章節 18: Jeremy Knoxx

May 2012, Guy's Hospital

Sam was reviewing cases as per usual, her crimson hair in a messy bun. Seated inside her lab looking over a post mortem report. Levi sat in front of the machine, busy inputting some DNA fingerprint in her Program. It was something he had decided to help her with since he expected it would come useful in his future cases.

'BAM

BAM

BAM'

The pounding startled both Sam and Levi, and their eyes fell to the source. Just outside the glass door was a tall blond teenager, around 17 years old. Beside him was Elle Hart, the two seemingly arguing. Elle tried to usher the boy away from the door, but he was much bigger than her, making it impossible and continued to pound on the glass looking directly at Sam.

"DOCTOR GRAY! DOCTOR GRAY! PLEASE!" The boy called, shouting.

Although they couldn't hear his voice inside the soundproof lab, Sam knew it was her that he wanted. So, she closed the file on her desk, vacated her seat, then opened the door and stepped out.

"DOCTOR GRAY! PLEASE!" The teen pleaded; struggling to fight the assistant. Levi watched by the door amused at the messy scene. Elle stood around 5'3" inches tall at best, attempting to move a 6'1" teenager, failing miserably.

"I told you, she's busy!" Elle insisted tugging him away, but he remained on his spot. "Please, doctor Gray just a moment of your time. Please" The teen pleaded, seeing two burly security guards approaching the scene made his eyes water. He came there without the knowledge of his mother, he came there desperate. He knew the guards would most likely drag him out. He needed to at least tell her about his dad.

"It's okay, Elle," Sam says, seeing the teen on the verge of tears, curious what a teenager would want from her that early afternoon.

Elle shifted at Sam, after hearing the stern tone in her voice. "I'll be taking a break, please bring us tea," Sam added, a hand on the teen's shoulder ushering him inside the lab. The two guards inquired if they were still needed, and Sam softly thanked them and said no.

Minutes later Elle returned with a tray of tea and biscuits, then leaving them in privacy. Sam turned to the teen, who was sitting at the center of the lab, a cup in hand. "So, what can I do for you...?" Sam trailed; he hadn't given her his name.

The teen wiped his tears, sniffed, and said, "My name is Ian."

"You already know who I am, this is Levi Jackson, a criminal psychologist," Sam says, introducing the blond in a black suit and dark blue tie standing behind her. He was leaning on the wall with his hands in his pocket, watching the scene unfold with curiosity. Ian awkwardly nodded in greeting, as Levi looked at him as if saying 'get on with it'.

"MY father was arrested for killing a man. He didn't do it, Doctor." The teen started with a confident look in his brown eyes. "I heard you were the best pathologist around, I was hoping…please just take a look at his case." The teen pleads earnestly.

"What's your father's name?" Sam asked.

"Jeremy Knoxx." The teen said, and Sam's brow shot up in intrigued and Levi audibly grunted and rolled his eyes, to him the boy was simply in denial that his father was a bad guy. They both had seen his name plastered on the tabloids and his face all over the news. He was a suspect for a shooting in a Spa. It was stated he was caught on camera doing it. The Criminal Investigation Department considers it as good as an open-and-shut case.

"Please correct me if I'm wrong, I've read that there was video evidence of him doing IT," Sam says, choosing her words correctly. "No doctor, the man in the video wasn't him! I'm sure it wasn't him!" The teen claims, pulling his mobile phone quickly from his jumper.

Showing Sam, a photo of his father with him standing together. Jeremy Knoxx, an older version of the boy was also noticeably tall, his long arm was draped around Ian's shoulder in the photo. He looked like most people, most of all he didn't look like a killer. But then again that's what makes killers far more dangerous. It could just be anyone.

Then Ian swipe left showing her the video of the shooting, something that surprised the two of them. Sam and Levi exchanged looks, neither of them had seen the video, it was considered key evidence for the case and was not made public. They reckon Ian must have gotten a copy of it one way or another. Sam takes the mobile phone from his hands and watches the video. She leaned back on her chair making herself comfortable, behind her Levi stood watching.

The video was of the front entrance, Levi noticed the camera was placed in a small hallway. A man in a dark blue hoodie entered, and the next clip was a video of the information desk. The man approaches the desk swiftly, where the male manager is known as Anthony Fletcher and his coworker Michelle Knowles stood. He points the gun to the victim, and before Anthony could utter a word, he pulls the trigger and Anthony collapses on the ground. The man exits the spa, Michelle cowered behind the front desk, swiftly taking a peek of the man making his escape. She grabs the phone shaking and calls the police. The video finishes.

Levi turns to the kid on the chair, looking at him. He could tell he left in a hurry, and he came there alone. He reckons his mother has no idea where he is and what he's doing. It is not that he felt bad for the kid, he in a way pitied him, believing so full-heartedly, fooling himself. Michelle from what the news had reported and as the video revealed saw the shooter and she identified Jeremy Knoxx.

There was no way Sam would waste her time on an already solved case., he thought. However, what came out of Sam's mouth seconds later surprised Levi.

"You're right, that isn't your father." She stated, and the conviction in her voice told Levi she wasn't kidding. He wondered if she saw something he didn't.

The teen started crying at her statement, relieved that she believed him. Levi stood there watching quietly as the redhead calmed the teen down promising to check his father's case herself.

It was 30minutes later when the teen was satisfied with Sam's promise, he left soon after.

With just the two of them in the room, Levi shifted to Sam, leaning over the counter with a knowing look. Watching her fiddle with her landline.

"Why?" he asked, curious as to why she made such a bold statement, he doubts she did it just to give the young man false hope. He knew her enough to know she wasn't cruel.

"I need to see the scene" Sam states, avoiding his question entirely. She picked up the landline and called Elle, asking her to pull strings for her.

"Mind if I tag along?" Levi asked grinning, looking forward to what she was planning to do, "I was hoping for it." Sam says, after ending the call and going back to work.

It was the next day when Levi received a text from Sam, he was lying flat on his back on the corner sofa in the office shuffling his cards in the air. He read the message and all it had was an address and time. He knew what it was for, he smiled at his seat.

"Boys, I have to cancel on drinks. Something far more interesting came up." Levi stated smiling, the boys shot him back a smile, taking note that his eyes held a glint of mischief in it.

They reckon the blond Irish was planning to have as what he would usually say, "A whale of a time"