The Third Victim

Elena arrived at the crime scene at 8 PM. It was thirty minutes longer than the time William could achieved with his current speed. It was because they were trapped in traffic jam.

The crime scene was in the outskirt, alike with the other two first cases. The only difference was the place where it happened. The fist victim was killed in the hotel, the second victim was killed in his villa and the third was a bit different. The victim was killed in the forest.

The crime scene was packed with people. Elena got down from the car and William intended to do so. But, Elena prevented him because he would create an uproar. Why would a distinguished figure like him suddenly appear in the crime scene which had nothing to do with him? Elena got into the car again and decided to let him returned home. "Just go home. Thank you Wil - darling."

William didn't move. He just look at her intently.

Elena was definitely nervous under his intense gaze. She asked, "What happen?"

"Goodbye kiss." William shamelessly requested for a kiss.

Elena was dumbfounded. "Goodbye kiss?"

"En."

Elena didn't move and so William. They only stared at each other before Elena relented and gave him the kiss he wanted. She peck his cheek. "I've given you my kiss. So, you can go now."

William still didn't move. He just looked at her even more intently.

Elena frowned. She was exasperated by William behavior as veins was bulging in her forehead. "Why?"

"Not just here, but also here." William pointed his thin lips.

Elena's heartbeat quicken. It had not been a week but he requested her to kiss him? Elena was about to reject when she saw William aggrieved eyes. He was like an abandoned puppy - so cute yet pitiful. Elena could never handle such expression so she cupped his face with her hands and pecked his lips. "Done."

After he got the kiss, William smiled like an idiot. Then his hand reached Elena's nape and kiss her back. Elena's anger almost exploded when she heard him. "I just returned you kiss. Don't be angy. En... be careful on your work and do not overexert yourself."

Elena nodded, "Okay." She got down from the car when he spoke, "Don't forget tomorrow's date. I'll pick you up."

William started the engine and drove the car away. Elena looked at his car silently until it disappeared from her line of sight. Elena turned back and went to the place where her senior Key was.

Key was busy Investigating the crime scene. He heard footsteps and stared at the source of the sound. It was Elena. "Elena, you are here."

"Yes senior." Then, Elena put the disposable shoes cover. Fortunately she wore her flat shoes so it didn't hinder her movements.

She walked towards Key and squatted beside him who were busy examining the corpse. It was her first time to investigate corpse at the scene so she asked, "Senior, what have you found?"

Key didn't reply. He just squatted down, examining the corpse. Elena did the same.

After a while, Key answered as he stood. It seemed that he had already Investigated the corpse. Elena followed him as fit. "The same with the other two cases."

"Then, we'll bring him to our lab?"

Key nodded. "Yes. You'll help me for the autopsy."

Elena replied, "Yes senior."

...

Elena and Key had done the autopsy. After both of them cleaned themselves up, they went into their office room. Inside the office, they saw Drey, Lily, Thomas and Mr. Blair was chatting.

As they sensed two pairs of eyes were looking at them, the four of them looked back. Lily spoke, The autopsy, have done?"

Elena nodded as she replied, "Yes."

"How about the result?" Lily asked.

Key answered. "The same with the other two." He paused for a while and continued. " The genital of the victim is missing. The wounds on the body was all antemortem wounds. There were cuts on his legs, hands and the biggest was the X shaped wounds that spread over the chest. But, this wounds were not the cause of the death instead it was brain hemmorhage¹. The victim must be hit by the murderer with blunt weapon."

"It's...quiet terrible." Lily shivered after she heard it. This was not the first time to feel this way because she also shivered when she heard the autopsy reports of the other two victims. Then she steered the conversation away to ease her mood. "By the way, why are the police still unable to catch the murderers?"

Elena replied, "When we invesigated the crime scene last night, i asked the detectives this question. They didn't tell me the whole things but i'm sure that they had got some clues. They told me that their captain and psychologist went to another place opposite to the place where the murder happened six hours before the victim was found. They suspect the murder would happen at the place they went to."

"If they had got some clues, but why did they go to the wrong place?" Drey asked.

Thomas who was silent for the whole time suddenly spoke. "They were probably mistakenly led by the clues or they are unable to accurately determine where it will take place because something that influence them or..." He paused before he continued, "Or there is an insider from the police department that make the murderers change the place at the last minutes."

Everyone stunned. They thought about it. The more they thought about it the more they felt Thomas assumptions were rather right.

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1. An emergency condition in which a ruptured blood vessel causes bleeding inside the brain.