From: xfstories@yahoo.com   
      
   Murder In The Capital Part Three   
   By Katie Phillips   
      
   George Washington Memorial Hospital   
   5:30 AM the following morning   
      
   Angela Langsley began assembling the breakfast trays the same way she   
   had for the last sixteen years--quickly and efficiently. By 6 AM, the   
   trays were ready to be taken by the orderlies to patients all around   
   the hospital.   
      
   At the last possible moment, Angela paused in front of a tray   
   labeled "NO NUTS/PEANUTS."  She carefully lifted the stainless steel   
   lid covering the bowl of oatmeal, and drizzled a small amount of oily   
   liquid on it.  After giving the mixture a quick stir, she replaced   
   the cover and put the dirty spoon in the dishwasher along with the   
   rest of the dirty dishes and walked away.   
      
   ++++   
      
   6:45AM   
      
   Scully walked to the nurses' station on the sixth floor and was a bit   
   surprised to find it deserted.  She glanced at her watch, wondering   
   if the doctors were already on their rounds.  Finally, a nurse   
   approached and Scully flagged her down.   
      
   "Excuse me, I'm looking for Penelope Jacobs."  Scully flashed her   
   badge.  "I'm with the FBI.  I was told I could review her medical   
   records before my partner," she paused briefly at the use of the   
   word "partner," "and I interview her."   
      
   The nurse seemed to pale a bit at her words, and muttered something   
   about Scully having to speak to the doctor in charge.  She scurried   
   off just as Mulder was walking down the corridor.  He watched the   
   nurse scamper by before turning to Scully.   
      
   "What's up?"   
      
   "I'm not sure." Scully glanced down the hall where the nurse had   
   disappeared.  "She mumbled something about having to get the doctor."   
      
   Mulder, not being one to wait around, leaned over the counter and   
   quickly spotted a chart listing patient room numbers.  "Room 613.   
   Let's go take a peak while we wait for the doctor, shall we?"   
      
   Scully gestured for him to lead the way and followed him down the   
   corridor.  She was surprised to find nothing but an empty chair   
   outside of Jacobs' room.  "I thought she was supposed to be under   
   guard?"   
      
   "She was."  Mulder tapped on the door and pushed it open.  The room   
   was empty.   
      
   "Where is she?"  Scully asked, walking into the room after Mulder,   
   and checking the bathroom.   
      
   "Mrs. Jacobs is dead."   
      
   Mulder and Scully whirled around to see an overtired doctor, who   
   appeared to be fresh out of medical school, standing in the   
   doorway.  "I'm Doctor Cline."  He shook hands with the two   
   agents.  "Mrs. Jacobs went into cardiac arrest right after eating her   
   breakfast this morning."  He gestured to the breakfast tray which had   
   been shoved unceremoniously into the corner of the room.   
      
   Scully whipped out a latex glove from her pocket, a gesture that   
   provoked a small smirk from Mulder, and quickly examined the tray.   
   It seemed routine enough.  Orange juice, coffee and oatmeal.  "We'll   
   need to take this as evidence."  Scully pulled off her glove and   
   threw it into the wastebasket nearby.  "Please seal off this room   
   until we can examine it."   
      
   "You suspect foul play?"  Dr. Cline looked back and forth between   
   Mulder and Scully.   
      
   "Ms. Jacobs was a suspect in a murder investigation; we have to   
   investigate every possibility."  Scully approached the   
   doctor.  "Would it be possible for me to review Mrs. Jacobs' medical   
   records and take a look at her body?"  Scully spotted Mulder's look   
   and continued.  "I'd also like to perform the autopsy."   
      
   "You're a pathologist?"  The doctor did little to hide his surprise.   
   Mulder did his best to hide his smirk, while he hoped that Scully   
   would have mercy on the young intern.  "Actually I'm the head of   
   forensic medicine for the FBI's western region," Scully informed the   
   doctor, giving him a look that challenged him to question her   
   credentials further.  He wisely did not.   
      
   Mulder pulled out his cell phone and ordered a full forensic team,   
   while Dr. Cline ran off to get Mrs. Jacobs' medical chart.  "You're   
   getting soft in your old age Scully," Mulder said, jerking his chin   
   in the general direction of Cline as he handed her the charts and   
   quickly retreated.  "I'm surprised you let him live."   
      
   Scully merely raised an eyebrow at him, as she scanned over the   
   doctor's notes.  "Nothing too spectacular here Mulder.  Mrs. Jacobs   
   was admitted because she had a severe reaction to the sedative her   
   doctor administered to her at the police station after her arrest."   
      
   "Meaning?"  Mulder had followed Scully out into the hallway where   
   they could talk without risking contamination of any evidence.   
      
   "Meaning, she was given a simple sedative that should have calmed her   
   down, and it knocked her out cold.  They brought her in purely as a   
   precaution."   
      
   "Sounds strange, doesn't it?"   
      
   "Not really.  A somewhat elderly woman shoots her godson point blank   
   in the chest and is arrested and taken away in handcuffs.  That's   
   enough to rattle the best of us.  What are you getting at?"   
      
   "I'm not sure, yet."   
      
   ++++   
      
   9 AM   
   Skinner's Office   
      
   Agents Peters, Edgars and Rogers were sitting around the conference   
   table with Skinner, when Mulder walked into the office, shutting the   
   door behind him.   
      
   Skinner looked up from his notes and frowned.  "Where's Agent Scully?"   
      
   "In an autopsy bay with Penelope Jacobs," Mulder replied, passing out   
   a folder to each member of the group.   
      
   "What?"  Skinner could hardly believe his ears.  "I thought she was   
   in a hospital under guard."   
      
   "She was, Sir.  She died shortly before Agent Scully and I arrived to   
   interview her."   
      
   "Any idea what happened, Mulder?"  Agent Edgars looked up from his   
   pictures of the crime scene.   
      
   "Not yet.  Scully is going over Jacobs' medical records, and will do   
   the autopsy as soon as the family gives their approval."   
      
   The agents read in silence for a few minutes.  "From everything it   
   says here, there doesn't seem to be any signs of foul play at all   
   Mulder," Peters said with a smirk on his face.  "Are you sure you   
   aren't stretching things just a bit?"   
      
   Before Mulder could reply, Edgars chimed in.  "Come on Peters, even   
   you must find it a bit odd that three suspects to three murders all   
   end up dying within days of committing their crimes?"   
      
   "Could be coincidence.  Maybe all of this is just coincidence."   
   Peters threw the folders down in disgust.  "What we got here is a   
   whole lot of nothing."   
      
   Skinner looked up from his paper, curious why Mulder wasn't   
   participating in the debate.  Usually he couldn't wait to take Peters   
   down a peg or two.  The agent was sitting with his elbows on the   
   table, his chin perched on his hands, thinking.  "We're missing   
   something."   
      
   Peters laughed at this.  "The only thing you're missing Mulder, is   
   that red-headed partner of yours to tell you that you're heading off   
   in the wrong direction."  His comment drew a glare from Skinner, and   
   he abruptly shut his mouth.  Mulder ignored his comment completely.   
      
   After several minutes of staring at the pile of pictures in front of   
   him, Mulder began to nod his head slowly.  "Edgars, get on the phone   
   and have someone look into what Ms. Jacobs had to eat for breakfast   
      
   [continued in next message]   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)