bag and pulled out a plastic bag with the raven locket inside. He handed it to Larsen as she used her elbow to remind her partner to back off.
Elie summarized, "Thank you Dr. Lowe. Detective Gallagher and I appreciate it. Why don't we all take a break and get some fresh air. Mike would you please accompany me to the conference room. I think that would be a good idea at this time."
She walked swiftly away from Gallagher who paused long enough to give a final cold stare at his forensic partner and then, like a reluctant Irish setter who had just been told to unhook his teeth from a helpless rabbit, he strode into the conference room and slammed the door.
"That guy has two brains, one’s lost and the other is out looking for it!" he growled.
"We’re busting our butts here and he says, 'Oh, by the way, I found this locket near the crime scene.’ What a moron!"
Elie Larsen smiled, "Yeah, but we need him so let's just calm down and see what this little piece of jewelry says to us.
No prints, some fibers but no person to excuse the pun, hang it on." She took it out of the bag and looked at it. "It’s a bird all right, it looks like a crow!"
The necklace was made of stainless steel, a heavier metal than gold or silver. The crow was sharply detailed with definitive features.
It had a distinct beak, beady eyes, sharply honed talons and a menacing face. It was not a romantic piece of endearment but more of a statement of evil.
It was a menacing, silver crow.
Gallagher asked, "Is there any writing on it or initials of any kind?"
Elie examined it carefully turning it over several times. "Not that I can see. It’s just a fierce looking crow with a chain.
It resembles a bird of prey all right. Whoever wore this as a locket has some serious issues!"
Gallagher was now more curious than angry, "Sheryl Crow?" He laughed out loud at his own joke. He needed to release his emotions from the previous hour.
"This girl’s poor boyfriend probably had the psyche of a field mouse!"
Laughing again he took the locket from Larsen and studied it. "Ugly sucker. I wouldn’t want to have this little varmint mad at me. Whatever happened to Hekyll and Jekyll? They were the good guys!"
Elie smiled, "Yeah, but they’re boring in today's world. Everyone’s fascinated with evil, Goth crows are in."
Gallagher agreed, "But is this swift and unseen predator related to the lovely Miss Allison Taylor?"
A chill went through Larsen, "If it is, I doubt she’s alive."
With that sobering thought they returned to Parker’s office.
Chapter Se ven-A bird in Hand
Chief Parker looked at the crow carefully. He used his index finger to trace the outline several times as if to see if touching it would bring some kind of revelation into the case.
"It’s a fascinating piece of jewelry all right," he summarized, "But, it could mean absolutely nothing, too. The odds are that some student just dropped it."
Gallagher spoke up, "But, the chain could have been ripped off the abductor at the point of attack!"
"The chain has not been damaged in any way!"
"But, sir, the clasp was undone and,”
"Undone but not broken, and that’s why the chain was on the ground and not around the person's neck suggesting it may have been planted there. Larsen have you ever seen a locket like this?"
"No, sir, I have not. This says more
Elie summarized, "Thank you Dr. Lowe. Detective Gallagher and I appreciate it. Why don't we all take a break and get some fresh air. Mike would you please accompany me to the conference room. I think that would be a good idea at this time."
She walked swiftly away from Gallagher who paused long enough to give a final cold stare at his forensic partner and then, like a reluctant Irish setter who had just been told to unhook his teeth from a helpless rabbit, he strode into the conference room and slammed the door.
"That guy has two brains, one’s lost and the other is out looking for it!" he growled.
"We’re busting our butts here and he says, 'Oh, by the way, I found this locket near the crime scene.’ What a moron!"
Elie Larsen smiled, "Yeah, but we need him so let's just calm down and see what this little piece of jewelry says to us.
No prints, some fibers but no person to excuse the pun, hang it on." She took it out of the bag and looked at it. "It’s a bird all right, it looks like a crow!"
The necklace was made of stainless steel, a heavier metal than gold or silver. The crow was sharply detailed with definitive features.
It had a distinct beak, beady eyes, sharply honed talons and a menacing face. It was not a romantic piece of endearment but more of a statement of evil.
It was a menacing, silver crow.
Gallagher asked, "Is there any writing on it or initials of any kind?"
Elie examined it carefully turning it over several times. "Not that I can see. It’s just a fierce looking crow with a chain.
It resembles a bird of prey all right. Whoever wore this as a locket has some serious issues!"
Gallagher was now more curious than angry, "Sheryl Crow?" He laughed out loud at his own joke. He needed to release his emotions from the previous hour.
"This girl’s poor boyfriend probably had the psyche of a field mouse!"
Laughing again he took the locket from Larsen and studied it. "Ugly sucker. I wouldn’t want to have this little varmint mad at me. Whatever happened to Hekyll and Jekyll? They were the good guys!"
Elie smiled, "Yeah, but they’re boring in today's world. Everyone’s fascinated with evil, Goth crows are in."
Gallagher agreed, "But is this swift and unseen predator related to the lovely Miss Allison Taylor?"
A chill went through Larsen, "If it is, I doubt she’s alive."
With that sobering thought they returned to Parker’s office.
Chapter Se ven-A bird in Hand
Chief Parker looked at the crow carefully. He used his index finger to trace the outline several times as if to see if touching it would bring some kind of revelation into the case.
"It’s a fascinating piece of jewelry all right," he summarized, "But, it could mean absolutely nothing, too. The odds are that some student just dropped it."
Gallagher spoke up, "But, the chain could have been ripped off the abductor at the point of attack!"
"The chain has not been damaged in any way!"
"But, sir, the clasp was undone and,”
"Undone but not broken, and that’s why the chain was on the ground and not around the person's neck suggesting it may have been planted there. Larsen have you ever seen a locket like this?"
"No, sir, I have not. This says more
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