Case O: Scene of the Crime log
Summary:
-Victim: Karl Feldman, age 57, aging star of TV crime drama Mirandized
-Genitals were cut off, bled to death.
-Murder weapon was a missing knife from the prop dept, used in an episode mirroring what happened to Feldman.
-Found by co-star Jade Rousseau.
-Small-sized footprints found by the scene, like the killer watched.
-Co-star Kincaid McDaniel also on the set, claims Feldman was a drunk and jealous of younger co-stars McDaniel and Rosseau
-Show producer/creator Nick Rolf says Feldman was suing the studio over breach of contract
-Rolf also says that Feldman had at least 3 ex-wives.
-Evidence bagged includes: piece of material caught on trash can, vodka from a glass on bureau.
The phone in the Special Victims squad room rang for a moment. It was after ten at night and the only people at their desks were Detectives Val Lanier and Jackie Barr. They were supposed to be catching up on the backlogged paperwork so they could be free for Christmas, but neither their CO, Curtis, or anyone else, seemed to be around. Barr fiddled with one of the Happy Meal toys on her desk while Lanier, newer and actually afraid of the Lieutenant, worked hard on a DD-5. Jackie glanced briefly at the phone and then turned back to the Ariel doll, humming ‘Kiss the Girl under her breath. Val set down her pen and answered the phone.
“Special Victims Unit. Detective Val Lanier.”
“We’ve got a homicide out on 24th, set of some TV show,” the 911 dispatcher said. “One of the actors was killed, some big shot, Karl Feldman…looks like they cut off his, uh…stuff, so it’s an SVU case.”
If Val recognized the actor mentioned, she didn’t show it. “Okay,” she said a little nervously, “We’ll be there shortly.”
Det. Fin Tutuola walked into the bullpen with a paper cup of coffee, adjusting the plastic lid and taking a sip. “Damn, this stuff tasted bad. All this time I thought Munch was adding extra crazy powder.”
The dispatcher gave Lanier the address and the detective wrote it down. “Thank you,” she said, hanging up the phone. Then she turned to Fin and Barr. “There was a homicide on a TV set on 24th. The operator said the guy was missing his stuff.”
Barr raised her brows. “His stuff? You mean his penis?”
“Stuff?” Fin repeated. “That a technical term now?”
Val shrugged. “They just said ‘stuff’.”
Jackie shook her head. “SVU, guys.”
“So,” Fin asked, “He’s missing his rod or the whole collection?”
Val shifted uncomfortably. “I thought they meant the whole collection, but it could go either way.”
Jackie smirked, “His rod and reel, as it were.”
“Yeah, well, Munch was on pickup duty for that.” Fin said.
“I'm surprised he'd touch it,” Jackie mused.
“He had some tongs,” Fin said. “Check the list on the fridge. It ain't my month for it.”
“We have a list on the fridge?” Jackie said. “I call 'Not it.'”
Fin grinned. “You're February, Barr. Happy Valentine’s.”
“Should I call Ed?” Val wanted to know, changing the subject.
“Go ahead,” Fin said. “Tell him we got a loose weasel.”
Val nodded, “Um, okay.” She picked up the phone again to call Green.
“Someone wanna radio Ponch?” Fin asked.
“I’ll do it,” Jackie said.
Val got off the phone a moment later. “Green’s gonna meet us there.”
“And Curtis is out of town, but he’s meeting us there eventually,” Jackie informed with a slight smirk. She had an idea where the Lieutenant was, and why Frankie wasn’t there either.
“So are we going?” Val asked.
Fin downed the rest of his coffee. “Ready when you are”
“All right...let's go then,” Jackie said. “I'm not driving.”
“Man, I'll do it,” Fin said, taking the keys. “Think my cousin Ray-Ray juiced the ride though, so no bitchin’ if it bumps.”
They took off in the squad car that could only be described as having been ‘pimped’ and arrived shortly after at the scene of the crime, the production studio of Rolf Films. The exterior of the place looked very much like a warehouse, taking up an entire block. The Medical Examiner’s bus was already there, as well as several squad cars with uniforms milling around, guarding the area. Detective Ed Green was among the uniforms and went to meet the rest of the squad when they arrived.
The media was also there when the squad car pulled up, having gotten wind of the actor Feldman’s death. Several reporters swarmed the car as the detectives got out.
“Are you with the police department?” A reporter shoved a microphone at Jackie. “Is it true that the star of Mirandized, Karl Feldman was killed?”
“No comment,” Barr said. “Now, will you get out of the way?”
“Man, outta my face,” Fin moved past another journalist as the cops made their way into the building.
Inside, the set had been emptied and everyone that was still there milled around the dressing trailers. One dressing trailer in particular, the smallest of the bunch, had been blocked off by uniforms carefully guarding the door. There was also a pool of blood outside the trailer.
Green, leading the group, sought out the sergeant on the scene for the lowdown. “Green, SVU,” he held out his badge. “Alright man, what we got here?”
“Crime scene's inside that trailer.” The heavy-set sergeant motioned. “Vic's Karl Feldman, age 57. His genitals were cut off, he bled out. The ME's inside, and CSU's on their way.”
“Any other wounds? Defensive wounds?” Green asked.
“You'll have to talk to the ME,” the sergeant said. “We've been waitin' on yous guys..she said call Special Vics, that's what we did.”
“Alright, thanks,” Green said, going toward the trailer, Lanier following him while Fin and Jackie watched the various people outside.
When they opened the trailer door, the detectives saw that the victim was in the entryway, blood surrounding him. The medical examiner, Dr. Elizabeth Rodgers, was the only one in the trailer. It was a small space and the doctor had been guarding the scene against contamination since she’d arrived. Green immediately walked up to Rodgers.
“So, tell me a little about our vic here,” he said, skipping formalities.
Rodgers looked up from her examination of the body, an annoyed look on her face.
“I don't like that look, Rodgers,” Green said.
“You're lucky I got here when I did or this place would have been contaminated....reporters, idiot uniforms, these--actors...” Rodgers shook her head.
Val looked around at the trailer, complete with dressing table, adjoining mirror, and a bed. Then she looked at the vic, Karl Feldman. He was wearing a suit-his costume from the show. He was in his 50s, if she remembered correctly, and had salt-n-pepper hair, along with a wiry build.
Rodgers motioned to a pair of bloody footprints right by the victim. “Those were like that when the uniforms got here, most likely your killer's…like they just stood there and watched him bleed out. Cause of death is blood loss, and his genitals are nowhere to be found.”
“Any defensive wounds?” Green asked.
“None that I can find now,” Rodgers said.
“How long did it take him to bleed out?” Lanier wanted to know.
“Judging from levidity, I'd say three hours, maybe,” Rodgers informed. “Apparently, they were on a break, from 7 to 11, were supposed to start filming at 11:15. But they said that Feldman left the set earlier, around 6, after his scene was over.”
Green nodded. “So, three hours to bleed out, you're puttin time of death at...?
“Between nine and ten.”
“Got anything else for us?” Green asked.
“Not just yet,” Rodgers said, “But when CSU gets here, they'll sweep the place, and we'll have lab results after the autopsy.”
“Thanks Rodgers. And I'll try to get people outta your way to keep from contaminating things,” Green grinned at the ME.
“Damn well better,” Rodgers smirked at him.
“You'll run a tox screen for me, right?” Green asked.
“Of course, what do you think this is, Crim 101?” Rodgers raised her brows at him.
“Hey, I'm just keepin my bases covered.” Now it was Green’s turn to smirk. “Call us as soon as you get the reports in.”
“Will do.”
Just then, a heavyset man with a bulbous nose and a large forehead, made his way over. His ex pensive suit didn’t do terribly much for his barrel-chested frame and he shoved past the detectives in a fury.
“Yo, porkchop, watch the hands,” Fin said while Val looked on from inside the trailer.
The man’s face grew redder with indignation. “Don't you KNOW who I am? You are ON my SET! No one told me anything about this ! Where the hell is Motzie, she is FIRED!”
Fin grinned and nudged Barr. “Hey, Jackie, found the loose weasel.”
Ed poked his head out from the trailer, which was still wide open for all to see. “Excuse me, sir, we're detectives. We're investigating a crime. And you would be...?”
The man shot dagger eyes at Fin and then took a look at Green. “Nick Rolf. I own this show.”
Green held out his badge again. “Mr. Rolf, I'm Detective Green. Are you aware of what's goin’ on here?”
“One of my actors was killed, in one of my trailers on the set of my show. What are you doing here?” Rolf narrowed his beady eyes.
Green tried not to roll his eyes. “Investigating the murder of said actor. May we continue to do our jobs?”
Rolf continued to glare. “That little son of a bitch probably pissed off another wife.”
“Well, until we figure that out,” Green said, “I'm gonna have to ask you to stay outta our way and let us take care of things…And you say another wife? Mr. Feldman currently married?”
“Last I checked he had three former,” Rolf said sarcastically.
Green raised his brows. “Kids? Girlfriend? Assistant? Anyone who'd have a lot on his personal life?”
“Do I look like I know that? My lawyer instructed me not to talk to him...little bastard was suing the studio.” Rolf’s voice was filled with hate.
“What for?” Lanier asked.
Rolf shook his head. “Breach of contract my ass.”
Amid the cluster of people near the trailers was an attractive young woman sniveling somewhat hysterically. There was a helpless uniform attempting to calm her down. Nearby, an equally good-looking man sulked while barking into his cell phone.
Green decided to try again with Rolf. “Can you tell us anything else about this lawsuit. Or, you know, give us your lawyer's name so we can play this little game with him, too.”
Rolf handed Green a card from his pocket.
“Do you have Mr. Feldman's current address?” Green asked.
“Talk to the studio,” Rolf snapped. “I'm not a walking Rolodex.”
Green sighed. What was he supposed to be, a mindreader? “Anyone in particular I should talk to? Can your assistant help us out?”
Just then Rolf’s phone rang and he walked off, ignoring the last inquiry from Ed.
“He was helpful,” Lanier said sarcastically.
The guy on the cell phone continued to scream into the device. “You're my fucking manager! We're not fucking filming, because the asshole got his fucking dick cut off! He wasn't even in the fucking scene...well I don't give a shit...FIX IT!”
Green gave Lanier a look. “You gotta love the closeness of these people.”
“Oh, for God's sake,” the man on the phone yelled to the crying actress, “Shut the hell up, Jade!”
“Yeah. I think I'll go see what's going on over there,” Lanier said. “You okay here?”
Green nodded and motioned for her to go ahead.
Meanwhile, Tutuola had begun to look for the missing genitalia.
“How’s the search goin’ Fin?” Green called out.
Fin shook his head. “Think I’ll start here at the body and follow the blood…”
He did, following the trail of blood. He noticed that there were two smaller-sized foot prints by the body. It was like Rodgers said, as if the perp had stood there watching the poor son of a bitch bleed out. The prints trailed out and ended outside the trailer, where the perp wiped his or her shoes. They didn’t show signs of a hurry or panic, but looked like the killer was calm. Fin took this in, ordering a CSU tech to get pictures, and then looked under the trailer. There was nothing there.
He stood back up, looking around. “…if I was going to throw a penis...”
Lanier had since walked over to where the crying woman continued to sniffle at the man on the phone.
“Stop yelling, Kin! I just can't take it!”
Lanier went to her. “Are you alright, ma'am?”
“NO!” The woman was dramatic as she wiped at her eyes.
“Can you tell me what happened?” Val asked, calmly.
“I...I was going to...to his trailer...to...and there was blood...and...he...he played jokes...so...” The young actress burst into tears.
“So you didn't see that anything was wrong?” Val asked.
The man with the cell rolled his eyes. “Oh, Christ, she opened the door and saw Ass Hole with his prick cut off!”
“Sir, you are not helping matters,” Val said, looking over to Green for help.
Green caught her look and walked over to the group. He placed his hand on the man’s chest and pushed him back a few steps. “Man, take it down, and hang up the phone, now.”
The man hung up his phone and proceeded to get in Green’s face. “DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM, YOU MORON?!?!”
From behind, Fin smacked the back of the man’s head.
“Does it look like I care?” Green’s eyes were wide.
“Yeah, you're a chump who got smacked,” Fin smirked.
The man roared. “That's it, I'm calling my manager AND my lawyer! This is police brutality. You morons should be out looking for a murderer!” He began to dial on his cell again.
Before he could finish, Green took the phone from his hands. “Man, you haven't seen brutality. Now shut up and answer some questions for us so we can find the murderer.”
“That's the new Crazr you bastard!”
“You can have it back when I'm done with you,” Green said.
The actor huffed.
“Now, you wanna start by giving me your name?” Green asked.
“Kincaid McDaniel. I'm the start of the show.” McDaniel’s chest puffed up.
“Ok, Mr. McDaniel,” Green said. “Would you mind telling me where you were between 9 and 10?”
“I was in my trailer on the phone with my manager.”
“I'm gonna need your manager's name and number so we can confirm that.”
“It's in the phone.”
Green held up the phone. “You mind if I look for it?”
“Do you THINK I mind?” McDaniel glared.
“Man, you need to drop the attitude, and fast,” Green warned.
“You need to ask me your fucking questions and stop wasting my time.”
It was Green’s turn to glare. “How well did you know Mr. Feldman?”
“That asshole?” McDaniel rolled his eyes. “Well enough to know he hated my guts for stealing his thunder.”
“He felt you were upstaging him?” Green asked.
“I WAS upstaging him. His day has been over.” McDaniel’s lips were pursed. “He couldn't handle it.”
“He ever threaten you?”
“All the time!”
“What kind of threats?” Green wanted to know.
“He said he was going to get me fired,” McDaniel said.
“Any violent threats?”
The actor looked at the detective like the older man was stupid. “Hello...he said he was going to get me FIRED!”
Green rolled his eyes. “Did he ever threaten you with physical violence?”
“He got up in my face a few times, but the old drunk knew I could take him. He wouldn't try anything.”
“Feldman's a drinker? He ever come to work drunk?” Green wrote quickly in his notebook.
“On occasion, yeah,” McDaniel said. “Why do you think his ass was going to get fired?”
“Did Feldman have any enemies? Anyone want to harm him?”
“How the hell would I know?” McDaniel’s voice had remained incredulous and bothered throughout the conversation.
Green finished his notes and handed McDaniel his business card. “Thank you for your help, Mr. McDaniel. Call us if you think of anything else.”
“Yeah, maybe I could do that if you'd gimme my phone back!
Green smirked and handed McDaniel his fancy phone. “Here ya go.”
McDaniel grabbed it, flipped it open and started dialing as he swaggered off.
On the other side of the area, the young actress continued to cry to Lanier.
“When I saw the blood I...I thought it was one of his jokes...”
“Did you know Mr. Feldmen very well?” Lanier asked.
“Only professionally,” she said.
“When was the last time you saw him?”
“Around 6:30...we did a scene together, and he was out of it before I was.”
Val nodded. “Where did you go after you finished your scene?”
“Back to my trailer...it's that one,” the girl pointed. “I’m Jade Rousseau...one of the leads.”
Val nodded, as if she knew who Jade was. “Were you in your trailer until you found Mr. Feldman?”
“Yeah.”
“Is there anyone who confirm that you were there?” Val asked.
Jade thought for a moment. “One of the interns came in with me...she took my costume and left. Oh, and one of the director's assistant's came in around 9:45ish…” She tried to remember. “Oh! I forgot. A props guy came in...i can't remember what time. We had used a knife for evidence in one of the scenes and it was missing. He wanted to know if I...” She went pale with realization. “Oh God.”
Val tried to keep her calm. “Can you tell me what the knife looked like?”
Rosseau had begun to cry. “It...it, um...I... didn't pay much attention. The...the episode...it was about...about...a guy getting his...well, what happened to Karl.”
Val raised a brow. “Did anything seem out of the ordinary with Karl during fliming? Did he seem worried or agitaited?”
Jade tried to calm down. “I...I don't know...I can't remember.”
Lanier patted her arm, and kept her voice calm, trying to reassure her. “That's okay. If you remember anything give us a call.”
As Lanier wrapped up her interview with Jade Rousseau, Fin and Jackie continued to look for the rest of Feldman. Fin went back to the trailer.
He was met by a still-miffed Rodgers. “I told Green and Lanier, it's not here. You check the dumpster?”
Fin shook his head. “Shit, that's MCS noise.” He went to check anyway. When he saw the size of the dumpster, he yelled for a uniform. A newer officer came over, and reluctantly, at the detective’s orders, got inside the dumpster and began to look around. Fin and Barr knew he’d found it when his face grew pale. The uni looked at Jackie for help.
Barr rolled her eyes. “I see you found the penis.”
The uniform tried not to gag. “I need.....evidence...bag....” He turned away and barfed into the other side of the dumpster. “….I can’t pick it up.”
Barr sighed. “Good thing I'm not dressed up today.” She climbed into the dumpster, saw where the evidence was and bagged it.
Barr had climbed out of the garbage and handed the bag off to a different uniform when Green and Lanier headed over to them. At that moment, Lieutenant Rey Curtis finally arrived on the scene, not as inconspicuously as he’d hoped, together with Det. Frankie Silvera, both of them dressed up like they’d been out somewhere. After some joshing from Fin and Barr (to Curtis’s annoyance), the door to the trailer opened up again.
Rodgers, accompanied by two lab techs hauled the now-covered corpse out of the trailer.
“Trailer’s all yours,” Rodgers said. “Have at it.”
“Thanks Rodgers,” Green called out. “Call us as soon as you got somethin’.”
“I think our murder weapon was a prop,” Lanier informed the group.
“That's ironic,” Jackie mused.
“And the episode they were filming had a similar murder,” Val went on.
Silver and Curtis nodded. After a minute or so of wondering what this could mean, the detectives made their way over to the now-cleared trailer.
There was an outline where the body had been, and the bloody prints were still there. Against one wall was a bureau with a wall of news clippings behind it. The bureau itself had several toiletry items, along with a half-empty glass of vodka and a little puddle where the drink had spilled. On a nearby table there were several bottles of alcohol, some more empty than others.
Barr noted the vodka. “Breakfast of champions.”
“Where would you stash a murder weapon here?” Lanier asked Green.
Ed shrugged. “This place is a disaster. You think our killer'd leave the weapon at the scene?”
“It wasn't in the dumpster, was it?” Lanier asked.
Jackie shook her head. “Nope, the uniform could pick up a knife, I hope.”
“Then it's probably here unless the killer took it with them.”
Val began to go through the trash can while Jackie started to go through the newspaper clippings.
Green rubbed his face a little tiredly. “Well, if ya'll have things under control here, I'm gonna head back to the squad, start dumping LUDs, checkin’ alibis, and wait to see if Rodgers can get us anything tonight.” He started for the door while the others nodded to him as they searched. “Call me if ya’ll need anything.”
In the trashcan, Lanier found nothing more than a few discarded tissues. On the rim of the metal wastebasket, however, there was a piece of material that looked like it had been caught on the metal frame.
“I need an evidence bag,” she said, making a note. Silvera walked across the room and handed her a bag. Lanier used a gloved hand to stick it in an evidence bag.
“What was that, Lanier?” Curtis asked.
“I think it came from a shirt or something. Maybe the killer’s?” Val wondered aloud.
Jackie scanned the newspaper clippings, bagging them after she read them, as well as making notes. Most of the clippings were a few years old and featured the victim, Karl Feldman. The older articles heralded him as “"playing cynical police detective John Miranda in the new series, Mirandized.” In the earlier articles, he was listed as the ‘main star,’ leading newcomers McDaniel and Rosseau. Toward the end of the articles, down at the bottom of the wall, he began to be listed as ‘'part of an ensemble cast' or 'older co-star of the hot new talent'.
Jackie shook her head. “I'd say he was pissed....he's now the old guy instead of the star.”
“How does that help us?” Val wanted to know.
“Maybe he tried to intimidate somebody who was sick of his old man BS,” Jackie said.
“Anything else around here?” Curtis glanced at the glass of vodka. “Someone wanna get a vial for that, get it tested?”
Val, who was becoming used to being the gopher, as the newbie, ran for the vial and carefully poured the contents of the glass into it.
After looking around to make sure they hadn’t missed anything else, the detectives and their commanding officer headed out.
-Victim: Karl Feldman, age 57, aging star of TV crime drama Mirandized
-Genitals were cut off, bled to death.
-Murder weapon was a missing knife from the prop dept, used in an episode mirroring what happened to Feldman.
-Found by co-star Jade Rousseau.
-Small-sized footprints found by the scene, like the killer watched.
-Co-star Kincaid McDaniel also on the set, claims Feldman was a drunk and jealous of younger co-stars McDaniel and Rosseau
-Show producer/creator Nick Rolf says Feldman was suing the studio over breach of contract
-Rolf also says that Feldman had at least 3 ex-wives.
-Evidence bagged includes: piece of material caught on trash can, vodka from a glass on bureau.
The phone in the Special Victims squad room rang for a moment. It was after ten at night and the only people at their desks were Detectives Val Lanier and Jackie Barr. They were supposed to be catching up on the backlogged paperwork so they could be free for Christmas, but neither their CO, Curtis, or anyone else, seemed to be around. Barr fiddled with one of the Happy Meal toys on her desk while Lanier, newer and actually afraid of the Lieutenant, worked hard on a DD-5. Jackie glanced briefly at the phone and then turned back to the Ariel doll, humming ‘Kiss the Girl under her breath. Val set down her pen and answered the phone.
“Special Victims Unit. Detective Val Lanier.”
“We’ve got a homicide out on 24th, set of some TV show,” the 911 dispatcher said. “One of the actors was killed, some big shot, Karl Feldman…looks like they cut off his, uh…stuff, so it’s an SVU case.”
If Val recognized the actor mentioned, she didn’t show it. “Okay,” she said a little nervously, “We’ll be there shortly.”
Det. Fin Tutuola walked into the bullpen with a paper cup of coffee, adjusting the plastic lid and taking a sip. “Damn, this stuff tasted bad. All this time I thought Munch was adding extra crazy powder.”
The dispatcher gave Lanier the address and the detective wrote it down. “Thank you,” she said, hanging up the phone. Then she turned to Fin and Barr. “There was a homicide on a TV set on 24th. The operator said the guy was missing his stuff.”
Barr raised her brows. “His stuff? You mean his penis?”
“Stuff?” Fin repeated. “That a technical term now?”
Val shrugged. “They just said ‘stuff’.”
Jackie shook her head. “SVU, guys.”
“So,” Fin asked, “He’s missing his rod or the whole collection?”
Val shifted uncomfortably. “I thought they meant the whole collection, but it could go either way.”
Jackie smirked, “His rod and reel, as it were.”
“Yeah, well, Munch was on pickup duty for that.” Fin said.
“I'm surprised he'd touch it,” Jackie mused.
“He had some tongs,” Fin said. “Check the list on the fridge. It ain't my month for it.”
“We have a list on the fridge?” Jackie said. “I call 'Not it.'”
Fin grinned. “You're February, Barr. Happy Valentine’s.”
“Should I call Ed?” Val wanted to know, changing the subject.
“Go ahead,” Fin said. “Tell him we got a loose weasel.”
Val nodded, “Um, okay.” She picked up the phone again to call Green.
“Someone wanna radio Ponch?” Fin asked.
“I’ll do it,” Jackie said.
Val got off the phone a moment later. “Green’s gonna meet us there.”
“And Curtis is out of town, but he’s meeting us there eventually,” Jackie informed with a slight smirk. She had an idea where the Lieutenant was, and why Frankie wasn’t there either.
“So are we going?” Val asked.
Fin downed the rest of his coffee. “Ready when you are”
“All right...let's go then,” Jackie said. “I'm not driving.”
“Man, I'll do it,” Fin said, taking the keys. “Think my cousin Ray-Ray juiced the ride though, so no bitchin’ if it bumps.”
They took off in the squad car that could only be described as having been ‘pimped’ and arrived shortly after at the scene of the crime, the production studio of Rolf Films. The exterior of the place looked very much like a warehouse, taking up an entire block. The Medical Examiner’s bus was already there, as well as several squad cars with uniforms milling around, guarding the area. Detective Ed Green was among the uniforms and went to meet the rest of the squad when they arrived.
The media was also there when the squad car pulled up, having gotten wind of the actor Feldman’s death. Several reporters swarmed the car as the detectives got out.
“Are you with the police department?” A reporter shoved a microphone at Jackie. “Is it true that the star of Mirandized, Karl Feldman was killed?”
“No comment,” Barr said. “Now, will you get out of the way?”
“Man, outta my face,” Fin moved past another journalist as the cops made their way into the building.
Inside, the set had been emptied and everyone that was still there milled around the dressing trailers. One dressing trailer in particular, the smallest of the bunch, had been blocked off by uniforms carefully guarding the door. There was also a pool of blood outside the trailer.
Green, leading the group, sought out the sergeant on the scene for the lowdown. “Green, SVU,” he held out his badge. “Alright man, what we got here?”
“Crime scene's inside that trailer.” The heavy-set sergeant motioned. “Vic's Karl Feldman, age 57. His genitals were cut off, he bled out. The ME's inside, and CSU's on their way.”
“Any other wounds? Defensive wounds?” Green asked.
“You'll have to talk to the ME,” the sergeant said. “We've been waitin' on yous guys..she said call Special Vics, that's what we did.”
“Alright, thanks,” Green said, going toward the trailer, Lanier following him while Fin and Jackie watched the various people outside.
When they opened the trailer door, the detectives saw that the victim was in the entryway, blood surrounding him. The medical examiner, Dr. Elizabeth Rodgers, was the only one in the trailer. It was a small space and the doctor had been guarding the scene against contamination since she’d arrived. Green immediately walked up to Rodgers.
“So, tell me a little about our vic here,” he said, skipping formalities.
Rodgers looked up from her examination of the body, an annoyed look on her face.
“I don't like that look, Rodgers,” Green said.
“You're lucky I got here when I did or this place would have been contaminated....reporters, idiot uniforms, these--actors...” Rodgers shook her head.
Val looked around at the trailer, complete with dressing table, adjoining mirror, and a bed. Then she looked at the vic, Karl Feldman. He was wearing a suit-his costume from the show. He was in his 50s, if she remembered correctly, and had salt-n-pepper hair, along with a wiry build.
Rodgers motioned to a pair of bloody footprints right by the victim. “Those were like that when the uniforms got here, most likely your killer's…like they just stood there and watched him bleed out. Cause of death is blood loss, and his genitals are nowhere to be found.”
“Any defensive wounds?” Green asked.
“None that I can find now,” Rodgers said.
“How long did it take him to bleed out?” Lanier wanted to know.
“Judging from levidity, I'd say three hours, maybe,” Rodgers informed. “Apparently, they were on a break, from 7 to 11, were supposed to start filming at 11:15. But they said that Feldman left the set earlier, around 6, after his scene was over.”
Green nodded. “So, three hours to bleed out, you're puttin time of death at...?
“Between nine and ten.”
“Got anything else for us?” Green asked.
“Not just yet,” Rodgers said, “But when CSU gets here, they'll sweep the place, and we'll have lab results after the autopsy.”
“Thanks Rodgers. And I'll try to get people outta your way to keep from contaminating things,” Green grinned at the ME.
“Damn well better,” Rodgers smirked at him.
“You'll run a tox screen for me, right?” Green asked.
“Of course, what do you think this is, Crim 101?” Rodgers raised her brows at him.
“Hey, I'm just keepin my bases covered.” Now it was Green’s turn to smirk. “Call us as soon as you get the reports in.”
“Will do.”
Just then, a heavyset man with a bulbous nose and a large forehead, made his way over. His ex pensive suit didn’t do terribly much for his barrel-chested frame and he shoved past the detectives in a fury.
“Yo, porkchop, watch the hands,” Fin said while Val looked on from inside the trailer.
The man’s face grew redder with indignation. “Don't you KNOW who I am? You are ON my SET! No one told me anything about this ! Where the hell is Motzie, she is FIRED!”
Fin grinned and nudged Barr. “Hey, Jackie, found the loose weasel.”
Ed poked his head out from the trailer, which was still wide open for all to see. “Excuse me, sir, we're detectives. We're investigating a crime. And you would be...?”
The man shot dagger eyes at Fin and then took a look at Green. “Nick Rolf. I own this show.”
Green held out his badge again. “Mr. Rolf, I'm Detective Green. Are you aware of what's goin’ on here?”
“One of my actors was killed, in one of my trailers on the set of my show. What are you doing here?” Rolf narrowed his beady eyes.
Green tried not to roll his eyes. “Investigating the murder of said actor. May we continue to do our jobs?”
Rolf continued to glare. “That little son of a bitch probably pissed off another wife.”
“Well, until we figure that out,” Green said, “I'm gonna have to ask you to stay outta our way and let us take care of things…And you say another wife? Mr. Feldman currently married?”
“Last I checked he had three former,” Rolf said sarcastically.
Green raised his brows. “Kids? Girlfriend? Assistant? Anyone who'd have a lot on his personal life?”
“Do I look like I know that? My lawyer instructed me not to talk to him...little bastard was suing the studio.” Rolf’s voice was filled with hate.
“What for?” Lanier asked.
Rolf shook his head. “Breach of contract my ass.”
Amid the cluster of people near the trailers was an attractive young woman sniveling somewhat hysterically. There was a helpless uniform attempting to calm her down. Nearby, an equally good-looking man sulked while barking into his cell phone.
Green decided to try again with Rolf. “Can you tell us anything else about this lawsuit. Or, you know, give us your lawyer's name so we can play this little game with him, too.”
Rolf handed Green a card from his pocket.
“Do you have Mr. Feldman's current address?” Green asked.
“Talk to the studio,” Rolf snapped. “I'm not a walking Rolodex.”
Green sighed. What was he supposed to be, a mindreader? “Anyone in particular I should talk to? Can your assistant help us out?”
Just then Rolf’s phone rang and he walked off, ignoring the last inquiry from Ed.
“He was helpful,” Lanier said sarcastically.
The guy on the cell phone continued to scream into the device. “You're my fucking manager! We're not fucking filming, because the asshole got his fucking dick cut off! He wasn't even in the fucking scene...well I don't give a shit...FIX IT!”
Green gave Lanier a look. “You gotta love the closeness of these people.”
“Oh, for God's sake,” the man on the phone yelled to the crying actress, “Shut the hell up, Jade!”
“Yeah. I think I'll go see what's going on over there,” Lanier said. “You okay here?”
Green nodded and motioned for her to go ahead.
Meanwhile, Tutuola had begun to look for the missing genitalia.
“How’s the search goin’ Fin?” Green called out.
Fin shook his head. “Think I’ll start here at the body and follow the blood…”
He did, following the trail of blood. He noticed that there were two smaller-sized foot prints by the body. It was like Rodgers said, as if the perp had stood there watching the poor son of a bitch bleed out. The prints trailed out and ended outside the trailer, where the perp wiped his or her shoes. They didn’t show signs of a hurry or panic, but looked like the killer was calm. Fin took this in, ordering a CSU tech to get pictures, and then looked under the trailer. There was nothing there.
He stood back up, looking around. “…if I was going to throw a penis...”
Lanier had since walked over to where the crying woman continued to sniffle at the man on the phone.
“Stop yelling, Kin! I just can't take it!”
Lanier went to her. “Are you alright, ma'am?”
“NO!” The woman was dramatic as she wiped at her eyes.
“Can you tell me what happened?” Val asked, calmly.
“I...I was going to...to his trailer...to...and there was blood...and...he...he played jokes...so...” The young actress burst into tears.
“So you didn't see that anything was wrong?” Val asked.
The man with the cell rolled his eyes. “Oh, Christ, she opened the door and saw Ass Hole with his prick cut off!”
“Sir, you are not helping matters,” Val said, looking over to Green for help.
Green caught her look and walked over to the group. He placed his hand on the man’s chest and pushed him back a few steps. “Man, take it down, and hang up the phone, now.”
The man hung up his phone and proceeded to get in Green’s face. “DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM, YOU MORON?!?!”
From behind, Fin smacked the back of the man’s head.
“Does it look like I care?” Green’s eyes were wide.
“Yeah, you're a chump who got smacked,” Fin smirked.
The man roared. “That's it, I'm calling my manager AND my lawyer! This is police brutality. You morons should be out looking for a murderer!” He began to dial on his cell again.
Before he could finish, Green took the phone from his hands. “Man, you haven't seen brutality. Now shut up and answer some questions for us so we can find the murderer.”
“That's the new Crazr you bastard!”
“You can have it back when I'm done with you,” Green said.
The actor huffed.
“Now, you wanna start by giving me your name?” Green asked.
“Kincaid McDaniel. I'm the start of the show.” McDaniel’s chest puffed up.
“Ok, Mr. McDaniel,” Green said. “Would you mind telling me where you were between 9 and 10?”
“I was in my trailer on the phone with my manager.”
“I'm gonna need your manager's name and number so we can confirm that.”
“It's in the phone.”
Green held up the phone. “You mind if I look for it?”
“Do you THINK I mind?” McDaniel glared.
“Man, you need to drop the attitude, and fast,” Green warned.
“You need to ask me your fucking questions and stop wasting my time.”
It was Green’s turn to glare. “How well did you know Mr. Feldman?”
“That asshole?” McDaniel rolled his eyes. “Well enough to know he hated my guts for stealing his thunder.”
“He felt you were upstaging him?” Green asked.
“I WAS upstaging him. His day has been over.” McDaniel’s lips were pursed. “He couldn't handle it.”
“He ever threaten you?”
“All the time!”
“What kind of threats?” Green wanted to know.
“He said he was going to get me fired,” McDaniel said.
“Any violent threats?”
The actor looked at the detective like the older man was stupid. “Hello...he said he was going to get me FIRED!”
Green rolled his eyes. “Did he ever threaten you with physical violence?”
“He got up in my face a few times, but the old drunk knew I could take him. He wouldn't try anything.”
“Feldman's a drinker? He ever come to work drunk?” Green wrote quickly in his notebook.
“On occasion, yeah,” McDaniel said. “Why do you think his ass was going to get fired?”
“Did Feldman have any enemies? Anyone want to harm him?”
“How the hell would I know?” McDaniel’s voice had remained incredulous and bothered throughout the conversation.
Green finished his notes and handed McDaniel his business card. “Thank you for your help, Mr. McDaniel. Call us if you think of anything else.”
“Yeah, maybe I could do that if you'd gimme my phone back!
Green smirked and handed McDaniel his fancy phone. “Here ya go.”
McDaniel grabbed it, flipped it open and started dialing as he swaggered off.
On the other side of the area, the young actress continued to cry to Lanier.
“When I saw the blood I...I thought it was one of his jokes...”
“Did you know Mr. Feldmen very well?” Lanier asked.
“Only professionally,” she said.
“When was the last time you saw him?”
“Around 6:30...we did a scene together, and he was out of it before I was.”
Val nodded. “Where did you go after you finished your scene?”
“Back to my trailer...it's that one,” the girl pointed. “I’m Jade Rousseau...one of the leads.”
Val nodded, as if she knew who Jade was. “Were you in your trailer until you found Mr. Feldman?”
“Yeah.”
“Is there anyone who confirm that you were there?” Val asked.
Jade thought for a moment. “One of the interns came in with me...she took my costume and left. Oh, and one of the director's assistant's came in around 9:45ish…” She tried to remember. “Oh! I forgot. A props guy came in...i can't remember what time. We had used a knife for evidence in one of the scenes and it was missing. He wanted to know if I...” She went pale with realization. “Oh God.”
Val tried to keep her calm. “Can you tell me what the knife looked like?”
Rosseau had begun to cry. “It...it, um...I... didn't pay much attention. The...the episode...it was about...about...a guy getting his...well, what happened to Karl.”
Val raised a brow. “Did anything seem out of the ordinary with Karl during fliming? Did he seem worried or agitaited?”
Jade tried to calm down. “I...I don't know...I can't remember.”
Lanier patted her arm, and kept her voice calm, trying to reassure her. “That's okay. If you remember anything give us a call.”
As Lanier wrapped up her interview with Jade Rousseau, Fin and Jackie continued to look for the rest of Feldman. Fin went back to the trailer.
He was met by a still-miffed Rodgers. “I told Green and Lanier, it's not here. You check the dumpster?”
Fin shook his head. “Shit, that's MCS noise.” He went to check anyway. When he saw the size of the dumpster, he yelled for a uniform. A newer officer came over, and reluctantly, at the detective’s orders, got inside the dumpster and began to look around. Fin and Barr knew he’d found it when his face grew pale. The uni looked at Jackie for help.
Barr rolled her eyes. “I see you found the penis.”
The uniform tried not to gag. “I need.....evidence...bag....” He turned away and barfed into the other side of the dumpster. “….I can’t pick it up.”
Barr sighed. “Good thing I'm not dressed up today.” She climbed into the dumpster, saw where the evidence was and bagged it.
Barr had climbed out of the garbage and handed the bag off to a different uniform when Green and Lanier headed over to them. At that moment, Lieutenant Rey Curtis finally arrived on the scene, not as inconspicuously as he’d hoped, together with Det. Frankie Silvera, both of them dressed up like they’d been out somewhere. After some joshing from Fin and Barr (to Curtis’s annoyance), the door to the trailer opened up again.
Rodgers, accompanied by two lab techs hauled the now-covered corpse out of the trailer.
“Trailer’s all yours,” Rodgers said. “Have at it.”
“Thanks Rodgers,” Green called out. “Call us as soon as you got somethin’.”
“I think our murder weapon was a prop,” Lanier informed the group.
“That's ironic,” Jackie mused.
“And the episode they were filming had a similar murder,” Val went on.
Silver and Curtis nodded. After a minute or so of wondering what this could mean, the detectives made their way over to the now-cleared trailer.
There was an outline where the body had been, and the bloody prints were still there. Against one wall was a bureau with a wall of news clippings behind it. The bureau itself had several toiletry items, along with a half-empty glass of vodka and a little puddle where the drink had spilled. On a nearby table there were several bottles of alcohol, some more empty than others.
Barr noted the vodka. “Breakfast of champions.”
“Where would you stash a murder weapon here?” Lanier asked Green.
Ed shrugged. “This place is a disaster. You think our killer'd leave the weapon at the scene?”
“It wasn't in the dumpster, was it?” Lanier asked.
Jackie shook her head. “Nope, the uniform could pick up a knife, I hope.”
“Then it's probably here unless the killer took it with them.”
Val began to go through the trash can while Jackie started to go through the newspaper clippings.
Green rubbed his face a little tiredly. “Well, if ya'll have things under control here, I'm gonna head back to the squad, start dumping LUDs, checkin’ alibis, and wait to see if Rodgers can get us anything tonight.” He started for the door while the others nodded to him as they searched. “Call me if ya’ll need anything.”
In the trashcan, Lanier found nothing more than a few discarded tissues. On the rim of the metal wastebasket, however, there was a piece of material that looked like it had been caught on the metal frame.
“I need an evidence bag,” she said, making a note. Silvera walked across the room and handed her a bag. Lanier used a gloved hand to stick it in an evidence bag.
“What was that, Lanier?” Curtis asked.
“I think it came from a shirt or something. Maybe the killer’s?” Val wondered aloud.
Jackie scanned the newspaper clippings, bagging them after she read them, as well as making notes. Most of the clippings were a few years old and featured the victim, Karl Feldman. The older articles heralded him as “"playing cynical police detective John Miranda in the new series, Mirandized.” In the earlier articles, he was listed as the ‘main star,’ leading newcomers McDaniel and Rosseau. Toward the end of the articles, down at the bottom of the wall, he began to be listed as ‘'part of an ensemble cast' or 'older co-star of the hot new talent'.
Jackie shook her head. “I'd say he was pissed....he's now the old guy instead of the star.”
“How does that help us?” Val wanted to know.
“Maybe he tried to intimidate somebody who was sick of his old man BS,” Jackie said.
“Anything else around here?” Curtis glanced at the glass of vodka. “Someone wanna get a vial for that, get it tested?”
Val, who was becoming used to being the gopher, as the newbie, ran for the vial and carefully poured the contents of the glass into it.
After looking around to make sure they hadn’t missed anything else, the detectives and their commanding officer headed out.