A/N: I've reached the half way point
of my plans for this story. Vote & Comment if you like 👌 Anyhow- that be the UCPD latest rookie, Jack^
......[(( _ _ ))..zzzZZ(( _ _ ))..zzzZZ]......

POV RILEY:

With Hal back, I'm sure I can finally stop being the rookie's mentor. The kid picks up skills fast, asks the important questions, and doesn't let his emotions guide him greater than his logic. Jack can do this stuff on his own now that he has a foundation with the "do"s and "don't"s. It'll benefit for the two of us if I praise his working habits to the chief.

I've been antsy for the past two weeks because of the Hangman. A murderer who's playing a game with the police can't just stop in the middle of the game. If it weren't for Jack, I would have been sneaking off to do my own investigation.

Our group head back to my car after leaving a reluctant Mabel with clean up. She would have skinned us alive if ditching her wasn't because of work. The approval for me to see the crime scene has me alert and anxious. Why did the Hangman target Cameron when he is not on the list of name I've dug up? Am I on the wrong track again?

I drive to the crime scene, the warehouses in the outskirts north of the city. The car rolls in on a rocky surface as I have it stop by Jenkins's car. Everyone gets out of the car and follow the trail of officers flowing in and out of a large red bricked building. George and Lucia join a couple of officers leaving Jack, Hal and I with a rushed Jenkins. The investigator waves us to follow him around towering shipping units that are stacked upon each other.

The strong stench of a dead body makes me scrunch up my face. "Jesus Christ...." mutters Hal as we examine the scene. There it is, Cameron O'Dale's corpse, hanging from a noose around his blue neck that's tied to a ceiling pulley. We arrive right when they are lowering the body gently to the ground. It must have not been that long since someone discovered the body and phoned the police.

"Easy now. The damn pulley is rusty and we don't want our new ME to have a more difficult job," warns Jenkins. The cadaver is like a rag doll, spreading out his limbs with no effort as the hook touches the paved floor.

Jenkins turns to us, "A worker entered the building an hour ago and found O'Dale hanging up there. Just from that description, I knew it was our Hangman. We also found this." Jenkins hands me a folded piece of paper then continues, "Dick questioned the guys. He tells me that the workers come here once or twice a week. Explains why O'Dale wasn't found yesterday."

I unfold the paper and I feel Hal and Jack's presence reading it with me over my shoulder. I examine the same formatted paper like all the other ones we've read:

A dedicated son to an unworthy woman. He hangs up high like a messiah. His life will help end that toxic woman's chance of being in this world in blood. You incompetent police are all at fault. I loose my letter, I only find another one to replace it. Unfortunately, her son bears the perfect match. May God have mercy on this man's pitiful life. Only two more left until I show the world how truly the police have no place for their weak definition of justice. I will change it even if it means this dimmed light will shine no more.

My eyes burn at the words, "Only two more." He's saying there will be two more left but what is his reason for two? Not one- or three- but two? How much time do we have until the next body shows up? Why did he allow two weeks to fly-by? The questions keep piling but I think I got something useful out of this: "I loose my letter, I only find another one to replace it." An unusual way of wording but something I can definitely go on with the list of names I have.

"Hurry up! Come on! Where's the body?" a voice echoes from around the shipping crates. Everyone turns their attention to a briskly walking tall Asian man in a white lab coat and behind him a shorter black man with glasses also in a lab coat trying to catch up with him. A few other people follow in with a stretcher. I cross my arms watching the two guys in white examine the body.

Jenkins shakes his head and says in a low tone, "The new medical examiner, Vincent Kim. The guy has a loud personality. Chief says he's the best for the job though." He pays my shoulder, "Well, I'll be taking George and Lucia. If you need anything give me a call." We watch him leave the scene. I wonder if he left because he doesn't want to interact with the examiner?

The ME  puts on rubber gloves and touches the cadaver. "Jamie, my boy, hand the flashlight," says Vincent. The black man with glasses fishes the tool out of his pocket then hands it over. The examiner opens the corpse's mouth and turns on the flashlight. His face is close to the rotting corpse; Christ, I see my fair share of dead bodies but I would never want to be that close that the smell would knock me out.

"Huh, no Daze this time!" he shouts to us over his shoulder. The medical examiner then fiddles with the noose around Cameron's neck. He gets up and turns to his workers, "Alright, get him in the van!" The move the corpse onto the stretcher and pull a sheet over it. It's lifted off the ground and exits the crime scene.

I frown, "Hey! You can't just do that! We still haven't looked at the body!" I head over towards him with Hal and Jack behind. Vincent faces my direction, looks at Jack and Hal, then tilts his head down to face me. He's not that much taller than Hal so his actions piss me off already. The ME's face brightens up and he grins, "Well, aren't you cute? I always forget to look down when I talk to people. They usually stand a good distance away that I don't have to." Oh this son of a bitch is asking to get flipped over. He may tower slightly over my five foot ten height but I can still throw him over my damn shoulder.

Hal places a hand on my shoulder, probably knowing I'm going to strangle him. I glance at him as he narrows his eyes at Vincent. The ginger says, "Why take the body? You could have waited longer if you are patient enough."

"Really now? You need the corpse that long? I thought I was the only one who loved the scent of rotting humans and discovering more about our puny mortality," retorts the ME. Who does he think he is to have such a smug attitude? I'll have to ask the chief about this one. She usually picks out efficient people so I'll try to trust her judgment that this man, at least, can do his job.

Hal's tone goes lower, "Aren't you just a pocket full of sunshine? How 'bout I arrest you for disturbing police investigation?"

"With what? Your one arm? And from observing your walking and breathing, you just came out of the hospital. Am I correct? I recommend not to push yourself or a broken rib is the least of your worries," huffs Vincent. He places his hands on his hips then motions Jamie over with his head.

"Even though your fellow investigator here is all hot and bothered, I might as well introduce ourselves since that's what your guy's boss said I should do," continues the ME. "The name is Dr. Vincent Kim. Graduated from Harvard University with a doctorate in Human Physiology and a masters in Forensic Science. I thought finding out how a person died is more of my niche then being a surgeon for living people." Great, he has a good reason to have a large ego. I can't even blame him. My mind would short circuit if I did anything about pre-calculus.

"This is my assistant, James- well he lets me call him Jamie- Moore. He's pretty good at his job for a kid his age. He's still a student in the local college here- yes?" Vincent glances at Jamie who nods his head; his glasses bouncing a bit when he did. The kid's nervous fidgeting makes him looker smaller than he should. The slouching doesn't help him either. The ME pats Jamie's back but the gesture seemed too much that the kid almost falls forward. He fixes his glasses while casting his eyes away from us.

"This is great with the pleasantries and all but we have work to do," says Jack. The rookie has a point; I've got to talk with the chief to persuade her to get Hal and me back on the case. I agree, "We will go then. Dr. Kim, I'll have Jack go to your guy's workplace later. Phone Jenkins when you have the autopsy report."

Jack frowns at me, "You won't come with me?"

"Come on, you'll be fine doing this by yourself. You already know the ropes for this, Jack." This is the first time Jack's been hesitant for doing something alone. Have I made him too reliant on me? Damnit. The rookie crosses his arms, "You are still my partner and mentor for Cameron O'Dale's case. The chief hasn't put you back with him yet." He gestures to Hal then continues, "I think he is not fit to continue working until that arm of his is fixed. Our work is dangerous enough. What happens if the Hangman comes after you and you have no one but a one-armed man to back you up?"

I feel Hal's hand leave my shoulder; I had forgot he left it there. His finger jabs at Jack as he grits his teeth, "You listen here, rookie. I could still have you on the ground with one arm. Don't tell me I can't protect my partner. I will even if it costs me a limb or two." I don't like hearing those last few words so I give Hal a stern gaze. These two asshats speak of me like I'm not here! I can protect my goddamn self, thank you very much!

Vincent whistles, "Wow, you guys got some cooperation issues. See here, everyone in my practice-" The two detectives glare at him intensely- that "Don't fuck with me" expression. The medical examiner throws his hands up, "Never mind then! You can all suffer in your broken team!" He grabs my wrist with a firm grip and pulls me a few feet away from the two who are still arguing.

I shake off Vincent's grip with a disgusted grunt. I ask, "What do you want?"

"I'm only telling you an early autopsy report about O'Dale. Since McGrump one and McGrump two are loud, I decided to talk to privately."

I shove my hands in my coat pocket. I nod,"Alright. Tell me."

"The bluish and greenish coloration of the body indicates he died over twenty four hours. No symptoms of using Daze is found in his mouth. Usually it is hard to get rid of the purplish coloring of the tongue- disappears after three days." Not much I can go on but... no Daze means Cameron did not get persuaded into dying for his mother. The Hangman clearly killed him by force. Why else would a man who lives comfortable with his girlfriend of four years, would die?

"Thanks."

"...You know. You could come instead of the other guy. My doors are always open for lovely detective's like you." I widen my eyes slightly; this man has no shame and just says whatever! Vincent's good looking but... my eye is caught elsewhere.

"Riley, let's go!" calls Hal. I guess he's done arguing with Jack; took you long enough, partner. He narrows his hazel eyes at the ME as I return to his side. The rookie is already walking ahead of us.

"Visit me anytime, detective! My office can get lonely at midnight!" shouts Vincent.

I roll my eyes letting out a sigh. Personalities like him don't mix well with mine. My patience would wear thin in less than a minute. I wonder how Jamie deals with his boss's loud actions.

Hal looks over his shoulder and does some gesture to the examiner, though I can't see what it was from my angle.

While we walk to the car, I ask Hal, "What did you do to convince him?" I motion to the rookie with a head bob. He halts his movement causing me to stop as well. The ginger's head tilts slightly as he places his working hand on his hips. "Now that I think about it," he starts. "All I did was tell the kid I would help him out if he needed someone experienced. He didn't put up much of a fight after that. I guess he really wanted someone to watch over him."

"Works for me," I shrug. This is for Jack's own good so I don't feel guilty.

Hal continues, "I leave you for two weeks and you already got a rookie latched onto you- and now a strange medical examiner."

I unlock the car for Jack to slide in the back seats. I open the driver's door and retort, "You can't blame me for that. The ME is only overly friendly."

We both sit in our seats and close the doors. Hal sulks, "He has no boundaries for being 'overly friendly.'" I roll my eyes as I start the car.