Primeval fic: The ARC Files: The Locked Room Mystery
Title: The ARC Files: The Locked Room Mystery
Author: knitekat
Word Count: ~1275
Characters: James Lester, Jenny Lewis, Jon Lyle (OC), Martin Osborn (OC), Collins (OC)
Rating: 18
Disclaimer: Primeval belongs to Impossible Pictures. Certainly not me. Writing for fun and will replace.
A/N: For my Primeval Bingo Card (round 4) prompt: A Mystery to Investigate (7/25). Thanks go to the wonderful Fred for the beta. All remaining mistakes are mine.
Detective Inspector Martin Osborn frowned as he passed the young copper spewing his guts out in the hallway. He'd always thought the younger man didn't have what it took to be in the Job, not if he vomited at a murder scene. As soon as he stepped into the room, however, Osborn found himself swallowing hard as he tried to keep the contents of his stomach where they should be.
The room looked as if a tornado had hit it, the furniture all tumbled and scattered around. The curtains had been ripped down with such force the curtain rail had bent before breaking free. The walls were liberally sprayed with blood and he thought he could see a severed - no, make that torn off - foot lying under the coffee table. The stench threatened to turn his stomach again and he concentrated on breathing through his mouth. It was one of the goriest crime scenes he'd seen in his entire career and that was saying something.
He spared a look out of the blood-splattered window before turning to the white clad forensic expert examining what was left of the victim. “What have we got, Collins?”
Collins nodded a greeting as he rose with a groan, stretched muscles probably cramping from crouching too long. “Not much to go on, Ossie. Whatever did this was vicious, powerful and hungry.”
“Hungry?” Osborn asked, already cursing the gods for not giving him a mundane case for once. Why did he always get lumbered with this supernatural crap?
“Some of the victim is missing.” Collins bent over to point at the leg Osborn assumed the foot had once been attached to. “And this area shows clear evidence something gnawed it to the bone.”
“Werewolf?” Osborn sighed heavily. He hated it when they had to hunt one of those down, the bloody wolfies always tried to claim they hadn't been in control of their actions when Changed. He glanced out the window once more and cursed the pregnant moon that hung there looking so innocent.
“Normally I'd say yes.”
Osborn frowned. “Normally?”
Collins nodded. “Doors locked from the inside, windows closed and locked too. No sign of a forced entrance.”
“So, someone he knew?” Osborn really hated those cases, shivering as he wondered how anyone could live with someone who might turn rabid on them at any moment.
“No necessarily, DI Osborn. I believe there is also no sign of a forced exit.”
A smooth and arrogant voice sounded from the open door. A voice Osborn knew far too well for his liking even if he'd known he'd hear it. The bloody Abnormal Regulation and Control mob showed up even when there was only the faintest whiff of the supernatural and took over cases the normal police force was perfectly capable of solving by themselves. He glanced around the room, however, in this case, he might make an exception, but that didn't mean he had to like the bastard. He nodded coldly at the man. “Lester.”
Lester smiled equally coldly as he strolled into the room, his calculating gaze taking in the evidence with one look. “Mmm.”
“I've finished here, Ossie.” Collins spoke as he packed up his equipment, before turning to Lester. “Unless you need any more information, Sir James?”
“Not at the moment,” Lester paused in his perusal of the room. “If I could have a copy of your report?”
“Of course,” Collins agreed before squeezing out of the doorway. “Jenny.”
Osborn looked up at Collins' greeting and cursed under his breath once more at the beautiful woman hovering just outside the threshold. Beautiful but deadly, even if she and bloody Lester claimed otherwise.
“James?” Jenny called out, gaining Lester's attention.
“Ah, yes.” Lester murmured before strolling back to the door and extending his hand. “Do come in, Ms Lewis.”
Lewis smiled sweetly at Lester. Sweetly, Osborn thought, at least if you ignored the sharp canines she revealed.
“What have we got, James?”
Osborn really didn't want to be in the same room as her, not with the scent of spilt blood so strong. On the other hand, he couldn't just leave. Not with the bloody equality act in existence and especially not when Lester turned to him for thoughts on the incident.
Even after all his years in the Force, Osborn had never got used to the presence of Abnormals investigating supernatural crimes, it was like setting a bloody fox to guard a hen house, and he almost shuddered under the intense stares both investigators turned on him. He took a firm hold of his self-control, ignored the stench of blood and the fact both Lester and Lewis could kill him in a heartbeat, and spoke in a clear and concise way, before finishing with, “That's all we know at present. Collins will send his report to you and...”
“Thank you, DI Osborn. So, to wrap up, Jenny, we have extensive evidence of a werewolf-related incident, however...” Lester turned to Lewis and quirked an eyebrow, clearly inviting her to come to her own conclusions from the evidence.
“But a werewolf in this state couldn't open or lock a door behind it. It would jump out the window, shattering it.” Lewis stated softly. “So... if it was a werewolf, it had an accomplice.”
“Or it was used as a murder weapon,” Lester added.
“Or it used magic to escape,” Osborn muttered.
Lewis shook her head. “No, even if it was an accomplished mage, the rage it must have felt to do this would have rendered it incapable of casting. James?”
Lester nodded and closed his eyes for a moment. Osborn shivered and felt his hair stand on end as he felt the power in the room grow as the mage muttered words in a tongue he didn't know and didn't want to know. Several moments went by before Lester shook his head. “No traces of any magic use.”
“Fuck, that smells ripe.”
Osborn glanced up at a new voice from the doorway, his eyes widening when he noticed the man and he only just stopped himself stepping back. The man noticed, his hazel eyes full of amusement when they met Osborn's. It was obvious what the man was, no werewolf could hide its true nature under a full moon and this one hadn't even tried - wearing the heavy stubble, pointed ears and sharp teeth with pride. Just what he fucking needed, another werewolf to contaminate the scene, but at least Collins' team had finished collecting evidence.
“Lyle?”
Lester turned towards the werewolf and Osborn noticed a small smile gracing his face for a brief moment. Well, he hadn't known that... and he supposed if Lyle went rabid a mage had at least a chance of taking it down before having his throat ripped out. Especially one as powerful as Lester but still, Osborn wouldn't take the risk. Love really must make people stupid as well as blind.
“Smells like an animal but not one I've even smelt before. It's definitely not a Lycan or any were I've come across,” Lyle added as he shot Osborn an almost amused glance and the DI wondered if the man - wolf - knew what he had been thinking.
“Mmm.” Lester smiled again and rubbed his hands. “Looks as if we have a mystery to investigate. DI Osborn, I trust we will have your full cooperation.”
“Of course, Sir James.” Even if Osborn didn't like having to work with Lester and his... colleagues, he knew his superiors would demand he helped them. He glanced at what remained of the man who had lived here, besides which, he wanted the bastard who was responsible.
Author: knitekat
Word Count: ~1275
Characters: James Lester, Jenny Lewis, Jon Lyle (OC), Martin Osborn (OC), Collins (OC)
Rating: 18
Disclaimer: Primeval belongs to Impossible Pictures. Certainly not me. Writing for fun and will replace.
A/N: For my Primeval Bingo Card (round 4) prompt: A Mystery to Investigate (7/25). Thanks go to the wonderful Fred for the beta. All remaining mistakes are mine.
Detective Inspector Martin Osborn frowned as he passed the young copper spewing his guts out in the hallway. He'd always thought the younger man didn't have what it took to be in the Job, not if he vomited at a murder scene. As soon as he stepped into the room, however, Osborn found himself swallowing hard as he tried to keep the contents of his stomach where they should be.
The room looked as if a tornado had hit it, the furniture all tumbled and scattered around. The curtains had been ripped down with such force the curtain rail had bent before breaking free. The walls were liberally sprayed with blood and he thought he could see a severed - no, make that torn off - foot lying under the coffee table. The stench threatened to turn his stomach again and he concentrated on breathing through his mouth. It was one of the goriest crime scenes he'd seen in his entire career and that was saying something.
He spared a look out of the blood-splattered window before turning to the white clad forensic expert examining what was left of the victim. “What have we got, Collins?”
Collins nodded a greeting as he rose with a groan, stretched muscles probably cramping from crouching too long. “Not much to go on, Ossie. Whatever did this was vicious, powerful and hungry.”
“Hungry?” Osborn asked, already cursing the gods for not giving him a mundane case for once. Why did he always get lumbered with this supernatural crap?
“Some of the victim is missing.” Collins bent over to point at the leg Osborn assumed the foot had once been attached to. “And this area shows clear evidence something gnawed it to the bone.”
“Werewolf?” Osborn sighed heavily. He hated it when they had to hunt one of those down, the bloody wolfies always tried to claim they hadn't been in control of their actions when Changed. He glanced out the window once more and cursed the pregnant moon that hung there looking so innocent.
“Normally I'd say yes.”
Osborn frowned. “Normally?”
Collins nodded. “Doors locked from the inside, windows closed and locked too. No sign of a forced entrance.”
“So, someone he knew?” Osborn really hated those cases, shivering as he wondered how anyone could live with someone who might turn rabid on them at any moment.
“No necessarily, DI Osborn. I believe there is also no sign of a forced exit.”
A smooth and arrogant voice sounded from the open door. A voice Osborn knew far too well for his liking even if he'd known he'd hear it. The bloody Abnormal Regulation and Control mob showed up even when there was only the faintest whiff of the supernatural and took over cases the normal police force was perfectly capable of solving by themselves. He glanced around the room, however, in this case, he might make an exception, but that didn't mean he had to like the bastard. He nodded coldly at the man. “Lester.”
Lester smiled equally coldly as he strolled into the room, his calculating gaze taking in the evidence with one look. “Mmm.”
“I've finished here, Ossie.” Collins spoke as he packed up his equipment, before turning to Lester. “Unless you need any more information, Sir James?”
“Not at the moment,” Lester paused in his perusal of the room. “If I could have a copy of your report?”
“Of course,” Collins agreed before squeezing out of the doorway. “Jenny.”
Osborn looked up at Collins' greeting and cursed under his breath once more at the beautiful woman hovering just outside the threshold. Beautiful but deadly, even if she and bloody Lester claimed otherwise.
“James?” Jenny called out, gaining Lester's attention.
“Ah, yes.” Lester murmured before strolling back to the door and extending his hand. “Do come in, Ms Lewis.”
Lewis smiled sweetly at Lester. Sweetly, Osborn thought, at least if you ignored the sharp canines she revealed.
“What have we got, James?”
Osborn really didn't want to be in the same room as her, not with the scent of spilt blood so strong. On the other hand, he couldn't just leave. Not with the bloody equality act in existence and especially not when Lester turned to him for thoughts on the incident.
Even after all his years in the Force, Osborn had never got used to the presence of Abnormals investigating supernatural crimes, it was like setting a bloody fox to guard a hen house, and he almost shuddered under the intense stares both investigators turned on him. He took a firm hold of his self-control, ignored the stench of blood and the fact both Lester and Lewis could kill him in a heartbeat, and spoke in a clear and concise way, before finishing with, “That's all we know at present. Collins will send his report to you and...”
“Thank you, DI Osborn. So, to wrap up, Jenny, we have extensive evidence of a werewolf-related incident, however...” Lester turned to Lewis and quirked an eyebrow, clearly inviting her to come to her own conclusions from the evidence.
“But a werewolf in this state couldn't open or lock a door behind it. It would jump out the window, shattering it.” Lewis stated softly. “So... if it was a werewolf, it had an accomplice.”
“Or it was used as a murder weapon,” Lester added.
“Or it used magic to escape,” Osborn muttered.
Lewis shook her head. “No, even if it was an accomplished mage, the rage it must have felt to do this would have rendered it incapable of casting. James?”
Lester nodded and closed his eyes for a moment. Osborn shivered and felt his hair stand on end as he felt the power in the room grow as the mage muttered words in a tongue he didn't know and didn't want to know. Several moments went by before Lester shook his head. “No traces of any magic use.”
“Fuck, that smells ripe.”
Osborn glanced up at a new voice from the doorway, his eyes widening when he noticed the man and he only just stopped himself stepping back. The man noticed, his hazel eyes full of amusement when they met Osborn's. It was obvious what the man was, no werewolf could hide its true nature under a full moon and this one hadn't even tried - wearing the heavy stubble, pointed ears and sharp teeth with pride. Just what he fucking needed, another werewolf to contaminate the scene, but at least Collins' team had finished collecting evidence.
“Lyle?”
Lester turned towards the werewolf and Osborn noticed a small smile gracing his face for a brief moment. Well, he hadn't known that... and he supposed if Lyle went rabid a mage had at least a chance of taking it down before having his throat ripped out. Especially one as powerful as Lester but still, Osborn wouldn't take the risk. Love really must make people stupid as well as blind.
“Smells like an animal but not one I've even smelt before. It's definitely not a Lycan or any were I've come across,” Lyle added as he shot Osborn an almost amused glance and the DI wondered if the man - wolf - knew what he had been thinking.
“Mmm.” Lester smiled again and rubbed his hands. “Looks as if we have a mystery to investigate. DI Osborn, I trust we will have your full cooperation.”
“Of course, Sir James.” Even if Osborn didn't like having to work with Lester and his... colleagues, he knew his superiors would demand he helped them. He glanced at what remained of the man who had lived here, besides which, he wanted the bastard who was responsible.