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Halloween Can Be Murder

Episode 3 written by Allison

Original air date:

Disclaimer: The characters in the following fan fiction do not belong to me. They belong to CBS and Viacom and other powers that be. I am only using them for the purpose ofwriting this story. No money is being made from this writing it is for entertainment purposes only. And now on with the show...

Dr. Mark Sloan yelped as the knife he was holding slipped and nicked his finger, His son Steve looked over from the couch where he was reading the sports section of the newspaper and laughed. “If your patients could see you now you think they’d still let you operate on them?”

His father gave him a scathing look. “Fortunately my patients aren’t slippery pumpkins,” he said, pointing to the large orange vegetable he was trying to scoop out.

Steve Sloan smiled and said: “You know, I can’t figure out why you still do this every Halloween. It was different when we were kids but you really don’t need to decorate the house nowadays.”

Mark Sloan frowned. “Aw Steve. You’re never too old to celebrate Halloween. Besides the neighborhood kids expect me to do it.”

Steve nodded. “Yea, and you’re still a big kid yourself aren’t you?”

His father began to carve out the mouth of the pumpkin and said: “Nothing wrong in that. You’re never too old to have fun.”

Steve sighed and put down his newspaper. “Yea, well I’ve got to get to work and believe me, that’s definitely not fun. See you tonight dad.”

Mark looked up from his carving and smiled: “Be careful out there son.”

Steve was halfway to the Precinct when his radio crackled and the dispatcher hailed him. Picking up the handset he spoke into it: “Sloan here. What’s up?”

The anonymous dispatcher’s voice came back: “Lieutenant Sloan a woman’s body has been found in a dumpster behind the West Oak shopping mall. Can you take the call?”

Steve sighed into the handset. “Sure - I’m on my way.”

With that he reached out the window and fixed a magnetic flashing light to his roof, before executing a U-turn and heading towards the mall.

When he got there police tape fluttered across an alleyway to keep the public out and half a dozen uniformed officers were milling about, looking for evidence and asking questions.

He spotted fellow detective Tanis Archer’s blonde hair through the crowd and made his way to her.

“Tanis, what’ve you got?” he asked, taking her elbow.

She turned and smiled, pleased to see him. “It’s not pretty Steve. Perp did some pretty fancy work with a knife on her. Want to see?”

Steve shook his head. “No, but I guess I’d better.”

With that he approached the dumpster and took a breath before looking inside. A young dark-haired woman was lying crumpled on top of the garbage, her eyes empty and staring, her face drained of color.

“Oh God!” Steve said, taking in the wounds and blood on her body. Then looking back at Tanis he said: “Did anyone see anything?”

She shook her head. “Nope. Waiter from the diner here came out to dump some garbage and found her about 30 minutes ago. There’s no obvious sign of who she is.”

As Steve turned to look round the crime scene a loud crack split the air and a uniformed officer across the alleyway screamed and flew backwards against the wall before slumping to the ground.

Immediately all the officers took cover and drew their weapons. “What the hell!” Steve shouted, anxiously scanning rooftops for the sniper. Momentarily sun glinted on something on the building roof across the way and he shouted: “Up there. Cover me!”

With that he sprinted across the alley and into the building, taking the fire stairs two at a time till he reached the roof. Easing open the door he cautiously slid out into the sunshine, his left hand extended and holding his gun ready to fire.

Staying in the cover of the door he swept through 180 degrees. The roof was empty.

Scanning all around him he started to move to the edge of the roof and looked down onto the crime scene. Anxious faces looked up at him and he shook his head: “He got away!” he shouted.

Then glancing down at the base of the low wall round the edge of the roof he bent and picked up something lying in the shadow.

Shaking it out he gasped. It was a grotesque rubber Halloween mask with green hair attached to it. “I don’t believe this” he said to himself, fishing an evidence bag out of his pocket and dropping the mask into it.

Returning to the ground he found Tanis and asked how the officer was who had been shot.

There was relief in her voice when she answered. “Bullet caught him in the shoulder. He should make it all right.”

Steve sighed. “Well at least that’s good news.”

Tanis caught sight of the bag in his hand and asked: “What’s that?”

Steve held it up and gestured towards the roof. “It’s a Halloween mask. Found it up there where he must have been standing.”

Tanis frowned. “You think it’s the perp’s?”

Steve grimaced. “It wouldn’t surprise me in the least. There are some major weirdos in this city.”

Three hours later he was back at his desk in the station writing up his report on both the murder and shooting when Tanis hurried in the door and came over to his desk. He looked up expectantly.

“You’re not going to believe this,” she said.

He waited, his eyebrows raised, urging her to continue. She went on: “Patrolman came out of a deli on Market Street and was shot by a sniper who was on the roof across the road. Guess what they found on the roof?”

Steve groaned. “No, don’t tell me - a Halloween mask.”

“Got it in one” the blonde detective replied. “What the hell is happening?”

Steve shook his head. “I don’t know but the Captain ought to issue a warning to every cop in the precinct to keep his or her head down. Looks like we’ve got some creep with a grudge against cops. What’s the condition of the officer who was shot?”

Tanis sighed. “Not so good. This one he hit in the chest. He’s at Community General but he’s not looking good.”

Steve rubbed his hand over his face. “This is all we need - open season on cops.”

That night, as he ate dinner with his father at the beach house they shared he related the events of the day.

Mark Sloan put down his knife and fork and looking earnestly at his son asked: “Do you think the woman’s death is related to the shootings?”

Steve swallowed a piece of steak before answering. “I don’t think so. I certainly hope not. I think this creep realized a crime had been committed and knew there would be plenty of blue suits there to target. So he just climbed onto the roof and took out the first one he sighted on.”

Mark shook his head. “That’s terrible. It means that every police officer in the city is a potential target … including you!”

Steve took a sip of white wine from his glass then said: “Yea, well so far he’s been targeting uniformed cops but I’ll keep my head down just in case.”

Mark picked up his fork and pointed it at his son. “You just make sure you do. What do you think the significance of the masks is?”

“Not sure Dad,” he said. “But maybe this time of year means something to this guy. I’ve got people going through the records for anything that might give us a lead.”

When Steve got to the office the next morning Tanis Archer was perched on the corner of his desk, a sheaf of papers in her hand. She watched Steve come into the room, his athletic frame filling the doorway before he strode towards her. His fair hair was a little gray at the temples she noticed but it only added to his good looks. She felt heat flush her cheeks and shook away the thoughts that tended to crowd into her head when she saw her handsome colleague.

“Tanis” he said, reaching his desk. “What’ve you got for me?”

She held out the papers. “Lists of people who were involved in major investigations around Halloween. But it’s a long shot when we have nothing to go on.

Steve leafed through the papers, but before he could concentrate on the words Captain Newman rushed into the office and held up his hand for quiet. Everyone in the room stopped what they were doing and looked at the Captain.

His face was grim as he started to speak: “Ten minutes ago Detective Will Bremner was shot and killed by a sniper as he left his home to come to work.”

There were gasps of dismay around the room. Steve was stunned. He’d known Will for five years, had been at his wedding two years ago. “What happened Captain?”

The Captain looked at him with sad eyes. “Will was just about to get into his car when a shot was fired from across the street. The gunman made off on a high powered motorbike … but not before slowing and throwing down a Halloween mask at the scene.”

“My God” whispered Tanis. “Now he’s going after plain clothed officers and he knows where they live!”

The Captain nodded. “Things have taken a mean turn. There’s no knowing who he’ll target next - we have to get a line on what makes this guy tick. Sloan, Archer, go back over the scenes of the shootings, talk to anyone who might have seen something. Someone must have seen this guy.”

Steve and Tanis sighed together and headed for the door stopping only to acknowledge the Captain’s shouted warning: “Be careful out there!”

As they drove to the first crime scene Steve rubbed his forehead with his thumb and said to Tanis: “You know I feel really bad about this. We’ve been so wound up about the shootings that nobody’s done much to find the killer of that poor woman - or to find out who she was.”

Tanis nodded, pushing her blonde hair behind her ear. Steve caught the action out of the corner of his eye and felt a frisson of excitement run through him. Steady Sloan, he told himself. She’s a colleague. Behave yourself.”

Tanis caught his look and said: “What are you smiling at?”

He hadn’t realized he was smiling and quickly composed himself. “Nothing, nothing” he said firmly.

She looked at him with a puzzled expression then looked away.

When they reached the alleyway where the first shooting had taken place they parked up and headed towards the dumpster where the woman’s body had been found. The container itself had a police seal over it to prevent it being used while the investigation was ongoing.

Steve reached out and broke the seal before lifting the heavy lid and leaning it back against a wall.

He wrinkled his nose as the smell of confined garbage rose from the box.

Tanis put her hand on his arm. “Tell me you’re not planning on going through that Steve.”

He looked at the mess in the bottom of the dumpster, decaying food and rotting cardboard boxes. He didn’t relish getting any closer than this and he knew the crime scene had been searched by officers on the day the woman was found, but still he couldn’t help wondering if anything had been missed.

Looking around he spotted a metal pole lying nearby and picking it up used it to move some of the garbage around in the dumpster. He gasped as the movement released another blast of noxious odor, but holding his breath as best he could, he continued to probe.

Tanis had stepped back to escape the stench and touching her partner’s elbow said imploringly: “Steve, there’s no point in this.”

Steve ignored her and kept probing. His dedication finally paid off when the pole revealed a glint of silver in the gloom. Carefully he maneuvered the end of the pole under it and slid it up the side of the dumpster. When he was nearly at the top he said: “Tanis, get hold of this will you.”

She stepped forward reluctantly and he groaned. “Come on Tanis, before I drop the damned thing!”

Taking a handkerchief from her pocket she reached over the edge of the box and took hold of his find, stepping back as quickly as possible when she had possession of it.

Steve dropped the pole on the ground and turned to see what she had. Tanis was wiping the object with the handkerchief then opened the material so they could both see what it was.

Steve gasped. “I don’t believe this!” he said.

Tanis looked at the curled chain in her hand and then at Steve. “Why, what is it?”

Steve grinned. “It’s a Medic-Alert bracelet. You know you wear one if you have a medical condition that someone would need to know about if you were in an accident.”

“Right” she said, turning it over in her hand. “So how does it work?”

Steve reached out and took it from her then slowly started to unscrew the thin metal tube in the center of it. Pulling it apart he was rewarded with the sight of a rolled up piece of tape. Carefully he took it out of the compartment and unfurled it. “Bingo!” he said.

“Janice Reeves, 2110 Fenner Street. She was on insulin for diabetes.”

Tanis gasped. “So do you think this is our victim?”

Steve carefully put the bracelet and tape into an evidence bag and dropped it in his pocket. “Only one way to find out. We go to Fenner Street and ask.”

Pulling up outside the apartment block on Fenner Steve and Tanis got out of the car and made their way across the sidewalk to the entrance door.

But as they did so they were spotted by the driver of a car who was approaching the same apartments. He swore softly under his breath and pulled his car into the curb at the far side of the road. He knew these people were cops but what the hell were they doing here?

Steve rang the doorbell of 2110 and waited. There was no response. He rang it twice more and sighed. “No one home. I guess that would’ve been too easy.”

Tanis smiled. “Yea, let’s try the neighbors.”

She moved along the hallway and rang the next bell. The door was opened by an elderly woman in a dark blue pants suit, her white hair scooped up at the back of her head. She looked puzzled and Tanis and Steve both pulled out their badges and identified themselves.

“Police!” she said with alarm. “Have I done something wrong?”

They smiled and Tanis said: “No ma’am, we’re trying to find out about your neighbor, Mrs. Reeves?”

The woman shook her head sadly. “That poor woman - and her husband.”

“What do you mean?” asked Steve.

The woman looked at both of them. “You must remember. It was last Halloween. Their little boy was out trick or treating and he was hit by a police car involved in a high speed chase. He never stood a chance, poor little thing. Died right there on the street, just yards from here.”

Tanis gasped. “My God, I remember that now.”

The woman nodded her head enthusiastically. “It was just awful. They never got over it of course. Split their marriage up if you ask me. You heard them fighting all the time, screaming names at each other, things breaking.”

Tanis reached out and touched the other woman’s arm. “Have you heard them fighting recently?”

The woman thought for a moment. “Well you know, now you mention it I haven’t heard any noise from there for days. I guess I thought they were away. Well, you know that they might not want to be here with another Halloween coming up.”

Steve reached out and shook her hand. “Thank you, you’ve been very helpful.”

With that they turned and headed back out of the apartment, assessing this new information as they went.

“What do you think?” Tanis said as they pushed out into the street.

Steve grimaced. “I think maybe they had one fight too many. We’ve got to get a subpoena to get into that house. If the husband killed her there’s bound to be evidence in there.”

He walked round the car to open the driver’s door and Tanis caught a slight glint from across the street. She yelled: “Look out Steve!”

Steve was putting his key in the door and looked up in surprise at his shouting partner. Sensing danger he tried to throw himself onto the ground but he was a fraction too slow and he heard the crack of the rifle a nano-second before he felt the burn along his ribs as the bullet hit. He slumped to the ground as a car engine gunned across the street and a vehicle sped off down the road.

Tanis ran into the street, gun drawn, and tried to line up on the vehicle but it was too fast.

Holstering her weapon she turned to her fallen partner who was lying on his side, one hand pressed against the rapidly spreading stain on his shirt.”

“Steve, don’t move. I’ll get help!” she shouted as she reached into her purse and pulled out her cell phone.

At Community General Hospital Doctor Mark Sloan was scanning through a report in his office when his pager went off. Picking up the phone he identified himself and the operator said he was needed in the ER. He thanked her and stood, taking off his reading glasses and putting them on his desk. He stood for a moment, patting his pockets trying to find his other glasses, then he guffawed and reached up to where they were balanced on top of his head. “You’re losing it Dr Sloan” he chastised himself as he left his office and headed for the Emergency department.

Whenever he stepped through the door his colleague Dr Jesse Travis materialized at his side and took his arm. “Jesse?” the older doctor asked.

Jesse Travis took a deep breath and then said: “Mark, Steve’s just been brought in. He’s been shot.”

“What? Mark gasped. “Where is he? How is he?”

Jesse tried to alleviate the other man’s anxiety. “He’s through here. It’s all right. It doesn’t look life-threatening.”

Mark hurried into an examination room to find his son lying on a bed, his shirt open and a pressure dressing against his side.

Steve looked up as they came in and sighed. “Now Dad I’m fine. Don’t go getting upset.”

Mark rushed to the bedside, his professional eyes taking in the readings on the monitors linked to his son’s body. “Don’t get upset. What do you mean - don’t get upset. You’ve been shot!”

Steve tried to sit up and yelped as pain sliced through his ribs. “I’ve been hurt worse” he groaned.

His father shook his head. “That makes me feel so much better. Hold still till I see the damage.”

Carefully he peeled back the dressing and examined the deep score along his son’s tanned ribs. Looking up he said: “You were lucky. Bullet sliced along your ribs but didn’t penetrate.”

Steve winced under his father’s probing fingers then said: “If Tanis hadn’t spotted the shooter that bullet would have been in my back Dad. She probably saved my life.”

Mark Sloan sighed: “Remind me to give Tanis a big hug next time I see her.”

Steve frowned. “Hey, you keep your hands to yourself!”

Mark grinned, his white moustache twitching mischievously. “You got something for her son?” he asked.

Steve smiled, despite the pain. “I’m not sure but I think maybe -”

His father patted his shoulder. “Well good for you. Hope it works out. Now let’s get this patched up. You know you’re going to have to stay here overnight.”

Steve groaned. “Aw Dad you know how much I hate that.”

Mark put his hands in his lab coat pockets and stared at his son. “Well if you hate it so much why do you keep getting shot?”

“Very funny Dad” Steve replied as Jesse Travis moved forward to work on his wound.

Steve was allowed home the next day on the strict understanding he rested and didn’t go near the office. However, he did manage to persuade Tanis to come by the beach house and fill him in on the investigation.

As she entered the hallway she gasped at the bright and gruesome decorations that had transformed the house into a chamber of horrors. “Your Dad’s right into all this isn’t he?” she asked, fingers trailing through a fake spider’s web hanging from the ceiling.

Steve laughed, then held his side as pain lanced through it. “Oh yea, he loves it. He’s even worse when it comes to Christmas. Hey, you coming to the costume party tomorrow night?”

Tanis looked at her handsome partner and thought for a moment. “I’m not really one for dressing up. I wouldn’t know what to wear.”

Steve’s eyes twinkled. “How about a nurse’s uniform” he said wickedly.

She laughed. “I’d have thought you would have seen enough nurses to do you.” She said.

Ushering her into the living room Steve whispered: “I could never see enough nurses, believe me.”

She shook her head and rolled her eyes heavenwards before plopping down in a large comfortable armchair beside the fireplace. Two large carved pumpkins stared at her from either side of the grate and she laughed at their lopsided faces. “Hey Sloan did your father model these on you?”

“Funny Archer” Steve retorted, sitting carefully on the couch. “So what can you tell me about the house on Fenner?”

Tanis sat back and composed her thoughts. “Well, we got into the house and there’s no question that that’s where Mrs. Reeves was killed. There was blood everywhere in the bedroom plus broken furniture and light fittings. Looks like they had one fight too many and he went too far.”

Steve grimaced and rubbed his thumb against his forehead. “So what about Mr. Reeves - any sign of him?”

Tanis shook her head, which made her blonde hair glide across her shoulders, Steve noted.

“Nothing. He obviously saw us at his apartment, waited long enough to take a potshot at you and then disappeared. We’ve got an all-points out for him so it’s probably just a matter of time.”

Steve raised his hands in exasperation. “Well let’s hope it’s not time he spends taking out any more cops.”

Tanis nodded. “Amen to that partner.”

In a Downtown motel room Reeves sat on the bed, dressed in jeans and a vest while he stared at an inside page of the newspaper. The story read: “Detective gunned down by Halloween sniper released from hospital.”

“Damn!” Reeves swore quietly. “Next time they release your body Sloan it’ll be from the morgue!”

Mark Sloan was as excited as a kid as he put the finishing touches to his Marvo the Magician outfit for the costume party. He looked up as his son passed his bedroom door and sighed before hurrying after him. “Steve, you’re not changed yet. People will be arriving any minute!”

Steve Sloan stopped in the hallway and looked at his father in exasperation. “Aw Dad, you know I don’t like dressing up.”

His father looked puzzled. “Well, you used to,” he said.

Steve smiled. “I also used to be ten years old but I’m not anymore.”

His father frowned. “Aw come on son, you’ve got to enter into the spirit of things.”

Steve grimaced. “How about I dress up as a plain clothes cop?” he said sarcastically.

His father had had enough and putting on a stern face said: “Steven if you don’t dress up you can make your own dinner for the next month.”

Steve winced. He hated making dinner almost as much as he hated when his dad called him Steven.

He held up his hands in surrender. “Okay, okay, I’ll find something to wear.”

Mark beamed, his white moustache dancing on his lip. “Good boy”

.

Just then the doorbell rang and he rubbed his hands in glee. “Here we go. Our guests are here. Quick, go get changed.”

With that he hurried away to welcome everyone in and Steve headed for his apartment to find an outfit.

An hour later the party was in full swing with guests dressed in an array of colorful costumes. Steve had finally settled on the cowboy look, deciding that was as close to normal clothes as his father would let him get away with. He was wearing his jeans and a checked shirt complemented by western boots, a waistcoat and Stetson. He had an old gun-belt slung low on his hips with a replica revolver sitting in the holster.

When the doorbell rang again he put down his wine glass and headed to the hall to answer it. He was surprised because he thought everyone was there already. Pulling open the door he gasped in delight when he saw Tanis Archer standing there. She smiled and said: “Hi - or should I say Howdy partner”.

Ushering her into the hall he said: “I didn’t think you were going to come. I’m really glad you could make it.”

With that he reached out to take the coat she had unbuttoned and as he pulled it off her arms he realized she was dressed as a harem girl, with gossamer thin pants balanced on her hips and a jeweled bikini top that left little to the imagination. A ruby adorned her belly. He swallowed hard and whispered: “Yea, I’m really glad you could make it.”

She reached out and touched his chin with her finger and laughed: “Close your mouth Sloan you’re drooling.”

He felt a blush spread up his neck and taking her arm guided her into the party.

His dad was doing some conjuring tricks for a handful of guests when he looked up and saw Tanis come into the room. His eyes twinkled when he saw the look on Steve’s face and he winked across the room at him.

As the evening wore on Steve found himself out on the deck with Tanis and several other guests. Putting her drink down Tanis patted his arm and said: “Back in a minute Steve. Got to go to the little girl’s room.”

Steve nodded as she pushed past him back into the house, watching her back disappear into the crowd.

Suddenly he tensed when he felt what he instantly recognised as a gun barrel being pushed against his ribs.

He looked to his side and saw a figure dressed as the Scream Monster press against him. The white rubber face pushed closer to him and a voice said: “Don’t do anything smart or your father’s guests are going to start dying.”

Steve said in a low voice: “Who are you?”

The figure laughed. “I’m your worst nightmare Sloan. Now move over to the stairs and head for the beach. He shoved the gun barrel hard against Steve’s side to emphasize the order.

Steve looked desperately round the colorful throng on the deck but no one apparently realized his dilemma. His one thought was to get this guy off the deck before Tanis came back. Reluctantly he headed for the stairs and made his way down to the darkness of the sand. In the distance he could hear waves breaking gently in the cool autumn night.

He stopped and turned to face his attacker. “What do you want?” he asked.

The man laughed, a cruel, cold laugh. “I want to kill you, just like you and your kind killed my son.”

“Reeves!” gasped Steve.

“Well done” the man said. “I can see why they made you a detective. Now, prepare to die!”

With that he stepped back and aimed the gun at Steve’s chest. Steve tensed, knowing there was nothing he could do to save himself. He cursed himself for carrying a replica gun and not a real one. Even if he threw himself onto the sand the guy couldn’t miss from where he was standing. He wished he could speak to his father, wished he could say goodbye to him. Instead he closed his eyes and waited. He didn’t have long to wait. Suddenly the night air was rent by the explosion of a gun and he flinched, knowing the terrible pain that would follow.

Nothing happened. No pain - he was still standing.

He opened his eyes to see Reeves spread-eagled, facedown on the sand, a red stain widening on the back of his costume.

People were screaming on the decking above and Steve looked round desperately for the person who had shot Reeves. The beach appeared to be deserted. Kneeling he pulled Reeves mask off and felt for a pulse.

There was none.

Just then Tanis and his father burst onto the sand. “Steve, are you all right?” his father asked, running his professional eyes over his son’s body.

Steve looked up at him. “Yea, yea I’m fine.”

Then to Tanis he said: “This is Reeves. He tried to kill me but someone shot him. I don’t know who.”

Again he looked into the darkness of the beach for a clue.

Tanis knelt and touched Steve’s arm. “Well whoever it was they certainly did you a favor.”

“Yea,” he said, puzzled and confused.

Later when the revelers had gone Steve and Tanis sat on the couch, sipping mugs of coffee. Mark sat across from them and rubbed his hand over his face. “Well, this was certainly a Halloweeen with a difference. I think we’ll stick to normal parties in the future. You know I still can’t figure out who it was that shot Reeves. You sure you didn’t see anyone out there son?”

Steve shook his head. “Dad, the beach was deserted when we got down there. And in the dark a person would have to be pretty close to be sure of hitting Reeves. There was no one there.”

Tanis smiled and put her hand on his knee. “Maybe it was your guardian angel” she said impishly.

As the words left her mouth a breeze suddenly blew through French windows. The curtains billowed out like spinnaker sails then fell still again.

All three of them gasped then looked sheepishly at each other. Mark raised an eyebrow and said: “Well they do say strange things can happen on All Hallow’s Eve.”

Tanis and Steve laughed, then both looked nervously back at the open window where the curtains ruffled slightly one more time before the door slammed shut.

Happy Halloween.