Mrs. Mandelbaum

Mrs. Mandelbaum was an elderly widow living alone in a small tract house in a run down area of San Atanasio, California. Two and a half years after the eruption of the Yellowstone Supervolcano, she was found raped and murdered in her home. Oscar Flores, a neighbor, hadn't seen her for a few days and so flagged down a police car. The officers broke down the door and discovered the body. They called the station and Lt. Colin Ferguson and Sgt. Gabe Sanchez arrived to investigate.

After cautioning Flores to not to follow them in, the two officers entered the house. Ferguson wasn't sure what he expected but he found the place decorated in Fifties or Sixties modern, plastic with sharp corners and unusual shapes. Jodie, one of the uniformed officers, entered the living room and directed Ferguson and Sanchez to the bedroom where the body was located. The two went to the bedroom where they met Albert, the other patrol officer.

While examining the crime scene, Ferguson heard Jodie start talking to someone in the living room. He returned there and found her talking to Chief Mike Pitcavage and Dr. Ishikawa, the coroner along with Lucy Chen, a DNA technician. Pitcavage had hitched a ride with the coroner's ambulance showing just how far gasoline shortages had come since even the chief couldn't waste fuel coming in a separate vehicle. Pitcavage led the way to the bedroom where the coroner examined the body. Dr. Ishikawa indicated that while they would require DNA confirmation, he would be very surprised if it wasn't the work of the South Bay Strangler. While in the bedroom, Albert came back to announce the arrival of a TV news truck. Pitcavage replied that he will duck out the back way and told Ferguson to handle the media. Everyone, even the staid Dr. Ishikawa, started laughing at the look on Ferguson's face and Pitcavage indicated he was only joking, that he would deal with them.