Acting On A Hunch

Rated: PG-13

Category: X-File, MA

Spoiler: Born Again, of course.

Archive: Gossamer, any other nice home. Please ASK me first, all
right?

Note: This story is a rise to the After_The_Fact Challenge, Born
Again, for January, 2004.

"Closing entry, file number X-40271. Detective Anthony Fiore
pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court to charges of first-
degree murder after the fact, grand larceny and obstruction of
justice. The deaths of Detective Rudy Barbala and former police
officer Leon Felder are being ruled as accidental, although
their complicity in the murder of Officer Charlie Morris has
been definitively established. No charges were brought against
Michelle Bishop, who today took her first swimming lesson. She
claims no memory of the preceding events and both her mother
and Dr. Braun have denied my request for a second past-life
regression.

End of field journal, April 19, 1994.

Agents of record: Fox Mulder and Dana Scully.
Status: Unexplained."

Mulder shut off the monitor, removed his reading glasses,
elbows on desk. He rubbed his eyes and put his hands over
them as Scully walked into the office.

"Mulder? Quitting time, at least for lunch. Are you okay?"

"Yeah, thanks Scully. The guys upstairs should be pleased with
the usual 'not-too-strange' report I just entered. Have you
finished your part so we can just put this thing to rest?" The
man looked tired, and he knew it. He was tired and frustrated.

"The autopsy reports are all entered and ready to be added to
your part, and then we wait for another foray into the
unexplained." She was smiling, but felt as if her remark was
about to be taken as one of sarcasm. "Hey, it's Friday, it's
lunchtime. How about we grab a bite to eat? I'll buy."

"Nah, Scully. I think I'll pass. You go ahead and get some air.
I just need some time alone."

"I'll grab you a sandwich. Anything you'd prefer?"

"Whatever. I mean, just pick up whatever looks good."
Scully stood in front of the desk and stared for a minute.
"I'm sorry, Scully. I guess I just can't see how someone can go
through experiencing life through a grown policeman's eyes for
so long, and still develop a personality of her own. That's all.
This dissociative disorder, this reincarnation thing would have
made better sense if it hadn't all been so out front and
violent."

"That little girl," Scully said, as she took a seat. "Do you
really think she's okay, Mulder? I think you're worried about
her. This case has really affected you."

"Just go get something to eat, Scully. At least you get to see
the sunshine, feel the wind in your hair... go on," he assured
his partner. "I'm okay." He feigned a smile and she believed it.

After she had left the office, he placed a call to Dr. Braun,
the therapist who had seen Michelle Bishop. "Hello, Dr. Braun.
It's Fox Mulder. We recently met when my partner and I were
investigating a cop's homicide up there?"

"Yes. Agent Mulder. I remember you." The doctor sounded as if
she had better things to do.

"Well, I think it's pretty miraculous that Michelle is a normal
little girl, wouldn't you? I mean, right out of the blue -- "

"Agent Mulder, I have a lot of other things to do, clients to
see, and I really think YOU could benefit from some therapy
yourself. So, if you'll excuse me... "

"Okay, okay. I think I get the message, Doctor. Ever think you
might owe me one?"

Braun hissed. "OWE you one? No, I don't do adult consultations.
And I don't owe you anything. Like many other clients, Michelle
Bishop has resolved her own issues. Can't say being a child of
divorce is easy." Click.

As he hung up the receiver, Mulder said to himself, "No, it
isn't easy. But one doesn't go around throwing 200 pound men
through windows or bust up fish tanks, either. And I never took
up Origami... or anyone else's hobby because of any stinkin'
divorce issues."

"Talking to yourself?" Scully had slipped back into the office.
"Didn't think you had an invisible friend, or heard voices, so I
just kind of let you go on. I got you a roast beef sub and a
coffee."

"Thanks. Maybe I liked it in my other life."

"C'mon, it's over, Mulder. Michelle Bishop is fine."

"Is she? Scully, you can't just dismiss the effect this must have
had on that little girl."

"I'm sure her doctor has it well taken care of," Scully said.
"Besides, we were there to investigate, the case was closed, and
the rest remains unexplained."

"That's what they want us to write."

"Look, I'm sure that little girl was traumatized by whatever was
going on around her. I still don't believe what I saw, but I can't
deny it either. Just let it alone."

"And can you?"

"Well, I have to admit I've been wondering about it, myself,
Mulder. Aren't we supposed to stay somewhat detached, though?"

"Yeah. Protocol sucks," Mulder stared at the sub. "Let's
shuffle off back to Buffalo."

"What for? We've just been through this, Mulder... "

"I just have to know. If you're worried about accounting
giving us the gears, it's on me."

***

The first place they visited was the office of Dr. Spitz, the
regression therapist.

"Why here, Mulder?" Scully and Mulder had just reached the door
to the office.

"No interference from Dr. Braun. Besides, someday, he might
come in handy for us on another case, or even for me." Mulder
knocked and opened the door. The office seemed empty. There
was no receptionist and the door to the inner office was ajar.
Detective Sharon Lazard and a fingerprint specialist were busy
gathering evidence.

"What the he-- you two scared the heck outta me! I thought
you'd gone back to the Bureau three days ago!!"

Scully looked at Mulder as if to say, "You're right. We should
have come back."

"I -- we wanted to talk to Doctor Spitz. I guess someone beat
us to it."

"Someone beat the hell outta the guy and split," Lazard
explained. "And I think this ain't the end of it."

"Michelle?" Scully had thought perhaps the girl was still, well,
maybe still involved. Or she thought Mulder had that hunch.
(She liked to beat the he-man to the punch once in a while.)

"Nah," Lazard replied. "She's doin' real good since whatever
happened at Fiore's house. Even at school. I think there's
someone else involved, here. And I think we didn't go through
every possible name when we hit on the original case."

"Where's Dr. Spitz now?"

"The morgue, Dr. Scully. The preliminary exam showed he had high
levels of barbiturates in his bloodstream. Sodium pentathol."

Mulder gave Scully a sideways glance.

"I'll get the gloves," she said on her way out of the office.
"I know the drill, Mulder."

"She's a lot like you, Detective Lazard."

"Ya. And she'll have a great future if she stays that way. We're
through here. C'mon, Dusty. His name's really Bill, but we call
him that because..."

"Because he's always dusting for fingerprints," Mulder added.

***

Three hours later, Scully came out of the autopsy lab to find
Mulder waiting in the hallway. "Well?"

"Well, Mulder, toxicology says there were high levels of sodium
pentothal in his bloodstream. Very high levels. There were at
least fifteen tablets still lying in his stomach, and puncture
marks on his upper arm. I'd say Dr. Spitz didn't commit suicide.
It was a hit, Mulder. So what next?"

"We find out who and why... "

"I'd say that's up to the Buffalo Police Department, Mulder. We
came here to talk to Dr. Spitz, he's dead, and we have no
business being here because we weren't assigned."

"You have much to learn Grasshopper."
"All right," Scully raised her voice as she grabbed her coat.
"Make a joke of it. We've already broken the rules too many
times, and frankly, I LIKE my pay check coming in every week --
in the same amount." She saw nothing but a blank expression in
her partner's face, and heard nothing but silence. "All right.
let's go."

"You know, you're a lot like Lazard, Scully." He followed her to
the down-bound elevator.

"I highly doubt it," Scully said with her trademark dead-pan
look.
Mulder just smiled, and pressed the button for Lobby. "Who's
still out there to get rid of the witnesses, Scully?"

"Well, no one, as far as we know. The police department thought
they had all the men involved either in custody or that they were
dead. Apparently, they were wrong. I doubt Michelle Bishop would
know."
"But maybe Mrs. Fiore would."

"She said they didn't socialize with fellow officers, Mulder."

"And I don't associate with fellow UFO aficionados, either," he
mused. He reached for his cell phone. "Just checking the
address."

***

Anita Fiore had taken an apartment in Salamanca since the arrest
of Tony Fiore. "I just couldn't take... the memories, you know?"
She told Mulder and Scully, "I've got a job at a department store
as a sales associate, and I just want to forget the whole thing
about Charlie, Tony, and Buffalo." She had invited the Agents in
for coffee.

Scully gently held her hand. "I know it wasn't easy, Mrs. Fiore.
We need to wrap up this case further. Did Tony ever tell you
anything at all about the money? Why Charlie wouldn't take it?"

"Well, we're divorcing, so... Charlie didn't want to be a dirty
cop. He wanted out of it. Tony tried to look after me. I guess he
felt he had to... for Charlie. Tony really kept to himself even
after we were married, but he was real good to me... if you
understand. And we fell in love after Charlie died."

"Mrs. Fiore, if you could just... "

"I know. I guess I'm just still shook up. I've got the house up
for sale and with Tony in a cell... I guess it's been a big shock.
If there was anyone else involved, and if there was anyone who
wanted that Doctor Spitz dead, he could still be in the Department,
right?"

"Well, that IS a possibility," Mulder admitted.

"So, who says it's a man?" Scully retorted.

"That's right, Scully. Who says?"

***

"MULDER: Addendum to closing entry, file no. X-40271. Upon
further investigation into the murder of Dr. Spitz, the Buffalo
Police found several vials of barbiturates, including sodium
pentothal tablets and injectable sodium pentothal in Detective
Sharon Lazard's desk at the precinct. She was arrested for the
murder of Doctor Spitz and is currently undergoing further
investigation for other matters such as accepting bribes,
extortion from fellow officers, and misappropriation of evidence,
namely barbiturates.

End of field journal, April 26, 1994.

Agents of record: Fox Mulder and Dana Scully.
Status: Unexplained, as far as the original investigation is
concerned Re: Michelle Bishop. One other issue resolved:
Detective Sharon Lazard's role in the matter.

Personal Note: We were wrong not to investigate Lazard from the
beginning of this case. That Charlie Morris, Felder, and Fiore
died was indeed tragic. We made an error of omission that cost
the regression therapist his life, and my hunch about Michelle
Bishop led us to aid the Buffalo Police Department in Lazard's
arrest. In future, we will investigate more deeply and not rule
out any suspects until proper profiles have been done. I resolve
to follow up on my hunches more often."

END