Back Alley Murder (Part 2)

When I got to HQ, I took the evidence to the lab to be tagged and processed. My lab tech, Jewels, was waiting for her "goody bag".1

"Hey Jewels," I said as I walked into the lab and setting down the evidence. "I have some stuff I need processed."2

Looking all too eager, she came over to me and grabbed the bags, "Whacha bring me?"3

"Some fibers from the vic, fingernail scrapings and blood that's most likely the vics." then added "'Cept one swab that was taken from the vics hand. Could be the attackers."4

"Nifty. Oh, by the way, this was dropped off for you. From the coroners office." She grabbed her bag and went to do her thing.5

I grabbed one of the two bags from the counter and took a look at her personal effects.6

There wasn't much. Just a lighter, pack of cigarettes, set of keys, her wedding ring as well as a few others, a necklace, some bracelets and a few pens.7

I grabbed the keys and looked at one of the key chains. It was a long piece of metal with holes in it. I felt like I should have known what it was but, I couldn't think of it.8

"Is that a medical plate on the key ring?" Mike asked as he walked in.9

Looking at the keys again I asked, "Where?"10

"In your hand. The one you're studying."11

"I'll be damned. That could be our ID," I said, looking at the plate again.12

"How? It's no longer in her and it might have been someone else," he said.13

"Yeah, it might have been but, if it's someone else, they can tell us who they gave it to."14

Nodding, he asked, "Yeah, that works but, how we gonna find out who's it was?"15

"That's the easy part. Even when a medical plate or pin is removed, the serial numbers are still in the computer with whoever had it in them. And since the pins and plates can't be reused, only one name will pop up."16

"Hm," he responded, "So, where do we get the name from?"17

"We have access to the medical supply data base for just these kind of cases. If we have a John or Jane Doe with a pin, plate, breasts implants, excreta, we can refer to that data base and find out who they are. But, I must admit, I've never had to do it with one outside the body before."18

We walked over to the computer and I pulled up the right programs. Typing in the serial number and waiting for the name.19

When it popped up, I read out loud, "Hannah Nicholas, Birthday September 11, 1985, plate placed in right leg in August 2002, removed March 2003. Look at that, last known address is two blocks away from the crime scene. Wanna take a drive?" I asked, looking up at Mike.20

He nodded, "Yeah, I just hope we have an ID on our Jane Doe."21

"I do too," I said, placing the plate back into the bag with the rest of her effects. "Jewels, we'll be back in a bit, call me if you get anything. Also, make sure that the blood is the vics. Compare it to the blood on her shirt."22

"You got it Melissa," she replied from somewhere hidden in the lab.23

24

I knocked on the front door of Hannah Nicholas house. 25

A young man answered it with a toddler in his arms.26

Oh God, please let Hannah be here I thought as I started to speak. "Hi, my names Melissa Felps and this is my partner, Michael Wilson. We're with the St. Louis Crime Lab. We're looking for Hannah Nicholas."27

The man just looked at me and tears started welling up in his eyes. "She never came home last night."28

"Who are you?"29

"Steven Nicholas, Hannah's husband. May I ask why you're here?"30

"May we come in please?" I asked. I hated this part.31

Steven nodded and stepped aside. 32

He lead us to the living room and we sat down on the couch.33

"That your daughter?" Mike asked.34

"Not really. She was my wife's niece, Krissy. Her mother, Hannah's sister, Lizzy, was killed a few months back and we got custody. She calls me Daddy but, she's three." Steven replied setting her down on the floor and sitting in a chair.35

"Sir, I need to ask you some questions. Please answer them as well as you can."36

He nodded.37

"Your wife had a plate in her leg some years back, is that right?"38

He nodded again and started shaking.39

"Did she by any chance keep it on a key ring?"40

Nodding, tears started streaming down his face, "Where is she?" he asked, choking on his words.41

"I'm sorry to be the one to tell you this but, she was found this morning in an ally two blocks from here," I said as I stood up. "Her wallet was missing. Do you know why she might have been in the ally?"42

"She walks to work. She's a clerk at the library and she went in to drop off some books," he took a shaky breath.43

"Okay," I paused, "Do you know about what time this was?"44

"I think it was about 9:15 when she left."45

I nodded, pulled out a pad and started writing. "I hate to ask you this but, is there a recent picture of her that we can take?"46

He stood up and walked over to a shelf. Pulling down a picture and handing it to me. It was of a smiling woman with a bunch of kids sitting around her and her niece in her lap. "This was taken last month at her birthday party."47

"Who are all the kids?" I had to ask, there were so many.48

"Her nieces and nephews, some of them anyway. Not all her siblings could make it that day," tears were streaming down his face.49

"Um, but some of these kids are black and Hannah's white," Mike said.50

I shot him a glare as Steven replied to Mike, "Hannah and her sister were adopted and they have over thirty siblings from almost every race. You have a problem with that?"51

Mike was quick to shake his head.52

"Before we leave, is there a tooth brush or hair brush of hers we could have?"53

"Yeah, I'll go get it," he said and picked up Krissy. "Kristen, I need you to play in your room, okay? I have to help..."
That was I all I heard before he turned the corner.54

While he was gone, I looked around. There were hundreds of pictures of kids and, I assumed, their parents. There were also pictures of Krissy with Hannah and another smiling woman who looked just like her. It had to be Lizzy.55

"This was all I could find," Steven said as he walked back into the room.56

Grabbing the tooth brush from him, I said my thanks.57

"We'll get back with you once we have a positive ID for Hannah. Again, I'm so sorry for you loss."