Partners

Chapter 12 : Once Upon A Time

(a year after the accident)

"Once upon a time, at a kingdom far far away.  The Queen was pregnant.  She hoped her baby could have the skin as white as snow, the hair as black as charcoal, and the lips as red as blood." 

"Knock it off, Donnter." Fetcher brushed past Donnter to take a good look at the body, "What do we got?" 

"A Snow White." Art said, not bothering to look up at Fetcher. 

"Art!" Donnter scolded, "I haven't got to that part.  You shouldn't have spoiled the story!" he used his gloved hand to pick up the bitten apple. 

"I believe we all know the story of Snow White, Donnter." Fetcher sighed, "Get that apple to CSI, please." 

Jane squatted down beside the body, "Her skin is so white.  Did she suffocate?  You know..." she glanced at Fetcher quickly and then looked at Art, "Uh...choked by the apple piece?" 

Fetcher rolled his eyes, "Then please find the Prince Charming to awaken her!"

*****

Buchanan and Fetcher entered the medical examine room. 

"Hey Doc!"  

"Hi, I'm gonna record." Cedric pushed a button on his record pen, "July twenty-eighth.  Victim's name: Veronika Chovrosky.  Fourteen.  No defense wound.  C.O.D. is suffocation due to a piece of apple with unknown chemical." he turned off the recording.  "Black isn't her natural hair color.  I asked Art to run her fingerprint.  On her theft criminal record, it said that her original hair color is blonde." 

Buchanan pointed at Veronika's arm, "Is she sick or she's just so pale?" 

"I've sent her blood sample to Ethan.  By the way," the doctor pointed at the red lips of the victim, "Her lips got inked up.  Recently.  I used the magnifier and I found some newly-made wounds." 

Fetcher shook his head, "Do you think there's any possibility that someone wanted her to be the Snow White?" 

The doctor shrugged, "I'm not a detective.  You tell me." 

"Maybe she attended to a costumed party." Buchanan suggested. 

Art abruptly barged into the room, "Oh, hi Detectives." he passed Fetcher a piece of paper, "This is the address of Veronika's house.  I don't have anything on the costume.  She had parents consisted with two Dads. Good luck!"

*****

"Two Dads?" Buchanan got into the passenger seat, "That's pretty cool." she buckled up her seat-belt. 

"Indeed." Fetcher buckled his seat-belt up, leaning over to peck Buchanan on the cheek, "You're so beautiful today." 

"You say that everyday. " she smiled back, "Come on!  Let's go!"

*****

Veronika Chovrosky's house was in the residential area.  There were kids playing on the street.  It was summer vacation already. 

"What if they're not home?" Buchanan asked. 

"Then I'll put out an APB.  It's Sunday, for God's sake."  He knocked on the door, "LAPD, open up!" 

After a few second, a fair blonde man opened up the door, "Hello?" 

"I'm Detective Valentine Fetcher." he took out his badge, "And this is my partner Detective Kayla Buchanan.  We've...are you Mr. Chovrosky?" 

That man shook his head, "He's my husband.  I'm Alexander Sherov.  He's inside.  Come on in!" 

The two detectives walked into the house.