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"What do we have?" Zee asked the officer by the door. The street was filled with cars, reporters and gawkers. Fortunately, everyone outside was behaving.

"Chaos," the young weasel replied, "unadulterated chaos." He was a police officer and looked tired. People were running around the gigantic foyer, talking excitedly. Higher up, voices were being raised. "If you're here for the body, just follow the screaming."

"Who are they?" He asked, looking around. The opulence in on display made the deer uncomfortable.

"No idea, I'm just on door duty. Some important guy is about all I gathered."

There was too much of it. Not only had the owner turned five brownstone into one home, but it was furnished to make sure anyone who entered knew how wealthy they were. Wealth didn't always mean corruption, but in Zikabar's experience, it always meant secrets.

He took the left curving stairs up to the second floor. The doors were open and people in uniform, out of them, or in suits went in and out. A few who noticed him nodded a greeting before getting back to examining what needed examined. The size of the building was why the police had asked the FBI's help in processing it. Zee had been happy to lend some of his people.

Then he'd received a message from Director Patterson, asking him to be on the scene. Since one didn't say no to the Director without a better reason than, 'I'm helping a fellow Special Agent in Charge with a case in San Francisco', he fought traffic to be here.

Because he felt contrary, he took the right side curving stairs to the third floor.

Now he could make out the loudest screaming voice as female, coming from an office on his left. The office was also large, at least fifty feet deep and more than that wide. The number of people in it made it feel slightly smaller.

"I don't need you in my scene!" the woman screamed. A rabbit in comfortable orchid slacks, a butterscotch shirt with a lime jacket. Bold, he had to give her that, and he realized she was a hare, not a rabbit.

"Detective Cooper," Agent Dalmarsson replied, "we were called here to help by your commissioner. From what I can tell, every police lab technicians are busy processing the other rooms, we're helping with that too, but this is the crime scene, you need to--"

"I'm in charge of this scene!" She yelled back. "Me, not you, me! I can process it without any of you people's help!"

The dingo sighed. "Really? 'You people'? Detective, you don't have a kit, you are wearing driving gloves. How do you expect to collect anything?" Gilbert Dalmarsson was one of the more patient men Zikabar knew. Which served him well since most of the time he had to process a scene, he had to deal with people who weren't happy with him.

Whatever detective Alice Cooper had planned on answering with changed when she noticed Zikabar. "Oh, I should have known you were behind this."

Zee tilted an ear. "Detective?"

The dingo gave an apologetic shrug.

"Don't bother with this innocent bullshit. He put you up to this, didn't he? This is interfering with an investigation, I'm going to have him locked up faster than he can put his pants on for this."

"I don't think commissioner Webern will appreciate that, as far as I know, she isn't fond of even visiting a jail."

"I don't mean her and you fucking know it."

"She's the one who requested that we--"

"Don't give me that. I don't know how, but you people control her, I know it."

Zee smiled. "I'm afraid I have no idea what you are referring. We were asked to help, we are. If you are unhappy about it, you should take it up with your captain. Or whichever superior you prefer reaching for." He broadened his smile. If she thought she was the only one capable of playing the insinuation game, she was sadly mistaken.

"Detective Cooper," he cut off whatever she was about to say. "We can stand here all week, and this room will still be processed, but without your supervision. If there is anything you want to ensure if treated properly, I suggest you go make sure it is done. I am certain you will find other occasions to make my life difficult."

She glared at him, looked about to say something, then turned and screamed at a police technician.

"I'm sorry you had to deal with her, sir," the dingo said. "She's been making everyone's life impossible. I get she's in charge, but she's acting like she should be the only one here."

"Her screaming at me couldn't be avoided. My best friend is someone she hates with a passion."

"He's a cheetah?"

Zee raised an eyebrow.

"She mentioned a cheetah being behind all this. To hear her grumble, he's the anti-Christ."

"Hardly. What can you tell me? I haven't had time to catch up on any of the details."

"I thought Marcus would tell you when he called you in."

"He didn't. Where is my husband?"

"He did a walk around the room and hurried out when she noticed him. As for this. The dead guy is Samuel Ulsens, some church big wig, is you couldn't tell by the house, or maybe it should be houses. The guy lived here with the staff, his assistant and no one else. Who needs this kind of space?"

"Church?"

"Yeah," Gilbert looked through notes on his phone. "Cardinal of Marbury is his title."

Zee looked at the hare who was now harassing a lab technician examining the desk. If this man was linked to this Gray Church Denton had told him about, it could explain her behavior, there could be things hidden in this room about that she didn't want found. He felt a momentary thrill at discovering something that could make his friend's life easier, then set it aside. He was an FBI agent first, not some undercover spy for Denton. They would help the police and if something came up, that could be of help, he'd inform his friend.

"Any thoughts on what happened?"

The dingo pointed to the blood sprayed on the floor and walls in the corner. "That's where the body was found, by the cleaning staff, they're being interviewed--" he looked at the time-- "have been interviewed, unless the police keeps that to themselves, someone should have a copy waiting for us at the office."

Zee walked around the people in the room and stood before the blood. He could read a lot of anger in the way it spread on the walls almost up to the ceiling.

"The body was, well, mutilated is the best term I can use. The coroner said he couldn't remember ever seeing a body that cut up. Whoever did it was pissed."

Zee nodded and looked around. Motive analysis wasn't his thing, but he'd picked up a detail or two from talking with Marcus. Angry people were careless they didn't usually plan on what happened. An argument got out of hand, they grabbed what was handy and acted uncaring of the consequence in the moment.

"Noticed it, didn't you?" the dingo whispered.

Zee nodded. There was a suspicious lack of blood anywhere other than where the body had been found. Not bloody footsteps walking away no drips from someone who'd gotten covered in blood while massacring a man.

"As anyone else commented on it?"

"The detective made it clear the police lab techs weren't allowed to talk to us, but I've noticed how they look at the blood, then the room, so at least some of them noticed."

"Alright, get back to it."

"If I find something I'll let you know."

"No, tell Detective Cooper. We're helping the police, not taking over the scene."

"I thought that's why you came down."

Zee's phone buzzed. "No." He wasn't certain why he was here himself. "I'll stay around for a while, out of everyone's way. If Detective Cooper gives you problems, let me know. I'll do my best to smooth things over."

He read Denton's message as he left the room. 'Zee, we were attacked, we're fine. I don't want you to freak out. Heading back to the office. Tom has a gun to my head about getting Doc Merlin to look me over.'

'Thanks for letting me. Freak out avoided. I'm busy with work, when I'm done I'll drop by with Marcus. We can give you a once over to make sure your doctor hasn't missed anything.'

Another message came as he finished typing. This one from agent Mortis. 'Any news on the reports from San Francisco? Still haven't received any updates.'

He placed the call.

"Special Agent in Charge Auerbach speaking," came the tired response.

"Azrael, this is Zikabar."

"Hey Zee, how's Denver? It survived your absence?"

"Of course. How are you?"

"Tired. I have a serial killer on the loose targeting young women, a money-laundering scheme that's spilling over in the state from Nevada. And the usual political bullshit. How can I help you?"

"It sounds like you are the one needing help."

"I'll survive. Spill, unless you're calling to say you and Marcus are dropping by for a visit, I need to get back to this mess."

"Unfortunately, we are too busy ourselves. I'm calling to ask you to remind the people you have looking into the campsite massacre that my basement team is helping them, and if they could kindly forward the information about it? I suspect they aren't taking them seriously."

"It's a basement team, what do you expect? But I'll remind them that we exist within a spirit of cooperation. Your team should have it by the end of the day."

"Thank you Israel, and please take care of yourself. Joseph might have been an asshole, but he did make sure you didn't overwork yourself. If you need me to, I'll call at five your time to remind you to go home."

"Yes dad, I'll take care of myself."

"Good. I need to go, I have another call coming it." He switched to the new call.

"Agent Malhotra," said a deep baritone without preamble. "Are you at the scene?"

"Yes Director Patterson." Zee tried to work out why the Director would call him directly. A message was unusual enough, he normally worked through intermediaries.

"Good, good. I need you to take over."

"Sir? This is a local matter, it should be the police who handles it."

"It should, but I received a call from a Monsignor Li Voti, requesting we be the ones handling it."

"This isn't going to go over well with the local authorities," Zee said, thinking it was going to explode with enough force to level this entire neighborhood.

"They're being informed as we speak. They shouldn't give you any problems, if they do, have them talk with their superiors. They can deal with the blowouts."

"I will, but a word of warning, this could get ugly. One of the detectives seems to be personally invested in this."

The reply took long enough to come Zee suspected he wasn't being told everything, which was normal, this felt like politics more than investigative concerns. "I trust you to handle it Zikabar."

"I will, Director."

The call terminated.

Could this not be a Gray Church issue? They wouldn't take it away from one of their people if it was, would they? Unless the Director was-- No, not going there, Zee thought. This wasn't some Illuminati Conspiracy, even if secret societies existed and one of them did seem to run things from behind the scene.

He returned to the room to find the hare screaming he her phone. Mostly expletives. If her superior was anything like his, she would be benched regardless Zee's orders now.

"I don't fucking care!" she yelled. "I'm not turning this over to his fuck toy! This is my case! I have to be the one investigating it because I know he's behind it. He hated the cardinal for--" she snapped her muzzle shut. Then put the phone away.

"Detective Cooper," Zee said, "I trust you've been informed."

"Don't fucking give me that. I know he's behind this. You're not going to bury this involvement." She rose her voice. "Do you hear me people? This is our case, no one is to tell those fuck toys anything!"

This caused half the FBI agents to yell at her, which caused the police officers to come to her defense, which made the rest of the agents side with their coworkers.

Zikabar gave the screaming a full minute to abate on its own. When it didn't, he took a breath and raised his voice only so much it could be heard over the yelling.

"That is enough!"

The agents fell silent immediately, and without being screamed at, the police officers followed suit.

He fixed his gaze on the hare. "Detective, I appreciate that you are not happy with this, but the decision isn't ours to make. All we can do is follow the orders we have been given."

"I'm not some perverts--"

"Detective, this isn't about that, and I suspect you are well aware of that. A man was murdered here in a horrible manner. I have been put in charge of discovering who and why. If you don't intend on helping me, I will have to ask that you leave. Detective, please do not force me to have you escorted off the property. While you are being irrational about many things, I do respect you as an officer of the law. Don't erode that by forcing my hand."

She came to him and leaned in close, lowering her voice. "This isn't over. I don't care how much you try to cover up his involvement, I will find something and then I'm going to make him pay. Tell him that, the next time he fucks you."

"If you're done, Detective, please leave."

She stormed off.

Zee looked over the others. "This goes for anyone else here. If you believe Detective Cooper is right, and that you will be interfering with this investigation. Please join her off the property." No one left, or even looked like they considered it. "Good, then let's all get back to work. Gilbert, go find those transcripts of the interviews with the witnesses, and if you come across Marcus, inform him of the shift in authority, and that I want him to go over those transcripts."

The dingo paused by him. "What was this about? This shouldn't be our case."

"Politics," Zee replied. He just wished he knew whose politics he was being made a pawn of.