Death Becomes Her - Chapter 2 (PG) Posted: 1/9/18

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darkstarrising
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Death Becomes Her - Chapter 2 (PG) Posted: 1/9/18

Post by darkstarrising »

Hi all!! :wave:

I thought I had finished this Moonlight /H50 crossover series, but during the summer, I started thinking about another story. I really had intended to post it before the season 8 premiere of H50, but life had other ideas.

This story picks up where H50 Season 7 ended; Kono has left 5-0 for the mainland, but Chin hasn’t yet left for San Francisco. There’s no Tani or Junior, just everybody except Kono. And Steve still suffers from radiation poisoning.

As always, I don’t own these characters, but dearly love to play with them, nor do I profit in any way from this story.

In memory of our own dear Librarian 7, aka Lucky :rose:

I hope you enjoy!!

Chapter 2

LA – Later that night

When Beth told Mick of Simone’s death, he knew there would be serious repercussions. While the two had lost a friend, Josef’s loss of a woman he once loved would be far more painful. From what the lawyer on Oahu had said, it appeared that Simone was murdered, making a tragic loss even more so. How would Josef take the news? That was something Mick wasn’t looking forward to finding out.

When he and Beth entered Josef’s compound sometime later, they were relieved to find their friend in a relatively good mood. Seeing the somber faces of his friends, Josef grew serious. “Ah, I see the ‘talk’ didn’t go well.”

Mick shot his friend a look, while Beth asked “Talk? What talk?”

Too late, Josef realized his mistake, but if Mick wouldn’t get Beth on board, he would. “The metamorphosis talk. You know, the one we vampires have every few decades about shedding the proverbial cocoon, becoming someone new and leaving town. The talk about prolonging your life. The talk that Mick was supposed to have with you.”

If Josef expected Beth to be angry or surprised, he was puzzled by her subdued reaction.

“What? That’s it? No fireworks, no pleading, no threats?” Josef approached Beth, seeing her eyes brimming. “Then why tears, Buzzwire?”

When Beth didn’t answer right away, Josef turned warily to his closest friend. “What’s going on, Mick? You two look as though you’ve lost …” Josef paused momentarily. “Who?”

“Simone.” Mick’s answer was like a stake through Josef’s heart.

For a few moments, Josef said nothing, but his face belied his shock.

“What happened? When?”

Beth relayed the information she’d received from Simone’s boss. “Simone died last night, but it took some time for him to find her contact information.”

“So Simone made you her contact, not me…”

“Josef, she didn’t want to hurt you…”

Josef spun on his friend. “Hurt me? She damn near destroyed me when she left. Trust me, Beth, there was nothing more she could do to me.”

Mick exchanged a look with his mate before continuing. “Josef, there’s more. The guy who called, the cops told him Simone was murdered.”

The few who knew Josef well would recognize his shock concealed something far more dangerous – rage. Mick was one of those few. If McGarrett and his team didn’t find the person behind Simone’s death, Josef would, regardless of the consequences.

After a few phone calls to contacts on Oahu, the trio boarded Josef’s private jet. When they landed early the following afternoon, they were met by a waiting limo, compliments of Josef’s Hawaiian counterpart, Kimiko. Hearing the circumstances for his visit, Kimiko offered the services of her family, should Josef require them. As they entered the limo, Mick and Beth exchanged a worried look; Josef had been far too quiet on the flight from LA and they knew that eventually, his suppressed anger and grief would erupt. The great unknown was when it did and who would suffer for it.

When the limo arrived at the medical examiner’s office, a hearse was already there. Josef had two thing on his mind; taking Simone’s body home, then finding her killer. Once the first task was complete, the second would begin with a vengeance.

Steve, Danny and Dr. Noelani Cunha were waiting for them in the ME’s office and the subsequent greetings were brief and subdued. Noelani was a bit startled; she’d been told there was a strong resemblance between McGarrett and one of the people coming to claim Walker’s body. Hearing about the resemblance was one thing, seeing it was quite another.

When McGarrett informed her that the ‘family’ were arriving that afternoon, Noelani was grateful that she’d at least completed a non-invasive examination and hastily prepped the body for the family’s viewing. Once they left, she could begin her more thorough examination. While the cause of death seemed straightforward enough, there was just something about her victim that begged a closer look.

Mick and Beth stayed in the ME’s outer office along with Steve and Danny, allowing Josef some privacy as Noelani removed the sheet covering Simone’s face. Upon seeing her, Josef recoiled in shock, an understandable reaction under the circumstances. Once he recovered, he caressed her face gently, his fingers trailing down to Simone’s throat, where they lingered as he kissed her.

While Mick and Steve stayed focused on the scene before them, Beth drew Danny aside. “Where’s Max?”

“He got married, decided to work on the living for a change and left the islands, just like everybody else.” Seeing Beth’s puzzled expression, Danny briefly explained Kono’s departure, Chin’s imminent one, and Catherine’s proclivity for abandoning Steve and breaking his heart.

“I’m sorry. I know how close you all are. I have to say, though, I’m surprised Catherine left like that.”

“Yeah, well, maybe it’s for the best. Steve needs some stability in his life, you know? Catherine’s like a Yo-Yo, coming and going all the time. This is like, what, the third time she’s broken Steve’s heart?”

“Still, I thought they had something special.”

“Maybe they did, maybe they didn’t.” Danny shrugged. “Either way, life goes on, people move on. You can’t expect anyone to stay in one place forever.”

Beth grimaced, knowing her own change was not long off. “No, you can’t, but still…”

“It sucks.”

“Yes, it does.”

After a few minutes, Noelani drew the sheet back over Simone’s face and remained with her while Josef rejoined the others. His face was inscrutable as he addressed McGarrett. “What have you learned about Simone’s death, Commander?”

Steve drew a deep breath, knowing how unsatisfying his answer would be. “Not much, I’m afraid. One possibility is that Ms. Walker was killed during a home invasion…”

“Which you don’t seem to believe.”

“No, sir, we don’t. We think it more likely that Ms. Walker was targeted, that her death was intentional.”

Mick countered, hoping to hell that wasn’t the case. “Based on what, exactly?”

“Nothing of value seems to be missing from her home. Jewelry, cash, credit cards, artwork, all left in place. The house wasn’t tossed, either, so it doesn’t appear that the culprit was looking for something other than Ms. Walker.” Steve’s eyes held Mick’s, before turning his attention back to Josef. “We’ve exhausted our list of suspects on Oahu who might have borne Ms. Walker a grudge and were hoping that you might have some ideas.”

Josef snorted in disgust. “I haven’t been in contact with Simone for many years, Commander, at her request, so I don’t have any idea who might wish her harm. I suggest you work quickly to find who’s responsible.”

Before I do…

The implied threat wasn’t lost on McGarrett. “Mr. Kostan, know that 5-0 will do everything possible to find Ms. Walker’s killer, but I have two more questions.”

“Yes, Commander?”

Ensuring that Noelani wasn’t within hearing distance, he continued. “Is it possible that Ms. Walker’s killer wasn’t …human?”

“No. There was no foreign vampire scent on Simone’s body. Believe me, that was the first thing I checked. Next question?”

“Any possibility that Emma and Jackson Monaghan were looking for revenge and found it?”

More than one set of vampiric eyebrows rose at that question, but Josef recovered quickly. “No. Suffice it to say that the Monaghans are no longer a threat…to anyone.”

Danny was about to ask how Josef could be so certain, then decided he probably didn’t want to know.

Josef exchanged a silent communication with Mick, then turned back to McGarrett. “If that’s all, Commander, the journey has been long and tiring. I was never fond of your islands before and am less so now. The sooner you find Simone’s killer, the sooner I’ll be on my way.”

Mick and Beth hung back a moment as Josef headed for the limo. Along with Steve and Danny, they entered the examination room where Simone’s body lay. At Steve’s nod, Noelani left the room, but kept her eyes on the visitors from her office. Having a body examined without her presence wasn’t protocol, but she trusted McGarrett, even if his methods were a bit unorthodox.

Mick removed the sheet from Simone’s face, closing his eyes as he sensed her body. After a few moments, he opened them, allowing his fingers to gently graze the lifeless face. “The killer came from behind her. Simone didn’t see him.”

Danny’s eyebrows shot up. “Hey, I know you’re good, but there’s no way in hell you could know that.”

“Actually, I can. Some vamps have some unusual skills once they’re turned. Me? I can sense what a person saw or felt just before they died. Beth has the same gift.”

“What about your buddy Kostan? Can he do that, too?”

Before Mick could answer, Steve interjected. “I think what Danny’s asking is whether Kostan sensed something that we should know about?”

“No, to both questions. We all saw Josef touch Simone and his is the only vamp scent on her.” Mick sighed. “Simone didn’t have a chance. She didn’t sense anything was wrong until it was too late.”

While the men were conversing, Beth sensed Simone’s body as well, getting the same results as Mick, but there was something else, something she couldn’t quite put her finger on. Once she was alone with Mick, she’d let him know what she sensed. In the meantime, there were arrangements to be made to take Simone home again. Beth’s fingers gently caressed the lifeless face of her friend, whispering her farewell.

As the four entered Noelani’s office, the ME addressed Beth. “I understand that you have Ms. Walker’s power of attorney and will be claiming her body.”

Beth produced the required documents from her bag, handing them to Noelani. “Yes, I will, on behalf of Mr. Kostan. He’d like to return to LA tonight with Simone’s body.”

“I apologize, but I haven’t yet performed a detailed autopsy, so the body can’t be released for another few days.”

Beth nodded to the papers in the ME’s hands. “If you check on page 3, Simone directed that no autopsy be performed upon her death.”

Noelani verified Beth’s statement, finding herself in an awkward position, caught between the wishes of the deceased and the law she was bound to uphold. “I’m sorry, but Ms. Walker is the victim of an apparent homicide, and as such, I’m required to perform….”

Knowing how stubborn both women could be, Steve intervened before things escalated. Besides, the sooner he could get Kostan back to LA, the better. “Noelani, do you have a cause and time of death?”

“Yes, Commander. Death occurred due to asphyxiation resulting from ligature strangulation at approximately…” Noelani checked her notes. “At approximately 1830 hours two nights ago.”

“What exams have you done?”

“I’ve performed an external examination of the body, taken X-Rays and drawn blood for analysis.”

“Find anything unusual?”

“There are light scratches on the victim’s neck, presumably resulting from her attempts to remove the ligature, in this case, a red silk scarf. That presumption was borne out by the samples taken from Ms. Walker’s fingernails. There were also a few bits of glass found underneath her fingernails.”

That got Mick’s attention. “Where’d the glass come from?”

It was Danny who answered. “There was a broken wine glass at the crime scene. We think Ms. Walker dropped it and was picking up the pieces when she was attacked. If she was crouched down, she’d have been an easier target for her killer.”

Noelani concurred. “That’s a viable explanation. The X-Rays I took show nothing unusual, but the blood analysis won’t be completed for a few more days.”

Steve glanced at Danny, who gave him the merest of eyebrow shrugs. “Since you’ve found cause and time of death, Doctor, and we have the murder weapon, I believe the law allows the body to be released.”

“What if the blood analysis is compromised? I won’t have access …”

“If it’s alright with Beth, draw some more blood, just in case.”

Beth nodded her agreement and Noelani grudgingly acquiesced. “I’ll do so, Commander, but under protest.”

“Duly noted, Doctor.”

Turning to Beth, she continued. “If you could wait for a moment while I draw more blood, I’ll have you sign the release forms, transferring Ms. Walker’s body and effects to you. I can also give you a list of funeral homes on the island that can embalm or otherwise prepare the body for transport.”

“Thanks, but that won’t be necessary.” Seeing the ME’s confusion, Beth continued. “We’ve arranged for transfer earlier and the hearse is already here. As soon as you’re ready, I’ll have the attendants prepare Simone for the journey home.”

Noelani acquiesced. “You can have the attendants come in now. I’ll have Ms. Walker’s effects for you as soon as I draw another blood sample.”

After Noelani left, Mick thanked Steve. “I appreciate you cutting through the red tape. Josef will be happy, even if your ME isn’t.”

“Noelani’s just trying to do her job. Besides, the sooner you get Kostan back to the mainland, the happier we’ll all be.”

While Mick went outside to summon the attendants, Noelani returned shortly with two bags containing Simone’s personal effects. “I’ve separated the effects, placing her clothing in the larger bag. Anything else she was wearing at the time of her death, like jewelry or a watch, is in the smaller bag. There’s also an inventory for you. If you find anything missing, please contact me immediately.”

A frown crossed Beth’s face as she was handed the bags; Simone’s scent, her living scent was strong on her effects. Recovering quickly, she thanked Noelani.

Mick returned with the two attendants with a gurney. Under Noelani’s watchful eye, the two placed Simone’s body into a simple white shroud, then into a body bag. With Mick and Beth walking solemnly behind, Simone’s body was placed in the hearse to be driven to the airport. Once on Josef’s jet, the body would be placed in his freezer until they returned home.

After Mick and Beth left, Steve and Danny took a few more minutes to soothe Noelani’s ruffled feathers. The young woman was an excellent ME and had been known to bend a few rules with McGarrett’s coaxing, but releasing the body so quickly really seemed to bother her. When pressed, all she could say was that something felt ‘off’, but until she had the blood test results, she couldn’t offer anything more concrete than that.

On their way back to the Palace, the two men were uncharacteristically quiet. Steve voluntarily taking the passenger seat only heightened Danny’s concern for his partner. “You think Noelani is right, that maybe something is off?”

“Honestly, Danny, I don’t know. What I do know is that we have a cause and time of death, the murder weapon and that Noelani didn’t find anything that would help find the killer. What we don’t have is a motive or any suspects. So that’s what we focus on… finding the guy who killed Walker.”

“You think Mick told us the truth?”

“About?”

“About Kostan telling us everything he knew. About the killer not being one of them.”

“Them?”

“Vampires, you moron. Mick has been pretty straight with us in the past, well, mostly straight, but Kostan, not so much.”

Steve sighed; he was tired and felt like hell, but like Danny, he didn’t trust Kostan either. “OK, for the sake of argument, let’s say he lied and the killer was a vamp. What would happen if we found the guy, huh?”

“We’d be lunch or dinner, depending on what time it was.” Danny thought for a moment. “So, you think Mick was trying to protect us?”

“Maybe. Or maybe he just wants to take care of things himself.”

“That’s what I’m afraid of.”

“Me, too, buddy. Me, too.”

******************************************************************************
Iolani Palace

Back in his basement office, Jerry stared at the images on his screen. McGarrett telling him to ‘let it go’ was like waving the proverbial red flag in front of a bull. Besides, like any self-respecting conspiracy theorist, ‘letting go’ was not one of Jerry’s strong suits.

For what seemed to be the hundredth time, Jerry flipped back and forth between the two images on his screen. He’d done some more digging into Simone Walker, but failed to turn up anything of significance beyond what he’d told 5-0. Kostan, on the other hand, was another story altogether.

The man was ludicrously wealthy, with a paradoxical reputation for being a playboy philanthropist. He appeared to be about 30, so he either inherited a lot of old money or he was the mother of all hedge-fund managers. Opting for the former explanation, Jerry dug as far as he could, finding more questions than answers. Kostan seemed to appear in LA around the turn of the 21st century, with a biography that seemed credible, at least on the surface. Jerry was no stranger to well-crafted false histories and Kostan’s seemed like a really good one. Whoever put it together did one helluva job, resisting any challenge Jerry could mount.

There was just one more thing to try. It wasn’t really kosher just to satisfy his curiosity, but Jerry couldn’t resist using 5-0’s state-of-the-art facial recognition software. He found a couple of clear photos of Kostan, both profile and full facial, and set the software to work looking for similar images on the web, just as he had done to find Simone Walker’s true identity. With Kostan’s high profile lifestyle, he’d expected to find many images from LA sources in the 21st century.

He did, as well as a few from the 1990s. The name was different, Konstantin instead of Kostan, but the face was the same. Before 1990, nothing. Not a single, blessed image of the man. It was if he appeared out of thin air. Then it struck him; the face was the same. For every image of the man, the hairstyle and clothes varied with the times, but the face appeared exactly the same. Maybe today’s Josef Kostan was the son of the man in earlier photos and shortened the name. Jerry knew some people aged better than others, but nobody had genes that good.

So what was different before and after 1990? Nothing immediately came to mind, so Jerry started scrolling through the images again, finding himself drawn to the one where Kostan was dancing with Simone. He enlarged and enhanced the image to get better detail on Kostan’s face, before re-running the program. When he did, Jerry’s eyes nearly popped out of his head.

Over Kostan’s shoulder was a blonde woman in a stunning red gown dancing with….Commander McGarrett? A long-haired McGarrett, no less. The date on the image was 2008, a full two years before McGarrett returned home to the islands. Is this the reason he wanted Jerry to forget what he’d found? Was McGarrett in some way connected with the victim and whatever happened in LA all those years ago? Did the other members of 5-0 know about their leader’s secret past? Is that why they reacted the way they did?

Jerry decided to re-run the program with the enhanced images of both Kostan and the man dancing with the lady in red. He only hoped that whatever he found wouldn’t get him or McGarrett in any trouble.
darkstarrising
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Lucy
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Re: Death Becomes Her - Chapter 2 (PG) Posted: 1/9/18

Post by Lucy »

Good to see Jerry is his normally inquisitive self.......

What time do I come by to cook and clean so you can write more???

This is really GREAT. I am starved for new fanfic.
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Re: Death Becomes Her - Chapter 2 (PG) Posted: 1/9/18

Post by Ella713 »

darkstarrising, this was incredible! I love that Mick and Beth share the same ability which makes sense if he turned her. Mixing both series is a dream come true for fans of both! :clapping:
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allegrita
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Re: Death Becomes Her - Chapter 2 (PG) Posted: 1/9/18

Post by allegrita »

Uh-oh... Jerry is very good at what he does, and if he digs too far, he might end up in a volcano (for lack of a tar pit). :gasp: It's quite reasonable for him to assume that "past Mick" is Steve. I hope Jerry doesn't keep his suspicions to himself for too long, for his own sake! Steve needs to let him know that Mick is his "twin." I wonder else what Jerry is going to figure out... :nails:

It's weird to think that, once Mick and Beth relocate, they will lose touch with everyone they know, including McGarrett and the rest in 5-0. That must be so hard. No wonder Mick resisted the urge to relocate for so long. But with Beth now a vamp, they really do need to get away from people who know them and might suspect.

I'm loving the procedural quality of this story. Noelani has a right to be concerned (and a bit miffed at McGarrett) about having her "client" taken away so abruptly, but Steve needs to walk that fine line between his professional colleagues and the vampire community. I hope things don't go wrong! Josef is definitely upset, and an upset Josef can be quick to lash out.

I'm wondering what happened to poor Simone. :sadface: Who killed her, and why? Does it have to do with her past, or her time in Hawaii? :chin: And another question--did Simone know about McGarrett? If so, I wonder what she thought about his resemblance to Mick?!
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Re: Death Becomes Her - Chapter 2 (PG) Posted: 1/9/18

Post by darkstarrising »

Thanks, ladies :ghug:

alle - so many questions, all of which will be answered shortly. I'm thinking that Simone had to have run across an image of Steve either on TV or in the newspapers, perhaps even saw him from a distance. I'm sure she was curious, but didn't want to know too much.

ella - glad you're enjoying the story!! It's the fifth in a series of Moonlight /H50 crossovers.

lucy - sooo appreciate the offer, but really, as long as you enjoy the story, that's enough for me.
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Re: Death Becomes Her - Chapter 2 (PG) Posted: 1/9/18

Post by Moonlightsonata »

I'm surprised I didn't see that you had updated this story almost a week ago. Happy that there is another chapter awaiting my reading. Enjoying the cross-over and like someone else wrote I am starved for Moonlight fan fiction so thank you again. I may have some questions soon.
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darkstarrising
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Re: Death Becomes Her - Chapter 2 (PG) Posted: 1/9/18

Post by darkstarrising »

Moonlightsonata wrote:I'm surprised I didn't see that you had updated this story almost a week ago. Happy that there is another chapter awaiting my reading. Enjoying the cross-over and like someone else wrote I am starved for Moonlight fan fiction so thank you again. I may have some questions soon.
Thanks, Moonlightsonata :hug: Glad you're enjoying the story! My plan (which I forgot to put in the original chapter post) was to post a new chapter no longer than weekly. New one going up soon!
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