The Swiss Murder | Completed

16. The Autopsy

Levi stared at the man sitting in front of him. Both of them were silent for a long time before Levi broke the silence, "I am so sorry for your loss," he struggled with his words, not being one to vocally express his feelings.

Mark only nodded in response, having heard that sentence too many times. He got up and left the room without saying another word. Levi didn't stop him.

Levi breathed in deeply before letting out a huge sigh and stretched, feeling his muscles relax just a little. Running a hand through his hair, he checked the time, almost 5 pm. It had been an excruciatingly long day.

The sky had gotten darker until the clouds were no longer visible, the snow coming down even harsher now. He could spot lightening much clearer now, the little branches of flashes clearly visible, the sound of thunder following after a few seconds. The storm had grown more intense, Levi could feel it by the way his body felt the low rumbling of thunder, more dangerous and intimidating now.

There's no way Matteo would be coming in today, he thought, almost pleased that he wouldn't have to deal with the detective today.

Levi stood and stretched once more, feeling his bones cracking and releasing pressure as he felt more at ease. Wanting nothing more but his wife's presence now, he made his way to their room. The investigation could wait, besides there wasn't much he could do without the autopsy results anyway.

Levi knocked before entering the room warily, not knowing what to expect. He could be greeted enthusiastically... or he could be greeted with a scolding. Trust Charlotte to keep him on his toes.

Charlotte looked up from her book to find her husband entering the room cautiously, he was smiling but she could sense the hesitation in his eyes. Charlotte fought to keep herself from laughing, such a brilliant detective and yet he couldn't predict her reaction.

Smirking, she raised her reading glasses to her head and extended her arm, catching his hand in her own. "Hey, how did it go?"

"Tiring, annoying, but I did manage to get some information," Levi said, his eyes closed as he lied down on the bed, giving his back some much-needed rest. Opening one eye, he looked at his wife and asked, "You're not mad?"

"No, why?" Charlotte replied, eyes twinkling.

"Oh, no reason."

"Tell me about all the interrogations, you know it helps you organize your thoughts," Charlotte said as she laid down next to Levi. He squeezed her hand as a silent thank you.

Taking a deep breath, Levi began, "Let's see now, oh, yes! I interviewed Anthony first. Good boy but very stubborn. Clearly shaken up, but he won't tell me what was wrong with Eric. From the little time I've spent studying Eric, he was jittery, like really jittery. I'm thinking something to do with anxiety. We'll know for sure when the autopsy results come in. I'm sure they will find traces of anti-anxiety drugs in his system."

"Anxiety? You sure he didn't just commit suicide?" Charlotte asked, her tone laced with concern and sympathy for the dead boy.

"I'm positive. I know I don't have concrete proof, but I have a very strong hunch."

"Did you figure out why Eric was suffering from anxiety?"

Levi shook his head slowly, eyebrows knitted together, "If I had the answer to that, then half of the mystery would already be solved... There are only two people who can help me with this, Anthony and the killer. Except if they are one and the same," he ended the sentence slowly as his mind explored different angles to approach this mystery.

Levi was lost in thought for a long time, a faraway look in his eyes. Charlotte waited patiently, eyes trained on her husband, enjoying watching him work that wonderful brain of his.