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Post by earthylady on Jan 26, 2009 10:07:02 GMT -5
Great chapters JL.Mysteries for both Emmie and the team. Just where did Emmie's email disappear to,And what secrets are involved in the Miller case?
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ladytaz29
Rookie Officer
Caution..Must wear flame retardent materials..
Posts: 377
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Post by ladytaz29 on Jan 26, 2009 10:30:29 GMT -5
Great story JL..I never get tired of reading it.. ;D
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Post by jaglady on Jan 26, 2009 12:54:24 GMT -5
Thanks, everybody. Trust me.... ;D I hope to have another one up this evening.
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ladytaz29
Rookie Officer
Caution..Must wear flame retardent materials..
Posts: 377
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Post by ladytaz29 on Jan 26, 2009 13:35:56 GMT -5
Trust you??? You forget...we all KNOW you...lol :pillowfight:
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Post by jaglady on Jan 26, 2009 19:15:13 GMT -5
Chapter 5—It Was All Over Very Quickly
Eric Delko leaned forward as he stood in the viewing area of the morgue. “Hey, Alexx. Got your page. What’s going on?” he asked into the mike.
Alexx Woods looked down and caressed Eric Miller’s black hair. “Well, I was right when I said our weather man died from the impact of the crash. But I had a nagging suspicion and ordered a tox panel.”
“Okay.”
She raised her eyebrows. “It’s a good thing I did. Apparently Mr. Miller had severe allergies and took Allegra. Tox showed fexophenadine hydrochloride in his system. In other words, his prescription Allegra.”
Delko shrugged. “Okay. So what’s the problem?”
Eric Miller also had a high dose of Benadryl in his system. Tox found some antibodies in his blood that showed he was highly allergic to Benadryl. Not only that, but Benadryl interacts with Allegra. The kind I found in Mr. Miller’s system was the liquid kind. Hospital grade. Not what you’d get in a drug store.”
“So he was probably having an allergic reaction when he crashed.”
The M.E. pointed to the Y-shaped incision on his pale chest. “He had enough to cause tachycardia and maybe even sleepiness. His judgment was definitely impaired though.”
Delko nodded and raised his eyebrows. “Guess we better check his medical records.”
Alexx gave him a knowing look now. “And see whether somebody who handled his meds might have had a grudge against him.”
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Emmie stared out from the front door of the hotel. The sky darkened as a fresh wave of rain pounded Clearwater. She watched it dance off the tops of the cars while the lightning darted across the sky again.
“Be nice if this rain ever quits” she muttered to herself as the thunder boomed.
“Miss Stockburne!” Horatio called from behind her. Emmie spun around.
He handed her the keys she recognized as belonging to the brown Hummer. “You’re driving” he announced “I’ll be calling the lab on the ride back. I’ll also work the police radio.”
Emmie’s green eyes darted between him and the rain-soaked Hummer now. “Are you sure? Sir, you NEVER let anybody else drive this thing!”
“We’re gonna be on the road for five hours. I have to get on the phone with the lab and with WTVM about the Miller case. Are you up to it?”
“Oh, absolutely! I’ve driven these things before.”
As the Hummer rumbled to life, she looked around and smiled proudly. Just like her Marine Corps days when she got to drive the Colonel, she thought.
Emmie steered the beast out of the parking lot and followed the directions to the main roads. The rain would not seem to let up, but she knew to follow the directions to Highway 73 out of the Tampa Bay area. The Interstate traffic would be backed up this time of day. She didn’t have a GPS navigation system, so she would have to do this the old-fashioned way.
Clearwater was now also plagued by flooding. As she drove down the main city street, she let her foot off the accelerator gently, following other cars that crept through the brown rivers.
“Watch your speed!” Horatio warned, glancing down at his cell phone and spreading some papers in his lap. “Oh, and when we get on the main road, we can talk about your email.”
Emmie stiffened up and glanced at him. “My email, Sir?”
Horatio never looked up at her. “The one where you address me as ‘Chickie’!”
She gasped. A wave of fear and embarrassment washed over her. She covered her face with one hand. “Oh my God. Sir, I swear I never meant for—“
“Just drive.”
“Yes Sir.” She sighed. No more wondering where that email went.
She squinted through the diagonal rain while Horatio chatted on his cell phone and thumbed through papers in his lap, his face turned away from her. He went from thumbing numbers to talking to thumbing numbers to flipping papers again, completely trusting her to take them home.
“Benadryl in his system? Take another look at that scene, Eric. But Alexx is sure it wasn’t the Benadryl? You’ll probably have to resort to the photos at this point. It’s raining up here, too” she heard him say above the noise.
In her efforts to get to Highway 73, Emmie steered the Hummer onto Florida’s more isolated two-lane roads. She couldn’t see any other cars. Horatio would glance up at her occasionally and then out at the grayness as she leaned forward, her chest against the steering wheel, trying to navigate the ruddy two-lane road in the desolate swamp land. With her right hand she groped for the defogger and the wipers. Horatio chatted on his cell phone while reaching over and flipping on the defogger. Emmie tried to speed up the windshield wipers in an attempt to fend off the sheets of rain. She could not hear much over the relentless pounding now.
“Yes, Lieutenant Horatio Caine with the Miami-Dade Crime Lab. I need to see about releasing Eric Miller’s medical records. There’s a question about some medications he took in the last couple of days. Uh huh. Yes, please fax those over to my lab. I’m on my way back to Miami. I’ll take a look at those when I get back. I hope to pull in by about two o’clock.”
Emmie squinted at an orange road closure sign off in the distance ahead. As they crept closer, it was easy to see why. The road itself was covered over by yet another brown river.
Following the detour sign, she turned left and then picked up her speed on the long, straight, narrow, aging road.
“Careful, Emmie” Horatio warned, squinting out at the grayness that seemed to have swallowed them up now. “Alligators like to wander out on the road when it’s like this.”
She raised her eyebrows. “Great. They won’t try to eat this thing, will they?”
“No, but you don’t want to run over one.”
Emmie slowly picked up her speed as the rain started to taper off. With the long straightaway, she was sure she could see something in time to stop or turn.
There were no other words between them. She just drove now, ignoring the pounding on the Hummer’s roof and the wipers and the defogger that whined in protest. She would like to have turned on some music, but Horatio forbade it, just in case the police radio came to life. It would have cheered her up and made the drive easier, she thought. A massive, gray tire truck came up into her line of sight. She carefully changed lanes, mindful of the brown waters that were rising on either side of the pavement. Horatio momentarily glanced up. Satisfied that she knew what she was doing, he went back to his paperwork.
Emmie said nothing. She was also unaware that passing the tire truck had caused her to miss the detour turnoff that would have taken them back toward Miami.
More than an hour had passed now. It seemed as though the road was getting more isolated, and the rain began to pound them again. Her eyes were getting tired now, and she was getting worried. She gripped the wheel more tightly. Horatio simply kept working throughout the whole ordeal.
“We’ve been on this road a long time, Emmie” he finally said, looking out at the grayness again. “Maybe you better turn around.”
The computer tech nodded. “You’re right. I don’t like this at all. I can’t see too well, so I’ll just turn at the next intersection. There are a lot of curves in here, so I don’t want to take any chances.” She kept her eyes up for the next intersection.
Suddenly the road curved rather hard to the right. Between the vegetation and the driving rain, there was no line of sight. Emmie gripped the wheel and pulled the Hummer through the curve, letting her foot up off the accelerator.
The Hummer was in the crest of the curve when, Emmie instantly came upon three huge brown dead alligators in the lane right in front of her. They were much too large for her to run over without causing an accident. Panic set in. She had no time to react. She opened her eyes wide and gasped as instinct took over. She slammed on the brake as hard as she could and yanked the wheel all the way to the left, trying to swerve enough to miss the huge roadkill and stay on the road at the same time. The brakes screamed in protest. Horatio grabbed the inside door handle and leaned hard. Were it not for his seat belt, would have fallen on top of her.
The force proved to be too much for even a Hummer to bear. Within seconds she could feel them floating now. The now airborne car struck something, causing her bones to shake and the airbags to deploy with a deafening BANG! Emmie now had her face up against the massive white pillow. She could see nothing else.
Seconds later her whole world not only turned upside down but jarred her body repeatedly and shook her like a rag doll. Her arms and legs flailed uncontrollably. She felt something hit her in the head as it flew forward. All sense and control were gone, and she was beaten by flying objects for seconds that seemed like an eternity.
She could hear nothing but her own screaming.
It was all over very quickly.
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Post by earthylady on Jan 27, 2009 6:32:27 GMT -5
Emmie now knows where her email ended up. An accident is bad , but Horatio's and Emmie's accident is worse given the conditions.
Good chapter JL.
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ladytaz29
Rookie Officer
Caution..Must wear flame retardent materials..
Posts: 377
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Post by ladytaz29 on Jan 27, 2009 18:31:27 GMT -5
I loved how he addressed the email situation...the chickie part... I could feel her horror over that one... ;D
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Post by jaglady on Jan 27, 2009 19:45:36 GMT -5
Thanks, everybody. Yes, anyone who's known the EMBARRASSMENT of a missent email, can I get a witness? -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chapter 6—Hell Hath No Fury
“Well, Melissa, this rain just doesn’t seem to want to go away now, does it?”
Melissa Matherson resisted the urge to caress her belly as she shook her head sadly. As always, she positioned herself in front of the massive blue screen while she faced the cameras and spotlights, just as she was supposed to.
“No, Tonya and John, and I guess it looks like we’ll be this way for at least another day or two. Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen.” She made a circular motion with her finger while looking at the weather map. “Well, as you can see here, this system just continues to pull moisture over the whole southern tip of the state. We have reports of flooding as far north as Tampa Bay right now. Well, what’s causing this to happen, you ask? Well, we have a low-pressure system just east of Miami that’s pulling moisture from the Gulf of Mexico, and, I mean, it just doesn’t seem to want to go anywhere right now.” She swung her arm in a semicircular motion now. “Not just that, but it’s pulling all this cool air in from the north, so that’s why the rain’s been so cold. You don’t need me to tell you that it’s been an unseasonably cool sixty-seven degrees today, just slightly cooler than the last few days. Something like six inches of rain now in the last four days.”
As Melissa Matherson walked past the darkened studio lights, Calleigh nodded to her.
“Melissa Matherson?”
The short, brown-haired woman now patted her belly through her black maternity dress as she looked up. “Can I help you?” she asked without much expression.
Calleigh showed her badge. “Calleigh DuQuesne, Miami-Dade Crime Lab. We need to ask you a few questions.”
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Melissa Matherson now sat at the table in the interrogation room, never looking at Calleigh.
“So how long have you known Eric Miller, Miss Matherson?”
“Not long” she said vaguely. “I’m still new to Miami.”
“How about seven years?”
She merely looked at the CSI now.
“The two of you worked together at KRIW in Houston. Sounds like you and Eric were quite a hot item. And a check of Eric Miller’s credit card records and cell phone records show that the two of you never stopped being a hot item.”
The woman now trembled as she caressed her belly again. A tear rolled down her cheek. “I don’t know what you’re talking about! He was my friend!” She now leaned her hand on her face and sobbed more openly. “I miss him!”
“We checked with your last station, KRIW. They said you were about to be fired. Apparently you weren’t such a good meteorologist. When Eric Miller was your boss, you were getting good evaluations. But when he left, all of a sudden your reviews tanked” Calleigh said matter-of-factly.
“He was a good boss” Melissa insisted.
“It sounds like he was more than just your boss.”
Melissa now closed her eyes painfully.
“Miss Matherson, we found some bills from Everglade Obstetrics and Birthing Center in Eric Miller’s possession. You were listed as the patient. Was there a reason he was paying your doctor bills?”
“He was helping me. I’m single and five months pregnant now.”
“Was Eric Miller the baby’s father?”
The young meteorologist sighed and looked skyward, tears still coming out of her eyes. Calleigh never changed her expression.
“Miss Matherson, I can get a court-ordered paternity test. Why don’t you tell me what I’ll find out anyway and make it easy for the both of us?”
“Yeah. He’s the father.” She looked down and sobbed again. “He was the father.”
Calleigh now placed another piece of paper in front of the tearful woman, who caressed her belly again. She merely glanced at it.
“We checked Mr. Miller’s bank records. He was transferring a lot of money to your bank account right about the time you confirmed you were pregnant. But then the payments suddenly stopped last month. Why is that?”
Melissa now dipped her head. “Eric was going to leave his wife.” She huffed through her tears. “Or so he told me. Yeah, he was paying me.”
“And he didn’t leave her, did he? Miss Matherson, we’re now checking Angela Miller’s car because we think Eric Miller died under mysterious circumstances.” Calleigh leaned toward the woman now. “As the jilted mistress, it sounds to me like you have a motive for wanting Mrs. Miller dead.”
The woman shook her head at Calleigh with real fear in her brown eyes. “No! I swear to you!” she wailed.
“Were you blackmailing him?” the CSI asked, never changing her expression.
Melissa now closed her eyes. “I threatened to tell his wife. But I swear, I didn’t blackmail him. He gave me the money. I mean, Eric Miller was the senior meteorologist at WTVM." She shook her head. "Perfect life, perfect career here in Miami. How do you think it would look if he got one of his team members pregnant, for God’s sake?”
Calleigh still looked at the distraught woman matter-of-factly. “Looks to me like you might be a possible murder suspect.”
Grief and hormones took over, and the woman leaned her head on her hand again. Her brown hair fell around her face like a curtain as she wept more openly into a Kleenex now. “No! I didn’t kill him! You have to believe me!”
Calleigh never flinched. “Miss Matherson, I’ll believe the evidence. “Don’t go too far.”
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The muddy, crumpled Chevy Lumina now rested six feet off the ground on a hydraulic lift. With gloved hands Ryan scanned a muddy, flattened wheel while Delko shone his flashlight on the muddy, crumpled undercarriage. Both of them looked up as Calleigh stepped into the garage.
“Hey” Delko said, smiling at her.
Calleigh nodded back. “Hey.”
“So what did you find out from our meteorologist?”
Calleigh dipped her head thoughtfully. “Looks like Eric Miller was more than just her boss.”
Delko smirked. “No surprise. I’ve seen her do the weather. She’s not that good.”
“Yeah, well, I’m gonna have Emmie run some searches when she and Horatio get back.” Calleigh took out her cell phone.
Ryan perked up on hearing Emmie’s name. “They left the hotel early this morning, didn’t they?”
Delko looked at him with that boyish grin. “What’s the matter, Wolfe? You miss your girlfriend?”
Ryan huffed as he dusted off his blue coveralls. “Emmie’s not my girlfriend, okay?”
Calleigh furrowed her eyebrows. “You’re right. They should’ve been back by now. Horatio said they pulled out of the parking lot in Clearwater around eight o’clock.”
Ryan nodded. “Yeah. They should’ve been back a few hours ago.”
She pulled out her cell phone and thumbed the speed dial. “Horatio? It’s Calleigh. Need you to give me a call back on the Miller case.” She then thumbed the buttons on her cell phone again, pacing as she waited. She then shook her head and clicked it off. “Emmie’s not picking up either.”
Ryan pursed his lips. “That’s pretty strange.”
The CSI’s looked at each other.
“I’ll try again in a little while” Calleigh assured them. “Maybe Tyler can get things started. See you later.”
Delko now turned his attention back to the crumpled, mangled engine block. He shone his flashlight up, dodging a dirt clod that fell down onto the cement and scattered.
Ryan glanced at the dirt clod. “Hey, man. Doesn’t that dirt look kind of funny to you?”
Delko glanced at Ryan and then at the dirt that had fallen onto the cement. He nodded. “Yeah.” Quickly he picked up an evidence bag. “This looks kind of red.” He touched it with his gloved finger and then gently sniffed it. He raised his eyebrows. “Brake fluid.”
Ryan immediately clicked on his flashlight and scanned the muddy, crumpled undercarriage. “Hey. Right there!” he said urgently.
“Where?”
“Right here.” Ryan pointed with his flashlight. “Here’s the brake line. Looks like the dirt fell off there. There’s something shiny poking out of there. See it?”
Delko squinted as he scanned the undercarriage again. “Yeah, I see it. Wait.” Carefully he reached up and tweezed out the shiny object. More mud flecked to the cement. Delko paid no attention now as the dirt showered him.
Evidence in hand, Delko nodded his head. “Straight pin.”
Ryan raised his eyebrows. “Yep, somebody worked on this car all right.”
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Post by earthylady on Jan 28, 2009 19:02:24 GMT -5
Great chapter JL. Melissa isn't a very good liar. Ryan is a little touchy about Emmie,LOL.
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Post by jaglady on Jan 28, 2009 19:21:10 GMT -5
Thanks, Earthylady. The lady after whom I modeled Melissa Matherson was totally different from the character. She passed away a couple of years ago at age 27. Hers was a very tragic story, but she was sweet as could be.
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