqZ
"I decline to answer that." He crosses his arms, looking down at her.249Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpfmdAvr1V9
Gretchen steps back to him with a brow raised. "Decline to answer?" She chuckles. "What do you think this is, Ian? Primary School? You are this close to probation, you may care to remember. So if you care to continue your little iron curtain, fine. We can take your situation up the chain and then we can see you in court. But you don't want that, do you, Ian?" She smirks. "I'd hate to be you when Margaret hears that you were being retired and jailed...then little—what was her name again? Oh right. Katie. Sweet little Katie will be growing up with her Papa, whom she looks up to so much, in jail. She'd feel so let down and betrayed. Do you want to let down little Katie like that, Ian?"249Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNCwzws7Ocf
Ian lowers his eyes to the floor in silence.249Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgHyuoSVRce
"Now look here you—" again, Gregory is cut off by a sharp glance; this time from Kendall.249Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCfrWoEiFoj
Gretchen turns away with a satisfied smirk. "Mortician! Front and center!"249Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh5vSw6GIB8
Amber and Daan exchange glances before Daan walks over, clearing his throat. "Yes, madam?"249Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOEusa4EBvO
"I'm sure you already have run this by the detectives, but give me the full spill on the bodies."249Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ49iSFNrsvW
"Yes, madam."249Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRkIkg6mcjw
While Daan shows and explains the bodies to Chief Tushingham, McIntosh takes Gregory and Kendall off to the other side of the room where they talk in hushed tones.249Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyeTZWGpPVj
"What the hell, Ian?" Gregory crosses his arms.249Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnZLNv1GwRa
Ian sighs deeply and leans back against the wall. "You know Inspector Greene, correct?"249Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFwlMvYmjHW
"Yeah, we know the cockroach. What about him?"249Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxLVZCunajp
"To put it simply...The insolent boy can't take criticism. He complained to his uncle who's higher up the chain of authority, which has brought me under inspection. Then I had a squealer who brought to light all the strings I've pulled for you over the years. They think I'm corrupt or have gone rogue or something. I don't know and I don't like it."249Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXwhLhNz36K
"And what's the barmy dame to do with this all?"249Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpyBxsFFzI5
"She's over this case...If things do not go well, she will be taking over here as chief and I'll be tried." He sighs and looks at Greg. "So if you don't want to work with Satan's mistress for the next twenty years, you'll be on your best behavior during this case and you solve it and prove you're worth the trouble. Understand?"249Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqzfAFjf7lZ
Gregory frowns, but nods. "I just hope the harridan doesn't get in our way."249Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbTHYHExggC
Kendall sharply elbows him. "Be respectful! Don't make me bring back the jar."249Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeBrY6dMNAE
"When she earns it, I will be." He glares in Tushingham's direction steadily. "Right now she's proven to be nothing but a bloody harpy. I don't care about that bloody jar."249Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl7JIhZXF7H
"So you say now...Just wait until I withhold your coffee again."249Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5sDXudOn23
Gregory rolls his eyes and waves her off. "What was that about your father anyway?"249Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ0Y0eFU1hP
249Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9IQb9Ba5ao
"He used to work on the bomb squad until Mum made him retire. Nothing much to say." She shrugs and looks away.249Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoJOSKSnNja
"Well, you could say he lost his leg saving a family and received a George Cross for it." Ian chuckles.249Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu60HXpJhmQ
She only shrugs again. "Like Dad says, he was just doing his job. Nearly cost him his own life..."249Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmMVQnPVdXf
"A George Cross?" Greg raises his brows.249Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7LbqMoTM3M
Kendall sighs and crosses her arms. "Look, my family is not the issue we are conversing right now. Let's leave that for topic of some other day, okay?" She sees that Daan has moved to talk about the most recent victim. "Daan is nearly done."249Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiMEat3lCZ3
Gregory looks over his shoulder and nods. "We will see what she thinks she wants us to do. If she is done with us, then you can go see what Rufford has come up with so far. I think I'll see about a little...chat with Simon."249Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOgnRu395Vy
"Are you sure that's a good idea, Greg? Couldn't that make the situation worse?"249Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo9pwvdVviZ
"Nah."249Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGSEJYUYlkb
"Gregory, you will leave the boy alone." Ian looks at him sternly. "He's already going to get a taste of his actions later this afternoon. Gretchen may be a hard case, but she doesn't mollycoddle anyone. She's going to be drilling them hard." He smirks. "And he can't take that up with his uncle."249Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWBa1dg4AT7
"Alright, fine." He crosses his arms.249Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYGEIJV3plL
Just as Chief Tushingham finishes talking with Daan and walks over to the other three, there is an exclamation of, "Blast it all!" from Amber's corner of the room. All heads turn in her direction.249Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhmEx5jGgdy
"Amber, is everything alright?" Kendall asks.249Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0VdDM6WOP2
Amber sighs, setting her knife aside. "Everything is just peachy."249Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkdmEz9PMIe
"What? Did you see that I was right after all?" Daan grins.249Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkSlZtdix0G
"Actually you were just as wrong as I was. He died of congestive heart failure."249Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsWQOxurWTH
He frowns. "Well that's no fun. And how are we deciding dinner tonight then?"249Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGSZH4LtS5h
"I would say either left over spaghetti at home or you can take me out for steak and lobster."249Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaUTAyI7PZJ
Chief Tushingham rolls her eyes and clears her throat. "Detectives, since McIntosh has already extended the case to you, I will honor his decision. However, you will work under my rules and you will report all breakthroughs straight to me. Understood?"249Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBtxK50xhNC
"Yes, Chief."249Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsGlOVBYU1O
Gretchen looks at Gregory. "And that means no bending any rules either."249Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgZ0BCRha4q
Gregory looks down at her. "We will try not to, but that's as far as I promise, Tushingham. I'm not the police. We don't have to follow police protocols. "249Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3fUjvTxDw1
McIntosh elbows Gregory silently.249Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡant7tGq9Ml
"But like I said, we will try our hardest to stick within your rules, Chief Tushingham."249Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxIfg3JZaJt
Tushingham nods, satisfied. "Good." She then turns towards the lift. "Come along, Ian. Show me that office you had mentioned."249Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3HfiaGIRDG
"Alright." He nods, following her.249Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe8e8NeGKOF
Gregory watches them go and shakes his head. "I think we'll wait and take the lift after they're off."249Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpClvxxtIaS
"Fine by me." Kendall nods. "So what are you going to do while Rufford and I look over their files?" She glances up at him.249Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOZoocAsTCK
"Watch? Take legible notes? Hit up a vending machine?" He shrugs. "Don't know yet. I may still go have a talk with Simon."249Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJehBwSuIEx
"But Gregory—"249Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtA64BIKjPg
"Just a talk, I swear!"249Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO6RqQiIS1C
Kendall doesn't look convinced. "Still don't think it's a good idea."
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