After the polygraph test, the examiner made a verbal report to the chief and Ramoos. "We asked the subject, Roger Slaymore, if that was his real name. The results show that he answered truthfully. When asked if he had purchased and used drugs he answered truthfully." "What was his answer?", asked the chief. "Yes to both." "What about his friends - his drug associates?" "When asked if they had given him the contact and connection information, he answered truthfully again." "What was that?" "Yes." "Yeah, he's starting to sound like a real loser." Ramoos asked, "Did you ask him if he was still in contact with the friends?" "Yes, I did. He answered no, which was truthful." "Did you ask what became of his friends." "He said he just didn't contact them again, which was truthful, nor did they contact him." "Shit..." muttered the chief. "What about the dealers, is he still in contact with them?", asked Ramoos. "He said they were in contact with him, and that he did not want to contact them." "Did he say why?", asked the chief. "He said that they were extorting him and making exorbitant demands on him, which appeared to be the truth." "Appeared to be, what the hell is that?", questioned the chief.
"He said that the zombies were making phone calls to him - or somebody purporting to be a zombie or associated with them. In this case, I have to say that either he was telling the truth or he is a very skillful liar." "Shit..." mumbled the chief again, "which means we might have absolutely nothing." "I have to say that I did ask him about the extortion and the demands. At this point he got very agitated - which is a very good indicator that he's being truthful - even though I don't believe parts of his story." "You mean the zombies?" asked Ramoos. "Yes, the zombies, even though he appears to be dead serious. Sorry, that wasn't meant to be a pun." Ramoos chuckled under his breath, "I haven't seen any myself." Wait a minute, thought Ramoos, what about the hearts...? "You better move on that bust," the chief told Ramoos.
"Did you ask details about the extortion, the demands?", asked Ramoos. The examiner looked at his notes, "They first called demanding 400 dollars, then 500, then 600, then a thousand, then 6000, now the bill is at 60,000. I asked him if they demanded more. He said no, at that point he decided to ask for protection. He appeared to be telling the truth during this sequence of questions." The chief whistled, "So, we might be able to nail these pricks with extortion, too."
"Did you get his urine test results?" "All negative," responded Ramoos, "do the hair test?" "Yeah, get a sample and do a post-interview with this character. Then set up that bust." "Hey, I'm only one guy." joked Ramoos. "Yeah, we should get you a partner. All the more reason for you to get moving on this stuff.", said the chief. "Do you need me for the post-interview?, asked the examiner. "You volunteering?", asked Ramoos. "I guess I just did."
"Wait a minute. You asked about the murders, the hearts and other crimes?" from the chief. "Yes, we did. The part about the hearts stunned him, though. Stunned me, too. So he's being truthful in that part." Ramoos to the examiner, "Did you tell him that, technically, the hearts are still alive?" "What!?" exclaimed both the chief and the examiner. "The hearts are still "alive" technically, they're just not moving, except at the cellular level. Glick showed me." "Sonofabitch," muttered the chief. "Is that in your report?" "Right there," Ramoos pointed and the chief craned his head neck down. "You're right. Thats not normal, is it?" "Glick didn't seem to think so." "Have you got anything else on this?" "No, I haven't heard back from Glick. And, I've been babysitting our boy Roger."
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Report
"Are you out of your mind?!", exclaimed the chief at Ramoos. "What the hell is the word 'zombie' doing in your report?" "I know, I know...maybe I should I give the guy a polygraph." "You damn well should, you might throw in a drug test and a saliva test, too!" "I'll ask him he's willing to submit..." The chief cut off Ramoos, "I don't give a goddamn if he's willing or not. Somebody that tells a story like that just isn't normal. Drug-dealing zombies? And then the guy used the stuff, too. Not too mention the link to those hearts in the morgue. You take that guy over to his friend's place. Set up a bust. Get these fuckers off the street." "Yes, sir. Should I leave now?" "You bet your ass you can leave now. Get the hell out of here and get moving on these sonsabitches."
Ramoos went back to the interrogation room where Roger was still waiting. Roger spoke up, "You know, I've been here a long time. I have to take a piss." "Oh yes you do," responded Ramoos. "But, in a cup, Roger. OK?" "You mean a drug test." "Mm-hmm," mumbled Ramoos nodding his head.
Roger came out of the stall and handed the still warm cup to Ramoos. Ramoos fixed the chain-of-custody stickers. "Sign this Roger, OK?" Roger signed, then asked if there was anything else. "Well, lets go back to the room. Then I'll go get this checked out. You look clean, are you? You been screwing around?" "I haven't used any of that shit lately. I've been avoiding them...you know...them. But they haven't been avoiding me." That might work to our advantage thought Ramoos.
Ramoos came back into the room after delivering the sample to the lab. They were doing a rush job on it. "Roger, we're going to give you a polygraph...right now." "What if I don't want to?" "The chief thinks it would be best." "The chief. The chief of police?" "Yeah, I just had a conversation with him. Seems like this case of ours has taken an interesting turn. I hate to tell you this, but you might be involved in a very ugly murder case." Holy shit, thought Roger.
Ramoos went back to the interrogation room where Roger was still waiting. Roger spoke up, "You know, I've been here a long time. I have to take a piss." "Oh yes you do," responded Ramoos. "But, in a cup, Roger. OK?" "You mean a drug test." "Mm-hmm," mumbled Ramoos nodding his head.
Roger came out of the stall and handed the still warm cup to Ramoos. Ramoos fixed the chain-of-custody stickers. "Sign this Roger, OK?" Roger signed, then asked if there was anything else. "Well, lets go back to the room. Then I'll go get this checked out. You look clean, are you? You been screwing around?" "I haven't used any of that shit lately. I've been avoiding them...you know...them. But they haven't been avoiding me." That might work to our advantage thought Ramoos.
Ramoos came back into the room after delivering the sample to the lab. They were doing a rush job on it. "Roger, we're going to give you a polygraph...right now." "What if I don't want to?" "The chief thinks it would be best." "The chief. The chief of police?" "Yeah, I just had a conversation with him. Seems like this case of ours has taken an interesting turn. I hate to tell you this, but you might be involved in a very ugly murder case." Holy shit, thought Roger.
Them
"I understand that and wish to help." The guy stammered. "You got a name?" "Its Roger. Roger Slaymore." Ramoos chuckled under his breath. "Is that a real name, an assumed name or something else?" "Its my given name. Look here's my i.d." Ramoos looked at the license, he chuckled under his breath again when he saw the "Heart Donor" legend. At least he was prepared to give of himself, figured Ramoos, he might be telling the truth...
Roger appeared to be calming down. "How'd you get involved in this?" "You know, friends and acquaintances. I was at one of their homes, and then they brought out the dope. You know, like all of a sudden. There it was on a coffee table. And then they started inhaling it." "You mean like smoking it?" "Not at first, no. But later they showed me how to do that. That first night they ran out of it." "Did you try some then?" " At first, no, I told myself I wasn't going to do that. But, I did try some later." Guilty, thought Ramoos. "So what happened then?" "They made a call." "Cell?" "No, it was a hard line. They have one in that house." "The one who made the call hung up shortly after. He just looked up, and with this strange look on his face he said 'They're coming.' It was kind of creepy the way he said it, like that little girl from the movie 'Poultergeist' when she said 'They're here'." "About what time was this?" "I'm not sure, something like 10 or 11 PM." "A little while later there's this lame rapping at the door. But they didn't rap on the door. They rapped on the aluminum frame surrounding the door. It was eerie sounding."
"Who was it?" "It was th-th-them." Roger was getting nervous again. "Two of them. Neither of them said anything. They just...just groaned. They looked like corpses. I have seen dead bodies before. That is just what they looked like. One of them even looked a little green. Either that or they were very sick, stoned or both. It made me sick to look at them. I don't know how the others could deal with it. Then one of my friends pulled out some cash and handed it to one of these things. The way its hand closed around the money was just unreal. It tucked away the cash in a pocket. By the way, the clothes were very seedy. From another pocket it pulled out a baggie with a white powder inside. It moaned pathetically when it handed it over. My friend just pulled out of its hand with a little effort. The thing looked at him and groaned again. My friend said 'Thanks. Come by anytime - when its dark'. And then he just snickered. Then thing one turned around and thing two followed. My friend moved to the door and let them out into the night."
"I then pleaded with my friend to give it up and not to call these fuckers back in. He said, not tonight, no. I asked him what the fuck those two things were. 'Not people. At least not living people.' I said My God, what the hell are those things then? 'Zombies. The undead. Oh, and by the way, they're also our suppliers'." Ramoos just blew air out of his nose and wondered how the hell he was going to report this.
Roger appeared to be calming down. "How'd you get involved in this?" "You know, friends and acquaintances. I was at one of their homes, and then they brought out the dope. You know, like all of a sudden. There it was on a coffee table. And then they started inhaling it." "You mean like smoking it?" "Not at first, no. But later they showed me how to do that. That first night they ran out of it." "Did you try some then?" " At first, no, I told myself I wasn't going to do that. But, I did try some later." Guilty, thought Ramoos. "So what happened then?" "They made a call." "Cell?" "No, it was a hard line. They have one in that house." "The one who made the call hung up shortly after. He just looked up, and with this strange look on his face he said 'They're coming.' It was kind of creepy the way he said it, like that little girl from the movie 'Poultergeist' when she said 'They're here'." "About what time was this?" "I'm not sure, something like 10 or 11 PM." "A little while later there's this lame rapping at the door. But they didn't rap on the door. They rapped on the aluminum frame surrounding the door. It was eerie sounding."
"Who was it?" "It was th-th-them." Roger was getting nervous again. "Two of them. Neither of them said anything. They just...just groaned. They looked like corpses. I have seen dead bodies before. That is just what they looked like. One of them even looked a little green. Either that or they were very sick, stoned or both. It made me sick to look at them. I don't know how the others could deal with it. Then one of my friends pulled out some cash and handed it to one of these things. The way its hand closed around the money was just unreal. It tucked away the cash in a pocket. By the way, the clothes were very seedy. From another pocket it pulled out a baggie with a white powder inside. It moaned pathetically when it handed it over. My friend just pulled out of its hand with a little effort. The thing looked at him and groaned again. My friend said 'Thanks. Come by anytime - when its dark'. And then he just snickered. Then thing one turned around and thing two followed. My friend moved to the door and let them out into the night."
"I then pleaded with my friend to give it up and not to call these fuckers back in. He said, not tonight, no. I asked him what the fuck those two things were. 'Not people. At least not living people.' I said My God, what the hell are those things then? 'Zombies. The undead. Oh, and by the way, they're also our suppliers'." Ramoos just blew air out of his nose and wondered how the hell he was going to report this.
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Protection
Ramoos answered his cell. "We just had a guy turn himself in. He made a very strange claim and turned over some evidence. We've got him in the interview room right now." "And this pertains to what?" "The evidence is some white powdered narcotic. He claims its a mix of cocaine and meth. Isn't that what you're looking for?" "Be right there."
Ramoos immediately went for the two-way window. He met the other detective there. "This the guy?", asked Ramoos. "Yeah, we collected his evidence and its in forensics now." "You said something about a strange claim?" "Yeah, a wild story. Don't know if I believe it. He's seeking police protection. If his evidence turns out positive, he's gonna get it." "What is it?" The detective turned and looked up at Ramoos, his pupils at the top of his eyeballs and said "You go talk to him."
Ramoos entered the room and eyed the guy. He thought he looked like some average height, average weight, caucasion joe regular. He looked pretty regular. "I'm Detective Ramoos. I understand you're requesting police protection. How can I help you with that?" The guy looked up at Ramoos and stared straight at him and started to tremble just a little. He hesitated a little. Ramoos thought he might not confess to a drug rap. He was wrong.
Stammering the guy was obviously scared shitless and said "I've recently begun buying drugs from the zombies." "Uh-huh, the Zombies is that a gang or a rock group?" "No, no, its neither...its, its - you know - zombies, the undead, the unliving, a living corpse, you know, like Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi and voodoo and shit like that."
At first, Ramoos thought the guy was off his rocker. The guy kept staring at him and shaking. "Voodoo and zombies and shit like that... How do you know they're zombies that you've buying from?" "Like you just said, I've been buying drugs from them. I've seen them. They're not normal. They don't even look like they're alive. Some of them are so fucked-up that they can't even talk. They are as creepy as shit." "OK, sounds like you're pretty certain, but I'm not believing you. Zombies aren't real. They don't exist, except in creepy, low-budget horror movies."
The other detective then opened the door, ducked his head in and said, "It's positive, Joe. You can collar him if you want. But, I think he's fucking nuts." "Thanks, but leave us alone for a little, OK?" The other detective sighed, pulled his head out and closed the door.
Ramoos turned back to his interviewee, "OK, looks like you're right about one thing, you are buying drugs. But, you turned them over to us, we could bust you if we wanted. Problem is, no sane person would believe the rest of your story. Which leads me to ask, are you high on drugs right now and are you in your right mind?"
The guy replied, "Sir, I just handed you eveything I got. I haven't touched that stuff. They just delivered it to me with some bad news. I didn't even ask them to bring the shit to me. They just did it. That's how they operate. I'm just scared out of my wits."
At this point Ramoos wanted the guy to confess how he got involved with the "zombies". But, decided to leave out the parts about the murders and the hearts. "That interests me. It would interest any cop to know how these pricks operate."
Ramoos immediately went for the two-way window. He met the other detective there. "This the guy?", asked Ramoos. "Yeah, we collected his evidence and its in forensics now." "You said something about a strange claim?" "Yeah, a wild story. Don't know if I believe it. He's seeking police protection. If his evidence turns out positive, he's gonna get it." "What is it?" The detective turned and looked up at Ramoos, his pupils at the top of his eyeballs and said "You go talk to him."
Ramoos entered the room and eyed the guy. He thought he looked like some average height, average weight, caucasion joe regular. He looked pretty regular. "I'm Detective Ramoos. I understand you're requesting police protection. How can I help you with that?" The guy looked up at Ramoos and stared straight at him and started to tremble just a little. He hesitated a little. Ramoos thought he might not confess to a drug rap. He was wrong.
Stammering the guy was obviously scared shitless and said "I've recently begun buying drugs from the zombies." "Uh-huh, the Zombies is that a gang or a rock group?" "No, no, its neither...its, its - you know - zombies, the undead, the unliving, a living corpse, you know, like Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi and voodoo and shit like that."
At first, Ramoos thought the guy was off his rocker. The guy kept staring at him and shaking. "Voodoo and zombies and shit like that... How do you know they're zombies that you've buying from?" "Like you just said, I've been buying drugs from them. I've seen them. They're not normal. They don't even look like they're alive. Some of them are so fucked-up that they can't even talk. They are as creepy as shit." "OK, sounds like you're pretty certain, but I'm not believing you. Zombies aren't real. They don't exist, except in creepy, low-budget horror movies."
The other detective then opened the door, ducked his head in and said, "It's positive, Joe. You can collar him if you want. But, I think he's fucking nuts." "Thanks, but leave us alone for a little, OK?" The other detective sighed, pulled his head out and closed the door.
Ramoos turned back to his interviewee, "OK, looks like you're right about one thing, you are buying drugs. But, you turned them over to us, we could bust you if we wanted. Problem is, no sane person would believe the rest of your story. Which leads me to ask, are you high on drugs right now and are you in your right mind?"
The guy replied, "Sir, I just handed you eveything I got. I haven't touched that stuff. They just delivered it to me with some bad news. I didn't even ask them to bring the shit to me. They just did it. That's how they operate. I'm just scared out of my wits."
At this point Ramoos wanted the guy to confess how he got involved with the "zombies". But, decided to leave out the parts about the murders and the hearts. "That interests me. It would interest any cop to know how these pricks operate."
Back
Back at the scene, Ramoos met with two of the investigators. "Clues? Prints? Anything? We got a couple of dead kids here. Not to mention an atrocity." Gill, the senior investigator, responded, "Well, we think we found some footprints, but they are very eroded. We found some traces of a white powder. Possibly a narcotic." "Where is it?, asked Ramoos. "Its in forensics." "I guess the results aren't in..." said Ramoos. Gill's cell rang just then. "Gill, uh-huh, yeah, thanks." "Its positive, detective". "They're writing their findings right now." "What is it?", inquired Ramoos. "They just said its bad and its nasty. They said to come on down."
Ramoos turned and left immediately for the lab. Ramoos went to the lab and found the chemist as soon as he arrived. "Whoa, hey, heard you're hot for this one." "I heard it was bad and nasty. What is that?" "It looks like a mixture, it tested positive for cocaine and methamphetamine and one more possible substance". "What's the third thing in the mix?" "We don't know yet, we don't have enough sample to make positive tests. We're doing further analysis." "Does it match anything in the remains?" "It appears to be the same junk. We can't be sure if they came from the same source yet."
Ramoos, "Have you i.d.'d this before?" "Well, we're checking our notes and logs and databases. Its odd, we don't seem to have a record of this one." "So its a new source? A new dealer in town?" "Possibly, or it could be some local like those pricks who mixed fentanyl and heroin a year or so ago, caused all those deaths. We don't know yet? You got any ideas?"
Ramoos was taken aback. Usually, Roger, the chemist didn't take that much interest in drug cases. "Why do you ask?" "This could be a significant danger to the community. The third substance in the mix, it looks like it could, well, a poison or toxin of some kind. It just has to be dangerous. Whoever is making this shit is some kind of prick. He - or she - or whoever they are - should get the lethal injection. I know its kind of premature. But, I looked at the prelims and I didn't like 'em."
Then, Ramoos's conversation with Glick just kicked in. "Hey, Glick, the ME said something about puffer fish and the poisonous shit they got inside of them." "It sounds impossible...how they could get their hands on such shit is difficult to imagine. But, we'll definitely check it out."
Ramoos turned and left immediately for the lab. Ramoos went to the lab and found the chemist as soon as he arrived. "Whoa, hey, heard you're hot for this one." "I heard it was bad and nasty. What is that?" "It looks like a mixture, it tested positive for cocaine and methamphetamine and one more possible substance". "What's the third thing in the mix?" "We don't know yet, we don't have enough sample to make positive tests. We're doing further analysis." "Does it match anything in the remains?" "It appears to be the same junk. We can't be sure if they came from the same source yet."
Ramoos, "Have you i.d.'d this before?" "Well, we're checking our notes and logs and databases. Its odd, we don't seem to have a record of this one." "So its a new source? A new dealer in town?" "Possibly, or it could be some local like those pricks who mixed fentanyl and heroin a year or so ago, caused all those deaths. We don't know yet? You got any ideas?"
Ramoos was taken aback. Usually, Roger, the chemist didn't take that much interest in drug cases. "Why do you ask?" "This could be a significant danger to the community. The third substance in the mix, it looks like it could, well, a poison or toxin of some kind. It just has to be dangerous. Whoever is making this shit is some kind of prick. He - or she - or whoever they are - should get the lethal injection. I know its kind of premature. But, I looked at the prelims and I didn't like 'em."
Then, Ramoos's conversation with Glick just kicked in. "Hey, Glick, the ME said something about puffer fish and the poisonous shit they got inside of them." "It sounds impossible...how they could get their hands on such shit is difficult to imagine. But, we'll definitely check it out."
Friday, July 18, 2008
Analysis
"I thought one of the EMT's said the hearts looked like they had been preserved?" said Ramoos. "Yes, that's what we thought..." said Glick. "There's a lot of dirt, soil and other detritus in and around them. Maggots and other insects should have been feeding on these. But there's no sign of them. We're doing chemical separation and analysis next door."
"Any suspicions?", asked Ramoos. "It could be anything. But, whatever the hell it is, it makes a great bug repellent." "Toxic?" "Well, any unknown chemical is by definition, hazardous. That includes poisonous. But, it may be perfectly safe to handle, under certain conditions..."
"Such as...?" "Well, the puffer fish has a well-known toxin - tetrodotoxin. If handled and prepared correctly, you can eat the flesh of the puffer fish without harm. It can paralyze and kill if not."
"Do you think its that? Were these people poisoned with the toxin?", asked Ramoos. "I don't have the answer to that, I'm afraid." "Hmmm..."
"Any suspicions?", asked Ramoos. "It could be anything. But, whatever the hell it is, it makes a great bug repellent." "Toxic?" "Well, any unknown chemical is by definition, hazardous. That includes poisonous. But, it may be perfectly safe to handle, under certain conditions..."
"Such as...?" "Well, the puffer fish has a well-known toxin - tetrodotoxin. If handled and prepared correctly, you can eat the flesh of the puffer fish without harm. It can paralyze and kill if not."
"Do you think its that? Were these people poisoned with the toxin?", asked Ramoos. "I don't have the answer to that, I'm afraid." "Hmmm..."
Undead Hearts
The phone rang and Ramoos answered, it was Glick, the medical examiner at the morgue. "It's the hearts..." and his voice just trailed off. "Can you come here?". Ramoos answered yes and took off suspecting some clue to be examined.
It was just getting dark as he arrived at the morgue. He walked in and met with the medical examiner. He thought the examiner looked strangely stiff, perhaps shaken. "What is it?" asked Ramoos. "Their not dead." "Huh, what the hell do you mean?" "Well, they're not showing any movement, but the cells...still seem to be active." "How the hell could that be?" "We don't know, its a mystery. A god damned mystery".
"What's your evidence?" "Its over here." Ramoos followed the examiner to the fridge. He opened it and pulled out a box of slides. The box was labelled with the case number and date and some odd looking notes. He thought he saw the word "undead". "What the hell is that on there?!" exclaimed Ramoos.
Silent the examiner placed one of the slides under one of the microscopes and peered in the eye sights. He slowly moved around the slide and the focus. Then he just stared, silently. After several seconds of this, he pulled up. "Take a look..." said the examiner.
Ramoos bent down and looked in the eyepiece. For a moment he thought he was imagining this. The cells appeared to be moving. He stood up and looked at the examiner with a question mark on his face.
"Its one of the adults."
It was just getting dark as he arrived at the morgue. He walked in and met with the medical examiner. He thought the examiner looked strangely stiff, perhaps shaken. "What is it?" asked Ramoos. "Their not dead." "Huh, what the hell do you mean?" "Well, they're not showing any movement, but the cells...still seem to be active." "How the hell could that be?" "We don't know, its a mystery. A god damned mystery".
"What's your evidence?" "Its over here." Ramoos followed the examiner to the fridge. He opened it and pulled out a box of slides. The box was labelled with the case number and date and some odd looking notes. He thought he saw the word "undead". "What the hell is that on there?!" exclaimed Ramoos.
Silent the examiner placed one of the slides under one of the microscopes and peered in the eye sights. He slowly moved around the slide and the focus. Then he just stared, silently. After several seconds of this, he pulled up. "Take a look..." said the examiner.
Ramoos bent down and looked in the eyepiece. For a moment he thought he was imagining this. The cells appeared to be moving. He stood up and looked at the examiner with a question mark on his face.
"Its one of the adults."
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