ANGEL BLUE [1]

LEAD 34: yule shoot your eye out

      “Stevens.”

      I mumble with the pen lid in between my teeth. I’m sitting cross-legged on Sam’s bed with his laptop, secretly investigating Snag. Since Sam’s got FBI credentials, I technically don’t need to warrant his Director for Snag’s files. To my surprise, they’re published on the FBI website as a PDF under the Freedom of Information and Privacy Acts. It makes me wonder why Snag would give consent, unless he didn’t know (or remember) in the first place.

      “Stevens.”

      “Hrpmpht,” I mumble.

      I’m on page 2/37 and I can already see the work that’s been put in to cover up most of the information despite of the act it’s under. It dates to January 26 1997 when Snag was commissioned for the FBI as an Associate Medical Examiner/Forensic Pathologist to work in Everett―Washington. Before reading on, I see what qualifications are needed. I knew Snag went to school with Dad in Australia, and then after doing an internship for ASIO they split ways to pursue different careers with Snag going to medical school to pursue medicine and human science.

      However, the qualifications for an Associate Medical Examiner in the FBI are monuments. They have to graduate from an accredited medical school, completion of accredited residency in pathology and forensic pathology, certification from the American Board of Pathology in anatomic pathology and certification in forensic pathology. On top of those demands, the responsibilities of the job weighed higher with the AME performing medicolegal examinations including autopsies, certifying cause and manner of death, preparing detailed reports of autopsy findings, responding to death scene investigations and providing expert testimonies in court.   

Background information furnished by above commission indicates no employment since project [blacked out line]. However, Bureau files indicate association with American Research Foundation in Washington D.C., in 1997. Lists address as Manhattan, New York, and formerly resided 54 Darlinghurst, New South Wales.

Investigation of Doc. E. Snaginsky should be restricted to interviews of Senators Langer and Bridges & check-records at the New York Police Department. Make no credit or criminal checks concerning his immediate relatives, make no neighbourhood or employment investigation for period since project [blacked out line] and make no agency checks other than Civil Service Commission.

      I roll the pen across my tongue and lean in closer to the screen, all of the signatures are blacked out including the work after ‘project’. What happened in ’97 must’ve sparked the train reaction to Snag’s capture in ’98, but capture by who and for what purposes? Diablos weren’t on the radar until this year thanks to Hayden.

      “Stevens,” Sam tosses a wet towel over his shoulder and gives me an amused smirk. “It’s Christmas morning.”

      I remove the pen and twirl it around my fingers, “Ho-ho-ho.”

      “Sarcasm is the lowest form of humour,” Sam pads into his bedroom and kneels down on the bed. His green gaze sweeps across the screen and he quirks a brow. “What’re you doing anyway?”

      “I’m doing my research, I need to know what happened to Snag in ninety-eight,” I scroll down the page and put the pen back between my teeth. I’m still in an NYPD sloppy-joe and trackies whereas Sam’s getting dressed for the Christmas lunch-in with our families.   

      “And what did happen in ninety-eight? The walkie-talkie came back negative for prints and it wasn’t connected to any frequency, no doubt placed as a distraction while Q sets to work on some devious tangent,” Sam’s brow creases as he runs his knuckles against my cheek. “Do you think Q did something to Snag and made him forget it?”