Chapter 439: Another Murder

"Can you determine from a photo if a wounded person has undergone treatment, like a stitched-up wound?"

Jack's question was a bit unusual, but Russell immediately understood his train of thought.

"Are you referring to the only survivor?"

Jack nodded. He still had lingering doubts about George Foyer. Although Hotchner's explanation seemed reasonable, there was something about the man's contradictory behavior that made him uneasy.

Being extra cautious in these matters never hurt, Jack thought. Even if he was wrong, at least he could rule out one suspicion. Besides, now that the CSI team was involved, why not make use of them?

Russell was quick to act. He pulled up a tablet and displayed the photos of George Foyer's injuries. However, he soon frowned.

"The photos were taken a bit late. While the stitches were still in place, most of the swelling and inflammation had already subsided. It's difficult to make a clear assessment."

In cases involving a corpse, experienced forensic pathologists could make a basic judgment just from photos—whether the person was attacked by a left-handed or right-handed assailant, or even if it was a self-inflicted wound.

However, Russell acknowledged Jack's suspicions. "Based solely on the location of the stab wounds, your concerns are valid. Most of the chest and abdominal injuries conveniently avoided critical organs. Only one stab hit the lung, but if it wasn't deep enough, it wouldn't have been fatal."

"The injuries to the limbs look chaotic, but none of them hit major blood vessels or tendons."

Jack's eyes lit up. "Could this be self-inflicted?"

Russell shook his head with a smile. "I'm just saying it's a possibility. Although none of the wounds by themselves were fatal, the sheer number of them combined would cause enough blood loss to kill someone in a short time. I've seen the report. Even if the ambulance had been five minutes late, George Foyer would've died."

Jack's hope dimmed, but Russell waved over a young woman and introduced her.

"Morgan Brody."

"This is Agent Tavoler from the FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit."

Another blonde, petite with big, round eyes and a doll-like face, making her appear adorable—a rare kawaii type among Caucasian women.

Jack almost blurted out, "I've seen this girl before!" She looked strikingly similar to the twins involved in that previous kidnapping case. Though she seemed a bit more mature, if you placed her beside Cheryl and Tracy, it'd be like seeing triplets.

Okay, Jack thought, at this rate, he'd probably run into more familiar faces. After all, in his past life, it wasn't unusual for the same actor to guest star in multiple shows. 

Though he had seen groups of women with similar looks in his previous life, like certain dance troupes or Korean girl groups, this felt a little out of place to him. 

But Jack had been through enough strange situations by now. He quickly snapped back to the present and gently shook Morgan's extended hand.

Russell continued, "Morgan, you'll be handling this case. Report directly to Agent Tavoler. If needed, feel free to contact the LV forensics department for support."

Morgan nodded, smiled sweetly at Jack, and two dimples appeared on her cheeks.

After exchanging business cards and chatting briefly with Russell, Jack left the scene.

Another day passed without any progress in the case. But the killer wasn't going to stop. On the third day, at around 2 a.m., Jack was woken by a call from Finlay, summoning him to a remote park.

It was a dark, unlit trail in the woods, now swarming with vehicles, including police cars. Jack had to park outside the freshly taped-off crime scene and joined Hotchner and Rossi as they approached.

Finlay met them, his face full of sorrow and anger.

"It was an elderly couple, Arthur and Diana Renessa, from Weymouth. They had been married for 32 years. Every week, they'd visit the Elk Club twice to play bingo. They were on their way home when it happened."

Weymouth was a satellite city near Boston, just a short distance away.

Bingo was once a very popular form of gambling in the West, with the word "Bingo" originating from the game itself. Even in states where gambling was mostly illegal, bingo games were often allowed, making them hugely popular for a time.

"I have to go inform their family," Finlay added.

"Need any help?" Jack asked, concerned. "I can come with you."

"No, I can handle it," Finlay said, shaking his head before walking away heavily.

The trio turned their attention to the victims. Jack put on gloves and started examining the scene before the CSI team arrived.

The victims had been driving a silver Honda, parked by the roadside. The driver's side window had been rolled down, while the passenger window was shattered, with most of the glass inside the car, indicating it had been broken from the outside.

On the car's hood, the killer had drawn a large "Eye of God" with the victims' blood.

Both victims were over 70. The husband was found in the driver's seat, his throat slit, while the wife was between the front and back seats, having been shot in the head with a large-caliber bullet.

The scene wasn't complicated, and Jack quickly reconstructed what had happened.

"They had no reason to stop on this dark road. The man's driver's license and registration are scattered on the right side. It looks like the killer posed as a cop to make them pull over."

Standing outside the driver's side, Jack mimicked a stabbing motion, then circled around the car to the passenger side. He made a motion as if holding a gun, pretending to smash the window with its butt.

Then he took a step forward and mimicked firing a shot toward the back seat.

"After killing the husband, the wife panicked. When the window shattered, she tried to escape to the back seat but was shot in the head."

After the reenactment, Jack looked puzzled at Hotchner and Rossi. "Compared to the previous crime scene, this time the killer didn't waste much time. Why?"

Rossi shared the same confusion. "Because of the victims' age?"

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