Tick Tock Part Four - The Mouse Fell Down

Probed

Nines couldn't help feeling anxious. It felt like days since the body had been found, and he'd heard nothing. Perhaps he'd been a little too optimistic about the progress they might make. Good things had happened. Gavin's case had been rightfully returned to active status. Fowler had forced it through, bulldozing any attempts to sideline the issue. DNA from vomit was generally considered an unreliable resource, however, Nines' status as an RK900 gave the argument more sway than usual. It also helped that Elijah Kamski, now known to be Gavin's half-brother, was putting pressure on them from the outside.

This new information had brought with it a fresh wave of public sympathy. The DPD didn't know who'd leaked the information, but the media had received an anonymous tip suggesting that the Hickory Killer had left Sergeant Reed's DNA at a fresh crime scene to mock them for their lack of progress. Whether that was the case, Nines couldn't say, but it was enough to get Gavin's name back in the news. A fresh wave of calls came through. False calls. Hank and Connor were duty bound to chase them up, but nothing ever came of them. Elijah did another public appeal, looking drawn and tired after all this time. Chloe stood at his side, dutiful as ever, with a supportive hand on his arm.

Frustratingly, Malcolm's body brought them no further clues. Besides the vomit containing Gavin's DNA, little else was gathered. There were no clues that would lead to where the kill took place or tell them who else was involved. Dark bruises littered the bloated skin, which suggested the man had been in the fight. From the position of the bruising, Nines could estimate the height of the attacker. That, along with the vomit, led him to believe that Gavin had been involved. What exactly was the killer doing? Making him fight to the death? Why? What would he gain from such a thing? What would he do if Gavin lost? The thought of finding Gavin's body in a similar state chilled him to the core.

Having scanned the injuries and identified a likely weapon, Connor and Colin had looked into other similar deaths. There weren't many, but three others had been found with wounds that matched the weapon used to despatch Malcolm Wright. Curiously enough, they were all similarly dark characters. Two murderers, and one suspected paedophile that child crimes had been monitoring for the past few months. It was curious that these men had gone missing without notice, and that they all shared similarly unsavoury pastimes. Did the Hickory Killer know? How had he found them? Was there some sort of shady underground where they were all acquainted? That seemed unlikely.

Knowing the weapon and having other suspected kills didn't really help when there was so little evidence. It was frustrating, having so much and yet so little. They'd made more progress in a few days than for an entire year, but it had now stalled again. The media was dying down. Fewer calls came. For the second time, Gavin was being forgotten. It was frustrating. Nines could do little besides going to work, visiting Dr Marr, and waiting for news. He wasn't allowed to be actively involved. More than once the thought crossed his mind that he might have more luck alone. Hunting was what he had been designed for. Going under the radar and doing things his own way may yield more results. Connor would disagree.

"This is ridiculous! I've done nothing wrong!" Nines blinked at the familiar voice, silvery eyes rising to see an AC700 android being walked through in cuffs. He had an impatient air and looked at the humans dragging him along with disdain. He was injured. Thirium leaked from his nose, or had been recently. Though impatient, he didn't struggle against the two officers, who were each pulling him along on either side. "The human attacked me! I was defending myself!" The AC700 was a fairly common model, so Nines thought nothing of it and was about to drop his head when their eyes met. Fifty-Seven. Gavin would probably be pleased if he saw him. He'd said they'd probably get him for something eventually.

Although he hadn't played an active role in his earlier torture, Gavin never doubted he knew about it. He and VB had been especially close, possibly lovers. There was something strange about his expression as their eyes met. Nines hesitated to call it satisfaction, but it certainly irked him. He lowered his eyes to his terminal, ignoring further distractions as he returned to his musings about Gavin. He was out there somewhere, probably still in Detroit. Four bodies had turned up dotted all over the city, though always in less travelled parts. The fact they were so scattered surely meant they were still in Detroit somewhere. But we must have searched every inch of the city by now! It certainly felt that way.