TW: Bodies, blood, brains, bruising and skeletons. This chapter also features coroners and police procedures. This is quite a graphic chapter and not recommended for people squeamish, please ask me if you want a shorter summary. Another warning is mentions of racism and a racist comment is quoted.

The body of Ali Blacksky was brutally disfigured. Logan had seen worse, but they had been a long time ago. This was new, a  reminder, almost, as if this alarm was telling him a quiet life wasn't for him because he felt that rush of eagerness and importance crash through his body the moment he narrowed his eyes at the muted smell. Several people stood to the side of the room and someone handed him gloves and a mask. Logan clicked his fingers and a different person quickly offered him a recorder before returning to stand silently.

Lying on a white stretcher, limbs awkwardly thrown about, was the corpse of the murder victim. Ali's' blue eyes were shut, probably done by one of the coroners and his mouth was ajar slightly. his chin was bruised, as was his neck, and his nails looked worn, chipped and torn, as if he'd been scratching and scrabbling at his attacker as they choked him. The corpse had a broken nose, a tooth was cracked and there was a lot of swelling around the neck.

Logan clicked on the recorder. "It seems as if Ali Blacksky's' murderer was equally as violent as the man himself. There is swelling and bruising on his neck and chin, his nose has been broken and a the left, front tooth in his upper jaw looks cracked or chipped. Judging by the state of his nails and hands, he tried to pull his attacker off him. Cause of death seems to be suffocation-"

"Uh, sir?"

An older looking man, maybe late thirties, stepped forwards and gently sat the body up, leaning it over. Logan instantly noticed what he was talking about. The back of Ali's' head had been beaten in. It caved in on itself, leaving his hair to stick out at odd angles on his torn skin. Rather disturbingly, Logan could see the brains of this victim, mashed inside the skull heavily. Tiny, murky shards of what appeared to be Ali's' skull was lost in the mess.

Logan swallowed down bile he could feeling rising in his mouth and put the recorder to his mouth. "Making a change to my previous notes, cause of death seems to be a violent beating to the back of the head, which opened up his skull quite visibly and damaged his brain severely. Taking photos' of the body now."

He nodded to the coroner holding up the corpse, who returned the gesture and laid Ali down on the stretcher. A few people stepped forwards with cameras and assisted each other in taking well-shot images of the body, the way professionals do. Logan stood to the side, watching with narrowed eyes as the head coroner approached him.

"The rough time of death," The coroner began, "Was 2:45pm to 2:55pm. We're narrowing it down but that's as far as we've gotten. I'd like to warn you, though, sir, that his lungs were also in very bad condition. Either he was choked to death, and your murderer beat the body anyway, or nearly choked to death until the murderer resorted to more violent ways."

Logan nodded slowly. "Truly interesting. It seems our murderer is indecisive or impulsive. How annoying, many of the suspects have these attributes. Maybe, I should look for someone who resorts to violence in times of distress."

The coroner's' face was blank and unmoving as he shrugged. "That is your job, sir, not mine. Would you like us to mail the images to your current place of residence."

"Yes, Blacksky Manor, if you will," Logan replied. "I have conducted my search here, and will return to fill my apprentice on this and continue interviewing. Thank you for your hospitality."

"Not a problem," The coroner said. "It's a pleasure to have you. Keep safe."

Logan only nodded again, then took off the mask and gloves, handing them to a worker by the door, and walked out into pristine corridors. He strolled out of the building, tossing open the door and breezing over to the black Bentley, where he could hear Remus blasting some inappropriate songs.

With a silent sigh, he swung open the passenger door, making the driver jolt and hurry to turn off the music, causing the CD eject lightly from it's' hold.

Logan raised an eyebrow. "The Sex Pistols?" He asked calmly as he looked down on it. "Called it."

Remus flushed. "What, I guess you listen to classical?"

"No, I don't," Logan replied, shutting the door and pulling at his seatbelt. "Tim Minchin and Bo Burnham are more my style."

Remus blinked but nodded, as if in impressed respect. He took the CD out properly and took the case for it from beside him. He tucked away the disc and began moving the car.

The pair drove out onto the road in silence. "So..." Remus said. "How did Ali die?"

"The back of his head had been smashed in."

"Did you see his brain or something?"

Logan grimaced. "I did."

"What was it like?"

The detective sighed again and pinched the bride of his nose. "Imagine, if you will, someone's' skull broken open and, sitting in the skull, as if it were a bowl, is a mashed mess of blood and lumpy mess."

Remus made a gagging noise. "Yep, that's pretty disgusting. Who d'you think did it?"

"Why are you asking?"

The conversation ended quickly because both of them could hear the underlying accusation in the detective's' voice.

~'^'~

"This is Emily," Virgil said to Roman, introducing him to the mare in the stables, who looked a lot like a panda. "I volunteered to name her something more Chinese, to relate to the whole panda thing, like Mai'Lee or Lotus but Ali said she'd have an English name, for she was an English horse, not some 'Asian floozy'."

Roman arched an eyebrow disapproavingly. "That sounds quite racist."

"That's what I said," The Master of the house mumbled, cupping the mare's' snout in his hand. "But Emily suits her a bit, I guess."

Roman smiled and reached forwards to pet Emily on her muzzle, gentle but confident. A small smile crossed Virgil's' lips, no matter how subtle, and he gently pulled the horse forwards to meet Roman's' hands.

The police officer glanced down at the smaller and slightly younger man when an idea came into his head. "How I'm thinking of 'How To Train Your Dragon'," He said chirpily, brushing his hand along Emily's' snout calmly.

Virgil looked up at him, almost excited. "You know 'How To Train Your Dragon'?" He asked, hiding his eagerness behind a cool arching of his eyebrow.

"Yeah," Roman said. "I've seen all the movies and mini series and I really want to read the books, but I've never managed to find any."

Something changed in Virgil's' confident demeanour, just as Roman had hoped. "I've got the books, if you want to borrow them!" He offered. "I haven't read them in ages, because they're kids' books-" Roman tried not to smile at the small lie. "-But I'm sure I could dig them out for you! They're really good, I've got the 'Dark breather' short story, too, and 'A Hero's' Incomplete Guide To Dragons'." He glanced away shyly. "I used to be obsessed..."

"Really? You'd let me borrow them?" Roman was very thankful to all the community theatre he'd done but, he had to admit, there was some genuine excitement in the expression he made. "Thank you!"

Virgil smirked in embarrassment, moving one hand away from Emily to rest on the back of his neck nonchalantly. "Yeah, well, it's nothing. Just don't go around losing them." Was it just Roman, or did the gap between the two men seem smaller?

It must've gotten smaller because, when Virgil glanced up at him again, he took a step back. "So, you've met Emily," He said, after clearing his throat lightly. "Who do you want to meet next?"

Roman smiled. "The foal-?"

Interrupting him, Virgil's' black Bentley swung into the driveway, Remus blaring the horn as he swerved around the fountain. Virgil winced slightly at the cloud of dust sprouting under it's' wheels from the gravel and glared as Remus stepped out proudly.

"I hope you plan on cleaning up my car, I've told you that I don't want it getting too dirty," Virgil instructed sternly, making Remus sag and Roman laugh airily.

"Yes, sir," Remus groaned and Logan stepped out of the passenger side.

Almost instantly, he narrowed his eyes, locking onto Roman, and beckoned for the other to follow him.

Roman scowled slightly and turned to the pretty man beside him. "Sorry, I should probably go."

Virgil shrugged and Roman watched the careless, cold persona rise once more. "Whatever. Enjoy doing your job, Karen, I guess I'll see you later."

Roman smiled warmly but quickly walked after Logan obediently. This had better be worth it.