original

100 Ways to Solve a Murder

Capítulo 1: Levi Jackson

November 2011

Laboratory, Guy's Hospital

Great Maze Pond, London, UK

Everyone who knew Levi Jackson well knew the blonde Irishman wasn't a fan of chitchat. He never saw the point of it; thus, he never bothered. After all, it was a waste of precious time.

So, when Guy's Hospital Laboratory door swung open, he frowned at the distraction—frowned upon the thought of someone attempting to make idle conversation with him, like his gay colleague Janet did.

Janet Rivera, the chubby Forensic pathologist Assistant with dyed blue hair who had a habit of talking about everything. Be it her cat Purrito, or the latest work gossip, to her neighbour taxidermist named Samuel.

Levi's eyes gazed upon the person, a woman to be precise, and his brows rose in intrigue rather than annoyance.

She was wearing pyjamas, under a long black robe and a pair of bunny slippers. Her hair was a natural coppery hue; her brows were creased together in clear annoyance, and her shoulders tense from stress.

It didn't take a genius to figure out she recently got out of bed, and at Midnight Levi could tell it wasn't from sleeping.

No, Sleeping was the problem. 'Insomniac,' he thought, based on the faint bags under her green eyes.

A stack of folders was in her hand and a specimen tray on top of it. 'Workaholic,' Levi noted silently.

Janet tensed at the sight of the newcomer, Dr Gray," she squealed.

The redhead grabbed a random lab coat by the rack, "Don't mind me, Miss Rivera. As you were." the woman instructed, dismissing Janet's and Levi's presence in the room.

Sam positioned herself in a separate lab station, closest to the door and in front of the slicked blond's observing gaze. Putting on her earphones, she listened to heavy metal as she turned the Bunsen burner on in front of her and started to work.

'Lived in America,' he determined by her choice of words.

The room returned to its silence as the three worked in peace.

Janet looked at Levi, the brilliant criminal psychologist with slicked blond hair, and owner of a small private detective agency called 'Jackson Detectives' located at 7 Eastbourne Road.

He is also always seen wearing expensive-looking suits, from Gucci to Ermenegildo Zegna.

Janet glanced between the blond and the redhead; the two strangers mirrored each other, completely ignoring the world around them while they worked with their goals.

At 3 AM, a yawn escaped Janet's lips; she'd have to take the day off later, she thought. With the slicked blond still using the Lab, specifically her equipment. Her eyes bounced at her superior in curiosity. She was two years her junior, yet, she held a higher position as Director of Forensic Pathology. She knew exactly why that was, Dr Sam Gray was incredible with her job, and she was dedicated.

She was dedicated to the point of working long hours, weekends, holidays--even during her days off, like that day. Sam Gray was a workaholic, a perfectionist, considered one of the best, if not the best in the field of Forensics.

She even works some days as a forensic consultant in the Metropolitan Police Department and Lecturer in different Universities.

So, the sight of her in Pajamas, sneaking in the Laboratory with an Access card the bluettte reckoned she 'borrowed' from a colleague was not enough to faze her, considering in the short ten months that Dr Gray worked there, Janet had heard gossip about the redhead. To most, her conduct is peculiar, like sleeping in the morgue next to dead bodies, or heavy metal playing in her Lab upstairs, especially at night.

Even conversing with them during an autopsy, which is either smiled or frowned upon by those who witnessed it.

Eccentric was a word that suited her best.

Janet's eyes then shifted to Levi; it wouldn't take a genius to see the two's similarities. Both exceptional in their field of work.

'The brilliant ones are usually the odd ones,' Janet thought as she watched them work in silence, and a sense of jealousy enveloped her. The two people with her were too alike, yet polar opposites.

Levi is always put-together, and not one time from the three years she had known him, NOT ONCE, had she seen a single strand of his blond hair out of place or his crisp suit wrinkled.

He was an undeniably good-looking lad, and with his height, he could easily pass as a model, but as they say, don't trust a book by its cover. Because he was a sarcastic, egotistical, self-serving, manipulative wanker with a morbid sense of humour.

Levi's personality was more of an acquired taste, and only a few appreciate its bitter flavour. However, Janet couldn't deny that he had the best smile she had ever seen. One that could even make her swoon.

On the other hand, Sam Gray was laid back, considerate, humorous, and generally liked by others. She was also very soft-spoken, but not timid, and highly respected in her field.

Come to think of it, Janet realized she doesn't know much about the private life of the woman, for she had always kept her personal life separate. She doesn't even know if she has siblings or if she was in a relationship.

It was 3:46 AM when Janet broke the silence,

"Levi, I'm going to get something to eat. Do you want me to bring you something?" she asked, standing beside him.

"Coffee, no sugar thanks." he dismissed, sending her his signature charming smile. Janet nodded in response and approached Sam Gray.

Janet stood just behind the redhead, "Dr Gray, would you like something?" she asked, feeling slightly self-conscious, the woman was amazing in her own right, and she was a fan of her work.

Her eyes scanned the redhead, her hair was in a messy bun, held by a pencil, some falling on the side of her fair face. Her green eyes glued on the microscope before her.

Sam blinked, startled with Janet's presence behind her. She completely forgot she was using the Main Laboratory used by the staff and was not alone in her Lab, which was upstairs, locked.

Her access card was confiscated by her assistant Elle. Ensuring she would spend her three days off not at work, clearly a failed feat.

She turned to Janet and smiled. She was in a better mood after doing something instead of having a pillow pressed over her face in frustration, tossing and turning on her bed, forcing sleep to come.

"Coffee would be nice, thank you. Black, no sugar please." She said softly after removing one of the earphones plugged in her ear.

Janet nodded before leaving the room while Sam got back to work.

It was 6 AM when the redhead finished, at least the first case, and decided to go home to eat and take a shower. She returned to work 3 hours later; this time, to make a trip to the morgue.

She had a date with a corpse.

It was her job to review every Forensic Pathologist's work, checking for discrepancies and mistakes.

...

11 PM -Next day

The night after was the same; Sam Gray sat at the same spot in the Laboratory, fingers typing fast on the computer keyboards.

The slicked blond stepped into the Lab, passing her as he walked towards his last spot the night prior. He took note of what she was wearing, something more casual than the night before.

Black jeans and a grey T-shirt under a white lab gown. A Lab gown with the name E. Taylor engraved on the left breast pocket. It didn't take a genius to figure out that it didn't belong to her, again, 'borrowed'.

The Irishman started to work on his experiments, while Janet stepped out of the Lab five minutes after to prepare a dead body in the morgue.

It was 2 hours later when Levi's mobile phone hummed to life, signalling a message. He fished it out of his pant pocket and read the message.

'Where are you? Talked to Davies, suspect in custody,' texted Marco.

'Guy's, bring coffee,' was his short reply.

Half an hour later, Dr Marco Evans, brown-haired bearded man, and Levi's best friend and business partner walked into the Lab with a cup of coffee. Followed behind him chattering was Janet, fresh from the morgue.

The second the man stepped inside the room, his brown eyes paused at the unfamiliar redhead, who didn't bother looking up when he entered, too focused on her work. Noises around her muffled by the music playing.

Janet shook her head to Marco to say "no" to him, and the incredibly tall man proceeded towards Levi.

Janet placed a cup of coffee beside the redhead's counter, enough to catch her attention. "I brought you coffee, Dr Gray." She whispered; the woman looked up from her notes and smiled at her. "Thanks very much, Ms Rivera." then she returned to her devices.