Cullen - Origins [English Version - FINISHED]

Chapter Fifty-Six

- Sir, we should...

Charlie motioned for her to be quiet, his brain racing. Her eyes scanned the office furtively, looking for any clue that might help her understand what this woman had had in mind all her life. Because it was indeed a project that she had put years to make succeed, with the aim of killing the vampires ; the mass of papers, of flying sheets, the notebooks filled with researches and complex and sometimes indecipherable diagrams reinforced him in this idea.

One of the policemen who accompanied Charlie approached him, looking worried.

- What exactly are you looking for ? Our men have already searched this room and we haven't found much except countless binders and notebooks... He commented, scratching the back of his head.

The sheriff didn't even look up at him, concentrating on his search.

- Before she died, that woman who called herself the Holy Mother told me about a file. It shows the involvement of the park superintendent in this case, and all the tasks he had agreed to perform for the Holy Mother. I want to get my hands on it. If she did this for Andy Elder, she must have done it for every person involved in her project from top to bottom. Maybe we can get our hands on someone alive who knows something interesting about this whole thing.

The policeman nodded, and began to search the office as well.

- If I may say so, Sheriff, wouldn't it be easier to interview the staff ? We've got them in a room together, they might be able to tell us something useful.

- I thought of that. Charlie replied. But I don't think they know anything important. Don't forget that we've found a lot of murdered people in the corridors. In my opinion, this woman must have killed those who knew too much.

He paused for a few seconds, having found a folder that was a little thicker than the others. It was the first binder he had found that had no title. Suspicious... The sheriff thought as he opened it. He came across a scan of a black and white ID. Andy Elder's. The next page had a whole list of things Elder had done for the project : funding for several building retrofits, installing surveillance cameras, scientific and medical equipment, and...

- Fucking...

The officer looked up.

- Did you find anything, Sheriff ?

Charlie didn't answer, and blinked several times to make sure he had read it right. But he had. Written in black and white at the bottom of the list :

Willful involvement in the torture of Astrée Cullen and Alice Cullen.

- What the hell is this shit? commented the policeman who had approached.

Reading behind the sheriff's shoulder, the policeman seemed completely stunned.

- Ask the staff. Charlie sighed, still confused.

As the officer nodded and rushed out the door, the sheriff furtively turned the pages of the binder. Other people were listed, including soldiers, scientists and doctors... But there was only their black and white ID and some useless information. Only Andy Elder had a complete record of his name. Why ? Finding nothing of interest, the sheriff returned to the director's file. A bad feeling prevented him from breathing normally, taking him by the throat. Something was missing. Charlie flipped through the file quickly ; almost to the end of the page, he was about to close the binder when a word caught his eye. Smith. It was a name. Charlie read the entire sentence.

Recruited Mr. Smith to kidnap the two vampires.

He absolutely had to find this Smith.

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Miss Chapman did not take her eyes off the two small vials placed in front of her in the center of the table for a second. One contained the poison, the other a test she had just concocted mixed with the poison ; perhaps the future antidote ? She hoped so. A rustling of clothes diverted her concentration for a few moments.

- As usual, you're ahead of everyone else and you're going to succeed.

Lewis's voice resounded in her back. He bent down to her height as she answered without glancing at him. She had to watch the test carefully to see what effect it would have on the poison.

- So far, I haven't found anything that holds up.

Laughter shook his colleague's shoulders.

- You say that every time. He replied.

- Perhaps because, unlike you, I am modest ?

The young woman threw him a glance in corner of a mocking air. Lewis returned it to her, not without making the moue.

- What kind of distorted image do you have of me ? I am modest.

- Of course, if you compare yourself to Davis, everyone is in this case. She retorted, returning her attention to her vials.

They fell silent, observing any change in the test. There wasn't much noise in the lab, as everyone was focused on their task, looking for an antidote that would work against the poison; everyone was talking in hushed tones, comparing ideas with their neighbor.

- It looks like your test is not very conclusive. Lewis remarked in a low voice.

- Of course, this is only my first test. It's going to take us a little while to find it in the blink of an eye.

- And what did you try in this test ?

Chapman straightened up and grabbed a notebook full of scribbles sitting next to her. As she wrote, she answered him in a distracted voice.

- Well, since this poison was a mixture of different poisons that already existed, I mixed several components of the antidotes we had in our possession.

Lewis straightened up, thinking.

- This is obviously not the right way. He concluded.

He took the vial containing the poison between his fingers and sniffed it, frowning. When the young woman looked up to answer him, she was surprised to see him like this.

- What do you make ? Questioned she, interloqued.

Lewis did not answer her and began to sniff the other vial. He remained a few minutes the eyes in the vague, repeating the maneuver a few times. Finally, he turned to his colleague who was playing with his eyebrows and looking at him sideways.

- If it is like that that you intend to help me, I do not believe that it will be the best of the methods. She commented.

- That it is you who say it. Replied Lewis. What did you find in this poison ?

Surprised by the question, she answered him by automatism.

- Cyanide and arsenic.

- And in your test ?

- I mixed the two antidotes for both poisons: dimercaprol, DMSA and DMPS for the arsenic and amyl nitrite, sodium nitrite and sodium thiosulfate for the cyanide. Answered the pretty redhead in a matter of seconds.

- So in theory, your mixture should have worked. Lewis remarked.

Chapman nodded.

- Can I ask what you're getting at ? She asked, still confused.

Lewis finally looked up at her, stopping to stare at the two vials.

- You forgot to pick up a third poison. He explained. That's why the test didn't work the way you wanted it to.

She frowned.

- What third poison ?

- Fugu poison.

She looked at him with big eyes.

- You are not serious ?

- On the contrary.

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