Taken Away

CHAPTER 2

We walked into the autopsy room where the coroner was performing the autopsy on the victim's body. The coroner looked up at us and gestured for us to come closer. "I've been waiting for you two. I have something to show you." Joshua and I approached the coroner and looked down at the victim's body. As we approached the victim's body and looked down at the empty chest cavity where the heart should be, I felt a tinge of darkness creep upon me. No matter how many times I've seen a victim's body, the sight never ceases to be unsettling. Joshua looked at me and asked, "So what do you have for us, doc?" The coroner smiled and nodded towards the victim's body. "As usual, I removed the organs to complete the autopsy. It seems like our friend here was very thorough with his work, but there is one thing I found to be peculiar." As Joshua and I listened to the coroner speak, we looked down at the victim's wrist. Sure enough, the letter "A" was written there it looked like it was written by something sharp like a piece of glass. The first victim had the letter "A" on her wrist, the second victim had the letter "V", and the third victim had the letter "E" "Any ideas about what this could mean, Sal?" As I took out my mini journal and frantically wrote down the letters, I looked up at Joshua and spoke, "The letters may be part of a message the killer is trying to send us. Any signs of struggle?" The coroner shook his head as he looked at the victim's body. "No signs of struggle, the killer was able to take the victim's heart without them even trying to fight back." The coroner glanced down at the victim's body for a moment before looking up at Joshua and me. "It's possible that the killer used a drugged cloth to incapacitate his victims. The lack of any other injuries or signs of struggle indicated that the victims were likely unaware of what was happening until it was too late." Just like the two victims, with no signs of struggle, their hearts were taken out, it was like they let the killer kill them. I take a step closer to the victim's body and look down at it closely. As I inspected every detail, I tried to put myself in the killer's mind, trying to piece together what might have happened. I looked up at the coroner, "So could you tell if there were any drugs in the victim's system? Might there be traces of drugs in her blood or tissue that we can examine?" As the coroner examined down at the body and considered my question, I studied the victim's face. It was so peaceful and serene, despite the brutal murder she was subject to. "I'll need to run extensive tests to confirm," the coroner replied, "but there are some indications that the killer may have sedated the victim." As the coroner spook, I look back down at the victim's peaceful face and imagine what she was going through in those last moments. Was she scared? Was she confused? Did she know she was going to die?

we headed back to our office with our notes and theories. As we entered the office, we looked over the map, and we saw the three murder sites connected in the shape of an "S" "I wonder if the killer is trying to form a word or a phrase with these murders," Joshua mumbled, "maybe we can figure out what is the significance of letter A, V, and E?" a thought pops into my mind. "S, A, V, E..." They're all vowels. Could the murderer be spelling out a word or phrase with only vowels? "SAVE..." I whispered, "Hm?" Joshua raised his eyebrow "Wait... If you connect the letters on the victim's wrist with the 'S' on the map, it would spell 'SAVE'." Joshua looked at me with a shocked expression on his face and said, "You're right, that has to be the message the killer is trying to send us." I nodded my head in agreement, "But what could the message be about? What are we supposed to 'SAVE' and why is the killer telling us about it?" Joshua and I exchange a look, "We need to investigate this further."

As the sun rose higher into the sky, the cold air continued to linger around us. Although the clock read noon, the frigid temperature made it feel as if it was still the early morning. I pulled my coat tightly around myself as I slipped my hands into my coat pockets, a cool breeze blew across my face as I stepped out of Joshua's vehicle. "Here we are," I murmur, thinking about the challenge of speaking to the loved ones of the victim. As I walked up the front door, I took a deep breath and prepared myself for the conversation ahead. As Joshua and I approach the third victim's parent's house, my heart starts to race. We know what to expect from these kinds of visits; the family is always grief-stricken and in complete shock. I took a deep breath and braced myself for the task ahead as we knocked on the door. After a few moments, the parents of the victim opened the door and invited us in. We enter the home and take a few steps inside before the father of the victim speaks up, "She was our little angel...she didn't deserve this...no one does." As Joshua and I walked through the living room I couldn't help but notice how homey and inviting it was. The furniture was cozy and inviting, with pictures of family members filling out the mantel and the walls. The living room was neat and clean, with a warm feeling from the sunlight that streamed through the windows. It was as if the warmth of the family's love and the comfort of the home had been stripped away in an instant. The feeling of grief and sorrow was palpable in the air. The mother was in tears while the father's eyes conveyed his agony in a different but equally painful way. I feel a sense of guilt and responsibility, I can't let these families down, I have to catch this murderer. "I know that right now is an incredibly difficult time for your family," I begin, "but please know that I will do everything in my power to catch the person who did this to your daughter." As I prepared some questions to ask the victim's family, Joshua watched from the sideline, ready to take notes. "Before the murder, did you notice anything unusual or out of character with Lia?" I asked. The mother shook her head as she responded, "She was a college student, she spent most of her time in her dorm, and we only saw her on the weekends." I quickly noted down the mother's response as I asked her a follow-up question. "So during the week, Lia lived on campus and spent most of her time in her dorm. Did Lia have any friends and did she mention anyone that she spent time with regularly?" "I know Lia had a close friend, they went to the same college together. She would invite her friend over for dinner a couple of times a month." said the mom, "Yes, she was over here last month. Hannah seemed like a nice girl, although we didn't speak with her very much." The father added. As Joshua and I exchanged another silent look, we both knew what we needed to do next. We look over at the victim's mother and say, "We're going to need to talk to Lia's best friend, Hannah, and try to learn more about Lia's life outside of her home." The mother nodded and said, "Lia and Hannah are very close, I'm sure if anyone could help us understand what happened, it's Hannah." I looked over at Joshua, "Yeah, let's try to track her down. She might be the key to finding out what happened." "Thank you for your time today," Joshua expressed, as we offered our condolences once again. "The police are currently investigating the crime scene and we will need to speak with you again to gather more information. We also request any photos or documents you have that could help us with the investigation." I nodded in agreement and continued, "Moreover, if you recall any other details about Lia or her activities leading up to her murder, please do not hesitate to contact us. Your assistance in this matter is greatly appreciated." As I handed the mother my note with my phone number, she took it with a faint nod and uttered, "We will be in touch soon." With that, Mr. and Ms. Anderson thank us for our time and we make our way out of the house. Once outside, Joshua and I took a moment to breathe and think about what we have learned so far. As we walked towards his vehicle, the weight of the day's events seemed to sink in. The pain in the victim's mother's voice still lingers in my mind. As I lean against the car door and think about the new information we've learned about Lia's life, a slight feeling of unease creeps in. The first victim was a loner, and the second was an extrovert, but Lia seemed different somehow. Joshua watched me with a concerned look on his face. "What's on your mind?" "We gotta have a long conversation with her." Joshua took out a cigarette and slowly lit it up, he took in a deep drag and looked over at me, "Yeah, we do. Who knows what Hannah might be able to tell us? If she and Lia were as close as her mother said, Hannah must know something about Lia's life and who her friends were. Perhaps she can shed some light on this case."

We made our way to the University campus where Lia and Hannah attended school. The campus was bustling with students going to and from their classes, the air was filled with the aroma of coffee and pastries from the various coffee shops and diners nearby. The campus has a modern and welcoming feel to it, with new buildings nestled amongst the older structures. As we walk through the campus, the students we pass by throw us a few glances, but most of them seem oblivious to our presence.

As we entered the principal's office, Joshua and I introduced ourselves to the principal of the University. The principal's office is a well-appointed space, clearly showing the prestige of his position at the University. The office walls were adorned with framed certificates and diplomas, and the desk was neatly organized and had a state-of-the-art computer setup. The principal himself was a well-dressed man, his clothing was immaculate and he exuded a sense of authority and control. He is someone with high standards and demands the same from everyone he encounters, we explained that we are detectives working on a criminal case involving one of the University's students. The principal looked concerned as he listened to our story and asked, "Which student are you referring to?" "Lia Anderson," I replied, The principal's face fell at the news of Lia's murder. His expression is one of shock and sadness, with his mouth slightly agape and his eyes darting around, trying to make sense of what we have just told him. "Dear god," he says under his breath, "I can't believe this happened. Lia was always such a sweet and intelligent student, this is impossible." He shook his head in disbelief before continuing, "We'll do everything we can to help in the investigation. You can count on our support." Joshua and I explained to the principal that we needed to know where Lia's dorm was to investigate her personal life and gather information that might be helpful to the case. The principal seemed to understand and gestured towards one of the chairs in front of his desk, "Of course, let me show you where her dorm room is on the campus map." He got up and walked over to the wall, where there was a large, detailed map hanging. He pointed to the dorm building where Lia was living and told us, "Her dorm is in the South Quad, right there."

Joshua and I approached the entrance to Lia's dorm building. We took a moment to look around and see if anything about the building stood out to us. The dorm building was a large complex of apartments, with various entrances accessible from the sidewalk. It was a modern building, with a clean and polished exterior. The windows were large and offered an unobstructed view of the interior of the building. It has a welcoming and inviting feel to it, which creates a welcoming environment for the students who live here. As Joshua and I reached Lia's dorm room, we checked the name on the door and confirmed that we had indeed found our destination. We took a deep breath and knocked on the door. We waited for a moment before hearing the sound of a bolt unlatching from within, and the door was opened by a young woman with long dark hair who was wearing a t-shirt and jeans. "Yes?" she said, "Can I help you?" She looked at us with a confused expression on her face, clearly not sure why two strangers would be knocking at her door. not just two strangers, but two police detectives.