3B - "Body of Evidence"

[Roanoke]

Mere moments after sending his message to Halo, she responds with a message of her own. Roanoke takes a moment to read her response.

"Good," he whispers, "She's speaking with Constantine now. Maybe he'll yield us some useful leads. She does have quite a flair for extracting information. Well, it's a relief to see that at least some of us know how to do our jobs."

Roanoke starts to type a response to Halo's message. It's evident by the amount of time it takes him to type his brief message that he doesn't hold a very high opinion of the device. Nonetheless, he muddles his way through the communique to Halo with the persistence of a glacial monolith.

When he is finished with his response, he taps the send button and mutters, "Looks like I'll be returning to the masoleum o' melted flesh, and a lot sooner than I'd have thought." Roanoke does a 180 degree turnabout and re-enters the morgue to speak with Dr. Allison Everitt.

[The Dispatcher]

A blood-stained tarp now covers Hadley's body. The room, still dim, the light directly above the body.

Roanoke glances about, at first Dr. Everitt was not readily visible-- how found her hunched over her desk in the room's corner, her head down, her arms crossed.

[Roanoke]

Having cleansed his nose in the hallway from the unpleasant smell of charred human flesh, Roanoke finds the lingering, remnant smell that permeates the autopsy room to be no more inviting a second time around. If anything, various pungent aromas from all the surrounding lab chemicals, intermingled with the undeniable odor of death, makes keeping a calm stomach even more challenging for him.

His eyes search the room, at first not finding his quarry. Then after a moment, he spots her slumped over her desk. Her head is down and so he cannot see her face. She seems possibly to be sleeping.

Roanoke approaches and taps her gently on the shoulder to rouse her. "Dr. Everitt?" he inquires. "Pardon me. I'm sorry to disturb you. But I thought that I might ask you some questions. That is, if you've got a moment you could spare?"

[The Dispatcher]

She raises her head to look at Roanoke. Her eyes look tired, and a little red.

"Sure. Go ahead."

[Roanoke]

Roanoke backs up a couple of steps, giving Dr. Everitt some space. He makes to speak, then pauses. After a second or two, he resumes. "Dr. Everitt," he says, "I realize this is pretty hard on you right now. Would you be able to leave here for a while? Perhaps we could go talk over a cup of coffee? You really look like you could use a break. What do ya say?"

[The Dispatcher]

"Yeah..." she says, the tiredness evident in her voice. "I suppose you aren't going to drop me down a shaft or anything." She stiffles a yawn and grabs her bag. She drops the book into the depths, along with a set of keys, Roanoke noticed, that had a small black maglight on the keychain.

"Considering that you're here to catch whoever did this?" She gives him a long considering look. "Lead the way big guy." her attempt at being cheerful overshadowed with ... melancholy.

[Roanoke]

Roanoke meets Dr. Everitt's gaze and responds, "Well, then, Dr. Allison Everitt. After you. Ladies before gentlemen." Smiling a friendly smile that seems welcome yet out of place on his hard-featured face, Roanoke motions with his hand towards the morgue door and the awaiting silence of the outside hallway.

[The Dispatcher]

Dr. Everitt says "So... if it's coffee you want, we need to hit the main elevator. Then go down to the commisary level. There's a coffee shop and lounge down there."

[Roanoke]

Roanoke turns his gaze back from the door to look Dr. Everitt in the eye. He replies, "Actually, if you're hungry, or if you want something with a little more kick than coffee, just say the word. I myself haven't had anything to eat since we got here except for a cheese danish."

After a brief pause he adds, "I don't know about you, but my Native American blood hasn't gotten its proper quota of alcohol for the day. How would you feel about dinner and spirits, my treat?" Another pause. "No strings attached and I promise that I don't bite," he says, smiling his same friendly smile, moving his eyes back and forth, feigning sheepishness.

[The Dispatcher]

"Really, huh?" Dr. Everitt answers dubiously.

"Well... I don't really drink. But I guess I can join you down in the Commisary Cantina while you do-- to be honest, I'm supposed to be meeting a couple of friend's down there at some point tonight."

[Roanoke]

Still looking directly into Dr. Everitt's eyes, Roanoke replies, "Suit yourself. But you could probably use some coffee and food, though. At least you'd be able to get out of here for a while." As he speaks, Roanoke gestures with his hand to indicate the dreary setting of the morgue. Then he continues, "And besides, if you're supposed to meet these friends of yours, you won't be able to do that by staying cooped up in here."

Roanoke pauses for a moment to collect his thoughts before pressing on. "Look, I know this has got to be just as hard for you as it is for everyone else. Actually, probably worse. If you're willing to trust me, though, I'd like to help. I want to see this asshole caught as much as you do. Let's go to the commissary and have some dinner. A change of scenery would probably do us both some good. We can talk about things in more detail there."

[The Dispatcher]

"Alright already!" Dr. Everitt lets out a humor tinged cry of exasperation.

"I hadn't said that I wouldn't go with you. I'm just waiting for you to lead the way to the elevator." She gives him a brief smile.

[Roanoke]

Roanoke keys in on her humor and returns with a little bit of his own. A broad smile sweeps his face clean of its hard lines. His eyes sparkle with the amused pleasure of one who has just been properly put in his place. And by a beautiful woman, at that. "I knew that a more laid back rendition of Ms. Everitt would surface sooner or later. I hope she's the one I'll get to talk to over dinner. Regardless, I'll hold us up no more. Let's go. I'm famished." As if to prove him right, Roanoke's stomach emits a loud grumbling noise that makes him blush slightly with embarrassment.

And with that, Roanoke approaches the exit door, swings it open and motions for Dr. Everitt to proceed. "Ladies before gentlemen," he says, his countenance betraying his more mischievious side.

[The Dispatcher]

Roanoke accompanying Dr. Everitt arrives at the personnel elevator. The same one Bluemojo and Hollowpoint took off down 15-20 minutes earlier.

Dr. Everitt selected a floor, and the elevator went through it's familiar process of closing before moving.

The dark yawn of the shaft looking up at Roanoke. Or so he feels...

[Roanoke]

As Roanoke looks down into the dark depths of the elevator shaft he realizes now, for the first time, just how fatigued the elevator sounds as it goes through its onerous procedure of trundling along on its squeaky pulleys from one floor to the next.

Unswallowing himself from his own distraction, Roanoke looks back up to find Dr. Everitt gazing at him with a look of uncertainty on her face. Feeling uncharacteristically conscientious, Roanoke remarks, "It's nothing, really. It just sounds like this elevator could use a vacation. But then, I suppose everyone here could use a little R & R in light of the recent events. If you'll pardon me for saying so, Dr. Everitt, you especially seem as though you could use some time away from things. You seem exhausted, somehow."


This thread continues in: "4 - Comparing Notes"