Leon cursed as his phone demanded his attention, the sound of Priss Asagiri's 'Rock Me' muffled inside his jacket. Passing one of the Up 'N
Away takeaway bags over to Daley, he pulled the phone out and flipped it open. "McNichol."
"Query: Where are you now Detective?" HE-AT asked.
"Wong and I are at Atlas Up 'N Away," he replied. "What's going on boss-lady?" Daley paused in his dismantling of a Positron
Doubleburger (Leon having forgotten to mention no pickes, again) and looked at him, curious.
"Instructions: You need to meet Detective Becktrees at the Higgs Memorial Cemetery. Expansion: He has requested PSI assistance in a police investigation
involving a break in last night. He stressed that the situation may be limited by time requirements and the possibility of gang-related violence."
"Gotcha. We're on our way now," he said. "I'll call you as soon as I have anything." He flipped the phone closed and stashed it
back in his jacket. "Eat while I drive," he said to Daley, heading for the car.
"Trouble?" his partner asked as he followed.
"Becktree is asking for PSI backup," he replied as he pulled out his keys. "That man's got a damn hero phone book, he's gotta think
it's serious." As Daley buckled in and Leon started up the engine and threw it into reverse, he added, "Call the kid, see if she's free. She
needs investigation experience."
***
Higgs Memorial Cemetery was just outside Kings Row, in one of the regions of Paragon that, for reasons no one could ever determine, never seemed to suffer the
constant, never ending crime problems that required a high police and hero presence.
Not that it meant the region was completely peaceful, Leon mused as he showed his badge to the uniformed officers at the cemetery gates and continued inside.
It still suffered the sorts of problems that only Paragon seemed to accept so naturally. Council sleeper cells, Arachnos and Rikti terror attacks... and for
graveyards, the ever wonderful zombies and grave robbers.
"McNichol, Wong," Dectective Becktrees said as they approached, shaking both mens hands. "Thanks for coming so quickly."
"Happy to help," Leon shrugged. "What brought all the attention out here? Meat-Doctors, Pantheon?"
"A little lower down the national threat scale, but still serious," Becktrees admitted, then blinked at the sight of a tiny figure in a PPD duty
uniform flew out of the sky, landing next to the trio.
"Dectctive Becktrees, this is Officer Reilly, aka Major Starlight," Leon said, nodding between the pair. The Row's chief detective recovered his
footing quickly, shaking her hand and seeming unconcerned by a police officer that looked to be maybe fifteen years old. Then again, given the sheer variety of
heroes he'd worked with over the years, that shouldn't be surprising.
"Any of you familiar with Kerosene Kenneth?" he asked as he led them deeper into the cemetery.
"Ken Douglas," Tam replied. "One of the Hellions Damned. Mostly makes trouble in Perez, was arrested and charged with the attempted arson of the
Galaxy Girl theater in March, but got released on bail." Her PSI teammates gave her a curious look and she shrugged. "I was on the team that arrested
him," she admitted.
Becktrees chuckled bitterly. "Well, he won't be facing trial. He was found dead in a house fire in Steel Canyon last week, COD determined to be smoke
inhalation." This surprised none of the officers present, accidental suicide by fire being the most common cause of death in the Hellions ever since the
most recent Medicomm network upgrade. "No family left, no will, he was buried here in the public cemetery..."
He ducked under police tape and stopped at the edge of an open grave. "Then last night, someone broke in, dug up his grave and... well..." he waved a
hand into the grave. Leon looked down and scowled. Kens body was still there, but someone had taken some sort of blade, probably an axe, to the Hellions neck.
"They stole his skull," Tamara said quietly, kneeling down for a closer look. "I suppose I shoudl say there's a list of suspects, but if
I'm being honest, only one sticks out."
Daley nodded in agreement. "The Vaz would take the whole body for parts, the Pantheon wouldn't take an interest in just one corpse, and the Hellions
and Skulls have been glaring at each other lately." He glanced over at Leon. "When the Hellions hear about this, they'll blame the Skulls right
away."
"And go in shooting," Leon agreed, taking off his sunglasses. "Gang war in Galaxy, Atlas and the Row," he scowled, looking at the headless
corpse. "This could be bad."
Away takeaway bags over to Daley, he pulled the phone out and flipped it open. "McNichol."
"Query: Where are you now Detective?" HE-AT asked.
"Wong and I are at Atlas Up 'N Away," he replied. "What's going on boss-lady?" Daley paused in his dismantling of a Positron
Doubleburger (Leon having forgotten to mention no pickes, again) and looked at him, curious.
"Instructions: You need to meet Detective Becktrees at the Higgs Memorial Cemetery. Expansion: He has requested PSI assistance in a police investigation
involving a break in last night. He stressed that the situation may be limited by time requirements and the possibility of gang-related violence."
"Gotcha. We're on our way now," he said. "I'll call you as soon as I have anything." He flipped the phone closed and stashed it
back in his jacket. "Eat while I drive," he said to Daley, heading for the car.
"Trouble?" his partner asked as he followed.
"Becktree is asking for PSI backup," he replied as he pulled out his keys. "That man's got a damn hero phone book, he's gotta think
it's serious." As Daley buckled in and Leon started up the engine and threw it into reverse, he added, "Call the kid, see if she's free. She
needs investigation experience."
***
Higgs Memorial Cemetery was just outside Kings Row, in one of the regions of Paragon that, for reasons no one could ever determine, never seemed to suffer the
constant, never ending crime problems that required a high police and hero presence.
Not that it meant the region was completely peaceful, Leon mused as he showed his badge to the uniformed officers at the cemetery gates and continued inside.
It still suffered the sorts of problems that only Paragon seemed to accept so naturally. Council sleeper cells, Arachnos and Rikti terror attacks... and for
graveyards, the ever wonderful zombies and grave robbers.
"McNichol, Wong," Dectective Becktrees said as they approached, shaking both mens hands. "Thanks for coming so quickly."
"Happy to help," Leon shrugged. "What brought all the attention out here? Meat-Doctors, Pantheon?"
"A little lower down the national threat scale, but still serious," Becktrees admitted, then blinked at the sight of a tiny figure in a PPD duty
uniform flew out of the sky, landing next to the trio.
"Dectctive Becktrees, this is Officer Reilly, aka Major Starlight," Leon said, nodding between the pair. The Row's chief detective recovered his
footing quickly, shaking her hand and seeming unconcerned by a police officer that looked to be maybe fifteen years old. Then again, given the sheer variety of
heroes he'd worked with over the years, that shouldn't be surprising.
"Any of you familiar with Kerosene Kenneth?" he asked as he led them deeper into the cemetery.
"Ken Douglas," Tam replied. "One of the Hellions Damned. Mostly makes trouble in Perez, was arrested and charged with the attempted arson of the
Galaxy Girl theater in March, but got released on bail." Her PSI teammates gave her a curious look and she shrugged. "I was on the team that arrested
him," she admitted.
Becktrees chuckled bitterly. "Well, he won't be facing trial. He was found dead in a house fire in Steel Canyon last week, COD determined to be smoke
inhalation." This surprised none of the officers present, accidental suicide by fire being the most common cause of death in the Hellions ever since the
most recent Medicomm network upgrade. "No family left, no will, he was buried here in the public cemetery..."
He ducked under police tape and stopped at the edge of an open grave. "Then last night, someone broke in, dug up his grave and... well..." he waved a
hand into the grave. Leon looked down and scowled. Kens body was still there, but someone had taken some sort of blade, probably an axe, to the Hellions neck.
"They stole his skull," Tamara said quietly, kneeling down for a closer look. "I suppose I shoudl say there's a list of suspects, but if
I'm being honest, only one sticks out."
Daley nodded in agreement. "The Vaz would take the whole body for parts, the Pantheon wouldn't take an interest in just one corpse, and the Hellions
and Skulls have been glaring at each other lately." He glanced over at Leon. "When the Hellions hear about this, they'll blame the Skulls right
away."
"And go in shooting," Leon agreed, taking off his sunglasses. "Gang war in Galaxy, Atlas and the Row," he scowled, looking at the headless
corpse. "This could be bad."