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Natalie and Grace Balthazar, her assistant, were finishing the preliminaries on the Johnston case when Nick walked into the room. Grace looked up and smiled at him while Natalie finished pulling another sample from the young man's body.

"Here's the last one, Grace. Could you make sure all these samples get to the lab, ASAP?" Natalie asked as she looked up. Seeing Nick standing by the door, she smiled and waved him over.

"Sure thing, Natalie. I'll stay after them to rush the results on this one." Crossing to the swinging doors, Grace patted Nick on the arm as she hurried out of the room.

"Hi, Nat." Looking down at the body as Natalie returned to her exam, he shivered suddenly, as if a bitterly cold wind had blown around him. The image of an angry man with a dark mane of hair flaring around his head fuzzily flashed across his mind then, like a half-forgotten dream, was gone. Nick walked toward one of the stools near the cabinet and tried to ignore the unsettling mood the strange image was stirring. He knew Natalie had noticed his sudden reaction by the glance she threw his way.

Nick watched her as she clicked on her hand held recorder and swiftly finished dictating. "Time 2:48 a.m. Subject has multiple bruising around the abdomen, chest, neck, and face. The left humerus has an open break. There are two cracked ribs on the right side. Preliminary cause of death is severe blood trauma resulting from a knife wound across the throat. Right carotid artery was severed completely. The left carotid artery was partially cut. Further follow up is warranted."

Nick barely heard Natalie click off the recorder and remove her gloves. The mood and image refused to be banished. The image felt strangely familiar, but he just couldn't place it. He bowed his head and frowned as he tried to recall where such an image might have come up. The touch of Nat's hand on his knee and her voice, filled with concern, drew him back to the present. "What's wrong, Nick? You all right?"

Looking up at her, he shook his head in answer. "Yeah. I'm okay." He mentally steadied himself and smiled at her. "So, what's the verdict?" he asked softly as he nodded toward the still body.

Leaning back against the counter next to him, Nat folded her arms across her chest and began to fill him in on what information she had discovered so far. "I still have to wait for most of the test results to come back, but one thing I can tell you: he was already dead when the knife was used." Nick glanced at her as she continued. "Either he was killed somewhere else, or..." she hedged. Dropping her voice to just above a whisper, she continued. "There wasn't enough blood around the site. And since I found him nearly drained, I did wonder if 'someone' might have been sloppy?"

"Did you find any fang marks?"

"I'll take a closer look later, but as of right now, no. The severity of the slashes covered any obvious signs." Natalie pushed away from the counter and slowly walked back to the examination table. Picking up the victim's left arm, she glanced back at Nick. "He put up a fight, too. You can see the bruising and scrapes along his knuckles and fingers. The attacker was very strong, Nick -- extraordinarily so. This kid wasn't any ninety pound weakling."

Moving to stand beside her, Nick looked at the bruising that covered the face and chest of the young victim. "It looks like the killer beat on him for the fun of it. There's way too much bruising just to incapacitate him." He shook his head at the waste of life.

"Could there be a new vampire in town doing this?"

"I don't know, Nat. It's possible." Nick frowned as he thought about the problems associated with the two sides of his world intersecting.

Shaking her head, she added, "There was several good suspicious hair samples on the body and on his clothes. They’re being tested now, so when you get a suspect in custody, we’ll have something for comparison. It should help us nail this guy when you catch him," she surmised. "If this case goes to court, that is," Nat amended, realizing Nick would have to deal with this problem privately if the killer *did* turn out to be a vampire.

A frown formed on her face as she stood looking at the still body on the examination table. Looking up at Nick, she sadly informed him, "I'm afraid there's more. I was right about my suspicions. He was also raped...viciously. I wouldn't doubt that the guy was getting off as much on the damage he was causing as the actual sex." Taking a deep breath to steady herself, she continued, "I would speculate right now that the killer was kneeling behind the victim, pulling the boy's head back, then brought the knife across his throat," she finished, looking visibly upset.

Nick lightly rubbed her shoulder as he said, "Are you okay, Nat?"

"Yeah... We've got another bad one, Nick. I'm afraid there will be several more before this sicko is caught."

The telephone rang, breaking into the sudden silence in the room. Nick looked over at the desk as Natalie walked over to answer it. "Doctor Lambert. Yeah. Okay...Where? No, that's all right, he's right here. I'll tell him, thanks." Hanging up the telephone, Nat looked over at Nick as she gathered up her coat and bag.

"Metro just had another one called in."

Nick really wasn't surprised. Guys like this never seemed to be content with one kill. They continued until the police finally caught up with them. He was contemplating potential problems so deeply that he nearly missed Nat's next question. "Nick, can you give me a lift over there? My car decided today was a good day to visit the repair shop."

When no reply was forthcoming, Natalie prodded him with a finger. "Ah, Nick?"

"What? Oh...sure, Nat. I'd be happy to," he warmly replied, when he realized she was talking to him, then smiled as he walked her to the door.

As Nick and Natalie pulled up to the crime scene, the usual organized madness of a murder scene was going on. The police were working hard to keep back the curious gawkers and news hounds. Technicians and plain clothed detectives were combing the area, looking for clues that would help explain their questions about this crime.

Nick followed Natalie into the abandoned, boarded up building. He paused just inside the doorway to look over the crime scene, then walked up to the body as Natalie knelt down to begin her exam. Watching over her shoulder, he noted there were a few similarities to the body laying in the morgue and this one. Victim number two had blue eyes, a tall, athletic body, a shaggy head of blond hair, and a gaping slash across the throat much like Timothy Johnston. He was also young -- maybe late teens or early twenties just like the first victim.

Looking up from the victim, Nick reached out and stopped an officer as he walked by. "Who was first on scene?"

"Officer Christian, Detective. He's working crowd control," the young man said as they walked to the door. He pointed to a balding, heavy-set officer who was in a heated conversation with an upset gentleman. He saw what the problem was when another flash briefly lit the area from the civilian’s 35mm camera.

"Thanks."

~~~~~~~~~

"No, sir. I can't let you get any closer. Regulations, sir," Officer Christian was saying, his calm demeanor steady in the face of his advisary's ire as Nick walked up.

"Anything wrong, officer?"

"No, sir." Nick noted the relieved look the young officer gave him as the angry civilian transferred his attention to the detective. Christian moved over to deal with a couple of unruly drunks, who were trying to cross the police line, leaving Nick facing the photographer.

"I want to speak to someone in authority!"

Nick expressed a muffled sigh of exasperation. "I'm Detective Knight. What can I do for you?"

"I have a right to take any pict..." he started to say when Nick interrupted him.

"Yes, you have a right. However, we have the right to prevent you from getting in the way of a police investigation." Sensing no immediate witnesses, he listened for a heartbeat and 'leaned' just a little on the photographer. "I think *thump, thump* you need to go *thump, thump* about your business. There's *thump, thump* nothing here for you to see."

Falling under the vampire's control, the civilian's eyes glazed into a blank unfocused gaze. "Go. Nothing to see," he muttered and drifted away. Glancing around, Nick spotted Christian several yards away, talking with several officers as they handled the crowd of spectators.

Putting his hand on the young officer's shoulder, Nick slowly led Officer Christian closer to the dilapidated building. "I need to hear your report. Tell me everything you noticed upon your arrival."

"Yes, sir. I was walking my route when I thought I heard something unusual. I checked around the side, but didn't see anything. However, as I came back up front, I heard what sounded like a heavy bag dropping. All the doors were locked, but that didn't necessarily mean anything. You know how the streets are, Detective. The homeless are always looking for a hole to crawl into."

"Yes, I know. How did you find the victim?"

"I found a clear area on the front window that I could look through. When I directed my light inside, I observed something moving. I was afraid someone might have been sick or injured, so I called dispatch and got the okay to break in. When I did, I found him...lying on the floor near the back wall: dead." A tense expression briefly passed across the young officer's face.

"Did you notice anyone else in the building or around the immediate area?

"No, sir. The only thing I noticed was the body. If anyone else had been there, they were gone by the time I finally got inside," Christian replied tensely, shaken by what had happened.

"You did fine, officer. With that wound on his neck, even if you had been right there, it wouldn't have made any difference."

Officer Christian sadly nodded in agreement and glanced toward the mass of activity moving in and out of the building.

"Come by the Metro station after your shift and sign off on the reports, okay?"

With the officer's affirmative, Nick walked back inside. Natalie was still going over the scene, so Nick walked over to find out what the officers might have found during the building search.

"Hey, Nick. Where's your partner?" Detective Vernon Roberts looked up and smiled as the blond detective walked up.

"Hello, Vern," Nick said, grinning. It always amazed him how Roberts managed to remain such a buoyant, happy person considering his line of work. "He was pulling too much overtime. It's hard for me to move him around when he's asleep on his feet."

"I heard that!" Roberts replied, with an amused snort.

"What can you tell me?" Nick asked the large, lanky detective.

"Well, there's not much here. We found a few scuffmarks leading from the stairs to the body. There's one good shoe print, though whether it's the killer's or any number of homeless is anyone's guess. There are a few blood drops located along the disturbed path as well. Forensics is taking samples now to compare to the victim."

"Did anyone find anything upstairs -- or notice how they might have gotten in?" Nick queried, then glanced toward Natalie when he heard her talking to the one of her assistants.

"So far, nothing. The back door looks like it's been forced recently and then jammed shut. There's a broken window upstairs, but the killer would have needed a ladder...or wings to use it. I'll let you know if we find anything else."

"Okay, thanks, Vern," Nick replied as he headed back toward Natalie.

"Tell Schanke he still owes me lunch," Roberts yelled, before turning back to the task at hand.

Nick smiled in response to Roberts' remark. Walking up beside Nat, he gazed down at the body as she turned the victim onto his back. He was staring at the lifeless face when he felt a tug of recognition; a spark of memory gently nudging him. There was *something* familiar about these two cases.

Natalie glanced up from her clipboard and began to fill Nick in on some of the details concerning this victim. "His name was James Chapman. He was severely beaten and his throat was slit. I would hazard to say the cut is similar to the Johnston case." Handing him an evidence bag, which contained a wallet, keys, and a book of matches, Natalie continued. "Here's what was found on him."

Watching Nick absently stuff the bag into his coat pocket, Natalie knew she had lost his attention. She gazed at him as he continued to stare at the cooling body, retreating further into his memories. she thought, annoyed. Knowing better than to tell him any more until he came back to the present, she squatted back down and began to place the samples she had taken into her medical bag.

As Nick looked at the young man on the ground, he flashed on a face again. He recognized it as the same dark-haired man he'd briefly remembered before. However, this time there was a strong sense of pain attached to the memory.

The face dissolved into the view of a room shrouded in gray mist. Two figures were kneeling near a small bed. One of the obscured figures was a young man, his disheveled hair glowing in the candle light as he leaned against the bed, his face turned away. A much larger, older man was behind him, one hand gripping the boy's shoulder. The vampire in him struggled to rise as he felt the strong, hateful emotions radiating from the big man, particularly when compared to the feelings of fear and disgust Nick felt from the younger man.

Where is this coming from? Moreover* what* does it have to do with this case? Nick speculated as he struggled to sharpen the image. He fought himself for a moment, but the image faded and was gone. Nick finally realized that Nat had his arm and was talking urgently to him.

"Nick, what's the matter?" Natalie questioned softly, worry evident in her voice.

"What?" he replied, still partially wrapped up in a haze of internal sensations.

"Are you all right? You went as white as a sheet," she whispered urgently, grasping his arm firmly.

Nick shook his head affirmative and began rubbing his temple. Taking a deep breath, he forced a smile.

"Are you sure?" Nat pushed, knowing Nick was holding back on her.

"I'm fine, Nat, really. Just tired, I guess."

To reassure Natalie as well as dispel the unsettled feelings the images had produced, he focused on the police work at hand. Pulling on a pair of latex gloves, he took the evidence bag out of his pocket and opened it. Nick pulled the wallet out and removed the driver's license from its slot.

"According to this, Chapman lived across town from Tim Johnston. So, we can scratch similar living areas as the common denominator." The matchbook caught his eye as he placed the wallet back in the bag. Pulling it out, Nick let the Raven logo flash in the bright light coming from the spotlights set up around the room. He slipped the matches and license into his pocket.

Nick looked up as he was removing his gloves to see a frown spreading across Natalie's face. "I'm afraid I see a pattern developing here," she muttered as she stared at the beaten body. "I'll bet when I get him back to the morgue, I'm going to find he's been raped as well."

Nodding in agreement, Nick agreed. "I'm afraid you're probably right."

He looked at his watch, then inquired, "Are you finished here? I don't mean to rush you, but I need to get going." With a lead aimed at the Raven, he needed to make sure he was the one who handled the questioning.

"No, I'm not quite finished yet. You go on. I'll catch a ride back when I'm ready."

Nick began moving toward the open doorway, but stopped when he felt Nat's hand on his forearm. He turned toward her as she whispered, "Be careful, Nick. This guy, whether vampire or human, is obviously very dangerous."

He placed his hand over hers for a moment, nodded and smiled, then headed out the open door. Getting into his car, he pulled away from the bright lights and snarl of traffic surrounding the murder scene and headed for the Raven.

To Chapter 3

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