bakerstreet | And trouble came walking in...

Entry tags:

[warning] violence

And trouble came walking in...

the film noir meme

-Post with your character and fandom, as well as any preferences.
-Go here and generate a random number between 1-10 for the setting
-If you want, you or the person tagging you can roll a number between 1-8 for relationship as well!
- You know what to do next, honey.

Possible settings:

1. Crime Scene: Dead body? Burglary? Whatever the crime, the area's been sectioned off for officers to investigate this nefarious deed, and you're getting front row seat.

2. Bar: There's always some hole-in-the-wall frequented by all sorts. The bartender keeps an eye out for trouble, and other things. Of course he keeps an ear to the ground, but it'll cost ya. Perhaps a cop or two will show up demanding answers, but no one ever takes that seriously.

3. Docks at Night: The breeze caressing your face, the sound of the water, the boats passing by...maybe you were called here, or maybe you just like the peace it brings.

4. Alleyway: There's only one way in and out of this little corridor, and what happens in it is up to you and the other character. Just watch for the shadows, if you can see through the fog.

5. Detective's Office: Not too clean, not too messy. Just perfect for the person that's needed to get this mystery cleared up.

6. Rooftop: The wind dramatically blowing about, it's the perfect place to get that person to come and meet you so you can tell them what you want. Or if you're evil, why not kill them up here? It'll be hard to escape you.

7. Dressing Room: For some reason, you're backstage after a performance, and you've gotten into one of these. The mirrors, the costumes, the flowers from fans and the various personal affects...all are present and will be your silent witnesses to whatever occurs.

8. Hideout: You've gotten to the antagonist's spot of choice. Is this a glitzy nightclub with a private room, or is this an abandoned warehouse where they-or you-carry out their plot? The choice is yours.

9. Nightclub: Someone's showcasing their talent tonight, and you may or may not care about it. But it's classic, dimly lit, and it's easy to hide in here.

10. Free choice

Possible relationships:

1. Friends: Maybe you're an unstoppable team, or perhaps your relationship is getting strained. But whatever the situation, you know this person, and you'd be there for them.

2. Coworkers/teammates/classmates: You might not be friends, but you know this person well enough to remember their name. And right now you're being thrown together for a reason.

3. Lovers: This is the one you wanted to stay with for now. Married, dating, or maybe an affair, but you two care about each other enough.

4. Enemies: Utter hatred flows through your veins when you hear this person's name. This is the one you want to take down, and you just might stop at nothing to achieve your goal.

5. Family: Perhaps it's a sibling you're meeting. Or your parent, or some form of relative. Remember that phrase "blood is thicker than water"? It just might apply here.

6. Mysterious Stranger: Someone's been eyeing you from across the room, or you've been eyeing them. Will you two speak, or shall they float out of your life? Do they hold information you seek, or do they want something from you?

7. Femme Fatale: You are or have encountered a mysterious and seductive woman, whose charms ensnare her lovers in bonds of irresistible desire, often leading them into compromising, dangerous, and deadly situations. Watch out, you might just get yourself into a real mess of trouble, hot stuff.

8. Free Choice
Originally from

easycompany, with minor modifications.

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[Allison hops into the car the second Stiles pulls it around, shutting the door as soon as she tucks her feet inside. She opens the glove box to pull out some baggies, separating one from the bunch, and slips the cigarette butt inside.]

Evidence. Nobody’ll mind us taking it if we put it to good use.

[A lie. She’s not sure if she’s trying to convince herself or Stiles, but she knows they’ll make better use of it than the cops ever will. They always do. They’re faster at their work and generally more thorough.]

[ Stiles takes off as soon as Allison had settled into the passenger seat, merging back into the afternoon traffic. Mostly workers who are headed home for the day, leaving the lanes heading deeper into town busier than those leaving. He doesn't envy them - the nine to five never had much of a draw for him. ]

Except for the lawyers, but they're stiffs who try to rip everything apart to prove their point. [ And they're paid for it to boot.

He's not exactly worried about a lack of evidence for the cops. Even without the cigarette butt, they should be able to work out that the entire crash was a cover-up. They're not incompetent, just bound by their own rules, budget and red tape. ]

And they've never managed to keep us away from crime scenes whatever else they've tried.

[ It's behavior like that that gives them the best advantage. That, and the way they're shameless about using their own connections and knowledge against the local cops. ]

You want to head to the hospital after we've finished at the DMV? The other drivers had to have seen something. [ And between the two of them, Allison has always been more tactful. ]

[ She agrees with him on the lawyers. Allison has seen too many cases mucked up in court because of overzealous lawyers with no concept of right or wrong. In her mind, they're just chasing money like so many other people in the city. She shakes her head at the thought.

Allison nods when he mentions the hospital, though. ]

Sounds like a good idea, to me. There are some blanks that could stand to be filled in. Hopefully they can help out with that.

[ Allison lifts her hand to her mouth, chewing on a fingernail. It's a nervous habit. She hasn't taken up smoking like so many PI's she's seen in the city. Maybe that would help soothe her nerves a little. ]

[ Sharks, every one of them.

He nods, honking at a car that's too slow to move when the light changes before driving on. He speeds up as they head out of town, creeping slowly over the speed limit until they reach the parking lot of the local DMV. There's not much shop talk to say until they got there, but he starts going over some of the local news and sports news to pass the time.

Once he finds a sport close to the doors, he shuts off the engine, getting out of the car and letting the door shut after him. ]

Well here's our stop.

[ The building's not much to look at, a simple one story sprawling redbrick looking a little worn at the edges. Inside, there are still a number of people waiting in line for license renewal, or vehicle registrations.

And he doesn't really care if Allison took up the habit, he's not too bothered by the smoke, or the ash that builds up, though the smell of it lingers. Having a lighter with her all the time though could come in handy. There's not much he could say about nervous ticks without being a hypocite. ]

[ Allison is quick to get out of the car as soon as it comes to a stop, but she slows her walking pace to make sure she’s not hurrying ahead of Stiles. They’re pretty much a unit - That’s how they function. She doesn’t want to separate herself from him. ]

Here we are.

[ She sighs. This place is a pretty well oiled machine as far as how well it functions, but as far as speed goes it could use some improvements. ]

Let’s see how fast we can get back there and figure out who owned that truck.

[ Her eyebrows raise and she tilts her head forward. If need be, Allison will bribe her way ahead of people. She knows speed is integral in cases and she and Stiles just can’t afford to wait all day like so many of these people in this waiting room can. ]

[ He had sped up a little after she'd joined him, knowing that she'll keep up. He ends up holding the door for a couple with a baby stroller on their way out. Why anyone would bring their entire family with them here is a little beyond him. ]

There's always the back if it comes down to it.

[ But really, he'll rather catch someone at one of the front desk than when they're leaving, or on a break. It'll make for a more cooperative interaction, that's for sure.

There's a sign attached to one of the rope dividers nearby stating that it's a 30 minute wait beyond this point, thank you for your patience. Stiles mentally adds on an extra ten minutes. ]

I'm not standing in line to find out. [ Not like they weren't prepared to do that anyway when they were going to ask whatever clerk for their assistance. There's a middle aged man near the front of the line; his coat's a little worn, and there are signs that the man's a smoker. Due for a cigarette, from the way he's flipping the lighter back and forth. Too bad this is a non-smoking area.

Stiles points him out to Allison. ]

[ It's a good thing Allison carries a pack with her. It's more as a conversation piece, really. Something to offer to people she talks to or questions. To this day Allison hasn't smoked a cigarette herself, but carrying a pack with her has proven useful on more than one occasion so she makes sure that she always has one on her when she's on the clock.

Allison nods at Stiles and sidles up to the nervous looking man with the lighter. She says something to him in a low voice, smiling a friendly, winning smile, and offers him a cigarette. He seems to appreciate the offer and she casually slips into his place in line as he starts to walk out. ]

I'll hold it for you, pal. [She calls out to him, meaning to hold his place in line. The lady behind her rolls her eyes impatiently. With the pace the people are working at she's not sure he'll be done with his cigarette by the time she reaches the front desk, but should he still be outside at that time she'll simply carry on with her own business.

Allison nods for Stiles to join her in the line. Once again, carrying cigarettes has paid off. ]

[ That's been useful more often than not, though he still makes fun of her choice of brands. Blue Arrow? It's a little on the nose, considering her skill at the shooting range.

He lifts the divider, stepping up beside Allison, ignoring the very loud sniff of the lady behind them. She can judge as much as she wants to, doesn't change the fact that they're ahead of her now. ]

Thank god for cravings.

[ Aware that the people nearby are going to be eavesdropping on their conversation - they're the most interesting people in line - he keeps his words vague. ] So, a Ford Anglia, how many of those could there be in a city this big?

[ He couldn't tell the year off the car at the crash, it's a popular family vehicle; Ford doesn't have to change much from year to year.

The line moves forward again, a number of kiosks opening up at once, and soon after that it's their turn: The bored receptionist asking them what they're here for, ready to provide the appropriate forms and paperwork so that they can move on. ]

We're not here for personal business, but we were wondering if you could help us with a little investigation?

[ Stiles slides their business card over towards the clerk, a ripped notebook page with the license plate scrawled across it underneath the card. There's a ten dollar bill folded away underneath his palm, but he wants to see how far they can push this first before trying the alternative. ]

[ Allison takes in a deep breath and sighs, trying uselessly to do the math in her head. There had to be a ton of that model being driven around the city right then. ] No idea. Probably a lot. We passed a few just on the way here.

[ Once they reach the front of the line, Allison smiles that warm, professional smile at the woman behind the counter. The expression she's rehearsed to keep things friendly when she and Stiles are at the mercy of other professionals. It doesn't seem to affect the clerk. She's an icy one and Allison can't really say she blames the woman. She's probably spent several hours behind that desk, working away for pennies. Such is life. Allison decides to kick it up a notch.]

It's a pretty big investigation and your help would really push things along. Might even be just what we need to solve it. What do you say? Feel like being a hero tonight?

[ It feels wrong to lay it on so thick and when the woman rolls her eyes Allison is sure it didn't work, but then the woman nods and Allison is sure she can see the ghost of a smile on her face. They've scored a little bit of help after all. ]

Thanks. [ Stiles pauses, tapping a finger against their card. ] Keep it, you never know when knowing a couple of PIs can be useful. [ And they can always do with a couple more people in the government.

The clerk excuses herself, heading back to the cabinets towards the back to look up the information, slowly going through the index cards to locate the right folder. He watches as she goes, curiosity getting the better of him while he looks down towards the desk, with it's papers and typewriter.

Nothing interesting there, however willing the lady had been to bend the rules a little, she's still a stickler for confidentiality. ]

Not even a rough estimate? Though those cars aren't really the kind you get at a rental company.

[ Which makes the actual owner easier to track down if they're local. If they weren't, then it's going to take more footwork than they can fit in today. ]

((ooc: I've got upcoming exams in the next two weeks, so I going to be rather slow to reply.))

"There were four cars in the county that matched the make and description you gave me." [The woman slides a quarter-inch thick stack of papers towards them. Allison picks the stack up quickly, shuffling through them looking at names and information with hungry eyes. Four cars, four owners, four distinct possibilities, and a lot of work to be done. Allison pauses a moment, her eyes lingering on the pages, then looks to the woman behind the counter with a big smile.]

Thank you, ma'am. Greatly appreciated. [She gives Stiles a glance, the look on her face suggesting that she's pretty happy with their DMV outing. It's the kind of luck that gives her hope for how their trip to the hospital might turn out. Doesn't it always seem like when things are going your way they keep going your way? Sure, they have a lot of digging to do, but at least now they have shovels to dig with.

Allison starts walking out and to the car. She turns to Stiles.] What do you think? Some luck, huh? It's not every night that laying it on thick will get them to bend the rules.

[ Stiles looks over Allison's shoulders at the files, focusing on the names. One of them might just match their Jane Doe, if the hospital has managed to ID the victim off her personal effects. He doubts that there's been anyone to step forward to give a second confirmation.

He gives Allison a nod. They're done here, and this will help them make some decent headway on this case.

Making his own polite goodbyes to the clerk, he follows after Allison, twirling the keys around his fingers as they make their way back to the car. ]

Good thing that lady had a soft touch. [ He leans against the car, unlocking the doors. ] Guess we'll have to see how it holds up once we get to the morgue.

[ If they run into one of the nicer nurses... maybe if they time it for the beginning of a new shift, they'll be more willing to work with them. ]

Good thing. [ She echoes with a smile. Allison is well aware of how lucky they are. It seems that the business they’re in is at least partly luck. If it were all skill it would be a lot easier for both of them. ]

If we’re half as lucky at the morgue I’ll be satisfied. [ Allison slides into the passenger seat and closes the door behind her. ] Of course, it’ll take results to bring an actual smile to my face.

[ The drive isn’t overly long. Traffic has let up by this hour, though the streets aren’t exactly empty. By the time they have reached the morgue, Allison has flipped through the pages the woman at the DMV gave them and mostly committed the details to memory. Reading in the car is a necessity for the gig and no longer gives her motion sickness. ]

Ready? [ She smiles just a little bit at Stiles as the morgue building comes into view. ]

You going to take after your dad far the entirety of this case? [ At least in the face department. It's an image that makes him snicker.

Rather than go in through the front, he pulls into one of hospital offshoots. The place had needed space, new wings and buildings built onto the grounds to meet the growing demands of the city. The morgue, being what it is, was relegated towards the back, closer to the loading docks.

One good thing about that is there isn't much fighting for parking.

He turns off the engine, pensively looking up at the brick walls that made up the city's morgue. ]

Always. I just have a feeling it's going to get complicated.

[Allison smirks at the comment.] I choose to take that as a compliment.

[She only nods when Stiles mentions that he feels it's going to get complicated. She has the same feeling and when the two of them share the same gut instinct? It usually indicates that they're dead on.

Allison gets out of the car and walks into the building. The moment she steps inside she notices a slight decrease in temperature. She chalks it up to the cement floor and brick walls of the hallway they're in. Her steps echo eerily as the two of them walk towards the morgue.]

I don't get the willies easily, but this place is unnerving. I'd hate to have to show up to work here every day.

[They round a corner and come to a set of doors. Allison pushes them open and as they enter a woman in a uniform looks up at them.]

"Can I help you?" [She asks them. Allison responds by first smiling, always smiling. She's convinced it makes a difference when dealing with people.]

We're looking for someone who came in earlier from a car crash?

[ He hums, noncommittal. Better Chris than Victoria, Allison's mom, from the few times he's met her can be terrifying.

The bright florescent lights overhead cast a greenish glow over everything, and the smell of disinfectant lingers, sharp and cutting to the nose. ]

I'm with you there. [ Murmured. ] Not to mention how few colleagues you have to interact with.

[ Here, the hum of the fridges are audible, and he steps up beside Allison to see the woman. The name of the hospital is sewn into her sleeve at the shoulder, and her name tag reads 'L. Schyler'. ]

"We don't release that information out to the public," Schyler says, getting to her feet. "Not unless they're family, or have a valid reason."

Would looking into the crash for an anonymous party be a valid reason? [ Not that they were hired by anyone but themselves, but there's no way Schyler would know that. ] We're running an investigation parallel to the local cops, which is why we want to see the body.

[ Schyler gives both of them a look and suddenly Allison knows that she's going to be a tough nut to crack. She shares the briefest of glances with Stiles and hangs on the moment, waiting for the woman's answer to his question. Schyler lets out an almost exasperated sigh and shakes her head. ]

"You know that I shouldn't be doing this..."

[ A smile tugs at the corners of Allison's mouth. This is pretty close to getting results, after all. They're getting this woman to budge. That's something. ]

We appreciate it, ma'am. [Allison adds quickly, just to make sure the woman doesn't think she's being taken for granted. Schyler shoots her a look and walks over to a grey cabinet. ]

"If we have anything it would be filed in here already. What are the details of the crash?"

[ In return, he drops his shoulders, sweeping his jacket back as he rests his hands against his hips. The motion draws the technician's eyes, to the lack of a holster on his belt, or under his arm.

Whether that in any way influenced Schyler's decision, he doesn't know. But he knows that she takes her job seriously, which limited how they could proceed. ]

The file should be for a Jane Doe, from a crash near Cambridge and Sixth. It wasn't that long ago - it was close to five when it happened.

[ At Jane Doe, Schyler opens the top drawer, rifling through the files to pull out a thin cream colored folder, laying it down on the table. ]

"There won't be much."

Doesn't matter, we still appreciate it. [ A beat. ] If you need to take a bathroom break for ten minutes or so, we won't tell.

[ He smiles, stepping aside to leave a wider path back through the hall.

Schyler leaves the cream folder on the table, only pausing to give a reminder that the pages are ordered specifically before she steps out.

Stiles is stepping forwards as soon as the door swings shut behind her, eager to see what's inside the file. As Schyler had said, there isn't much. A basic description of the body, the personal effects and some other details of the scene she'd been found at.

What has him cursing is that there wasn't a purse or wallet listed among the items that had been sent along to the hospital. ]

[ Allison watches as Schyler leaves the room, just waiting for her to shut the door before she can pounce on the file. As soon as she's gone, Allison is beside Stiles, eagerly reading each line at a breakneck pace. Unfortunately, there isn't a whole lot that can be of much use to their case. That smile she'd been looking forward to flashing at her partner is noticeably absent from her face. ]

Dammit.

[ Then she pauses, putting her finger to a description of an item that was sent to the hospital. ]

Wait a second...

[ Allison taps her finger to the brief phrase. A gold chain with a love knot emblem that has two gems on it. ]

That sounds familiar. I think I know a jeweler that makes bracelets like those exclusively. It's a long shot. There could be other jewelers out there making them, but it's a possibility, right? Maybe someone at that business will know who our Jane Doe is.

Huh. [ He tilts his head. ] You'll be more familiar with that than I would. [ He gets jewellery, but he's better with the more common brands, and chasing after fakes. There are only so many decent places for good stage jewellery after all. ]

Since it's custom, they will have tracked the order - there has to be some sort of number on the bracelet ... [ He trails off to peer back at the door, no sign of Schyler yet, they'll have time to rifle through the woman's effects.

They'll be nearby, locked away for security. ]

No day ever feels right without a little B&E.

[Allison gives Stiles a sly smile at his comment about B&E. This is one part of her job that she really enjoys. She pulls a bobby pin from her hair and bends it a bit.]

How long do you think 'til she gets back?

[She walks over to the locker where the items will be kept and goes to work with her makeshift lock pick. It takes a minute, but she gets it open. A grin spreads across her face at the sudden success.]

Here it is.

[She pulls a tissue from her pocket and grabs the bracelet, a delicate thing, with the tissue.]

I guess this is the best lead we have right now.

[Allison shuts the locker door and locks it, stepping away in case Schyler returns faster than expected.]

Never long enough. [ That's his professional opinion, and he stands by it. He keeps an eye on the door while Allison works the locks, alternating his attention between that, and the drawers near the desk and going through their contents.

Spare pens, binder clips... another personnel's access card, he's tempted to pocket it, but that will be missed. There's a lot of the the usual clutter that builds up, so he's not too worried about putting everything back exactly as it was.

He flashes a smile at Allison. Perfect.

A noise down the hall, tells them Schyler is making her way back, and he takes the time to put the file back together, looking at it one last time for anything they can use. ]

Body's in freezer 37. If we want to see it before we go.

[ Allison nods. It'll be good to get a firsthand look at the body. That always beats a written description. She makes her way over to the freezers. She's far from squeamish, looking at dead bodies just doesn't get to her anymore. Looking to Stiles, she nods to the door of the freezer.]

You ready?

[She barely waits for an answer before she opens the door. Pulling on the end of the metal support their Jane Doe is laying on, Allison slides the body partially into open view. The smell of chemicals preserving the corpse is intense and Allison puts a hand to her nose. The woman is in her prime, probably her early thirties or late twenties, and as far as Allison can see she doesn't have any tattoos or scars. She does, however, have a birthmark that looks a little like a lima bean on her collarbone. It's valuable information Allison will remember for later.

Allison looks up from the body to Stiles to see if he notices any pertinent details. They can't have much longer before Schyler returns from her break.]

What do you see?

[ Stiles nods, taking a deeper breath before the freezer door opens. He helps to pull out the metal table, folding off the sheet to reveal the corpse.

Breathing shallowly, he looks around to find a box of disposable gloves, turning the woman to see what marks there are. The body has some cuts and holds from the tubing used to pump embalming fluid through the body, the neat incisions paler than they would be had they been inflicted while she was alive.

Where he would expect to find a head injury from the crash, there's nothing. No lacerations, no trace of blood, just pale unblemished skin. He continues to go over the body, there's some bruising over her ribs, and a careful touch tells him that they've been broken. ]

She might have bled out before they tried to stage that crash.

[ He quickly pulls off his gloves, balling them up and tossing them in the trash. ]

Her ribs were badly broken, and I can't see anything else that could have killed her. It definitely wasn't the crash.

[Allison purses her lips slightly and shakes her head. Of course it couldn't be as simple as a car crash. It never is. At least they're on their way to figuring out who their Jane Doe is.]

Someone thought they were pretty clever masking her death like that.

[She slides the body back into place, closing the door behind it.]

I like a good challenge now and then, but it would have been nice if this had been a cut and dry car crash.

[Allison sighs, her head snapping up as Schyler opens the door and walks back into the room. She smiles at the woman, acting like nothing is amiss.]

And trouble came walking in...

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Nice to see you back!

Thanks!

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Notifs are down for me right now.

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