========================================================================= Date: Thu, 18 Apr 1996 23:27:49 -0400 Reply-To: Jill Marie Spetoskey Sender: Highlander TV show stories From: Jill Marie Spetoskey Subject: Mortals 5/14 (fwd) ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Thu, 18 Apr 1996 21:57:24 -0400 From: k s gritten To: Multiple recipients of list FKFIC-L Subject: Mortals 5/14 Disclaimers, warnings, and the usual ramblings in parts 0 & 1 Mortals 5/14 Joe Dawson limped into the Toronto Coroner's Office wearily. His strong frame normally belied any weakness, but now he leaned heavily on his cane. The trip had been rushed, and moreover he did not look forward to the puzzle awaiting him. One of his Watchers had gone AWOL, and then turned up dead in mysterious circumstances. He was afraid that once again an Immortal had turned against the Watchers who had remained anonymous for so many centuries. It had happened before, as, in the electronic age, watching and tracking became easier, but Immortals became more wary. No longer could an Immortal simply pick a name and start a new life with ease--records had to be manufactured, backgrounds impervious to computer checks created. So Immortals had become more conscious of Watchers, and more fearful. The office door before him opened to reveal a pleasantly attractive woman. Though she was garbed in a less-than- flattering lab coat, a tangle of enticing hair framed her soft, friendly face. Though he urged himself to keep his mind on business, Joe thought wryly, 'The day I'm too tired to notice a beautiful woman is the day I just give it all up.' Unfortunately, the expression on the woman's face changed from inquiring to slightly annoyed. "Only authorized personnel are supposed to be back here. Can I help you?" "I'm Joe Dawson," he said, and he saw the recognition pass over her face. So this was Richie's "Doc". Well, the kid always had good taste in women, he would give him that. She responded with a smile, but Dawson could sense that she was nervous about something. "Richie said that he had called you. I'm Natalie Lambert. I'm afraid that you still shouldn't be back here, though." "I wondered if you could tell me what the cause of death was. McKenzie worked for me, and I'd really like to know what happened." "It looks as if he died of exsanguination," she said reluctantly. Misinterpreting his puzzled expression, she continued, "Blood loss." Joe nodded, letting her know that he understood, and tried to hide his relief. He had been afraid that McKenzie had been beheaded or stabbed by an Immortal. How in the world had McKenzie died of exsanguination? "I'm afraid that I don't follow. Was he wounded in some way, and died of loss of blood?" Maybe an Immortal had stabbed him and left him to die. The woman shook her head. "No. I'll have to do some more tests, but it looks as if somebody actually drained his body of blood." She looked unhappy, and Dawson wondered why. "I take it that Richie identified the body?" "Actually, Mrs. McKenzie came in to formally identify him." "Lisa's here?" Joe was surprised--since the car accident that left Mike with the limp, Lisa had been recuperating slowly in their home. The last time that Joe had seen Mike, the Watcher had said that his wife was not doing very well. Natalie nodded. "I believe that Mrs. McKenzie is still at the precinct." With a glance back at the office behind her, she continued hurriedly, "I'll take you up there, if you like." ******* Natalie often walked the short distance from the coroner's office to the precinct where Nick and Tracy worked, but given the cool night and Dawson's obvious weariness she had ferried them both over in her car. As they crossed the parking lot, she tried to think of the best way to handle McKenzie's autopsy. She was unhappy that Richie's friend had turned up dead, but she was even more upset about the number of people who were interested in the case. There was no way that she would be able to bury Mike McKenzie's cause of death in the anonymity of paperwork. Natalie slowed her pace a little, unconsciously trying to accommodate the man beside her who walked with a cane. She had not asked, but from his gait she could tell that he had two prosthetic legs. What kind of work did he do, she wondered? Dawson had said that McKenzie worked for him. Did Richie? There seemed to be a lot more going on here than anybody wanted to admit. "Hey, Nat!" Tracy Vetter greeted her near the entrance. "I was just on my way to find Nick." She gave Natalie's companion an enquiring glance. "Tracy, this is Joe Dawson, a friend of Richie's and McKenzie's employer." She turned to the man beside her, "Mr. Dawson, this is Tracy Vetter. She is working the case." "Call me Joe," the man said to both of them, then, to Vetter asked, "Do you have any leads on McKenzie's death?" The younger woman looked uncomfortable for a moment, then answered, "We're working on it. We'll want to ask you a few questions." Dawson nodded. "Of course. But first, Dr. Lambert said that Lisa McKenzie might still be here?" "Actually, I think that she just left," Tracy said, looking around the parking lot as if she expected the woman to materialize then and there. Instead, she and Natalie both saw Nick pull up in his Cadillac. "Nick!" Natalie greeted him, wondering how they were going to talk their way out of this mess. She broke off, however, as the woman she had seen briefly earlier when she came to identify her husband's body actually did appear out of the shadows. Lisa McKenzie moved towards them with frightening speed, advancing on Dawson in a fury. Nick and Tracy were at the woman's side almost immediately. Natalie moved to offer Dawson support, as Joe had nearly been pushed off-balance by the hysterical woman. "Lisa," he was saying helplessly. "Lisa, I'm sorry." "You're sorry!" Lisa McKenzie spat, trying to hit Dawson, but being held back by Nick. "You damn Watchers. I hate you all. You killed him." She was a striking woman, with long dark hair and flashing eyes. Grief and anger, however, had twisted her face into a grotesque mask. "You'll be sorry!" she said, suddenly subdued. "You'll all be sorry." The woman shook Nick's hands off and melted back into the shadows as quickly as she had appeared. "Are you okay?" Natalie asked Dawson as Tracy moved towards the precinct building saying, "I'll get some help." He nodded his head. "Yeah, . I guess she's a little upset." "Yes," Nick agreed. "I'm Detective Knight. What did she mean when she called you 'Watchers'?" Joe shrugged. "I don't know. Unfortunately, Lisa has been pretty ill since a car accident a month ago. I guess she's not quite herself." Natalie could see the doubt in Nick's eyes, but his response was cut off by the arrival of Vachon, who gave her a half-mocking bow then said quietly to Nick, "I found Carmen. But we need to go *quickly* to make sure that she's stays there." Nat understood the implication before Nick shot her a glance. "I'll see you both later," he said as Natalie took Joe's arm and urged him towards the police station. "Why don't you come with me, Joe. Richie's back over at my place--we'll tell Tracy that everything is okay, then I'll take you by there." When she looked back to the spot where they had been, both Nick and Vachon were gone.