#like just picture the scene where both vegas and pete smile at each other after they kiss. but with this context

[yea-baiyi]

ok BUT. vegaspete immortals au.

pete quietly joining kinn’s clan of young, feisty new immortals without revealing that he is hundreds of years older. pete hiding his years behind the brick wall of his smile, deflecting conversation about his past. pete’s ruthlessness and lack of care for humanity occasionally slipping out, but being brushed under the rug.

pete getting kidnapped by vegas, the lieutenant of the rival clan. vegas torturing pete, thinking pete is young and innocent like the rest. pete maintaining the facade (out of pity for this young, naive child, who has no idea what he is stepping into). right until vegas taunts him and he snaps.

[aprilblossomgirl]

Kim & Chay - Emotional Turmoil

The perks of having a layered show, we were presented with the spectrum of events with the complexity of the characters, which we can't easily compartmentalize. Some parts might be appealing to some, while different parts more to others. In episode 11, I found my attention snatched by Kim-Chay's emerging conflict amidst the heavy focus on Vegas-Pete arcs and Kinn-Porsche's post-family-approval honeymoon phase. The episode signified peak emotional turmoil for both Kim and Chay, each for different reasons, with some intersecting points yet to be revealed.

After the "rejection" scene, I first couldn't fully grasp how I actually felt about these two boys. On automatic response, though, my heart breaks for both of them. This excellent meta post by @luckydragon10 about Kim and isolation very well explained my thoughts on Kim and why he behaved and reacted the way he did. After reading the post, I was motivated to dive more into my thoughts about Kim-Chay.

Fair warning: this will mostly based on my perspective and interpretation of their scenes and acting. While I don't intend to draw on the theory of MBTI, I need to say up front that I will use a 'feeler' spectrum hat in trying to see things from both Kim's and Chay's positions. They might not conform to any projection on how these characters should or should not be presented in the show.

=========================

Chay's Breakdown

Let's start with Chay. The boy definitely has too much on his plate to digest. First, being kidnapped when seconds ago he just happily prepared a meal for Kim at home after snuggling all night (was it really, or was it a short nap only?). Second, right after being saved (not knowing it's by Kim himself), he finally learned about his brother's involvement in a mafia world related to his kidnapping. Third, with a sudden move into the Theerapanyakul estate, he needs to also enter the mafia family himself. Fourth, the shock from learning about Kim being the youngest of the Theerapanyakul brothers. Fifth (I'm speculating on this one), the realization of the motives behind Kim's guitar tutoring now seems to be not as genuine as Chay would like. And sixth, that straightforward "Have you ever loved me?" "I'm sorry."

When I first saw Chay standing at the edge of the swimming pool, waiting for Porsche, my heart sunk a little. This was Chay's first appearance in the episode, and I think we all can see the stark difference in Chay's facial expression from the previous episodes. The usual cheerfulness and awkward innocence were wiped off.

I appreciate the dialogue between him and Porsche addressing Porsche's decision to take the bodyguard job first. I noticed a slight tension between them, and while I personally did not take Porsche reassurance really well, Chay definitely did or at least tried hard to. I also love seeing Porsche ask Chay for permission to take care of both him and Kinn and that he can't leave anyone behind. And Chay, being usually straightforward with his feeling and reaction, answered with a hug and an "I miss you, brother" instead of a yes/no. Their hug at the end supposedly offered warmth, but the missing smile from Chay made my heart sink a little deeper. Well, okay, he slightly smiled but didn't quite reach the eyes as one during their hug in episode 1.

Now jump into Kim's place, where Chay confronted him about everything. Okay, I was a mess here. So let's cut things to where Kim left the crying Chay behind: the boy is heartbroken. Chay sure knows what does it means to answer a yes/no question with anything but a yes or no, with letting go a hand instead of giving a hug. But who really knows what's inside Kim's fortress (as many people called it).

That's it. And do I not want to smack Kim with Tankhun's tray? Out of the question. But it can wait. No picture of crying Chay here, I'm not sorry.

Kim's Back Down

Now we look into Kim. The meta post I mentioned at the beginning perfectly outlined the reasons behind Kim's actions toward Chay, to all of which I couldn't agree more. So I just wanted to add my personal take on him.

First, out of all the six main characters of KP, I must say Kim is the hardest to read. With their minimal screen-time, I must say it's easier to read Chay. But maybe this' factoring to how Chay is presented: expressive, honest, and straightforward. Most of the time, Kim was presented with cool/cold, nonchalance mannerism which always ended up in me asking, "what the hell is this guy thinking?" But then we had these two opposite sides of him: the softest and the (not so) grimmest. Both related to Chay: when Chay hugged him and when Chay was kidnapped. This might not be enough to signify Chay's importance to Kim, but I'd take all of that.

Second, now the reason why he 'i'm sorry'-ed Chay, I'm speculating it has something to do with the investigation that he's been conducting. Before the swimming pool scene between Porsche and Chay, we were shown that Kim had a hand in the case of the Kittisawasd parents' accident. So it might trigger him to finally cut things off with Chay, something he should've done earlier. But of course, he couldn't resist Chay. If my assumption is correct, he's already felt guilty for letting himself get involved too far with Chay. Tutoring and approaching him while digging for information about Porsche already felt bad enough. He couldn't imagine what staying in whatever he had with Chay while investigating the possible connection between Chay's parent's death and his own father would do any good.

Third, this is where I wanted to come back to the discussion of Kim and isolation. So far, the show only told about Kim's physical distance from the main family but never told us why he chose be away. Did something bad happen to him before, just like Tankhun's kidnapping? Not that the show had mentioned. Did he catch something off about his father or the rivalry between the main and minor families early on? And if so, how? This, I could see as the possible reason for him to isolate himself from his own family. Maybe to give him more 'space' and freedom to investigate everything? Like Tankhun said, Kim's nosy. He might be away from the family but still care enough about them in his own way. I would like to believe so.

As someone within a rather extreme introversion spectrum, I can say that being too used to (self) isolation, once confronted with anything related to feelings, it is possible to automatically shut yourself away from the people you need to confront the feelings with. You've unconsciously trained yourselves to avoid making deeper connections with people, and as a result, you would develop constant reluctance and fear of being in a close relationship. You would end up rejecting or pushing people away despite longing for the connection, and longing for the person themselves. I could sense the awkwardness and tension behind Kim's cold, nonchalance front that he put on while backing down from Chay implied all of these. Or maybe it's just me. I've prepared to be wrong.

=========================

So, will there be any reconciliation? At this point, I'm not so sure. Chay needs his time to process his acceptance of having his full plate. Confronting Kim again soon might have a reverse effect on this process. As for Kim, I couldn't imagine him not coming back to his family and taking the matters involving his family and the Kittisawasd's incident into his own hands than fully entrusting the case to his brother(s). Dealing with whatever (feelings) he has for Chay right now will only distract him more than support his mission.

Yes, I wanted Kim to apologize to Chay. Yes, I wanted Chay to not too easily forgive Kim. Yes, I wanted the older brothers to give Kim a hard time for hurting Chay, and I wanted them to defend Chay with all their might. But I don't think that's how their dynamics work. There are 'works' to be done in their respective space before any apology and forgiveness could meet. And I will stop here.

=========================

KP consistently provides us with layered and complex characters, including Kim and Chay. Trying to empathize with each of them within their given bubble gave me a sense of understanding of why they behaved or reacted in certain ways. This is not to justify any wrongdoings from real-life perspectives, no matter how lightly it seems. It's more to understand how these imperfect characters within this fictional boundary will be played back into the show's central themes: a story of romance and crime in a mafia setting. And please remember (not to spoil any fun, but it's proven through the episodes): plot twists do happen.

Kim and Chay might be the least favorite pairing at this point, but I can't help letting these pent-up feels out of my chest. Of course, I had no intention to go this long, but now they were all out, I am relieved. For my possible incoherence, please do let me know if there're somethings that I might miss to pick up from the dynamics of this pairing.

[puniyo]

VegasPete and the Hedgehog Dilemma (Part 3)

Part 1 here, Part 2 here

*Spoilers for episode 13*

*Disclaimer: This is a rant from what is left of a sobbing mess on the floor. Someone pick me up*

This episode *takes a deep breath and wipe tears* really delivered everything: oil to fuel the dilemma and angst for the remaining century. We had three brief Vegaspete moments in the latest episode, but each of them was so powerful and meaningful, so let’s check one by one. Before that, let me just bow down to Bible and Build, especially Build, for their stellar performances. If someone deserves more screen time, that would be them. Now onto our favorite hedgehogs.

Scene 1: Physically intimate, but not yet there.

V: At first, I thought I was a freak. Until now.

P: You just have to accept and be true to who you are.

V: Like you?

P: I just live in the present. What I’m feeling, that’s all I think of.

V: How can you live in this filthy world?

P: Why? Are you going to say that I’m a good guy?

V: No, you’re just a fool.

So we start with the aftermath of another (assumed) sex session between them. Pete is not wearing his bandages so some time must have passed between the chains and rope and now back to cuffs. They are both naked, aligned but opposite. Physically, they have torn down this barrier – they know which spots and corners feel good, where to push to earn a scream and where to touch for desire to bring them to oblivion. They both had time to explore their bodies now that they have both handed the reigns of physical intimacy to each other – Pete submitting willingly and Vegas honoring that control and worshipping Pete. However, does that mean that they have also opened the doors to their emotional intimacy? *waves hands* No, no, no. See the dialogue above. Vegas makes an admission that he sees himself as a freak. Pete gives him a piece of advice – be true to yourself – but Pete is the one who is not fully honest here. Is he a good guy or a bad guy? He is none. He is simply human. He cannot echo Vegas’ sentiments here and also make a confession of his. He gives advice, but does he follow it? The answer – no. They are intimate yes, just not yet there.

The next scene, we see Vegas cooking for Pete. That is our hedgehog truly shedding his spines and showing his true self – a caring human who genuinely smiles and is looking forward to please the person he cares about. It’s so rare to see this Vegas, his features so soft and looking so young. He might be the heir of the second family but he is so young, boyish, unsullied by this filthy world as he says. Until Gun comes into the picture. *I swear to the heavens that if no one puts a bullet on that man, I will personally do so. Ahem.* So Vegas’ father comes in, realizes the son is playing housekeeping and spending his time loitering around (which is ironic because it was Gun who put Vegas on house arrest in the first place), sees a plate of spicy food – which Vegas doesn’t eat – and does what his amazing parenting mindset tells him – throw the food away – the food Vegas had cooked for Pete. This was an escalation of violence, one that we see Vegas being submitted to all the time: 1. Have the things he likes being thrown away 2. “You don’t deserve to be my son” 3. Physical violence.

What message does this show to Vegas? 1. He does not have the right to like anything. He is to follow orders and follow them without complaints. 2. He will always be inferior to his father. 3. Showing your true self will only lead to pain. Vegas has no other option to turn to his self-defense mode, barriers up, spines back as his armor in full force. And Vegas copes with this emotional pain in two ways: physical pain (slapping himself, hitting his hand on the counter), and projecting it onto others (torture, sadism).

If you are still sane after this part, here’s a cookie for you because I am not *sobs*.    

Scene 2: To be honest is to hurt.

P: I don’t like it. Then why didn’t I say no?

On the other side, Pete is now starting to question about his own honesty. If he really truly hated what he and Vegas has been doing so far, why hasn’t he put a stop to it. Why hasn’t he resisted? There is definitely one more question in his head – Why didn’t I escape? Pete is starting to come with terms with his own true feelings about this. And this is very difficult for him. It is probably one of the toughest things he has ever done (more about this very soon).

His introspective moment is cut short when Vegas come in. Pete realizes the handprint on Vegas’ face and the reason for it. Now, because they are physically intimate, Pete uses this to reach out for the other man – only to be met with a wall of quills.  

P: Is this the way you’re supposed to be living?

This wall is so thick and the spines so pointy and sharp that he, coped with his uncertainty just now, leads to this answer:

P: It’s up to you Vegas. It’s your choice.

Red flag! Vegas is in no state to make a choice. Even if he makes one, it’s going to be the wrong choice. His anger and self-loathing are so blinding at this point that he cannot help but hurt others because he himself is in too much pain. What he didn’t expect was that, because of “shutting down” himself, he finally brought Pete to completely reach his most honest point:

V: Don’t think that acting weak and I’ll…

P: C’mon Vegas, kill me. I got nothing left. Not even my humanity. Right now, I feel useless. No. I’ve always been useless. I never exist. I have no feelings. I don’t have anything left within me, I can’t take myself anymore, Vegas.

*hands in award for one of the best lines in the whole series* Pete finally lets Vegas, and us, know what is behind that smiling façade of his – Pete’s self-loathing is the same, if not even more serious, than Vegas’. He has made to feel useless his whole life even when he has a grandma that loves him. He couldn’t find solace in that love. Pete never existed for himself – he was his father’s punchbag, his grandma’s responsibility, the main family’s bodyguard, Tankhun’s head bodyguard, Porsche’s friend, Kinn’s spy, Vegas’ pet – everything but just Pete. And here we have the core concept of the hedgehog dilemma: by being completely intimate, Pete and Vegas are mutually hurting, whether it is physical (bleeding) or emotional (tears).

V: I give up, Pete. Don’t leave me, I’m begging you.

P: I’m a human, Vegas. (I cannot not feel.)

V: I need you, Pete.

P: Need me? For emotional projection like a pet with no feelings?

Now, mutually hurting is the core of the dilemma. How both of our hedgehogs react to it, it is what matters. Pete chooses the extreme of self-harm – the idea of suicide, while Vegas realizes that he doesn’t want to lose Pete. Vegas realizes that, even though they hurt, he wants to overcome that pain. And we see that Pete understands it and Pete wants to also accept it, that they both will be able to maneuver through the agony and misery.

Now, now, humans use experience as reinforcement. This is when Pete lashes out about being a “pet” used for Vegas to project his emotions. He wants to accept Vegas but he simply cannot. And the only way to avoid them mutually destroying each other is to run away.   

An aside to another of my favorite scenes in this episode:

Pete (to Porsche): Could you fix me up?

No, he cannot Pete. No one can fix you. Not Porsche. Not even Vegas. Because the only person who can fix something is oneself. Pete needs to be able to accept himself, his feelings for Vegas, and his willingness to find a way to come out alive with the inevitable hurt. The sweet promise is – just not visible at the moment.

Which leads to the delicious mutual hurting moment of eating noodles. 

Scene 3: I want to be honest with you.

V: Are you going to shoot me? Are you? Why don’t you shoot? Don’t you want me to disappear? Shoot me already. SHOOT ME! I don’t think you can. And you know why.

Pete slides down the wall.

V: I’m sorry.

Pete touches Vegas’ face.

Lastly, we finally see the tables reversed here. On their encounters so far, Pete is the one to be the patient one, to give advice, to reach out a non-judgmental but all accepting hand. Now, Pete points his gun at Vegas. Pete headbutts him. Pete fights back. Pete is resisting the urge to let his quills down. Vegas, on the other hand, is completely (metaphorically) naked. He begs Pete. He is ready to be his true self with Pete.  

[greenandbluebubblegum]

Hello Darling!! Hope you are doing OK with the heat wave (it finally cool down in Belgium). Don't apologize for taking your time, you don't have to worry about it!!

This series is so insanely good. I re-watch the first episodes bc I was bored, and really the evolution for everyone is so mind blowing! I feel like it's not the same series we are watching (I'm saying this in a good way, it's good to see the character go to a point A to a point B).

Yeah, Barcode did a really good job with his scene!! I was ready to fight Kim for hurting him. I am ready for all the possibilities with Kimchay, bc we all saw the way Kim acts around Chay, the little soft expression, the little smile, ect. He has feeling for Chay but at the same times what if he doesn't care about it at the end of day??? We saw him being ruthless with the man in the last. He was in a spiritual environment, and still threatened to k!ll this man daughter. He seems to be thef most ruthless and mean compare to Khun and Kinn. What if he doesn't care about hurting Chay, what if now that his plan is over he going to pass on other thing? 😭 I am scared really. I want to believe that it's not the case, I want them to be happy (Chay deserve to live his y/n fantasy after all). But I'm prepared to see a Kim that is mean (not that I wouldn't mind, Jeff is going to be so hot doing that).

I really need Tankhun beating the shit out of Kim fotr hurting Chay. Like, Porsche is going to search for Kim, ready to make him understand that he is not hurting his baby bro like that, only for him to found out that Khun is already doing that 😭 and, maybe, it will be a good opportunity to have the tree mafia brother reunite (the picture in Khun room please, he was so cute!!!).

Kinn and Porsche are just too cute for this world really??? Like the way Kinn is when he is with Porsche is just too much to handle. He is finally going to be his free self. He is looking more and more like he was in the wood! Their relationship is set in the stone, I'm not scared for them in the long term! But they're still two idiot, so who knows what kind of miscommunication is going to happen (let's be honest, the futur angst is going to be cause by miscommunication). We have no clue for how the I'm on your side scène is going to happen?? Like Porsche is not wearing his bodyguard clothes, so you will think he is no longer in the house? But he is no longer the bodyguard so maybe that's why??? But at the same time why would he say '' I'm on your side''to Kinn???? These two are going to death of me I swear 😭 like, why can' t they stay in their happy bubble where they have date and say soft stuff to each other?? We have enough angst with Kimchay and Vegaspete!

Now Vegaspete is such perfection!!! They have both so many layers, and that why they are such great characters!! The way Pete still see some humanity in the man who spend days torturing him, still have so discussion with him about what is happening to him. Like, he could have not care at all about Vegas and his problems with his dad. But no, he went out to talk to him, to tell him it's not his fault his dad abuse him!! He must be so confusing for Vegas to have someone caring for him, to tell him that his father comportent is not OK, to see him for who he is. It would be so great to have Pete asking Vegas what he is reading, being interest in what he is doing, why he is enjoying!!! The constrat with the scene with his dad where his book is on the floor would be so good!!! I know the moment Vegas is going to let go Pete (I don't think the major family is going to rescue him) is going to break my heart, bc he will let go the only things that let him have a bit of normality. Their scene was just so so good! Build and Bible did a amazing job with them!! Like they gave 100000% for these scene, for these characters!!

Now, I hope we have our answers for the Porsche and Chay parent mystery in the next episode!! I need to know what happen!! How Khorn is involve with all of this!?? Did he know them?? Was it really an accident?? It would be so cliche to have Kinn adn Porsche knowing each other since they were babies and being inseparable then (and their parent knowing these two will be making a duo). But Porsche parent's decide it to stop their business with the mafia, or they got kill bc they worked in the mafia, and Khorn still keep a eye on their child 👀 (it not going to happen, but I need my they were meant to be dose).

I love the fact the Montagne the Bueren the big stair, it's cute 😭 did you climb it?? Oh yeah, the infamous Carré, I spend too many night there (if you know the right bar it can be really fun!)

I didn't have time to listen to it yet, but I will!! I will tell you when I did it!!

I will see you soon 💜✨

Hi sweetie!! Hope you are okay because I'm not after the episode hahaha I can't wait to talk about it with you!!! I won't say much but VegasPete was 🥵️🥵️🥵️

I'm trying to make my usual gifset of the episode but my computer is not cooperating right now!!

I wanted to answer you before you'll tell me about the new episode so I don't want this answer to be long. By the way, I received all the Ali things I bought and they are so cute!! love it!! <3 <3

Yes, I visited the stairs but didn't climb them all omg they were so many so that's why I need to return to do it!! I really can't remember a lot about the Carré I think I drank too many beers hahaha but it was fun!!

I will leave you now, I'll try to finish this gifset until going to sleep but don't know!! See you soon with all the comments!!! So excited!! have a good night!! 💜💜💜

[seelaa26]

7. Compass

“If I don’t have you with me I’m alone, you know I never know which way to go. I think I need you with me for all-time, when I need new direction for my mind. I’ve got something to confess; I’d keep you in my pocket to use. You’re my only compass. I might get lost without you”

After living alone in Las Vegas for a while, I could safely say that I could already feel at home. Obviously, I missed my family and friends but the new path I was taking, was the right one. So, when Grissom told me at the start of the shift that I was going to handle a new case on my own, I couldn’t believe it. Grissom thought I had learned enough to trust me with something like that. He wanted to see me fly by myself and that kind of trust placed in me, meant a lot. Evidently, I was still an intern, not an official CSI, so everything would be supervised by my colleague on this case, Sara Sidle.

I put the field kit in the trunk and opened it to check that I was missing nothing. Warrick parked his car next to mine and when he got out he came over to greet me with a caress on the back.

-What are you doing?

-Checking the field kit –I answered him with a smile- See something missing?

-Evidence bags, gloves, tape, fingerprint dust, flashlight, magnifying glass.. No, I don’t see anything missing although in the field you really only need three powders; black, magnetic and dragon’s blood.

-I know, but I want to be prepared –I closed the kit with excitement- Grissom wants me to lead this case, with Sara’s supervision but still it’s a big step.

-¡That’s great! –Warrick smiled and gave me a little hug- That means that he’s seeing progress and believes in you. I know that you are going to be with Sara, but if you have any doubt, call me.

-Will do –I smiled back- Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got a 402 to attend.

I got in the car and following the GPS directions, I arrived at the scene where Brass and Sara were waiting for me at the entrance. I parked the car, got out and took my field kit and camera from the trunk.

-The place was called Superla Spa, it was a full-service establishment.. –Brass explained while we walked in- Massage tables, salon chairs, mud baths.. The explosion went off a little after three. The fire department was able to respond in four minutes.

-Not that it helped.

 -Place was fully engulfed by the time they arrived. They were just lucky to keep it contained to jus this building –Brass pointed to a man who was leaning out of a corner- The gentleman in the corner there is Pete Baxa. His company owns Superla Spa.

-Hi! Pedro Baxa, Ba-ha, like Baja, California –he introduced himself with a certain sad look- But call me Pete, everyone does.

-You in charge of this place, Pete? –I took the initiative, after Brass and Sara looked at me to do it.

-I’m the CEO of Miel LLC, it’s less impressive than it sounds. The company owns Superla Spa.. what’s left of it.

-We’ll need to know you’re insurance provider.

-We’ll have to notify the claims adjuster when we’ve released the scene –Sara added to my petition.

-Actually.. this is kind of embarrassing, but the policy on this place has lapsed –he bowed his head embarrassed- We sent them a payment, but they said they didn’t get it. Then they wanted us to pay a late fee and raise our premium.

Sara and I exchanged looks.

-I have some things I need to take care of –he took out a card from his wallet and gave it to me- Here’s my card, at least until the next board meeting. You can reach me at my office.

From our position, the first thing we did was examine the two mud baths. In-between the baths there was a smoky part of the wall and with a collection tool I processed it.

-Laura, check this out –Sara pointed at both baths- One mud bath contains a lot more mud than the other.

-That mud is baked solid, but I don’t know the way to examine it, inside and out, without actually breaking it up and compromising potential evidence.

-You know, the other day, Grissom was telling me that we have access to an industrial ultrasound device –Sara nodded- It sounds perfect for this problem, I’ll give him a call.

Meanwhile Sara made the call, I continued examining the scene. I photographed  a rock with a hole in the middle and used the casting. I walked into the kitchen and I found a burnt muffin inside the microwave, if it was on last night, we could have our ignition source. I took a sample from the ceiling because it looked old and it could have asbestos in it and then I took samples of soot from the walls. Finally, I found crimping along the edges of the split gas line; I’d say it was cut. So far, there were signs of arson. Sara went to the lab to grab the ultrasound device and when she came back, Brass was with her.

-Now, we’re living in the future.. –Brass spoke while we installed the device- I’m still waiting for my flying car, but seeing through walls isn’t too shabby. How does it work?

-We turn it on and point the wand at whatever we want to scan –I grabbed the wand and held it above the mud- The sound waves it emits penetrate at different speeds depending on the density of the material. Then, the onboard computer translates that into a picture.

Brass got a call, so he had to be absent, but I started to run the wand across the surface until Sara told me to stop. Then, she turned the onboard computer screen and looked at me with a serious face.

-Does that look like a human body to you?

-It looks like we have a victim after all –I nodded in agreement- I’ll call Doc Robbins for a pickup.

-Just what we needed.. –Brass let out an exhausted exhalation- Seems your case may be crossing into the FBI jurisdiction. Two agents are already waiting for us in my office.

***

Sara handled checking in the evidence we found and taking it to each department for analysis. On the other hand, Brass and I returned to his office to speak with the FBI agents. We were walking down the hall on our way to his office, when Brass stopped me.

-You’ve been biting your nails all the way back –he said directly but kindly- Laura, you need to calm down.

-I know, I know –I breathed out- It’s just that this is the first case I’m in charge of and I didn’t think that I’d have to deal with the FBI.

-Then just ask Grissom or Sara what to do, but if it means something, I think you can pull this off –I raised my head thanks to Brass’s pretty words and smiled at him- You know your stuff and you are ready, just be confident. ¡Oh, and don’t look them straight in the eye!

He said that last sentence to make me laugh and relax before entering the room. He entered first and I followed him inside. Both agents were standing, observing Jim’s various decorations hanging on the wall. The first agent I saw was in his 50s, with white hair and gray eyes. He wore a black suit with a tie and matching shoes. 

The second agent was younger, dark brown hair and blue eyes. His beard had a reddish hue. He didn’t dress like his partner; he was wearing a plain black shirt, a black bomber jacket and black jeans. I have to admit it, he was very attractive.

-Captain Brass, pleasure to meet you –the first agent held out his hand- Special Agent Huntby, this is my partner Special Agent Hayes. I presume you’re the CSI in charge of the investigation.

-Correct –I replied back as I shook the hand of both agents- Laura Serrano. How can we help you?

-It’s our understanding that there’s been a fire at the Superla Spa directed by Pedro Baxa –Agent Hayes spoke, noting his Irish accent- Is our information correct?

-Yes, we are looking at him for a possible arson and homicide.

-Is that right? –The two agents exchanged worried looks- Let me explain why we’re here.. Are you familiar with La Reina de la Colmena? Unfortunately, as a member of the law enforcement you should be. In Spanish, it means..

-“The Queen of the Hive” –I finished the sentence for Agent Huntby- I’m Spanish.

-It’s the alias for a woman named Beatriz Salazar, now the most dangerous drug lord in Mexico –he continued- We believe Pete Baxa was in her employ.

-So, is this the part when you tell us to back off and let you do your job? -Brass asked, which caused the smile of the two agents.

-No, not at all, we want you to get your man. We want you to get him so bad, he’ll have no choice but to cut a deal. You see, in the entire universe of La Reina de la Colmena’s drug trafficking operation, Baxa’s just a satellite.

-A small time money launderer through those little shops of his. But, for some reason, we have him on wiretaps in direct communication with Salazar –Agent Hayes explained- The ‘taps themselves are useless because Baxa and Salazar communicate in code, but if we can bring him down, then we have our best shot yet at taking down The Queen of the Hive herself.

-I don’t need more convincing, I’m on board –I nodded, wanting to help as much as possible, since it was the right thing to do- The thing is that I can’t get ahead of evidence and if it indicates that Pete Baxa had nothing to do with what happened, I will have nothing to pressure him with.

-We understand. We are just requesting the opportunity to keep tabs on you for a while and run this one as a joint jurisdiction.

-No problem –I smiled at them, and then I got a message from Dr. Robbins- Looks like the autopsy from the burnt victim is completed.  

-Do you mind if I join you? –Agent Hayes asked me, and with those blue piercing eyes and that sexy Irish, how could I say no?

-Not at all.

I left Brass’s office with Agent Hayes by my side. Not knowing what to talk about, since I didn’t want to give me away as a rookie in front of him, I silently made my way to the morgue. Then he spoke.

-So, Laura, how come is that a rookie is in charge of an investigation?

-It is that obvious, huh? –I smiled sheepishly, looking at him momentarily- What gave me away?

-While you were talking you stiffened your fingers and interlaced them, even for a moment you moved your hands back and forth –he explained with a certain vain attitude- What I haven’t managed to figure out yet is if you are nervous about the situation or because of the devilishly handsome FBI agent that is walking next to you?

I frowned and narrowed my eyes to understand what he had just said. Leaving aside the immense self-esteem he had, he made me smile.

-Well, you’ll have to crack that code by yourself.

I pushed open the door to the autopsy room and headed straight for Dr. Robbins. I made the introductions between both strangers and we began with the results from the autopsy on the victim.

-Do we know who is she?

-Well, the bikini probably left no room for imagination nor an I.D, but I did collect her fingerprints and DNA. Her name is Portia Weismann.

-Cause of death?

-Take a look at the third degrees burns on your victim’s hands and face –As he said, I approached the body and observed them- You can probably tell that they were above the surface of the mud during the initial explosion. In addition to the burns on her skin, he suffered thermal injury to her upper airway.

-She inhaled a substantial amount of smoke and hot gasses from the fire.

-That’s right; carboxyhemoglobin levels in her blood exceeded seventy-three percent so the cause of death was suffocation due to carbon monoxide poisoning.

-In a fire that intense, carbon monoxide levels would spike rapidly –Agent Hayes added to the explanation- She probably fell unconscious pretty quick.

-Time of death is going to be difficult to determine –Robbins continued- Even without the fire, the initial temperature of the mud bath complicates my ability to offer an accurate estimate. Although, I was able to extract samples of the vitreous humor from both eyes, potassium accumulation in the tissue indicates time of death between three and four.

-That’s consistent with when the fire started. Anything else we should know?

-Your victim had advanced mesothelioma; it’s a type of cancer that attacks the lining of the vital organs. It’s thought to be caused, most often, by exposure to asbestos.

-You know.. the whole ceiling from the crime scene might be coated with asbestos.. I took a sample to analyze it –I remembered- Maybe our victim set the fire, revenge and suicide all in one.

-Doctor, did she know she had cancer? –Hayes asked.

-I ran an expanded tox screen and she hadn’t been taking any cancer medications and I didn’t find any tissue damage from possible radiation treatments. I did, however, find evidence of a persistent use of cannabis.

-Well, now the idea that “weed cures cancer” is spreading far and wide.

-Thanks, Doc.

***

When we left the autopsy room and went upstairs again to enter the Lab, Sara crossed our path with papers in her hand. She was surprised to see someone unknown next to me, but as soon as she saw the badge and remembered what Brass said about the FBI, she introduced herself.

-So, I’ve analyzed the soot samples you took from the spa and they are mostly carbon but there were traces of acetone in all samples.

-Acetone? –I asked while I grabbed the paper- That’s an anomaly. Acetone is sometimes used as an accelerant. What about the chemicals from the ceiling?

-Calcium sulfate and asbestos –she answered while she showed me the paper with the results- That explains why the ceiling didn’t burn.

-We just came from the autopsy, and the victim had a type of cancer that is caused by exposure to asbestos –Hayes added himself to the conversation.

-So we’ve got a gas leak that looks to be the result of tampering.. –I thought out loud trying to put the puzzle pieces together- Throw a muffin in the toaster oven at 450 degrees then just leave it in there without setting the timer.

-Sounds like a recipe for arson.

We went straight to Brass’s office, where we told him and Agent Huntby what we knew so far. Brass consulted the victim’s name and it turned out that Portia Weismann worked at the Spa. As expected, Brass called our prime suspect,  who agreed coming to the police station and answer a few more questions. While I was waiting for Pete to get to the police station, I thought it was going to be my first interrogation that I was going to do and I started feeling nervous.

-It’s your first interrogation, I presume.

-Oh my god, can you stop doing that? –I asked annoyed- Stop analyzing me.

-I can’t love; it’s my job and if I’m not wrong.. it’s also yours.

The word love came out of his mouth gently and directly. His attitude was charming and intoxicating. He had facility to communicate, all he had to do was be interesting and get his Irish accent noted to get what he wanted. That attitude was surely the reason he was an FBI agent. He could easily convince someone of anything. What led me to think that he was a player.

-Look Laura, in the interrogation room you have the upper hand. You know the cards you’re dealing with, you just have to play them –Hayes got up from the chair he was sitting in and approached me with a tender look- Avoid overly harsh questions and look at the body language. Remember you are in control of the mental state of the person being questioned.

-But what if I screw it up? –I asked uneasily- Or if I forget to ask something important for the case? Or if I say something that I shouldn’t?

-You are not going to be alone; your partner is going to be there with you. If you miss something, which I don’t think you will, she’s going to bring it up. So, don’t worry about that, the important thing is that you get the experience.

He took a step and slowly placed his hands on my shoulders. Due to his proximity, I breathed slowly, which managed to lower my heart rate. He realized that and smiled sideways while his eyes were connected to mine. The front door opened and Pete Baxa entered through it.

-Do you want a good luck kiss? –he said in a funny way, but I couldn’t say if he had meant it or not.

I smiled at the comment but I didn’t answer, instead I entered the interrogation room with Sara, Brass and Pete. Jim had already told Pete that the victim was Portia Weismann, which saved us time. My main strategy was to be nice.

-Did Portia have any reason to start the fire? Had she mentioned any kind of health problems?

-No, nothing like that. Why?

-She had mesothelioma, a type of cancer cause by asbestos –I explained- The ceiling of the spa is coated with asbestos-laced paint.

-Really? I.. I guess I’ll have to take your word for it. You really think Portia got cancer from working at the spa? Uh.. she never said anything to me about it.

-Was there anything unusual about Ms. Weismann’s recent behavior? Did she ever seem unusually angry or depressed?

-Well, we weren’t exactly close, but I got the feeling she was in a troubled relationship. I think he hit her. Portia always seemed to like showing off her body, I even had to ask her once to wear more than just her bikini to work! But one week, a while back, she wore long sleeved shirts every day.

-What do you know about Portia’s boyfriend?

-Portia was a very private person; I know almost nothing about her boyfriend.

-Could you give us Ms. Weismann’s address?

-Oh, yes. I know where she lived, let me write it down for you –Brass gave him a paper and a pen- So, I hate to ask, but is everything you need from me right now? I may have some errands to run, but I’ll be in the barber shop if you need me. The address is in the business card I gave you.

When we got to Portia’s apartment, we found that the entrance door was busted. Brass and a couple of officers entered to check that no one was inside. Luckily, it was a Code 4; under control. Once everything was clear, Sara and I started to examine the scene. The first evidence we found it was a shoe print at the entrance step, we took a picture and a sample. Using a casting on the broken door handle, we got the markings from the tool used. Sara found in the drawer under the oven a lot of pads of financial records showing that the Superla Spa did a little business. We found some broken beads with a black hair entangled between them.

-Hey, I ran a background on Brian Reid, the victim’s boyfriend –Brass approached us with his phone in hand- Turns out that, up until last week, he was a captain with the Las Vegas Fire Department. His Chief told me that Reid had a mixed service record; multiple commendations for bravery, but the guy was also on probation for insubordination. Well, when Reid failed a random drug test last week for the use of cannabis, they fired him.

-This reminds me.. The notorious serial arsonist John Leonard Orr.. was both a fire captain and an arson investigator –Sara added.

We returned to the Lab with all the evidence found at Portia’s apartment, we registered them and began to examine them. Sara wanted to analyze the markings from the tool used to bust open the door while I took care of the black hair and the sample from the shoe print. I gave the hair to Greg and headed straight to the trace lab.

-Hey! I didn’t know you were back –Hayes greeted as he walked in the room.

-Yes, it was pretty fast.. –I nodded while I waited for the results to arrive- Where were you? Let me guess, talking about X-Files!

-No, we do that on Wednesdays –he laughed at the joke and sat next to me- Actually, my partner and I couldn’t sit still doing nothing, so we brought you a gift.

-Diamond ring, diamond ring.. –I closed my eyes and crossed my fingers.

-It’s in the interrogation room –he answered with a smile.

-At least tell me it’s Brian Reid.

Hayes nodded. We stayed silent, looking at each other with dumb smiles as we waited for the results. Suddenly, I remembered I didn’t know his name.

-Now that I’m thinking about it.. you haven’t told me your name.

-Killian.

-Killian Hayes.. –I repeated his name- That sounds more like a pirate, not a Special Agent.

-Maybe in another life I was –he answered surprised, then he grabbed the bottom of the chair and pulled me closer- I do certainly know how to keep precious things close to me.

I couldn’t see me but I was turning red as fuck. I wasn’t used to deal with men who knew how to flirt. I heard the printer making its sound; the results were ready but I couldn’t care less. In that moment I wasn’t in the Lab, I was imagining Killian’s lips on mine. Suddenly, he moved forward, coming dangerously close to me, and when he was ten centimeters from my face, he took the paper from the printer and returned to his place.

-Feldspar, clinopyroxine and acetone –he read out loud.

-The minerals are found in volcanic ash, which is what they use to make mud for the baths –I explained when I came back into my senses.

-So that means that the person who was at Portia’s apartment, was also at the Spa –I nodded in agreement- And acetone was the accelerant used at the Spa.

Nick entered the Lab, catching us smiling at each other, but when our eyes met, he tried to turn around but I stopped him. I got up from the chair and approached him.

-You don’t need to go, we were just leaving.

Nick nodded with a strange smile. Awkward. Uncomfortable.

-Special Agent Hayes –he introduced himself and shook hands with Nick.

-Nick Stokes, CSI –Nick looked at me uneasily- I’ve heard that your case crossed jurisdictions with the FBI, but I didn’t expect to see an agent working with a CSI. Normally, you tend to take us off the case and ignore us.

-That’s not me, mate –Killian replied with a defensive tone- Laura can assure you, all my eyes are on the case.

Nick cleared his throat and after looking askance at me he nodded. We left the Lab to let him work and we went to look for Sara to see how she was doing or if she needed any help.

-The markings from the door match a Denver Tool, is a multi-purpose tool used by firefighters and emergency personnel. It is a combination axe, sledgehammer, pry tool, ram and D-handle pull tool –Sara explained.

-Guys, I think it’s time we talk to Brian Reid.