Eric looked over each photo in turn. His eyes squinted just a bit while his brows dropped low and pulled together just enough so that the skin at the top of the bridge of his nose scrunched together, it was clear that he was in deep thought.<span class="fixed-color" style="color:#08610e">“According to the forensics report from each victim, the cleaning had been thorough. They even scrubbed the fingernails.”</span>He knew that's not exactly what she wanted to hear but it was the facts.<br/><br/><span class="fixed-color" style="color:#08610e">“Whoever did this, and I'm naming no names, I don't believe she was the first victim. They've scrubbed a body before or did some very thorough research on destroying evidence.”</span>He had to stop himself from saying what he thought next. He didn't even want to say it aloud.<i>Or it was a cop.</i><br/><br/><span class="fixed-color" style="color:#08610e">“But if that’s the case, where are the other bodies? The victims so far seemed as if they had been put out on display. Not like in a social gathering area but not exactly hidden either. If there were others, why not those too? Did they get bored because it was too easy for them? Every new angle raises new questions. And not to beat a dead horse, but there’s still the chance that we’ve been right all along. It could be Marconi disguising his disposables as serial killer victims.”</span><br/><br/>Even after going through the photos and files for more times than they cared to count, the questions remained.<span class="fixed-color" style="color:#08610e">“This is why God made alcohol.”</span><br/><br/>Sometime later and a few beers in, Eric still had no doubt that alcohol had indeed been a divine gift. There had been some casual banter between them but they were both cops. Questions and thoughts about the case still seeped into the conversation, sometimes to the point that it took a conscious effort to push it away.<br/><br/><span class="fixed-color" style="color:#08610e">“Alright. Enough of this for a minute. I'm headed to the little boy’s room. I think the next round was yours right?”</span>It's not like they actually kept score. Some days felt richer than others so you bought a few extra.<br/><br/>Eric had to walk the length of the bar to reach the facilities. This wasn't exactly a classy joint but he figured it would be a good place to hide for a bit. Sometimes in places like this, outsiders aren't welcomed with open arms. It was no surprise that a simple brush of shoulders was enough for a confrontation.<br/><br/>“Hey asshole! You spilt my beer! I think you should buy me another one!”<br/><br/>It was a lie. A ruse for a bully to push his weight around and drink free in the process. The guy hadn't even had a beer in his hand. There were times when Eric would have just bought the guy a beer and move on. Tonight wasn't one of those nights. He had a bit of a chip on his shoulder as well tonight. Regardless, he typically gave them one chance for an out.<br/><br/><span class="fixed-color" style="color:#08610e">“This is the thing dipshit. I'm not buying you a fucking beer.”</span>Brannigan didn't raise his voice or make extravagant hand gestures. The guy had to lean in just a bit to hear him clearly.<span class="fixed-color" style="color:#08610e">“But if you absolutely insist, I have no problem pissing in your mouth while you’re taking a nap.”</span><br/><br/>Brannigan eyes never wavered and stayed locked in a state with the other man. The same couldn't be said of the drunken bully who checked around him to make sure that his friends were behind him. He knew that he couldn't back down in front of the crowd. He had a reputation as a badass after all. Badasses don't back down, at least in his thought process.<br/><br/>“You shoulda just bought me the beer friend.” The big man swung clumsily at Eric’s head which Eric easily avoided with a little deflection and a sidestep. With his free hand, he jabbed the man forcefully in the throat. Eric then took a step back and kicked the man hard enough in the balls to make him puke.<span class="fixed-color" style="color:#08610e">“You shoulda took the out.”</span>