100 Ways to Solve a Murder-Chapter 111 - 7 Days with Levi Jackson
7 Eastbourne Rd.
Day 1.
Sam had been crashing in 7 Eastbourne Rd since she returned. Sleeping inside one of the empty rooms in the Flat.
Early that morning Levi was invited by DI Davies to come to look at a crime scene in Ilford. The slicked blond left immediately hoping to get an interesting case, only to return an hour later, both irritable and deflated.
Saying it was a waste of his precious time, and that it was an obvious case.
Then he complained about how bored he was for the rest of the day, while Sam sat with her legs crossed on the couch. Busy responding to emails from Ivan, regarding her new flat. She let the psychologist rant, responding once in a while, and offering tea.
Day 2.
Levi decided to finally use the new microscope after he saw nothing interesting in the Agency’s cases, with Sam as his lab assistant.
Things got out of hand when he insisted that she teach him how to make Fulminated Mercury. Sam refused, saying the Kitchen Lab wasn’t a place for it. In response, the slicked blond chucked knives on the target the rest of the afternoon. The target being a photo of Sam on the wall.
The redhead simply cocked a brow at his antics, as she sat there on the sofa reading Smithsonian articles online.
Day 3
Seeing as the redhead wouldn’t budge, Levi decided to use the silent treatment. A bold sneaky move he learned from Marco years back in college. It had been very effective to him then. He hoped that it works well enough on the redhead, that she would teach him how to make Fulminated Mercury.
Unfortunately, Sam didn’t fold, knowing full well, they could possibly blow down the whole building if shit goes wrong. And there were kids living next door.
However, she did offer to make a safer kind of bomb with him.
Thermite, a mixture of aluminum powder and a metal oxide that is usually used for welding and incendiary bombs.
But as if lady luck had left the two of them that day, it didn’t go as planned. Because the slicked blond decided to test if the Thermite would work.
Simply put they burned a hole on the floor. Levi watching it unfold in morbid fascination, whilst Sam hurried to get the fire extinguisher.
To say the least, Mrs. Whitehall was far from pleased at the mess and destruction.
Fortunately, there was no need to call the Fire Department. But they did spend the whole day cleaning by themselves, as the older woman refused to help them.
Half an hour later, Levi received a call from his sister/landlord saying that the repairs will be added on his monthly rent.
Day 3.
Sam stayed in, as usual. And she played a game called Operations with him that afternoon. After 4 winning streaks, Sam shot the frustrated blond a look. And out of the blue, whilst she was extracting a liver on the board said, "You do know, I interned as a Surgeon for 2 years, right?"
Levi shot her a glare, he wasn’t aware she practiced Neuro-surgery before and he felt cheated yet again. He had avoided playing poker with her since learning of her photographic memory. So, he elected to play Chess instead. Resulting in a Draw.
Day 4
Levi wanted to do a Chess rematch, she declined, saying it was boring. The word boring offended him greatly, and he walked out of the flat without saying a word.
He returned an hour later with fish and chips as if nothing happened, and the two watched crap telly, muttering complaints about the illogicality of the shows.
Day 5
Sam sat on the sofa with her legs upwards, head hanging by the edge of the seat. She was bored out of her wits. "So, this is---death." She muttered grimly, aware that she was alone in the flat.
Levi had gone out with Marco for some reason, she doubts the two will be back anytime soon, probably for a case. She wanted to join them, but she was still hiding from the press, and she didn’t want to risk it.
Late that afternoon, Mrs. Whitehall came up to invite her for some afternoon tea, she was happy to oblige.
It was 7 in the evening when Levi returned, greeting the boys in the office before heading to his flat upstairs. Halfway up the stairs, he heard two familiar voices coming from Mrs. Whitehall’s flat. And he walked back down, knocking on the old woman’s wooden door and stepping in when he heard her say, "Come in"
The psychologist scanned the place, his eyes resting on the redhead easily.
"Dinner?" He asked her.
Sam’s eyes brightened at the idea and she smiled,
"Sure!" she said, then turning to address the older woman. "Mrs. Whitehall, would you--" she started to invite her.
The flabby woman shook her head,
"Oh, go ahead dear! You two enjoy yourselves," she said, pushing the two out of her flat. She was after all first mate in their Ship, and she needs to prepare dinner for her husband.
Sam raised her brows, looking back at the old woman behind her shutting her door closed.
"That was odd. If I didn’t know she liked me, I would have assumed she wanted to get rid of me ASAP." she said walking towards the stairs.
Then she walked up to Levi’s flat to grab her hoodie and purse, walking back down to Levi waiting by the front door.
"How do fish and chips sound?" the blond asked.
"Delish!" She replied nonchalantly, only to realize halfway to the front door the possibility of the Press seeing her, and she had second thoughts on going out.
Levi noticed her torn expression,
"It’s dark, just put your hood up," he said.
Sam furrowed her brows and looked up at him with narrowed eyes. "It’s not me I’m worried about getting recognized. It’s YOU." She said, putting her hood up as he suggested.
He shot her an incredulous look, slightly offended, she was the one with red hair that screams ’look at me!’
Recognizing the look of confusion on his face, Sam sighed.
"It’s your face. You’re lett gjenkjenne lig! (easily recognizable)" she declared in her best Norwegian accent. 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖
Levi rolled his hazel eyes, smoothening his coat over his suit,
"You’ve been confined in the flat for days," he stated, opening the door and holding it out for her. Sam sighed, defeated, she wanted to eat out for a change. "The things we do for fish n’ chips," she claimed, filled with determination.
The two walked in steady pace side by side, Sam knew where they were heading, he had taken her to the restaurant numerous times, it was just at the end of Newham Way. It was his and Marco’s go-to fish and chips place.
Levi ignored the people around that were staring at him, he knew they recognized him. He did tend to stand out like a sore thumb, with his height, good looks, and fashion sense. He looked like a model walking the runway. Most of all, he was popular in those parts, since he regularly walked there on foot.
Soon they reached the restaurant and chose a spot away from people’s scrutinizing eyes. Fortunately, they were able to eat in peace.
They walked back to 7 Eastbourne Rd soon after, taking their time.
"Boy, I missed London," Sam said, wrapping her hoodie closer to herself while the cold wind blew.
"I heard you got your job back in Guy’s," Levi said, Janet had graciously informed him of the latest gossip.
Sam smirked,
"Mental illness or not, I’ve set the bar." she bragged. She raised her hand in the air, showing just how high it was in good humor.
Levi snorted, amused with her antics. "Ah yes, Dr. Murrow was more than happy to step down as Director. Pressure has taken a toll on him." Levi replied, he’d seen Dr. Murrow numerous times down the halls of Guy’s and he was able to recognize the stress and pressure putting a toll on the older gentleman. Attempting to match Sam’s work performance as Director of Forensics was a difficult feat, no, an almost impossible feat.
She was a genius---she was a one-man team in the lab, from analyzing audio evidence, traditional forensics, and not to mention her hacking abilities; to expertise in ballistics, digital forensics, blood spatter analysis, and DNA analysis.
"9months of unreviewed cases. It’s gonna be fun." Sam said, sarcasm dripping.
Levi glanced at her, and he could see the curve on the edges of her lips she was trying to conceal.
"You missed it," he said, earning a defeated look from the woman.
"I miss my lab...and the autopsy tables. I miss cutting dead people open." She confessed, second-guessing verbalizing the last part. She looked at Levi, and as she expected he wasn’t at the least disturbed at her statement.
Levi glanced down at her when she paused and sent her a curious look. "Most people would find that statement er...wrong." She said.
Levi snorted, amused at the thought of them being like ’most people’. "We are not like most people," he stated confidently seconds later.
Sam broke into a smile, indeed they were not.
"Yeah." She muttered, "We’re a couple of weirdos." She added with a laugh, enjoying the rest of their walk back.
