Daemon Muses: Stupid Is As Stupid Does
"Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity."
-Anon.
Leaning back in her desk chair, Murphy studied the file in front of her with a small scowl. Double homicide, two college dropouts found dead in their apartment. All three had records for dealing pot, roofies and ecstasy. They were not the world’s brightest bulbs by a long shot.
“You really shouldn’t discount their stupidity.” Aeron rumbled from under her desk. It was amazing the Daemon even fit in her cubical. How he folded himself up to hide underneath her desk still baffled her.
“What would their stupidity have to do with their murder?” She wondered out loud. “You think they said something to the wrong guy? Another drug dealer? These three were small time. The chances of a serious dealer getting angry enough to kill two of them are slim.”
“You never thought this was turf war. You weren’t thinking that when you walked onto the scene and you haven’t changed your mind since then.”
“So, oh wise one, what’s bothering me?” She glanced down to study the tiger under her desk. Aeron had his eyes closed, like he was sleeping, but his tail was rhythmically twitching back and forth. He was bothered by the case as much as she was. Why? This case wasn’t unusual. It wasn’t even that interesting, but something was bothering them both.
“I only know what you know.” Aeron pointed out, “If you don’t know, how am I supposed to know?”
“Divine intervention?” She offered sarcastically. The tiger snorted. Murphy returned her attention to the crime scene photos, flipping through them like a flipbook. She stopped suddenly and pulled out a photo. It showed one of the victim’s arms. Tilting the picture she peered closely at his hand.
“Get up.” She said, quickly getting to her feet. “We need to see Butters.”
“I hate the morgue.” Aeron grumbled, but he got up and followed her to the elevator. Still studying the photo she taped a foot impatiently as the elevator worked its way down to the basement. Something wasn’t right. She could feel it in her gut. The photo didn’t make sense, just like most of the crime scene, but if she got a look at the body, she was pretty sure this idea, this feeling would solidify.
When the doors opened, she strode off, Aeron still at her side. “Butters!” She yelled as she neared the autopsy doors. “You busy?”
“No. Is that you, Lieutenant?”
Murphy pushed the doors open to find Butters arm deep in someone’s stomach. She scowled at him, “I thought you said you weren’t busy.”
“I’m not. I just finished this one. Whatcha need?”
“Look at this.” She stuck the photo under his nose. “Is that a powder burn?”
The ME leaned in close to the picture then frowned. “Certainly looks like it could be. Might also be a stain.”
“Which drawer is Khan in?”
“Uh, second row, 6.”
“Thanks.” Murphy quickly moved to the bank of storage lockers and found the correct one. She yanked the door open, then pulled out her victim, Gregory Khan. She tucked the picture into her jacket pocket and pulled on a pair of gloves before opening the body bag and picking up the dead man’s hand.
“Just get it over with.” Aeron said from behind her.
“I hate this.” Murphy muttered to herself as she lifted the hand to her noise and sniffed. Under the smell of death and decomposition, she could smell gun powder. Making a face she set the hand down and coughed a little. “Make sure you check both their hands for gunpowder burns. I think the idiots may have shot each other. And in the tox screen, make sure you check for every drug there is. Idiots were probably high too.”
“Uh, sure Lieutenant. As soon as I’m done with Miss Duncan here.”
Murphy closed Khan back up, pushed him back into his drawer and yanked off the gloves, “Thanks, Butters.”
She was walked back towards the elevator before Aeron said anything. “Well, I told you not to discount their stupidity.”
[ooc: Introducing Murphy's latest verse split, Daemon Verse. This verse is based off the His Dark Materials series, where souls are embodied as animals known as Daemons. Murphy's Daemon is a male Siberian Tiger, Aeron. This verse is exclusive to the daemonmuses community.]
-Anon.
Leaning back in her desk chair, Murphy studied the file in front of her with a small scowl. Double homicide, two college dropouts found dead in their apartment. All three had records for dealing pot, roofies and ecstasy. They were not the world’s brightest bulbs by a long shot.
“You really shouldn’t discount their stupidity.” Aeron rumbled from under her desk. It was amazing the Daemon even fit in her cubical. How he folded himself up to hide underneath her desk still baffled her.
“What would their stupidity have to do with their murder?” She wondered out loud. “You think they said something to the wrong guy? Another drug dealer? These three were small time. The chances of a serious dealer getting angry enough to kill two of them are slim.”
“You never thought this was turf war. You weren’t thinking that when you walked onto the scene and you haven’t changed your mind since then.”
“So, oh wise one, what’s bothering me?” She glanced down to study the tiger under her desk. Aeron had his eyes closed, like he was sleeping, but his tail was rhythmically twitching back and forth. He was bothered by the case as much as she was. Why? This case wasn’t unusual. It wasn’t even that interesting, but something was bothering them both.
“I only know what you know.” Aeron pointed out, “If you don’t know, how am I supposed to know?”
“Divine intervention?” She offered sarcastically. The tiger snorted. Murphy returned her attention to the crime scene photos, flipping through them like a flipbook. She stopped suddenly and pulled out a photo. It showed one of the victim’s arms. Tilting the picture she peered closely at his hand.
“Get up.” She said, quickly getting to her feet. “We need to see Butters.”
“I hate the morgue.” Aeron grumbled, but he got up and followed her to the elevator. Still studying the photo she taped a foot impatiently as the elevator worked its way down to the basement. Something wasn’t right. She could feel it in her gut. The photo didn’t make sense, just like most of the crime scene, but if she got a look at the body, she was pretty sure this idea, this feeling would solidify.
When the doors opened, she strode off, Aeron still at her side. “Butters!” She yelled as she neared the autopsy doors. “You busy?”
“No. Is that you, Lieutenant?”
Murphy pushed the doors open to find Butters arm deep in someone’s stomach. She scowled at him, “I thought you said you weren’t busy.”
“I’m not. I just finished this one. Whatcha need?”
“Look at this.” She stuck the photo under his nose. “Is that a powder burn?”
The ME leaned in close to the picture then frowned. “Certainly looks like it could be. Might also be a stain.”
“Which drawer is Khan in?”
“Uh, second row, 6.”
“Thanks.” Murphy quickly moved to the bank of storage lockers and found the correct one. She yanked the door open, then pulled out her victim, Gregory Khan. She tucked the picture into her jacket pocket and pulled on a pair of gloves before opening the body bag and picking up the dead man’s hand.
“Just get it over with.” Aeron said from behind her.
“I hate this.” Murphy muttered to herself as she lifted the hand to her noise and sniffed. Under the smell of death and decomposition, she could smell gun powder. Making a face she set the hand down and coughed a little. “Make sure you check both their hands for gunpowder burns. I think the idiots may have shot each other. And in the tox screen, make sure you check for every drug there is. Idiots were probably high too.”
“Uh, sure Lieutenant. As soon as I’m done with Miss Duncan here.”
Murphy closed Khan back up, pushed him back into his drawer and yanked off the gloves, “Thanks, Butters.”
She was walked back towards the elevator before Aeron said anything. “Well, I told you not to discount their stupidity.”
[ooc: Introducing Murphy's latest verse split, Daemon Verse. This verse is based off the His Dark Materials series, where souls are embodied as animals known as Daemons. Murphy's Daemon is a male Siberian Tiger, Aeron. This verse is exclusive to the daemonmuses community.]