1 The Strands of Evidence
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"Dark. The hand that holds the arrow of time." - anonymous.
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It was seven before midnight when Colonel Lancelot Riva arrived at the parking lot of Hotel D-lux. It was a balmy night and the stars have finally come out after almost a week of cloudy skies and heavy rain. The night was unusually calm and the city traffic outside flows evenly in most intersections.
Colonel Riva had high hopes the rest of the night would offer him a moment of peace. But the call for him to come at the crime scene proved him wrong--just like the weather forecast of clear skies the weeks before. Working day and night in the middle of torrential rain made it doubly hard to watch the city as crimes thrive under extreme unforgiving weather.
Colonel Riva wore with dignity his pristine blue police uniform. He was tall, regal, a bit dark yet radiant and a quick glance can only be described as a handsome man. At 45 years of age, he can pass as someone half his age and few can tell from the way he carries his dignified bearing.
The forensic team arrived earlier and had already examined the decomposing body of a forty-year-old man found naked in his car. Estimates of the forensic revealed he was there for at least 4 days before someone discovered the foul smell emanating from the parked car.
A young 25-year-old forensic named Jorge Velez briefed the colonel on his findings. His nametag which read: Velez, J. Forensic Investigator 3 - was a recently acquired promotion in the police force and this is his first time working with Colonel Riva.
Jorge's ascent is a result of his utmost dedication and consistent hard work but he was far from perfect. One can easily judge him as someone of the neurotic type, often with a damp forehead and sweaty armpit. His big round eyes were unusually protruding -- almost gecko-like--which Jorge Velez attributed from myasthenia gravis-a disease of the thyroid gland.
That night, his tremors on both his hands were acting up and the overpowering putrid smell of rotten flesh made it hard for him to breathe. As he was about to report his findings he rushed outside of the perimeter fence to vomit a couple of times. The colonel understood the young man's predicament and he was considerate enough to give him advice.
"Try to take a deep breath!" the colonel shouted.
Jorge signaled he was fine.
"Just take your time! Breathe and try to calm down! I can see your nerve acting up from here," the colonel again shouted as he walked around the crime scene.
Jorge positioned himself by bringing his hand on his hips as he sucked a really deep breath. Then exhaled a couple of times. After wiping his mouth with his handkerchief Jorge Velez came back and reported his findings without the nervous feeling he had earlier.
"The victim is a 42-year-old male and we got his ID card with three different companies in the name of Henry de La Vega. A prescription pad with his name was also found in his pocket. Take a look."
Jorge showed a piece of paper encased in a small plastic bag.
"Can you read the doctor's name? " the colonel chuckled.
Jorge tried to decipher the writing.
"It's a bad stroke. But the last name seems to be Gonzales. I will have it read by our forensics."
"And what drug was that?" the colonel examined it but can't quite read it for himself.
"It's got an unusual name. Unreadable. Could be Fentanyl but I am not 100 percent on this."
"What else do you have?" the colonel asked.
Jorge checked the names he had written.
"He got various companies from his three business cards as owner. They were Triple O Marketing. J Brothers and Sons Marketing and the last is a bit kinky - Purple and Pink Place Company? Have you heard them? "
"Doesn't ring a bell," the Colonel said.
Jorge flipped his notebook to read the rest of what he wrote.
"By the way, he died from some thirty-stab wound. I counted ten on the chest and the weapon is probably a pointed ice pick or screwdriver. Can't tell. There's no weapon found inside the car and around here. There's plenty of stab wound on his chest area and that punctured both his lungs. Probably more in the neck.... that we cannot see.... his body is so stiff from rigor mortis. The crime lab doc can examine him further."
Colonel Riva felt a cold chill in his spine. He seemed to recognize the mole on the man's darkened face including his unusual crew haircut. But he is not making any rushed judgment in recognizing the body. The dead can be anyone.
Colonel Riva lighted the inside of the car to check any other items that seemed out of place. He opened the small trunk in the front seat and found it empty. He tried to light up the man's face but the foul smell from the decomposing body made it harder for him to get a nice look on his face. The team had been thorough in placing appropriate numbers where they found the evidence in their correct spot. "No items here in the trunk?"
"The team did not find any. Do you think something is missing?" Jorge hesitated.
"I think so… any other clue?"
"We found an unused condom on the car floor and lipstick smudge on his shirt. The assailant must have been a woman. At least that is what was present here."
The forensic showed the strands of hair lock. The colonel looked at it for a second.
"DNA test would help us identify the assailant."
But Jorge disagreed with his order.
"Um, colonel... I believe these are not real hair."
"What do you mean? "
"It is synthetic."
The colonel held it close to examine it with the aid of a flashlight. "Where did you find it?'
Jorge lighted up the dead man's body and focused on its claw-y hand position.
"We found it in his hand. Strands look like China made. Too early to tell but I believe there's some form of struggle and this came off from the wig the assailant is wearing."
"Just scope the fingertips for DNA. We need to ID her as soon as possible."
Colonel Riva found soil on the car seat and floor. He lit it up to see if it was indeed soil. He asked the forensic.
"Did you sampled the soil?"
Jorge replied, "No, we have not."
"Take some and have it analyzed."
He asked the photographer to take a picture of them too.
His cellphone rang in his pocket. It was from Amanda. Colonel Riva looked around and moved to an empty corner before answering his phone.
"Hi, sorry, I can't come right now. I am still at work." He was discreet enough so that others may not hear him talk.
Amanda wore lingerie in her bed as she tried to coax the Colonel to be with her. Her looks were beyond captivating.
"I prepared exactly what you need: warm food, massage table, and my soft bed afterward. You promised it will be tonight Colonel Riva."
She gave that soft giggle.
"Yeah, sorry about that but my work just started. We may need to do this some other time."
Amanda doesn't seem to mind being turned down.
"Oh. I understand. Call me when you are done."
"I will...." Of course, the colonel lied.
Colonel Riva went back to talk to the forensic.
"What's your name again?"
"I am Jorge Velez, Colonel."
"I want a full report tomorrow Jorge."
"Yes colonel, but this will take some time. And before 5 pm is what I can promise."
"I can wait for it tomorrow."
Colonel Riva removed his gloves and handed them back to the forensic team. Then he went to his car to make some calls.
Colonel Riva was tapping his hand on his leg. Like some mannerism, he failed to outgrow and it is evident whenever he is stressed.
"Rey, this is Colonel Lance." The men on the other line were in the midst of a bong session and rock music permeated the surroundings.
"Yes, Colonel...Where are you? We are having a party. Wait a sec.... it is so loud in here."
"Go find someplace where we can talk clearly." The colonel is impatient.
Rey wrestled with his friend just to get out of the room. The place is jam-packed with party goers and the smoke from weed made his way towards the bathroom blurry.
He opened the bathroom and saw a couple f_cking inside so he closed it back again. He found an empty room next to the kitchen and gently closed the door behind him. Rey was half-naked and the tattoo drawn on his back was somewhat menacing. As he flexed his shoulder blade the tattooed dragon looked like it would breathe fire any minute.
"Colonel, you should have been here. We are waiting for ages! Okay, tell me some of the great news to count tonight."
Rey lit some joints as he listened to Colonel Riva.
"Sorry to disappoint you on that but I am looking at a situation right now where I think someone I knew is involved."
"What do you mean colonel?" Rey asked.
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