Session 4

Morning the next day

Early Morning Check-ins

• PIZZA calls to confirm the truck thing; pickup at noon
• VELASQUEZ shows up to check in; recommends visiting the HOUGHTON's apartment and viewing footage of it
• 7am: we get to the prison
• sidenote: all of the found bodies predate the 2001 stuff
• COSTA shows up, jokes around, asks if we know anything
• COSTA: "make sure to stay clear of the areas you've been asked to; we wouldn't want you getting a disease"
• we suit up and enter the airlock
• sidenote: every cop group (county, whatever) wants to not be blamed for not noticting the 56 bodies in 2001

Securing the Evidence

we see GRACE, who looks very tired.

GRACE: a lot of forensic specialists are trying to get at the specimens

SHELF: "in that case, you'll be delighted to hear that the CDC is taking everything of interest off site"

MO: "standard cdc protocol. We know you're studying to be like us, but leave this one to the pros."

MO: "anyway monique, have you seen anything interesting today?"

GRACE: "nope, been busy just playing defense"

LOTTIE: "what's the protocol for making sure no investigators leave the site with these materials?"

GRACE: "I'm just a professor... are you saying there's something you want me to be doing?"

LOTTIE: "I'd love if we started bag-checking your students before they leave the site"

GRACE: "we're happy to follow any protocol, but also we're professionals and know that leaving with evidence would be illegal"

LOTTIE: "yeah we're gonna do searches"

students: "what the hell!?"

LOTTIE: "this seems like a really tight ship actually, excited to take this off your hands at noon"

we suit down and leave the airlock

Theories with VELASQUEZ

SHELF: "Velasquez! how are ya. Can you introduce us to each investigation leader onsite, cross-department, so we can check in with what they've found so far?"

VELASQUEZ: "we've been holding off, as per instructions, so nothing really yet. I do still have that footage from HOUGHTON's apartment"

LOTTIE: [holds out flask]: "want a sip?"

VELASQUEZ: "more of an afternoon gal"

LOTTIE: "you were so nice yesterday what happened? you don't drink in the morning anymore?"

VELASQUEZ: "just a rough time; had to drop the kids off with the ex this morning"

LOTTIE: "i get it! what's your theory so far?"

VELASQUEZ: "nothing yet tbh; looking for a motive. It seems so personal!"

LOTTIE: "I have a pet theory: I'm really suspicious of that guy with the gross mustache."

VELASQUEZ: "you mean that county guy COSTA? you have reason to suspect him? he's a buffoon, for sure, but why would he be involved in this?"

LOTTIE: "I've said too much already. anyway let's look at the video"

Reviewing Security Footage

• we enter a trailer that's for looking at videos

VELASQUEZ: "I've got 48 hours of footage here"

SHELF: "have you seen it?"

VELASQUEZ: "no time yet"

• HOUGHTON's apartment is #12121. the apartment building is a u-shape surrounding a parking lot. 2 stories, motel style. Each apartment has an exterior door. Not a nice building; sketchy; very low-income energy.
• we scrub through the footage looking for obvious crimes
  • 12:09AM 8/18, early morning: 3 figures come up the stairs, matching the perps from the other video. All are ~20yo. (THREES)
  • two men walk up one staircase, woman walks up the other.
  • the two men stand adjacent to the doorway while the woman faces it. They don't knock.
  • 12:12AM: HOUGHTON opens the door carrying black trashbag.
  • Trashbag appears not to be super full.
  • HOUGHTON wearing pajamas, no shoes.
  • The trashbag does not resemble the ones full of PUDDING.
  • Appears very surprised to see the woman there.
  • The two men begin striking HOUGHTON on the head with their fists.
  • Drag HOUGHTON down the stairs.
  • woman walks into apartment, remains for 6 seconds, leaves with keychain.
  • perps leave the door open; cat walks out. (ANIMALS)
  • men waiting next to 1997 corolla, woman opens the trunk with HOUGHTON's keychain, men load HOUGHTON into the trunk.
  • 12:13AM: All drive off.
  • of note: there are clear shots of all the perps.

LOTTIE: was any evidence recovered from this apartment?

VELASQUEZ: not yet

SHELF: have inspectors been to the apartment at all?

VELASQUEZ: yeah we went there, but didn't search thoroughly; got the camera footage; collected the trashbag which was full of cat vomit and paper towels. (ANIMALS)

LOTTIE: can we get a sample of that cat vomit? (ANIMALS)

VELASQUEZ: sure

LOTTIE: we want a look at everything you collect

a guy brings us a the trashbag in an evidence bag; MO jars it up. the vomit does have a weird smell, kind of like ROTTING FLESH, and makes us feel hungry. (ANIMALS)

Calling PIZZA

SEAMUS calls PIZZA

SEAMUS: "we've got footage of the perps"

PIZZA: "send it in. keep it on the encrypted lines"

SEAMUS: "also: do you have background on COSTA and VELASQUEZ?"

PIZZA: "we know VELASQUEZ was involved in 2001; no further intel; nothing unusual"

SEAMUS: "that's all. hope ur having a good day. I'm very sorry"

MO: safe-ejects the USB drive and puts it in his pocket.

MO, to VELASQUEZ: we'd like to speak to the WARDEN

VELASQUEZ: sure. by the way, can we run those prints from the weapons?

MO: I'd like to get a quick look at that first. CDC reasons.

VELASQUEZ: uhhhhh? you want to look at the fingerprints? like, the images of them?

MO: no, i mean send us the files and also hand us the screwdrivers. I want to test the screwdrivers' blood for bloodborne pathogens.

VELASQUEZ: that seems normal, yes.

MO: takes the weapons to the onsite lab to make sure they won't turn up anyhting unnatural when the police inspect them.

we notice that the weapons all have the name "KIM Seon-hu" and a phone number on the handles written in permanent marker. KIM Seon-hu does maintenance at the prison and has a rock-solid alibi. He's on CCTV at the prison doing maintenance work. In interview with staties, he says that the tool bucket he uses had gone missing the day before the murder. Police reviewed CCTV footage and saw that the bucket fell out of the back of a truck after KIM unloaded some bedframes. perps on footage grabbing the tools right before killing.

VELASQUEZ: "what would they have done if the tools weren't there?"

• MO checks the weapons for blood, it's all human blood, it's all from the victim. microscopes it. nothing unusual. Jars some for later.
• further testing:
  • high stress, def taking high doses of mental health medication.
  • nothing's weird about the blood, so it's ok to allow the cops to analyze these weapons.

Meeting the WARDEN

we meet the WARDEN, Constance Horan

MO: "How long have you worked here?"

WARDEN: "since 2008, since it opened. All those lefty lunatics trying to shut down the prison? not on my watch. You don't want these freaks on the street."

MO: "Have you seen anything unusual around the prisoners?"

WARDEN: "constantly."

MO: "any firsts this year?"

WARDEN: "man killed another man with a sharpened toothbrush. these freaks are violent. THat's what these liberals don't understand."

MO: "any particular illnesses lately?"

WARDEN: "they live in filth, they're getting sick all the time."

MO: "medical staff onsite?"

WARDEN: "yes."

LOTTIE: "anything different on the 17th and 18th?"

WARDEN: "two fellas enjoying each-others company in the showers, which, by the way, we don't stand for."

SHELF: "is there anyone on staff who actually talks to the prisoners?"

WARDEN: "dumb bitch psychologist, Kate FINCH"

SHELF: "perfect! show us the way."

WARDEN: "by the way, my boy's got a little league game tomorrow. it would mean a lot if some real american heros like yourselves showed up."

Interview with FINCH

FINCH: "great to meet you"

SHELF: "We thought you might have a more useful perspective than the warden about this."

FINCH: visibly deflates at the mention of the warden

SHELF: "anything unusual wednesday or thursday before the thing?"

FINCH: "nothing unusual"

MO: "anyone released recently?"

FINCH: "just the usual number"

SHELF: "anyone see anything? is there someone they'd report things to if they saw anything werid?"

FINCH: "I haven't heard anything, but I'll take your card. I'm the person they'd talk to."

MO: "are any prisoners ex-law-enforcement?"

FINCH: "not that I'm aware of."

LOTTIE: "when they're out in the yard doing exercise, have they mentioned anything about wildlife? critters?"

FINCH: "are you patronizing me ma'am?"

MO: "we study disease. Animals are an important vector."

FINCH: "nothing lately"

SHELF: "ok, do call if anything comes up"

LOTTIE: "any bites recently?"

FINCH: "no"

The OWEN Incident

call from VELASQUEZ

VELASQUEZ: "we've got some goings on around the hazmat tent. could you attend?"

SHELF: "BRT"

we arrive

VELASQUEZ: "we implemented the search you recommended, and caught this individual with contraband materials exiting the crime scene"

OWEN: "It was gonna be a cover up! you're gonna take everything offsite!"

SHELF: "dr grace? sorry about this. We'll need to deal with OWEN with the full extent of the law. You'll understand."

GRACE: "yes I do."

SEAMUS: "how did you take the sample? did you touch any of the goo?"

OWEN: "I'm not a fuckin idiot. I took it with a sample and put it in the sample vial."

officers take OWEN away.

we recover the sample from OWEN.

OWEN: "my contact in the press is gonna hear about this!"

COSTA: "you need some help?"

LOTTIE: "yes. this guy's a flight risk. You need to get a copy of any outgoing communications he makes. Lock him up in county."

COSTA: "yeah, if you help me out I'll help you out. I'll even rough him up a bit"

SHELF: "that certainly wouldn't be necessary" (winks, indicating that it would, in fact, be preferred)

Evidence Transport

at noon: trucks show up. we load everything up:

• the goo
• the preserved bodies, including HOUGHTON

VELASQUEZ: where's this stuff headed?

MO: CDC.

SHELF: if you need any further access to this stuff, please call CDC.

Interview with KIM Seon-hu

we interview KIM Seon-hu

KIM: "I already answered all the questions"

SHELF: "yes, that's alright, you aren't under suspicion. If you uncover anything else, please make sure I'm your first call."

LOTTIE: "why don't you tell us everything you told the police please?"

KIM: "I lost my tools. I'm on the tape."

MO: "yes, this is just procedure. Here's some candy."

KIM: "I don't need this"

MO: "you just keep it."

Fingerprint Match

VELASQUEZ: brings us the hits on the weapon (screwdriver) fingerprints:

prints from all three individuals, but only one shows up in the database:. ELLE GABLE, presumably the woman.

The prints hit because she had been brought to an event for the National Child Identification Database as a child.

• This was in Charlotte, NC.
• Brought by the King Torino Children's Refuge.
• She'd been housed in a children' home.
• She was 8 when the print was taken in 2005.
  • 4 when the shit went down in 2001.
• We aren't sure if she stayed at CORNUCOPIA HOUSE.

HOUGHTON's apartment

we visit HOUGHTON's apartment

a blonde woman approaches our car as we pull in

TOOMEY: "Are you on the case? Olivia Toomey, BMore Sun."

MO: "Active investigation, ma'am. We have nothing to share at this time."

TOOMEY: "I heard there were toxic materials. can you shed light on that?"

MO: "We're CDC. There's always a disease concern."

ALL: "no comment at this time."

Inside the Apartment

we get upstairs, VELASQUEZ in tow

we open the door

STRAWBERRY MILLS apt complex in WHITEHALL maryland, 1hr from ZION

• apartment is a hoarder nightmare.
• Glass cupboard full of precious moments dolls.
• Pet cleaner and paper towels on the floor.
• Rotten food everywhere, as if she'd routinely left it out.
• No cat present. (ANIMALS)
• Litterbox has poop, but nothing fresh. (ANIMALS)
• cat food around. (ANIMALS)
• laptop computer on the counter, logged in, no password.
• A bunch of diaries, all from 2000 and 2001.
• MO takes a bag of kibble outside and shakes it around, as if to attract a cat. (ANIMALS)

Evidence Found

we learn:

• she's on the verge of being evicted
• for the past decade she's supported herself via entry-level jobs
• hasn't been a social worker since 2001
• laid off from Best Buy in 2016
• email chains from 2001 with DHS on her computer, where she repeats over and over that she never saw anything, and that FRANKLIN PRICE (prev inspector) hadn't seen anything either. Desparate correspondence; she's suspended and then fired.
• diaries: initial pages begin with her DHS work. at some point, the pages start filling with the same sentence over and over again, which is the same glowing paragraph-long review of cornucopia house: "the conditions at cornucopia house is above the standard. KALAMATIANO is a great caretaker. etc"
• ed note: her place is nasty enough that it's weird she was concerned with taking out some cat puke
• smells like ROTTING FLESH in the spot on the floor where the cat puked
• meds in cabinet for: PTSD, Schizoaffective disorder, Bipolar, whole battery of stuff. Most prescriptions expired. Clearly trying a lot of treatments.
• fridge: expired moldy food, no borscht to speak of
• TV: tuned to local news

Neighbor Interview

neighbor CINDY: "did you see what happened it's horrible"

MO: "did you know HOUGHTON?"

CINDY: "the one who got deceased? lives next door? no I didn't know her. She's been living here for over a decade, and I maybe saw her 3 times."

MO: "any weird happenings? smells? comings and goings? visitors?"

CINDY: "no, nothing. never visitors."

MO: "did you ever see a cat?" (ANIMALS)

CINDY: "no"

LOTTIE: "any karens in the building who might have been up in HOUGHTON's business?"

CINDY: "nope; people don't live here for long normally."

apartment manager does not recognize the three young perps (THREES)