Murder in the Year 21

We emerge from the closet and I notice my PDA on the floor, where I dropped it, is blinking red.

Blinking is bad. I stop and motion for Caz to wait. She looks at the blinking light and frowns.

—Bambi, what up, boss?

—Have you ever been kissed by a wælcyrie?

—What? No! Of course not. Command gave direct, written orders to all NI soldiers to stay away from wælcyries. They separated us, not even the same base. What the hell, you blink me for that?

—Are you sure? Are you 100% sure?

—Yes, I am alive, aren’t I? What’s this about?

—Scott and I are in Portland. This case is—bad. We need you to primary an autopsy with Ivan in about two hours. We’re sending the body up there.

—Ugh. Look, I’ve actually done an autopsy under direction, but it’s really not my…

—Lexus, this is murder. Someone murdered a wælcyrie. And Ivan has been kissed by one. You have to help him. He won’t be able to do it and the client insists we do not subcontract any of this case. Scott and I need to wrap up here.

—Ivan? How did he live through that?

—You can ask him. He isn’t talking to us. Meet him in his lab in two.

—Okay.

—Gotta go.

—Love you.

—Love you, too.

Several things run through my head at once. Who would murder a wælcyrie? Why our east of Seattle agency and not a Portland one? How did Ivan survive the neurological changes of a wælcyrie kiss with his implants?

“Lexus, are you okay? Is there something wrong at work? You look funny…”

I look at Caz and think what I was avoiding thinking about: Bambi.

Bambi’s response to my regen brain damage was to give me more work.

Don’t care what those fucking charts say, Lexus. I believe in you. You’re an Investigator until I say different, she told me.

“Lexus?”

Bambi believes in me with all her heart. What if I let her down?

Don’t fool yourself Lexus, considering what you did last night, what if you let her down again?

“Lexus!”

Why am I looking at the ceiling? Ah cra…