Hindsight

Struggle

"Tell us you got something."

Antonio implored as he and Atwater walked into the morgue, the morning after finding Emily Thorne's body, who was in fact Erin's therapist. One who had been assisting her in getting to a better place. One who had brought her out of her shell after the ordeal she had went through.

A mix of death and chemicals filled the stale, cold room. Hitting them right in the nostrils the moment they walked in. It was an unfortunate phenomenon but a fact that obtaining answers from the medical examiner, Stella Bonasera, usually involves going to the morgue.

"Now, I'm not even worthy of a greeting? Well, good morning to you too, Detective Dawson." Bonasera playfully snapped at the confused detective, who now had thought he had done something to upset the lady. Looking at his partner, he shrugged, silently asking what he've done wrong.

"I'm sorry. Let me start again." he said sweetly, "Good morning, Stella. How's your day going so far?" he paused for a few seconds, "What have you got for us?"

The trio lightly chuckled for a bit until their laughs quickly died down as she pulled the freezer handle that was attached to a wall and pulled out a steel gurney where yesterday's corpse laid, pale and lifeless, after the autopsy that was done hours prior.

Emily Thorne laid, quiet and calm, and was covered with a thin, white sheet that rested right above her chest. The 'Y' incision still evident and visible under her glistening porcelain skin.

"Well, COD was definitely exsanguination. Her carotid artery have been severed. The slash was so deep that it cut right through her left platysma." Stella carefully lifted her weightless mass with both hands in order to show the boys her discovery, "Death was immediate. Other than that, this is by far the cleanest rape/homicide I've ever come across. No traces, no prints, no fluids, no evidence left on or in this body whatsoever."

"How can that be?" Atwater asked.

"Sodium hypochlorite." she simply stated.

Both detectives looked at each other. Having no clue what that compound was. "Sodium hypo-what?"

"Bleach."

The boys were taken aback and had to blink a few times to make sure they were hearing her right.
"Bleach?"

"Yes, bleach. And he did quite a magnificent job, I must say. Wiped every inch of her body spotless clean. Even her vaginal and anal cavities." they almost gagged on their breakfast as she said that. Pity was written on their faces as they looked at the corpse before them. She was not only violated in the worst way possible before the killer put her down but after as well.

"Hence, no fluids, fibres, hairs or even a speck of dust. The killer took the time into clean her before dumping her in the park."

"Murder weapon?"

Stella nodded, beckoning them to lean in closer to have a look at the slit. "Most definitely a knife. My guess some sort of fighting knife with a fixed-blade. According to my calculations, the directional and angle of laceration suggests the knife was not serrated and approximately eight inches long. I'm still trying to determine the type and make of the weapon, it'll take me a few more hours. I'll email you the results once I have it."

Poor Emily Throne. Her life was ended short in a gruesome manner. Having helped people all her life to getting healthier mentally, she took her last dying breath all alone and helpless. No one was there for her. Laying alone in the middle of the freezing winter of Chicago, she was left to rot. Atwater remembered how she had looked like a mannequin, just like the ones found at a department store.