Beginnings ➣ Monroe [1]

40 | PLUMED SERPENT PT. 1

✯               ✯               ✯

"Come on. Say it! Say it! Say it!" Isabelle urges as the three arrive at their newest crime scene.

"Fine." Hank sighs. "You were right."

"I always am and always will be." Isabelle grins.

"Yeah. Right." Hank rolls his eyes.

"Where are the bodies?" Nick questions as one of the other officers lifts up the tape to let the detectives in.

"Downstairs in the basement." Wu answers.

"What condition?" Hank inquires.

"Toast." Wu states as they walk.

"Have the vics been ID'd yet?" Isabelle asks.

"It's gonna require dental work, but we've got the pickup." Wu informs them before flipping open his notepad. "Registered to Joseph Oliver, small time operator. I've arrested him a couple of times for stealing scrap. But, I couldn't tell you that was him in that basement."

"Ooh." Hank grimaces.

"Uh, we got the owner of the building, Lance Truman, waiting to talk to you. He found the break in this morning. Called it in. The guy with him is his contractor." Wu continues as they walk up the steps outside the building.

"Is Arson downstairs?" Hank questions.

"Yeah. It's Jordan Vance." Wu nods. "He's downstairs doing the prelim. You want to talk to Truman?"

"Oh, let's see what the bodies have to say first." Nick presses.

"Okay. It's pretty rank down there." Wu warns.

"Please, there's no disgusting smells that I haven't encountered working with these two boneheads." Isabelle scoffs. "No offense."

"Offense still taken." Hank remarks, but Isabelle just laughs in response.

Dipping their finger in the jar each detective brings it up to their nose before following Wu inside of the building.

"Looks like they were here to steal the copper. We found a pile of it in a cart over there." Wu explains to them.

"We're they using torches?" Hank inquires.

"If they were, we didn't find any." Wu replies.

"So they just burst into flames like one of those lame cartoons?" Isabelle asks in a sarcastic manner.