The Box of Not So Delights (Part I)
Posted on Wed Jan 11, 2017 @ 5:42pm by Civilian 'Key Holder' Yolanthe Ibalin & Commander Caleb Ryan & Commander Amia Telamon M.D. & Lieutenant Liam Reynolds & Lieutenant JG Noelle Bennett M.D. & erie'Riov Rianni Monteros-t'Khellian & Lieutenant Si'Lar Trellis & Ensign Jessica Mayhew
2,258 words; about a 11 minute read
Mission:
Rumours
Location: The Box of Delights
Timeline: MD4 0325
OLD:
"My Gods and Sanctuary!" V'sholl shrieked as she saw the bloodied and severely injured body of the Ferengi diplomat. The sounds of his gurgled groans indicated that he was still alive, but just barely.
"Someone call Security or M-M-Medical!" the other woman said in a panicked voice as she tried to search for help.
The woman frantically searched for assistance amongst the crowd that was growing around the scene in front of them:
The body of a dead diplomatic staff member to the Ferengi Embassy lay brutally beaten and stabbed in front of The Box of Delights.
NEW:
"I want everyone to stand back!" Senior Chief Petty Officer Delvak yelled to the amassing crowd. Despite the lateness of the hour the Promenade still managed to hum slightly with life as those who either by choice or biology did not need to rest at this time of day were lumbering about. However, their collective attention was now drawn to the scene that had developed just outside the closed doors of The Box of Delights. The scene was a gathering of gold and blue tunic Starfleet personnel as they carried out their duty of either investigating or merely preserving the gory scene that was before them:
The death of a diplomatic aide.
Ensign Deborah Kato was kneeling over the body of the Ferengi as her forensic analysis device continued to scan the body of the Ferengi Diplomatic Aide Nazl. She looked at the pained expression on his face and felt a significant pang of sadness. He died a painful death that clearly was dragged out by whoever was responsible.
Whoever was responsible...
The last thought made the junior officer laugh. Undoubtedly, the Ferengi had made so many people angry it was no telling just how many people wanted to see him dead in such a gruesome fashion.
Benj answered his combadge. “On our way,” he said as the call came in for a medical team. The message gave coordinates and he was the duty officer. Amia rarely did the night shifts now she was pregnant, but he didn't mind. He was a bit of a night owl anyway.
"Rang, Mortimer, with me." He rounded up the nearest doctor and nurse and ushered them together, grabbing his own med kit and ordering the computer to transport them on an emergency medical beam-in directly to the given site.
The three of them hurried, as soon as the blue shimmer deposited them and dissipated, over to the body to see if there was anything they could do. They quickly decided there was very little life to save, but transported the Ferengi back with them rather than attempt to work on him in the corridor.
Within minutes they had arrived, scooped up the patient and left the scene. It probably wasn't a popular move with the security people, who no doubt would need to check all evidence, but to linger would have most definitely have finished all chance of doing anything at all to see if they could help the dying Ferengi.
Noelle had been awoken from a sound sleep and notified there had been another murder on the Promenade. As Chief Counselor for the station, one of her responsibilities was to serve as a crisis counselor in the immediate aftermath of any sort of violent crime, as well as to offer her psychological expertise for any aspects of criminal investigation. It was never fun to be woken up at this hour, and it filled her with dread and sadness that she was being called out to another murder scene. It hadn't been not long ago that a young boy had fallen to his death from the Box of Delights stairway, and while no official criminal charges were filed against anyone, the young boy's brother was still dealing with the aftermath.
As she approached the scene, she couldn't help but wonder if the Box of Delights and the area around it were somehow cursed. Approaching Lieutenant Trellis, she asked gently, "How can I help?"
"Huh...wha...?" Lieutenant Trellis said with a distant look on his face. Although he was physically present at the scene to supervise the investigation, he was mentally lightyears away. So far away that he hardly noticed that medical have arrived and whisked away the Ferengi's body, let alone aware of the presence of the station counselor. How could he really focus on the smaller details when he was still focused on what previously laid before him, he body of the man that he so desperately pursued and wanted to see prosecuted? Of course Trellis wanted to see the Ferengi held responsible for the crimes he had committed against those children, but not like this.
Not in this violent and vicious manner.
He wanted to see the Ferengi aide prosecuted and brought before the government that he had tried to extort and to look into the face of the Security personnel that were injured trying to seize the Ferengi vessel.
But now that wasn't going to happen because someone took justice into their own hands. Someone undoubtedly from this damn bar. This damn bar that had once again been responsible for the death of another individual. If he hadn't been unceremoniously removed as the Chief of Security, this bar would have been nothing more than a memory.
"Help? You can clone me a Ferengi real quick before Ferenginar finds out and comes here seeking either someone's head or bars of latinum in restitution," Lieutenant Trellis said as he walked around the edge of the pool of blood towards SCPO Delvak who was still handling crowd control.
"As soon as Yolanthe gets down here, secure her away from the scene and begin interviewing her and her entire staff about every patron that came through his hell-hole in the past twelve hours," Lieutenant Trellis ordered. "For all we know it was one of her criminal colleagues who were involved in a deal gone bad with Nazl," Lieutenant Trellis said as he turned back to Counselor Bennett.
"I want a copy of Nazl's psych-eval from when he first came onboard the station and his most recent check-up," the security officer said. "I want to know if he had reason to fear any type of reprisal," he added unceremoniously.
Noelle was generally a kind and understanding person, capable of seeing a situation from all sides and giving people the benefit of the doubt. She appreciated the security officer was under stress and frustrated, but that didn't justify being barked at and condescended to. To Trellis she said, "I'm happy to gather any information you need and to assist however I can, Lieutenant, but I'll thank you to cut out the sarcasm and condescension with me. This may be your scene, but I am still a senior officer aboard this station, and more importantly, not this man's murderer," she said.
Lieutenant Trellis was still battling a hangover. The critical response by the medical officer was not helping, and it was pushing him to respond in a rather impolite manner. However, before he could begin to respond, he was stopped by Ensign Kato.
"Sir, evidently someone started the conversation elsewhere and then ended it here," the forensic security officer said aloud as she noticed the obvious tension between the two officers.
Ensign Kato continued to explain the results of the scan where the Ferengi's body was located. What seemed to stand out to her the most was the fact that the only blood patterns she found were those that were consistent with a stab wound. It was obvious that he had suffered a tremendous physical attack at the hands of somebody or bodies. However, the blood seemed to be concentrated in only one spot. She would have expected to find blood trailing floor and walls around the immediate area.
"Sir, I don't think this was some random mugging or assault by the looks of the blood and the positioning of the body," Ensign Kato added.
Ensign Jessica Mayhew moved around the perimeter, directing the extra security personnel called in to keep the rubberneckers at bay. “Let’s get those holoscreens up,” she ordered one team. Commander Ryan had not been happy being awakened for this.
Dorian's chest rose and fell gently he lay contently in his bed alongside Girauna. The Deltan's head was nestled within Dorian's naked chest as the two slept obliviously to the chaos that had erupted on the station.
Dorian's slumber was interrupted by the sound of an incoming communication alert. It took several beeps before he finally realized that it was coming from real life and not just another dream. He groaned as his eyes attempted to adjust to the darkness of his quarters as he tried to shift his weight across the bed so that he could walk across the room to answer the still beeping alert.
"Computer, on screen," he said in an annoyed tone, indicating that whomever was on the other side of this call was going to feel his wrath. "What!" he said unceremoniously.
"Dorian, I specifically told you to handle the situation with the Ferengi," came the sharp tone of Raymond Raddon.
"I did, just as I said I would," Dorian responded in an equally sharp tone. "Why are you contacting me at...." Dorian stopped to check the chronometer. "At 0347? Just to micromanage me?" he said, equally annoyed.
"No, damn it! It's because you clearly have a different definition of what it means to handle a situation," the younger Raddon said through clenched teeth. "I've just learned from my contacts within Starfleet that the Ferengi was found dead in front of the Box of Delights, apparently from stab wounds," Raymond continued.
"Wa....wai...wait...what?" Dorian said, the realization forcing him to wake up to the reality of what was being said to him. "Are you su--are you sure?" he asked, more so for his own need for clarity and confirmation.
"Yes, I'm sure. Come to the Dilithium Chamber immediately, before this can get any worse," Raymond said. Less than a beat later his face was replaced with the Federation symbol on the screen.
Dorian groaned inwardly as he began to slowly digest what he had just learned. He knew that things were going to get a lot worse if he did not find a way to spin this correctly and quickly away from the Raddon Corporation.
Yolanthe Ibalin had not appreciated be woken up. Now, after providing Caleb Ryan with her croupier's contact details, she escorted him to the doorway of the Box, sipping her protein shake and watching the security people at work. There was a puddle of blood at one side of the shutters. She couldn't see any blood splatter. The Ferengi hadn't -- couldn't -- have fought back much.
"Are you going to shut me down for this?"
Caleb raised an eyebrow. “The assault doesn’t seem ta have happened in your establishment, Ms. Ibalin,” he said. “We have no link ta the Box other than it happened here outside. Ah think you’re safe,” he assured her. “Ah’ll try an’ get this wrapped up,” he gestured to the crime scene, “before ya open.”
She looked at the crime scene. "I open at 11 normally. Do you want me to delay, or can I open around you?"
Lieutenant Trellis was just outside of earshot when he heard the conversation between Commander Ryan and Yolanthe. It was bad enough that the Commander kept such a jovial relationship with the bar owner despite her various illegal dealings, but now it seemed as if he was just treating this as if it was a regular everyday occurrence. Considering the location, that wasn't too far of a stretch.
"Sir, I think before we allow others to enter this crime scene and possibly contaminate it, it would be best if we investigated the inside of the bar. Especially if the perpetrator was one of her patrons," the Trill said. There was no telling which one of her gallery of rogues was responsible for this crime after a drunken encounter.
Seeing Trellis, Yolanthe went shades of orange from head to foot. She still felt ashamed for breaking his nose. She had hoped everyone would be gone, but now it looked like it would take more time and she wouldn't be getting back to her bed anytime soon. "Of course, Lieutenant. Whatever you need. Where would you like to look first?"
Caleb nodded to Trellis. “Take a look, though Ah expect there will be little there. The attack was well outside the club.” He looked at the bloody smears and puddles on the Promenade floor. “Grab Mayhew and a forensic tech. Ah want ta be as thorough as possible, given the status of the victim.”
Lieutenant Trellis nodded. "Yes sir. I'll have Ensign Kato begin sweeping the area for any evidence," he said to his senior officer. "I would ask that neither you nor any of your employees move or disturb anything within the bar while we are conducting our search," he said with an apparent tone of distrust in his voice towards the bar's owner.
Yolanthe sighed. "There's nobody here, Lieutenant, go right ahead. Though I doubt you'll find anything useful."
::OFF::
***
Lieutenant JG Noelle Bennett, M.D.
Chief Counselor
Commander Caleb Ryan
Chief of Security/Tactical
Lieutenant
Si'Lar Trellis
Security Investigation Officer
Ensign
Deborah Kato
Forensic Investigation Officer
Ensign Jessica Mayhew
Security Officer
NPC Caleb Ryan
Nazl
Ferengi Diplomat
NPC Caleb Ryan
Yolanthe Ibalin
Owner
The Box of Delights
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