<USS Avalon> "Finally"

"Finally"
By: Lt. Jg. Melanie Redgrave
 
Without a word to the quietly brooding Commander standing in the corner of  
the room Melanie set right to work on the weapon. She carefully took the bag it 
 was in out of her kit and placed it on the table. Then after putting on a 
pair  of gloves she removed it from the bag, uncapped a small silver jar, 
picked 
up a  brush and began dusting the weapon for finger prints. As Melanie 
covered the  weapon in the fine black powered she glanced up at Skyler and 
wondered 
what the  older woman was thinking. She’d noticed the last few times they 
were 
together  that she was able to pick up on things from Skyler, but she was 
more guarded now  and Melanie had made up her mind about pressing things. 
 
Once the weapon was covered in the powder Melanie looked back down at it  and 
carefully turned it over in her hands. She tried not to smile at the parcel  
print that stared up at her from the level control switch. She picked up a  
sticky piece of film and covered the print. When she pulled it back there was a 
 
perfect print on it and Melanie quickly sent it through the scanner. “
Computer  identify finger print.” 
 
Next on the list was to test the weapon for DNA and then to type it. It  
looked rather out dated and obsolete but Melanie didn’t really know much 
about  
weapons. She’d have Paul take a look at it when he returned. After dusting 
off  
the black print dust Melanie picked up a spray bottle and coated the weapon 
with  it’s contains. She then turned on a strange looking lamp and placed the 
weapon  under it. If there was DNA on it, it would come up orange. Melanie 
didn’
t bother  looking up from her work until she heard Paul burst into the lab. 
 
“Mel! Hey Mel! Melanie!” 
 
Melanie let out a slow breath as she looked up and turned around to look at  
Paul. “Did you find anything?” 
 
Paul held up the shoes. “One pair of soft soled civilian shoes from Durvus  
IV with a chunk missing from the left sole.” There was a gleam in Melanie’s 
eyes  that Paul really hated to put out, but she had to know. “We got a 
problem.”
 
 
“Please tell me you got the warrant first.” Melanie said as she looked over 
 
Paul’s shoulder at the waiting Commander. 
 
Paul held up the warrant. 
 
“So what’s the problem?” 
 
The young man went pale. “He’s gone.” 
 
The gleam in Melanie’s eyes turned quickly to fire. “What do you mean 
he’s  
gone?”
 
“The petty officer’s things were gone and the computer can’t locate him 
on  
the ship.”
 
Melanie closed her eyes and pinched her nose while she took in a deep  breath 
and let it out slowly. “What did Sierra say when you told him?” There was  
no answer from Paul and that made Melanie look up at him. “You did call him  
didn’t you?” 
 
The look on Paul’s face said it all. Melanie was about to remind him that  
they might not like working with security but in the end it was their job to  
arrest, and forensics job to give them a reason too.  But just as Melanie  was 
about to open her mouth the computer chirped. “Print identified.” 
 
“Who’s is it?” Melanie asked as if she didn’t already know. 
 
“The finger print belongs to Petty Officer Lol Kendrick of the USS Avalon.” 
 
Again Melanie took in a deep breath and then let it out slowly as she  
pressed her comm badge. “Redgrave to Ketchum and Sierra. We know who your 
after  but 
we have a problem. It would appear that our perp has added an AWOL charge to  
his list of crimes. Your going to want to start looking for Mister Kendrick.”

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