Angela tapped her lips with a finger, knuckles on her chin, she was on her way to Manhattan but had to turn around when Warren called her about another murder.
She took spear head now that Tom was out of action for the day, Warren was furious though, and she could see why, it was Robin.
"This Butcher killer has some balls on him!" Jones said falling in next to her.
"He was supposed to pick me up for a few drinks last night, guess I know now he didn't drop me" Angela said.
"What time?" Warren asked.
"Around the time Tom called that shootout in with Alice, I of course dropped everything and raced over, I was actually expecting Robin to come as well"
"You would have been right, Robin has a police radio in his house, the kid would monitor it even on his off days and set out when a call of importance came through" Warren said clicking his tongue "Robin would have beaten you to Tom for sure"
Angela respected that, she didn't bring up a witty comeback about how fast one can give backup, true blue police officers wanting to help their own needs all the respect due.
Now this scene though, she could see it wasn't Alice, it was probably Tom's original butcher, the line in his neck was made by a very, in fact an exponentially sharp knife, capable of cutting so cleanly the wound walls sealed again thanks to dry blood remained only a line.
The only thing that gave its fatality away was the pool of blood Robin lied in.
"The Hell with this I'm calling a red notice" Warren said taking out his phone.
"For Alice?" Angela asked.
"Alice and Tom's mystery murderer! Both will burn for this! I'm not saying one person deserves more response from authority than another, but killing a man who serves to protect others is plain mockery!" He said walking off.
Angela took out her cell and phoned the detail outside Tom's house, she would have phoned him personally but she thought he might need his rest, tomorrow he will probably blow a gasket hearing of Robin's death.
Before she held the phone to her ear she saw her battery was only on four percent "Come on idiot pick up!" She said knowing the phone will die.
"Detective MacMillan?"
"How's he doing?"
"He had a power outage but we checked it out"
"After that?"
"He said he'll start his generator to keep his meat cold then..." The phone died but Angela stood with it still to her ear.
'Keep his meat cold?' She thought as she slowly lowered the phone.
As far as she knew Tom, he lived off fast food, noodles and cup of soup... He never had a freezer with meat in.
She looked at her Charger, still idling with its lights on, almost asking her to come and race it.
Generator...
She ran to the car as fast as she could.
"MacMillan!? Where are you going!?" Warren yelled.
"Be right back sir!" She called and sped away burning the tyres again.
Warren shook his head "I'll have to make her sign earn and deduction forms for all that rubber she's wasting"
Angela's heart raced as her engine did, she prayed the men outside had a bright spark and think!
Coming to a sliding halt in Tom's driveway the two men in the sedan jumped out "Detective!?" One yelled.
"Call an ambulance!" She yelled back storming the front door.
"Tom!" She screamed slamming the door with a fist, but the only answer was the running generator in the car bay.
"Blast it!" She yelled kicking the door, but the initial lock broke, leaving the chain still in tact.
Angela drew her revolver and shot it off, the men behind her ducked.
"Detective what the Hell!?"
She ignored and entered, already the fumes if the generator hung in the living room, she followed the noise to a door leading to the garage, it as well was locked.
"Thomas!?" She screamed but no answer.
She stood back and kicked it down, the plume of blue smoke greeted them along with scattering newspaper pieces, she held a breath and ducked in low, kneeling under the blanket hanging on the roof and scanning with her torch.
There she found him collapsed on his side, the empty whiskey bottle next to him.
Angela tipped her left toe against his right and pinning that drew his arm hard to her, his body came up and she hoisted him onto her shoulders then ran out the garage, out the living room to the front yard and laid him down.
"Detective, were sorry we..." One officer said but she wove a hand.
"Open his doors and windows, kill that generator!" She said feeling his pulse, relieved that its a steady beat she listened for his breath, that as well still strong.
She sighed sitting back, signs show he'll survive, glad she got here this quick she knew carbon monoxide poisoning kills in minutes, he's damn lucky.
The ambulance arrived and the men came to her aid.
"Possible monoxide poisoning" she said and the medic's eyes grew.
He placed an oxygen mask on his face and inspected his breathing with a stethoscope, then checked his eyes, pressed his fingers to check how fast blood returns to that pressed tip.
The paramedic shook his head "He'll be fine, Its seems he's been taken out of the smoke quick enough"
"You sure?"
"Yes, his skin is still mild of color, if the smoke got to him he would have had a red rash, then his capillary refill time is good, meaning his blood flow is normal, all I suggest is keep him on the mask for a few"
Angela sighed a gasp and sat back on her heels, the two men looked worried but she wove at them again "Relax, he fooled you two, I'll take over for now, just help me get him into the house"
The men set off taking Tom in and laying him down on the couch, by now the smoke has ventilated out the house and the smell of fumes were gone.
"Sorry again Detective" the officers said.
"Its okay, have a good evening"
Left alone in the dark Angela took her torch and scanned for candles, she found a few and lit them, placed them around the living room then continued to the garage with her torch.
Her light fell on the generator now standing silent in the room, she then looked at the mains board, flipping the switch a few times but no power came back.
She then scanned the garage, it was rather neatly kept... To her suspicion a little too neat for someone like fish and chips Tom, the generator itself wasn't connected to any wall plug and had no outlet, it was basically wasting its diesel only as a means to kill him.
She painted her light over the floor and saw the bolt cutters on a chest of sorts, by the foot of this blue chest was lines in the dust, it was recently moved.
Angela drew it away and saw the pre-made hole in the wall where the main power line was cut, and instantly she fumed for Tom.
She came back into the living room leering at his sleeping body, then checked the cupboards and found more whiskey than food.
It wasn't her preferred liquor but she had ice in a glass and poured herself some, she wanted to be nicely on fire when he wakes up, this time she won't just mock, she will teeth and claw beat the shit out of him!
†††
Author's note:
Angela to the rescue LoL
But now Tom is in for it when he wakes up.
And officer Robin is officially checked off the suspect list, by default...
Thanks for the read peeps.