Reina sighed as she started to pack up Reynaldo's belongings. She knew with the attention his death was getting from the authorities that staying in Brooklyn was not an option. However, Reynaldo, had invested wisely in his lifetime. He had properties all over the world and enough money to live several lifetimes. She could live obscenely well off just the interest. But first, she had to pack up his belongings and her own eventually.
"Uh, Reina, could you come downstairs for a minute?"
Reina looked up. Richie looked perturbed. "What's wrong Richie?"
"There's someone at the door."
"I'll be right there."
Reina narrowed her eyes as she approached the ground floor. There was a third man in the foyer. One who was not invited.
"What the hell are you doing here?" She demanded of the third man.
"You know this guy?" Richie asked.
"Of course she knows me," the newcomer said.
"You haven't answered my question," Reina said. "What the hell are you doing here?"
"Is that any way to greet your brother?" Jonathan Molestador said smugly.
"What is this the yet unpatented 'Jonathan Molestador older sibling bite me clause?'" Reina snapped angrily. "What part of 'I don't want you here' did you not understand?"
"Don't be ridiculous."
"You promised!"
"You know I don't keep promises to you're being irrational Chiquita."
"I was not irrational," Reina shouted. "And don't call me Chiquita!"
"Now you're hysterical!"
The din became a cacophony as the two siblings started yelling at one another simultaneously.
"I am not hysterical! I'm pissed! There's a difference!"
"You could've fooled me!"
"I wouldn't take much since you're a condescending, sexist, no good, double crossing pig!"
"Don't take that tone with me!"
"I'll take any tone I damn well please!"
"How dare you call me a pig!"
"If the snout fits!"
"I won't allow you to talk to me that way!"
"Allow me? I don't need your permission!"
A sharp whistle interrupted the argument. Reina and her brother turned toward the source of the sound. "Are all your gatherings this explosive?" MacLeod asked wryly.
Reina shrugged sheepishly. "I'm sorry. I'm being as rude as my brother. I got caught up in yet another tired argument," she said. "This bastard…."
"You know our parents were married when I was born," Jonathan interrupted.
"Shut up," Reina told him. "Duncan, Richie, this is my untrustworthy, backstabbing, patronizing, pain in the ass brother, Special Agent Jonathan Molestador."
"As in FBI?" Richie asked.
"Yeah," Reina drawled. "He works in the violent crimes unit. As you can see he has all the charm of a garden snake."
"Could you be a little nastier in your description of me?" Jonathan asked pointedly.
"I was being nice," Reina told him. "Jon, these are my friends, Duncan MacLeod and Richie Ryan."
"Nice to meet you," Jonathan said.
"It's nice to see you aren't completely without manners," Reina said.
"Must you be difficult?"
"Yes. I told you not to come up here, but you did. So excuse me for not being particularly cooperative."
"Just show me where I can stay."
"Why? You having a hard time finding a hotel room?"
"You can't be serious."
"As a heart attack."
"Reina may I speak with you for a moment?" MacLeod asked.
Reina moved away from her brother.
"How much does he know?" MacLeod asked.
"Nothing. It didn't seem like a good idea to tell my FBI agent brother about being immortal," Reina told him. "Besides, he thinks I'm one step away from the funny farm as it is, if you know what I mean. Telling him about immortality now isn't going to do either one of us any good. Which is another reason why he can't stay in the house. My mother and I were the only ones in the family who knew about Reynaldo's immortality. Mine is a secret."
"I see."
"I'll tell him eventually," Reina said. "When he learns to treat me as an adult. Or when the fact that I'm not aging becomes really obvious. Whichever comes first."
"What's going on over there?" Jonathan asked.
"Nothing," Reina said. "Look both my guest rooms are full."
"There's always Reynaldo's apartment."
"No!" Reina snapped. "You will not step one foot in that apartment. I don't care if I have to drop kick your ass to keep you from doing it."
"Don't be ridiculous."
"I meant what I said Jon," Reina said. "You can't stay in Reynaldo's apartment. Jesus Christ didn't Ma teach you anything?"
"You're one to talk."
Reina rolled her eyes and put her hand up to Jonathan's face. "Go away Jon."
"Reina."
"Go away!"
"I'll be back."
"Make sure you call first," Reina said. "And don't let the door hit you in the ass on the way out."
Mulder awoke to the sound of the phone ringing. He reached for the phone hoping it would be one of the Lone Gunmen. "Mulder."
"Agent Mulder, I understand you're working on that New York case. Another case has come up and it is to get top priority."
"I thought this case was to get top priority."
"Suddenly no one is interested in it. Not enough to wait for you to finish your investigation. I want to see you and Agent Scully in my office at nine o'clock sharp."
"But sir…"
"I don't want to hear any arguments. Just make sure you're in my office at nine sharp. I don't care where you come from to get here, just as long as you're here. Is that understood?"
"Understood," Mulder grumbled into the phone. He frowned at the phone. Someone didn't want him investigating this case anymore. They had Skinner pull him off the case. This whole set up reeked of Cancerman. It was all the more curious since he hadn't seen hide nor tail of the odious man since he left DC. Something told him that this case was about to take an ugly turn for the worse. At least he had the rest of the day to try to piece something together before returning. He dialed the number for Detective Briscoe.
"Homicide."
"Detective Briscoe?"
"Yes?"
"This is Agent Mulder. I was wondering if your forensics department found out anything about the swords or the bullets taken from the bodies."
"Why are you asking me?" Detective Briscoe asked. "You people took all the evidence including our notes last night.
"We didn't take anything," Mulder insisted.
"Then someone is working over your head and isn't bothering to tell you anything about it. Someone came in and took everything claiming national security. We've got squat."
Oh shit. Mulder thought. "Damn it.,quot; he said aloud.
"There is one thing I can tell you. The sword. It was Toledo steel very old and it may have been used."
"Did you get any information on this Mark Tuttle?"
"No. It's probably an alias. We came up with goose eggs," Briscoe told him.
Why am I not surprised? Mulder thought.
"I'm starting to think there's more to this case than meets the eye," Briscoe said.
"A lot more," Mulder said. "Thank you."
"Always glad to do my part for interagency cooperation," Briscoe said wryly.
Mulder wasn't sure if Briscoe was being sarcastic or not.
Mulder's next call was to the 69th precinct. He didn't have any better luck. When in doubt call the Lone Gunmen. "Turn off the recorder."
"It's off," Langly's voice, distorted as it was, came through the line.
"I'm serious turn the recorder off."
Langly sighed on the other end of the line. "It's off."
"Good," Mulder said. "I need you to run some checks for me."
"Shoot."
"Okay, here are the names. Mark Tuttle, Reynaldo Montoya, Reina Molestador, Richard Ryan, and Duncan MacLeod. There's something fishy going on with that group. I want anything you can dig up."
"You have a number where we can reach you?"
"I'll see you when I get back. I have to report in tomorrow at nine."
"No problem. Oh, Mulder, Frohike says to send his regards to your lovely partner."
"I'll let her know.,quot; he hung up the phone.
Scully appeared from the connecting door. "What's going on Mulder?"
"We've been taken off the case. Skinner wants us in his office at nine o'clock sharp tomorrow morning," Mulder told her. "And all the evidence is being removed. The bullets are gone as well as the swords. Even the notes the detectives took from both precincts were taken. Someone doesn't want us to get to the bottom of this."
"So what happens now? We don't have to be in Skinner's office until nine. It's not that long a flight into DC."
"We go back to Ms. Molestador. She lied about not knowing her godfather's age. I want to know why."
"You already think you know why," Scully said. "You think that he wasn't aging."
Mulder shrugged. "I want to hear it from her." He said.
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