Detective Ian McNally was nearly numb at the sight of yellow cautionary police tape, it was the same view that most every crime scene boor, the one constant in this business. It was always what lay beyond the familiar tape that McNally couldn't always be numb to as the scene always seemed to cling to the recesses of the mind. Taking a deep breath, McNally climbed out of the police issued, unmarked vehicle and slowly walked up to the tape.
One to the cops handling the perimeter of the crime scene gave a slight nod before lifting the tape, eyes peeled for anyone that may try something. The press were crazy sometimes in their need to get the fastest and best scoop on the crime. McNally would never put it past one of them attempting to rush the scene just to have the upper hand for their publication.
"You can't be here. I don't know how you got this far, but I'm going to need you to get out of my crime scene." A scowling young man that McNally had never seen tried to command. The operative word being tried. McNally just ignored him and got within a foot of the kneeling medical examiner.
"What we got?" McNally asked.
"You've got nothing. You need to leave this crime scene before I remove you myself." The young man growled. He made a move as if he was going to do what he had just said.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you, Gates." A familiar gruff voice spoke from behind McNally. The young man's scowl shot to somewhere over the detective's shoulder. "Detective McNally would have you on your backside before you could even try. She may look like a little thing, but she's got a lot of spunk that she's not afraid to use if you provoke her." The voice continued, an air of humor in his words.
"Then you must be slightly masochistic because you seem to take pleasure in provoking me." McNally spoke, listening as her old partner and new superior officer walked closer.
He simply laughed as he stopped next to McNally's elbow, a look of humor tilting his lips. The young man was still scowling, but his eyes were a bit wider than they had been before the boss had shown up. McNally was tempted to roll her eyes before she focused back on the medical examiner still making notes.
"You said that my new partner was Detective Ian McNally, sir." The young man jumped in. He seemed to believe that he'd been lied to. McNally did roll her eyes this time, the temptation too great.
She sighed, her hands rising to her hips as she looked the man over. "Detective Ianina McNally, but everyone simply calls me 'Ian' or 'McNally'. Take your pick." She explained, looking him directly in the eyes. He looked surprised.
"Detective Gordon Gates. I'm your new partner. Pleasure to meet you." He introduced as he schooled his expression and nodded at her.
"I'm sure it is." McNally spoke before she laced her arms over her chest and focused on the medical examiner instead of her new partner. She could practically feel the confusion that Detective Gates was surely feeling at her dismissal. "How about we start doing our job now that the introductions have been made? Each second we stand here is another moment that the killer has to do this again." She spoke lowly.
Sargent Robert Choi chuckled from beside her. She gave him a bit of side-eye as he attempted to cover up the laughs with fake coughing before she moved closer to the medical examiner as they stood to their feet. She was ready to do her job.
"And this killer has great precision and strength, so it is easy to assume that this killer has probably done this once before." A measured voice jumped in, the detectives' eyes immediately zeroing in on the medical examiner.
McNally immediately moved in beside the medical examiner, eyes focused on the porcelain complexion and rainbow hair falling into Caribbean blue eyes of one of her closest friends. "What makes you say that, Charlie?" She asked.
"Well, and this is only my preliminary assessment, the victim shows signs of bruising from what I can't definitively say at the moment. I need to more thoroughly examine the victim in the lab to know for sure, but the bruises look to be newer." Charlie explained, pen pointing at different exposed areas of the victim's body where dark bruises sat. McNally nodded, listening intently as she cataloged the details.
"The strength can be seen in the bruising, but what makes you believe that they are precise in any sense or that they may have done this before?" Gates jumped in, small notepad in hand with his pen at the ready.
Both the medical examiner and McNally looked up at Gates. It was a worthwhile question, maybe this partner would actually be valuable to McNally instead of getting in her way like that last few. "The precision is in the way that they positioned the victim. She may look like she's just been killed and left here, but I'd like you to note the way that the body was found." The medical examiner explained.
"The victim was found lying sprawled out on this dingy throw rug. Her head was tilted to the right, her right arm bent slightly so that her right hand was about six inches from her face with her fingers slightly curled. Her left arm was straight down at her side, and both of her legs slightly bent toward the right with her hair swept back." The medical examiner described, pointing at each aspect of the prone victim's body.
Charlie sighed, eyes focused on the body. "Her eyes were closed. Her killer took the time to move her here and position her in just the right way to make it look as if she was simply sleeping." McNally placed her hand on the medical examiner's shoulder. Beneath her hand, Charlie Calloway relaxed minutely.
"What's the preliminary Cause of Death?" McNally asked.
Charlie swallowed softly before shaking themself a little. "The preliminary CoD is strangulation. There's a light imprint bruise around the victim's neck, but I have to get her back to the lab to definitively conclude that." The stoic, professional mask slipping over Charlie's expression. This may haunt the medical examiner later, but McNally could see the determination to find results in their eyes.
"Call when you have more, Charlie." McNally directed before she patted the medical examiner on the back and looked at her new partner and boss. "We'll see you back at the precinct, boss. Come on, partner, let's see if we can find any open cases where the victims were positioned after death." McNally ushered before she made her way back to her assigned vehicle. She could hear Gates' footsteps as he followed
YOU ARE READING
Twisted Love and Justice
Tajemnica / Thriller"Please! Please, don't do this! I will do whatever you want, I will give you whatever you want, just please." The woman cried, sobs rising from her heaving chest as her fingers scraped against the damp, gritty cement digging into her bare calves. Le...
