Path: netnews.upenn.edu!news.cc.swarthmore.edu!psuvax1!news.pop.psu.edu!news.cac.psu.edu!howland.reston.ans.net!ix.netcom.com!netnews From: archer77@ix.netcom.com (Michael Francis) Newsgroups: alt.tv.x-files.creative Subject: Just Like Old Times PART I Date: 5 Nov 1994 01:48:05 GMT Organization: Netcom Lines: 423 Distribution: world Message-ID: <39eo8l$oj4@ixnews1.ix.netcom.com> NNTP-Posting-Host: ix-aus1-07.ix.netcom.com Any comment or sugestions on this story are welcome. "Just Like Old Times" Agent Dana Scully couldn't seem to look away from the victim, as she absently pulled off her gory rubber gloves. "Anything?" the police detective asked. Anything? There was actually too much. A plethora of evidence lay smeared across the pavement. But all she said was "We'll know more after we get her to the lab and do the autopsy." The detective grunted non-comittedly, and left her alone. She could hear him a few yards away, arranging the details. "Snap out of it, Scully." she whispered to herself, disposed of the gloves, and began to take care of her own details. She made sure the police photographer knew where to send her copies, and arranged for the immediate area to be swept for evidence not readily apparent. Hairs, fibers, slips of paper; there was no telling what form a key clue could come in. She spoke softly but clearly into her mini tape recorder, giving her impressions of the scene and known data. "This is the second victim in as many weeks. Both female, both prostitutes, both strangled and disemboweled with the entrails laid neatly beside the body in a display. Evidence suggests a methodical serial killer. The bodies were found only two blocks apart, so the killer either lives here or frequents the area. Someone local may know him, even suspect him. Personal note, interface with...extra data source for case comparisons." She clicked off the device, thought it over, rewound and erased the last sentence. It wasn't likely she'd forget to contact Muldar, and there was no sense leaving proof that she intended to. She ducked under the police tape, and turned to have one last look at the scene. They were scooping what was left of the girl into a body bag. She always hated that part. Now the crime scene was destroyed, and she'd have to rely on photographs and memory. "I wonder if your cop buddies know you used to cut gym class to sneak smokes behind the dumpster?" Dana turned to find the source of the comment, and froze in astonishment. "Oh, my God." she breathed, a smile dawning on her face. "Lenore!" A grubby but somehow charismatic woman smiled down on her. "Only the enigmatic Dana Scully calls me that and gets away with it. Don't mind my attire, it was "Easy-Off" day at the bakery." "Bakery?" "Where I work. You know work; as in fingers to the bone." Dana shook her head. "I don't understand. What are you doing working in a bakery?" Lenore stiffened slightly, still smiling. "I have to eat, dear. There aren't too many 50k jobs available to unskilled laborers." She saw the wrinkle between Dana's eyebrows. "Don't peruse it, babe. Bit of a sore spot. But look at you! A cop!" "No, FBI" "Even better! I think it's perfect for you. You always had an analytical bent. So? Is it working out?" Dana nodded, looking away. "It's...interesting." "What. You don't sound thrilled. Second thoughts? I always thought you'd be a great Wagnerian soprano; there's still time." Like always, Lenore was able to get her to laugh. It felt good to shake off the grimness of the day. "So, Lenore," "Humor me." "O.K., Lenny. Where do you live? Can I give you a ride?" "I'm just across the street. It's not much, but I think I can manage a cup of coffee. Interested?" "You live here?" Dana looked in dismay at the half-torn down tenement. "I told you, don't pry." "But do your parents know?" "Dana," "I mean, you can't really want to live in that...that..." Lenore stiffened again and took a step back. "I told you, I'm fine. Can't a person be a little down on their luck? Or is it that I had the bad manners to let you know about it that bothers you?" She looked at her shoes. "I'm sure you know what you're doing. I just wondered if you weren't taking the starving artist bit a shade too far." She looked back up at her friend. "Damn it, Lenore," "The invitation for coffee still stands, but keep it up and I'll withdraw it." "It wasn't gym class. You were the one who skipped gym. I only cut study hall." Lenny smiled. "Oh, you're right, that's so much less sinful." They smiled at eachother for a moment, then Dana glanced over at the departing ambulance. "I have to take a rain check on that coffee, O.K.? Hey, since you were so close to the scene, did you notice anything unusual last night?" Lenny's face drained of expression. "Yeah. You could say that. But I don't think it has anything to do with that." "Oh?" "I really can't explain...Look, why don't you come by for that coffee around one thirty." "It's after three already." "I mean in the morning. I want to show you something." Dana studied her friend's face. "all right, I'm interested. What's it about?" "Like I said; I'd rather show you, than try to explain it." She nodded, then got an idea. "You wouldn't mind if I had a friend meet us there?" "Well I don't know, it may not be that big a deal." "He doesn't have to be in on this. It's just someone I'd like to talk over a few things with, and I wouldn't get to see him otherwise." A wide smile spread across Lenny's face. "Good God, Dana Scully; are you seeing a married man?" "No!" She looked away. "Actually, I wish it were that simple." "Well, now you got me interested. Sure, bring your little friend. Apartment 5c. Don't bother buzzing, the lock is broken. And don't look at me that way. See you tonight?" "Definitely. Oh, can I bring something? Wine? cake?" Lenny laughed. "Don't try to class the place up, it's hopeless. Besides, I already have a case of Mooshead in the fridge; what more could you want?" They laughed and said their good-byes, each stealing a hidden glance after they parted. Much later, Scully stood beneath the broken security light over the front entry way to Lenny's building. When she saw Mular's car pull up, she stayed in the shadows a few moments to be sure he hadn't been followed, then went to meet him. "Some interesting friends you must have." he said quietly, once in ear shot. Scully shook her head. "I have no idea what Lenny's doing here. I mean, she always did have to do things differently than anyone else, but this..." she took one last look at the crumbling facade before they entered. "...this is more different than usual. Anyway, that's not what's important right now. I really wanted to get your opinion of this case I'm working on." He nodded. "Well, why don't we go upstairs before we get mugged?" They tried to take the stairs at a good clip, but somewhere between the third and forth landing the unspoken agreement was made to slow down. "So let me get this strait." Muldar tried not to pant. "Your friend's a girl, but her name is Lenny." "Really it's Lenore, but she always hated it. Said every time she heard it, it made her want to caw." "To what?" "Caw. You know; Poe? Lenore? Quothe the raven-" "I get it, I get it." He paused a moment to catch his breath, then went on. "How long have you known her?" "Since the eight grade. That's when she insisted she attend public school." "Ah. It's like that, is it?" "I told you she's different. God, there's the fifth floor." Once on the landing, they easily spotted Lenny's apartment; the door stood open, with light and music pouring into the hallway. Scully went first, poking her head in the doorway. "Don't your neighbors complain about the noise?" she asked Lenny, who was seated on a tattered sofa across the room. "Don't have any." Lenny jumped up and crossed the floor. "C'mon in." She wore deceptively simple looking khaki slacks and a cream tee shirt. The quality of the fabric hinted at less than simple price tags. "Who's your friend?" Scully smiled, noticing Lenny's bare and perfectly pedicured feet. The grungy bag lady she'd met in the street was gone, and the old Lenny was back. "This is my former partner, Fox Muldar. Muldar, Lenore Pape." Lenny sized him up as she offered her hand. "Fox? As in what a?" At loss for a response, Muldar simply nodded and shook her hand. "God, you two must have been great partners;" Lenny said, "you're just as stiff as she is. Come have a seat and...try to relax." After exchanging a glance, Scully and Muldar followed Lenny in, handed over their coats, and sat down. She put the coats on a wall rack, and gently closed the door. "We have a little time. Do either of you want some coffee or a beer? I don't have guests too often, so my larder's not very stocked." Muldar looked over at Scully. "Time for what?" Scully shrugged a little and looked at Lenny, who stood with her arms folded. "I'd rather not say." Lenny answered. "Let's just see what happens. You guys like experiments, right? Anyway, we have about twenty minutes. If you need anything, I'll be in the kitchen." After Lenny left, Muldar gave Scully another questioning look; which she waved off. Picking up her briefcase, she pulled out a folder full of photos and spread them across the coffee table in front of them. "Tell me what you think of these." She said. "Both were from this area, both prostitutes, both strangled and, well, you can see the rest." Muldar carefully examined each picture, his head leaning to one side. "Could it be a Jack the Ripper copy cat?" "Not if he did his homework." Muldar murmured. "The placement of the organs is all wrong. Someone going through this much trouble would at least try to get his facts straight.." "Seen anything like this before?" He paused a few moments, studying the pictures. "Sure; on a dissecting board, with frogs." "It is odd, how all the organs are so neatly and evenly spaced. Do you think he could be a doctor or a scientist?" "Maybe. Hmmm. That's interesting." "What?" Scully tilted her head to try and see what he saw. "What's this?" He pointed to an organ in the picture. "A Liver." "And this?" "Kidneys" "Hmmm." He turned the photo upside down. "What?" Scully repeated. "Look at the order of the organs." "Yes?" "Maybe you should be looking for a deranged librarian. The organs are laid out in alphabetical order." A muffled laugh was heard from the kitchen, which Scully ignored. "Let me see that." She took the picture and studied it. "You're right. I don't know why I didn't notice..." "I knew there had to be some reason he laid them out so carefully." "The other one, too." "Why do you assume it's a man?" Lenny asked, standing in the kitchen doorway. "There aren't many female serial killers." Muldar answered, still studying the photos. "Even fewer who can kill with their bare hands." Lenny came closer, looking over their shoulders. "But they look like they were cut open." "After death." Scully answered, slowly looking up at her friend. "They died by strangulation. Maybe you should think about moving, or at least staying with your parents for awhile." "You said he only kills prostitutes." "That may not be a hard and fast rule." Muldar interjected. "Maybe he's only killed prostitutes so far because they were readily available." Lenny was quiet for a little while, thinking. "What time do you think the last one happened?" "Between two or three in the morning." Scully answered. She noticed this startled her friend. "Why?" "I go to work at two thirty most mornings, except on oven cleaning day; I get to go in at ten. If yesterday hadn't been my day to scrub ovens..." "Still think I worry too much?" "I'll admit you have a point. Hold on," Lenny glanced at her watch. "It's almost time." "Time for wha-" "Shhh!" For nearly half a minute, they sat in silence listening to the vague rumbling of bad plumbing. Suddenly, the dinette table near the kitchen began to tremble as if one leg were shorter than the others. Then the three chairs around the table began to clatter and jitter away from the table. Everything else stood perfectly still, but the dinette set was boogying to beat the band. After a minute, they suddenly stopped. Somewhere downstairs a toilet flushed, but everything else was silent. "Is that what you brought me here to see?" Scully asked, breaking the silence. "So how'd you do it; wires?" Muldar got up without a word and examined the furniture. "See for yourself, Dana." Lenny answered. "It isn't a trick." "Then what is it?" "You tell me." Scully shook her head in mild exasperation. "If it isn't a trick, then there's a logical explanation. Vibrations from passing traffic, or a water pipe..." "Every night?" "This happens every night?" Muldar interrupted. "Muldar," Scully shook her head again. "Lenny was always pulling stuff like this. She's the practical joke queen. I'm sure it's all a set up, right down to the story about working in a bakery. A bakery? God!" Lenny smiled. "Not this time, Dana; but I'm just glad you saw it. Proves I haven't been imagining it. Your mind can play tricks on you, alone at two in the morning." "There's a white powdery substance on the shoes by the door." Muldar said, squatting down and looking at the floor under the table. "Could be flour or confectioner's sugar. These darker scrapes on the floor look like the lighter ones the table made tonight, only older. Depending on how often the floor is swept and mopped, could be several days." Lenny cleared her throat. "Or weeks." Muldar amended, smiling vaguely and examining the underside of the table. "You're buying into this?" Scully asked him. "Why not?" He straightened up and turned to Lenny. "If you don't mind, I'd like to let a friend of mine see this. He has some equipment that may help us pin down the source of the vibration." "Sure. I'm usually up anyway. I start walking at two thirty." "You walk to work?" Scully gasped. Lenny shrugged. "Buses don't run." Muldar cut in. "If this is as interesting as I think it is, you'll have a ride to work for a week or so." "Great." Lenny smiled. Scully opened her mouth to say something, closed it, then changed the subject. "Well, I've got to get going. I have to work in a few hours. Do you need a ride tonight?" "No, thanks, it's my day off." "Well..." Lenny smiled again, reached over, and squeezed Scully's hand. "Thanks again for coming by. I wasn't kidding about wanting to make sure I wasn't going crazy. Until I saw you outside, though, I couldn't think of anyone I could trust. If old steadfast Scully can see it, it must be for real." Scully smiled back. "If...you want to talk, I'm in the book. Call any time." "Geez, Dana!" Lenny laughed. "Cut the melodrama, all right?" She stood and led them to the door. Once they had their coats, they said their good-byes and left. Dana descended the stairs slower than she had climbed them, lost in thought. Lost in his own thoughts, Muldar kept pace. About halfway down, he broke the silence. "Well? What do you think?" "I think I'm getting too grown up." "I could have told you that." He smiled. "I meant the dancing furniture. Do you really think it's a trick?" "I honestly don't know." She paused and glanced back up the stairs. "I know something's not right, but what else could it be?" "Well, it could be natural causes; but I think the rest of the apartment would have been somewhat effected. Lenny set a cup of coffee on the table, and the coffee didn't even show a ripple." Scully looked at her ex-partner in amazement. "You had time to look at the coffee? How do you think of these things?" "Could it have been telekinesis?" "Why? To get attention?" "Maybe it's subconscious. You said something's not right. Could be stress." "I don't know. I know she doesn't belong here." "Why not?" She paused at the bottom of the stairs. "Lenore Pape is of the Richmond Papes. Her mother is Charlotte VanBuren, of the Washington VanBurens. At sixteen, she was formally presented at the Mayflower Society Annual Debutante Ball. Lenore Pape does not belong in a soon to be condemned tenement, and she certainly does not belong in a blue collar job at a bakery." "You said something about her insisting on attending public school." "That was different. She always kept up her social image for her parent's sake." "A fight with her parents?" "They dote on her. I guarantee, they'd be the ones to move out of the family mansion, if she wanted it that way." "Maybe she's rebelling." "It just doesn't fit." All this was more information than Muldar wanted, but he realized she just wanted to sort things out aloud. "So you've never noticed something to support the telekinesis theory?" "Huh? No." She opened the door and headed to her car. "So it's probably external." "I guess." He stopped by her car. "What's wrong?" She looked up at the building. "I'm just worried about her. She's her all alone, there's a maniac on the loose,..." "...Her furniture has no sense of rhythm..." Scully laughed and looked away. "Look, here's the deal: I'll see what I can do about the possessed dinette and give her rides to work, and you catch the maniac. O.K.?" "Sure." she threw her hands up. "Simple. "I'll start by checking on all the file clerks with medical degrees." "Or the ones who didn't pass." They looked at eachother for a moment. "Embittered medical school flunk-outs." Scully murmured. "Not bad." "I do what I can." he smiled.