Detective Badass

John Doe (2)

We looked through the footage and came up empty. We saw the guy dump the body into the lake but his face was covered. Rollins and Fin came up empty as well. The witnesses said they only saw the body, nothing else.
I had a thought about the witnesses and the group that formed around the cops when we found the body. What if one of them was the killer? Don't they always come back to the scene of the crime to admire their work?
I was looking at the photos of the crime scene and focused on the people in the background, circling the men in the photo. I scanned the photos and had them run through facial recognition. A few of the men popped up with misdemeanors and one with an assault charge to a minor.

I knocked on the door to Liv's office. "Lieutenant, I have something that could possibly help us," I walked in, photos in hand.
"What is it, Garcia?," she asked.
"I went back and looked at the crowd that formed around the cops. You know the saying that sometimes the bad guys go back to the scene of the crime. Well these three guys," I placed the pictures on her desk, "All have something on their record but this guy has an assault charge against a minor."
She was surprised. "Got his address?"
I nodded.
"Take Carisi with you and check it out. Take a vest."

Sonny and I showed up at the suspects house, his name was Francis Osborne. We got out and walked up his driveway.
I rang the doorbell. "Mr. Osborne?"
He answered a second later with a smile on his face but it faltered when he saw our uniforms. "Can I help you officers?"
"We're here because you are a suspect in a murder case. We would like to ask you a few questions," Sonny spoke quickly.
Francis nodded and let us in. He wasn't hostile at all but in the past that's how we let one get away. His house was immaculate, furnished, and clean. Not the MO we were looking for: white male, late age, dirty home or apartment, and agitated.
"When we arrived you had a smile on your face, may I ask why?," I took a seat on his couch.
"I'm expecting my girlfriend soon, so I'd like to get through this as quickly as possible," he took a seat.
"'Cuz you don't want her to know that you assaulted a minor," Sonny poked.
Mr. Osborne's eyes widened. "Is that what this is about? I told the cops that the punk was robbing me so I shoved him to the floor. He said I beat him with a bat but I didn't!"
I looked at him. "Yet, you were charged for the assault?"
"The jury didn't believe me so I did some time. I lost my store because of that kid!," his voice rose.
"You didn't want payback for what he did?," Sonny questioned.
"I did but then I met my girlfriend and she helped me forget all about that," he said it with a smile.
"Can I ask what the kid looked like?," I was already rising out of my chair. There was nothing here for us.
"He was tan skinned, dark hair, and brown eyes."
Not the kid that was found in the river. I took one last look around and nodded. "Thank you for your time, Mr. Osborne."
"Thank you for making this quick," he added.

We were walking back to the car when Sonny spoke up. "So he's not our guy."
"Nope. His place was nice and clean, he looked clean cut, and his story checks out," I responded.
"Maybe it's one of the other guys in the photos?"
I shrugged. When we neared the car I saw something sticking out under the wipers.
"Ooooh, you got a ticket," I teased as I pulled out the note.
"What? I parked in a good spot!," he looked down at the paper.
My heart sank and my anxiety rose. It wasn't a ticket but a note, from the killer.
You are one smart detective, too bad you're wrong though. Close but wrong.
I looked around and got into the car quickly. "Let's go, Sonny. He's probably watching us right now."

"So this sicko knows we're onto him?," Chief Dodds was looking over the copy of the note.
"Seems like it. We're having analysts go over it the original for fingerprints," Liv was looking at it as well.
"You won't find any," I said absentmindedly.
Everyone looked at me and I looked away. "He knows what he's doing, he's gonna be careful with whatever he does. He'll slip up eventually but it may be too late."
Liv looked at me suspiciously.
"She's not wrong, Lieutenant," Chief put down the copy of the note. "Go over the cameras around that area and see if you can catch a glimpse of anyone looking suspicious."