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Chapter 3
Posted by
emmielove
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28 September 2012
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Eve sent a message to the ME's office for a priority on Snyder. While she started to educate herself on Mr. Harold Snyder, Roarke brought up the security footage on the first car of the subway train. On the right was footage from the disc that had been in the car, on the left, the same view was duplicated from the security office.
He played back the security disc to the time Snyder had come on as driver at 16:30 to the time of the crash six hours later. At 19:12, the train stopped for approximately 20 minutes and Roarke saw Snyder leave the operator car. The train was at rest and he saw Snyder leave the first car for ten minutes and return with a brown paper bag. Dinner, Roarke supposed as he watched Snyder go back through the door and close it behind him.
"Harold Snyder. 51 years old. Divorced. Ex-wife is remarried and lives in Daytona Beach. No offspring. Ex has two children with new husband. Snyder has worked for NYC transit for twelve years. He's worked several of the lines, mostly the temp or part time routes. Previously from Daytona Beach, previously worked as an onsite mechanic at Daytona International Speedway. He was arrested for disorderly conduct at the age of 20 while attending the University of Florida. No other arrests. Clean bill of health. Morris is on him." Eve paused as Roarke looked at her, "Roarke, his heart just stopped."
Roarke frowned, "Just suddenly stopped beating?"
"Morris gets the same TOD that Peabody and the uniforms got. Three minutes before impact. He was an otherwise healthy man approaching middle age. The only thing wrong was that his heart stopped beating."
"So it wasn't a homicide. Has a heart attack, somehow flips the switch to go down the wrong tunnel, dies too soon to realize what's happened and crashes into the wall."
"It looks that way," Eve frowned, "But it doesn't sit right with me. No previous history of any health issues and Morris said he was healthy. But cause of death is heart related, so officially, it's not homicide."
"But unofficially?"
"It's not my case, and, as of Morris' COD, it's closed."
"Peabody said she felt something was off before she did TOD. Now that it's seemingly solved, you still feel that it's not right. I don't think that's a coincidence."
"I asked Morris to take another shot at it in the morning. Maybe we'll get something back from the tox screen. Peabody's primary, so I'm letting her jump on Dickhead's people for updates. They're backed up at the lab anyhow." She yawned, "What have you gotten from the security?"
"Nobody goes in with him. I watched the people in the first car, see who pays attention to the operator's door. Nobody seems anxious or like they're anticipating anything."
"What about in the other cars?"
"I've only done the first one," he ordered car two on screen and they watched the group together. On impact, they saw the passengers get jostled in their seats, a few thrown to the floor. Unlike in the first car, where Roarke had seen potentially dangerous injuries, they were relieved to see that everyone recovered from the crash and began moving around to check on each other. It was true, Eve thought as she watched people who wouldn't normally interact with each other come together in the car, that people bonded tighter out of fear.
In car three, nearly every seat was taken up. A college age man slept across nearly three seats and people at in groups or with their bags and briefcases while the train rode along. The only person standing was Peabody, who stood at the center pole in the back of the car, her arm looped around the pole for balance while she worked on her PPC. They watched the man with the briefcase brace himself on impact then grab helplessly at the briefcase as it flew off the seat. Eve muttered "ouch" as she saw Peabody's flight across the car and into the closed glass door.
Car three's reaction to the crash was louder than the first two cars. Of course, there were more passengers in this car and while nobody seemed injured, these passengers were more vocal than the others had been. Eve watched the man help Peabody off the floor and saw them speaking to each other. A young woman joined them and it seemed Peabody gave them orders before beginning to check on the other passengers.
"You go, Peabody," Eve nodded at the screen as Roarke stopped that disc and moved to car four.
They were on the seventh car when the house monitor beeped and Summerset's voice came over the system, "Lieutenant Dallas, Detective Peabody is here." His voice was filled with annoyance and really, Eve couldn't blame him for being irritated at the 3:30am disruption.
Peabody stepped into Eve's office a few moments later and paused to watch the two dozen passengers in car seven get shaken around at impact. On screen, Officer Callahan took charge and, after speaking to a few other passengers, disappeared into car eight.
"She's got a good style," Eve commented, "Stays calm, takes initiative, did good work."
"But you don't like her," Peabody pointed out. Eve and Roarke turned to see her standing in the doorway. Eve shrugged.
"I don't have to like her. She can be a good cop and be unliked by me. I only have so much I can give out."
Roarke laughed and stepped over to Peabody. She was pale and the late hour was showing on her face. He led her into the office and offered her the chair he'd been sitting in. "Can I get you anything?"
She shook her head, her eyes on the screen where Eve had paused it, "Morris tagged me. It's not a homicide after all."
Eve raised an eyebrow, "But?"
Peabody sighed, "But I don't like it. Heart stops. Bam! Brick wall. Why was the train going toward the old holding place?"
"Something switched at the main controls?" Roarke suggested, handing her a cup of tea.
She shook her head, "Main control doesn't work the temporary or part time lines. Snyder is the only one who could have changed the course. Why would he do that?"
Eve sat on the corner of her desk and looked up at the screen. "We've been through all but two of the cars and nobody looks like they're waiting to crash and no one enters or even goes near the operator's car."
"Morris said he's taking a fresh look tomorrow. It's so freaking late right now," Peabody set down the tea and rubbed at her eyes. "I guess we could take a few hours down." She started to stand up, "I'll contact EDD in the morning."
"When are Feeney and McNab back from Geek Heaven?" Eve asked. Peabody snorted.
"Day after tomorrow. We can send security tapes to Callendar though. She didn't go to the conference."
"It's a plan. Get some sleep and we'll come at this with clear minds in the morning." Eve watched Peabody walk toward the door while Roarke cleared away the mugs and went into the kitchen. "Peabody?"
Peabody turned around at the door, "Yeah?"
"Really good work tonight. Really."
Blushing a little, Peabody smiled back at Eve, "Thank you, sir."
Six-thirty came in a flash and Eve groaned when she felt Roarke shake her awake. "Why must it be morning?"
Roarke grinned, always amused by his wife, "Because, darling Eve, night is over. Morning comes next."
"Coffee."
"Right here," Roarke handed a large mug to her. When she grunted a thank you, he laughed. "If you and your friends hadn't stayed up so late last night-"
"Ha ha, Roarke," she trudged to the bathroom and a moment or two later he heard the shower turn on. He considered a second shower with the possibility of some shower sex, but knew Eve would want to get to work harassing the lab and the ME. Plus, he had work of his own.
He turned on the screen, planning to go back to his morning stock numbers when he saw the media bulletin and the reporter standing on the subway platform from the night before.
"Several injured one dead after a part time 6 line train crashed into an old train harbor traveling southbound. Many NYPSD officers were on scene last night, assisting the injured and taking statements from those where were on the train. Other reporters spotted NYPSD's own super star, Lieutenant Eve Dallas on scene with her partner and her husband, the mysterious Roarke. It was unclear as to why New York's top Homicide cop was on scene and the Lieutenant refused to comment."
Roarke knew Eve would be annoyed with the report, but left the screen on in hopes that she'd see it now and get her irritation over with. He walked into her closet and pulled a pair of brown trousers and a blue sweater out and laid them on the bed. He didn't always pick out Eve's clothes for the day, but if she and Peabody were going to be in the field, he wanted to make sure his wife was warm.
In his office, Roarke got coffee and started to pull up his schedule for the day. He had some meetings in his main office and he had Caro, his admin, setting up a short day trip to East Washington. He was reviewing some reports on one of his manufacturing companies when he heard Eve in her own office. Grinning, he turned to the door between their offices and saw her standing there, watching him.
"I don't need you to dress me, Roarke," she gave him a hard look, but he grinned back. His cop looked so sexy in the simple brown pants and blue sweater.
"You don't think about how could it gets in New York," he reminded her, "I was just making sure you didn't freeze to death." He stood and moved to the door, his arm coming around her and pulling them together in the doorway.
She felt warm now. Safe. And absolutely exhilarated, with his arms around her, his beautiful face inches from her own. "I love you," she breathed, her arms sliding around his neck as she stared into his eyes. Then she gave him a humorless smile, "But I'm an adult and I don't need you picking out my clothes."
Peabody was not sure how she'd managed to shower, dress and make herself look presentable as she walked slowly down the hall to Eve's office. Her entire body hurt from being thrown across the car when the train had crashed. Her legs and arms were covered in bruises and she could barely move her right wrist, which was swollen and hurt worse than the rest of her. Her head throbbed where it had met the car doors and she was pretty sure the knot that had formed there was the size of a baby's fist.
She admitted to herself that she felt a little light headed as she approached Eve's office. She just needed coffee, she decided. Some coffee would kick her ass and get her moving. As she turned into the office, she saw her partner enfolded in Roarke's arms, their faces close, murmuring to each other. It was a breathtaking scene of intamacy that she couldn't help but envy. Eve, strikingly attractive in her own way, and Roarke, gorgeous as a god, had something so incredible, so beautiful. They were made for each other, and more, seeing the love they shared warmed her heart as she watched them, unable to help herself.
The beep of an incoming fax startled all of them. Eve and Roarke broke apart and Peabody had to steady herself on the door frame. Eve flicked her a glance that had Peabody flushing with embarrassment as Eve went to read the new fax. She scanned the document and looked over at her partner, her face grim.
"Well, Peabody, do you want the good news or the bad news?"
Peabody didn't answer and Eve forced a smile. "The good news is that we were right."
"About what?" Peabody asked.
"That's the bad news. This was murder, Peabody. We have a positive on traces of potassium chloride in Snyder's system. The question now is, how did it get there?"
He played back the security disc to the time Snyder had come on as driver at 16:30 to the time of the crash six hours later. At 19:12, the train stopped for approximately 20 minutes and Roarke saw Snyder leave the operator car. The train was at rest and he saw Snyder leave the first car for ten minutes and return with a brown paper bag. Dinner, Roarke supposed as he watched Snyder go back through the door and close it behind him.
"Harold Snyder. 51 years old. Divorced. Ex-wife is remarried and lives in Daytona Beach. No offspring. Ex has two children with new husband. Snyder has worked for NYC transit for twelve years. He's worked several of the lines, mostly the temp or part time routes. Previously from Daytona Beach, previously worked as an onsite mechanic at Daytona International Speedway. He was arrested for disorderly conduct at the age of 20 while attending the University of Florida. No other arrests. Clean bill of health. Morris is on him." Eve paused as Roarke looked at her, "Roarke, his heart just stopped."
Roarke frowned, "Just suddenly stopped beating?"
"Morris gets the same TOD that Peabody and the uniforms got. Three minutes before impact. He was an otherwise healthy man approaching middle age. The only thing wrong was that his heart stopped beating."
"So it wasn't a homicide. Has a heart attack, somehow flips the switch to go down the wrong tunnel, dies too soon to realize what's happened and crashes into the wall."
"It looks that way," Eve frowned, "But it doesn't sit right with me. No previous history of any health issues and Morris said he was healthy. But cause of death is heart related, so officially, it's not homicide."
"But unofficially?"
"It's not my case, and, as of Morris' COD, it's closed."
"Peabody said she felt something was off before she did TOD. Now that it's seemingly solved, you still feel that it's not right. I don't think that's a coincidence."
"I asked Morris to take another shot at it in the morning. Maybe we'll get something back from the tox screen. Peabody's primary, so I'm letting her jump on Dickhead's people for updates. They're backed up at the lab anyhow." She yawned, "What have you gotten from the security?"
"Nobody goes in with him. I watched the people in the first car, see who pays attention to the operator's door. Nobody seems anxious or like they're anticipating anything."
"What about in the other cars?"
"I've only done the first one," he ordered car two on screen and they watched the group together. On impact, they saw the passengers get jostled in their seats, a few thrown to the floor. Unlike in the first car, where Roarke had seen potentially dangerous injuries, they were relieved to see that everyone recovered from the crash and began moving around to check on each other. It was true, Eve thought as she watched people who wouldn't normally interact with each other come together in the car, that people bonded tighter out of fear.
In car three, nearly every seat was taken up. A college age man slept across nearly three seats and people at in groups or with their bags and briefcases while the train rode along. The only person standing was Peabody, who stood at the center pole in the back of the car, her arm looped around the pole for balance while she worked on her PPC. They watched the man with the briefcase brace himself on impact then grab helplessly at the briefcase as it flew off the seat. Eve muttered "ouch" as she saw Peabody's flight across the car and into the closed glass door.
Car three's reaction to the crash was louder than the first two cars. Of course, there were more passengers in this car and while nobody seemed injured, these passengers were more vocal than the others had been. Eve watched the man help Peabody off the floor and saw them speaking to each other. A young woman joined them and it seemed Peabody gave them orders before beginning to check on the other passengers.
"You go, Peabody," Eve nodded at the screen as Roarke stopped that disc and moved to car four.
They were on the seventh car when the house monitor beeped and Summerset's voice came over the system, "Lieutenant Dallas, Detective Peabody is here." His voice was filled with annoyance and really, Eve couldn't blame him for being irritated at the 3:30am disruption.
Peabody stepped into Eve's office a few moments later and paused to watch the two dozen passengers in car seven get shaken around at impact. On screen, Officer Callahan took charge and, after speaking to a few other passengers, disappeared into car eight.
"She's got a good style," Eve commented, "Stays calm, takes initiative, did good work."
"But you don't like her," Peabody pointed out. Eve and Roarke turned to see her standing in the doorway. Eve shrugged.
"I don't have to like her. She can be a good cop and be unliked by me. I only have so much I can give out."
Roarke laughed and stepped over to Peabody. She was pale and the late hour was showing on her face. He led her into the office and offered her the chair he'd been sitting in. "Can I get you anything?"
She shook her head, her eyes on the screen where Eve had paused it, "Morris tagged me. It's not a homicide after all."
Eve raised an eyebrow, "But?"
Peabody sighed, "But I don't like it. Heart stops. Bam! Brick wall. Why was the train going toward the old holding place?"
"Something switched at the main controls?" Roarke suggested, handing her a cup of tea.
She shook her head, "Main control doesn't work the temporary or part time lines. Snyder is the only one who could have changed the course. Why would he do that?"
Eve sat on the corner of her desk and looked up at the screen. "We've been through all but two of the cars and nobody looks like they're waiting to crash and no one enters or even goes near the operator's car."
"Morris said he's taking a fresh look tomorrow. It's so freaking late right now," Peabody set down the tea and rubbed at her eyes. "I guess we could take a few hours down." She started to stand up, "I'll contact EDD in the morning."
"When are Feeney and McNab back from Geek Heaven?" Eve asked. Peabody snorted.
"Day after tomorrow. We can send security tapes to Callendar though. She didn't go to the conference."
"It's a plan. Get some sleep and we'll come at this with clear minds in the morning." Eve watched Peabody walk toward the door while Roarke cleared away the mugs and went into the kitchen. "Peabody?"
Peabody turned around at the door, "Yeah?"
"Really good work tonight. Really."
Blushing a little, Peabody smiled back at Eve, "Thank you, sir."
Six-thirty came in a flash and Eve groaned when she felt Roarke shake her awake. "Why must it be morning?"
Roarke grinned, always amused by his wife, "Because, darling Eve, night is over. Morning comes next."
"Coffee."
"Right here," Roarke handed a large mug to her. When she grunted a thank you, he laughed. "If you and your friends hadn't stayed up so late last night-"
"Ha ha, Roarke," she trudged to the bathroom and a moment or two later he heard the shower turn on. He considered a second shower with the possibility of some shower sex, but knew Eve would want to get to work harassing the lab and the ME. Plus, he had work of his own.
He turned on the screen, planning to go back to his morning stock numbers when he saw the media bulletin and the reporter standing on the subway platform from the night before.
"Several injured one dead after a part time 6 line train crashed into an old train harbor traveling southbound. Many NYPSD officers were on scene last night, assisting the injured and taking statements from those where were on the train. Other reporters spotted NYPSD's own super star, Lieutenant Eve Dallas on scene with her partner and her husband, the mysterious Roarke. It was unclear as to why New York's top Homicide cop was on scene and the Lieutenant refused to comment."
Roarke knew Eve would be annoyed with the report, but left the screen on in hopes that she'd see it now and get her irritation over with. He walked into her closet and pulled a pair of brown trousers and a blue sweater out and laid them on the bed. He didn't always pick out Eve's clothes for the day, but if she and Peabody were going to be in the field, he wanted to make sure his wife was warm.
In his office, Roarke got coffee and started to pull up his schedule for the day. He had some meetings in his main office and he had Caro, his admin, setting up a short day trip to East Washington. He was reviewing some reports on one of his manufacturing companies when he heard Eve in her own office. Grinning, he turned to the door between their offices and saw her standing there, watching him.
"I don't need you to dress me, Roarke," she gave him a hard look, but he grinned back. His cop looked so sexy in the simple brown pants and blue sweater.
"You don't think about how could it gets in New York," he reminded her, "I was just making sure you didn't freeze to death." He stood and moved to the door, his arm coming around her and pulling them together in the doorway.
She felt warm now. Safe. And absolutely exhilarated, with his arms around her, his beautiful face inches from her own. "I love you," she breathed, her arms sliding around his neck as she stared into his eyes. Then she gave him a humorless smile, "But I'm an adult and I don't need you picking out my clothes."
Peabody was not sure how she'd managed to shower, dress and make herself look presentable as she walked slowly down the hall to Eve's office. Her entire body hurt from being thrown across the car when the train had crashed. Her legs and arms were covered in bruises and she could barely move her right wrist, which was swollen and hurt worse than the rest of her. Her head throbbed where it had met the car doors and she was pretty sure the knot that had formed there was the size of a baby's fist.
She admitted to herself that she felt a little light headed as she approached Eve's office. She just needed coffee, she decided. Some coffee would kick her ass and get her moving. As she turned into the office, she saw her partner enfolded in Roarke's arms, their faces close, murmuring to each other. It was a breathtaking scene of intamacy that she couldn't help but envy. Eve, strikingly attractive in her own way, and Roarke, gorgeous as a god, had something so incredible, so beautiful. They were made for each other, and more, seeing the love they shared warmed her heart as she watched them, unable to help herself.
The beep of an incoming fax startled all of them. Eve and Roarke broke apart and Peabody had to steady herself on the door frame. Eve flicked her a glance that had Peabody flushing with embarrassment as Eve went to read the new fax. She scanned the document and looked over at her partner, her face grim.
"Well, Peabody, do you want the good news or the bad news?"
Peabody didn't answer and Eve forced a smile. "The good news is that we were right."
"About what?" Peabody asked.
"That's the bad news. This was murder, Peabody. We have a positive on traces of potassium chloride in Snyder's system. The question now is, how did it get there?"
