Transmission from the Trickster

Chapter 39

"So get this," Sam says, getting the attention of everyone else in the room. "Tuesday, supposed animal attack inside a house in the middle of jam-packed New York City."

"What do we know about the vic?" Dean asks.

"Not much," Sam says, switching between tabs. "Uh, Alexandria Velika. 26 years old — ugh." Sam shudders and turns the laptop to his brother to show him the only picture of her he can find — standing next to a dead giraffe with a smile and a gun.

Dean lets out a low whistle. "She's hawt."

Mary peers over his shoulder with a look of disgust. "Suddenly, I don't feel too bad that she's dead."

"Yeah, really," Sam mutters. "She apparently lives with her boyfriend, who was home at the time..." Sam searches around for a minute or two, then continues, "But, for some reason, no one's citing what he said he saw."

"Sound like our kind of case?" Dean asks.

"I don't know," Sam says. "Can't hurt to check it out."

~~

It's just Sam and Dean who go to work the case, as it usually is. The first place they go is the crime scene — the victim's house — where a few cops are hanging around, but otherwise, it's mostly empty. It's a nice place in theory, but the giant dead giraffe standing just in front of the door is a little off putting.

"Holy —" Dean takes a step back almost instinctively, staring up at it. "Is that real?"

"Probably," Sam says. "She was a hunter — and not the good kind." He eyes the animal and adds, "She really killed that thing just to put its body in her house. Horrible."

"Hey, everybody needs a hobby," Dean says with a shrug, but there's something in his tone that makes Sam think he's not thrilled, either.

"I'm sorry, who are you?" one of the cops asks, eyeing the two of them suspiciously.

"FBI," Dean says as they both pull out their badges. "Agents Sasse and Omundson."

"And what are the feds doing investigating an animal attack?" the man asks.

"Are you questioning my authority?" Dean asks, a threatening undertone to his voice.

"No, I'm saying you have too much authority," he says. "I would've thought the feds were above this."

Dean sighs. "We did, too," he says wistfully.

The man raises an eyebrow but doesn't question it. "Well, I'm Captain Leland Stottlemeyer. Good to have you here. I think." He gestures to the crime scene. "It's all yours. If you have any questions, I'm sure someone here can help you out, myself included."

"Thanks," Dean says, walking away, which is Sam's cue to follow so they can talk without being overheard.

"So, what now?" Sam asks. "I mean, place looks pretty empty. Maybe we should check out the body?"

"Yeah, maybe," Dean agrees. "And, if that doesn't hit, what do you say we go find the mysterious boyfriend?"

~~

"And that's... it," Dean says slowly. "You're not missing anything, not hiding another piece anywhere?"

The coroner, Doctor Brenner, shakes her head. "Nope. This is it. I told you, it's an animal attack, and animals don't leave a whole lot behind."