Chapter 2 The Missing Facial Features
He was so pissed off he needed to blow off some steam. But when he looked around, everyone else had already bailed. He saw the tree where the victim had been hanged, so he held back his anger and kicked a rock instead.
Ruben really sent him someone who got in through connections. How the hell was he supposed to crack this case now?
The last thing Kelvin wanted on his task force was a young, inexperienced, and obviously fragile person who couldn't handle tough situations.
And she was a medical examiner. If she messed up the autopsy, their whole investigation could go sideways. Kelvin wasn't about to take that chance.
Sienna's eyes flickered as she looked at Kelvin. His hair was a mess, his chin covered in stubble, and he had dark circles under his eyes, but his deeply affectionate gaze made him seem intensely captivating at first glance.
His features were delicate, and his roguish demeanor didn't scream "cop" at all.
Kelvin was also checking out Sienna, his frown deepening. "Being a medical examiner isn't for a young girl. You should go to the Public Information Office and do some desk work."
If the medical examiners didn't have strong mental fortitude, they might puke at the sight of a corpse, making it impossible to proceed with the case.
Sienna stared at Kelvin and said, "Well, I don't think you're fit to be a cop either. No cop dresses like you at a crime scene."
Kelvin laughed angrily, looking at this seemingly delicate girl who spoke so sharply.
He said, "That's still better than your..."
Sienna shot back, "Better than what?"
Kelvin chose his words carefully. "With those skinny arms and legs, you can't lift or carry anything. If we go on a mission, we'd have to babysit you."
Sienna lightly pursed her lips and said gently, "Kelvin, the most important thing right now is the autopsy. The longer we delay, the fewer useful clues we'll get."
Kelvin belatedly realized that he was being lectured by this new medical examiner.
Travis quickly stepped in to ease the situation. "Kelvin, Sienna was involved in the 319 case. Let's trust her. The autopsy really can't wait."
"Yeah, Kelvin, there are a lot of people outside. If any photos get leaked, it would be hard to control the public opinion," Leroy also quickly reassured.
Kelvin snorted, stepping aside and watching her with a penetrating gaze.
Travis smiled apologetically at Sienna. He asked awkwardly, "Don't mind him. Kelvin isn't a bad guy. Do you really know how to do an autopsy?"
Sienna put on her lab coat, grabbed her toolbox, and walked to the tree, looking at the woman hanging from it. Sienna's pupils trembled slightly. She seemed to freeze.
Kelvin adjusted his pajamas, frowning. "If you really can't do it, just leave. I can get another medical examiner."
Sienna bit her lip and said, "I'm not tall enough. Can you help me get the body down first?"
Travis and Leroy helped carefully.
Only then did Sienna squat in front of the deceased, her gaze cold and emotionless.
When she started the preliminary autopsy, everyone was stunned since her professionalism was beyond their imagination.
After her assessment, Sienna spoke, "The victim's eyes were removed with professional surgical tools. There are no obvious external injuries, and she wasn't sexually assaulted."
Her slender fingers moved the rope around the victim's neck. The knot was a slipknot that tightened the more the victim struggled.
As a result, there were a bunch of scratches on the victim's neck, with blood that had already dried up.
Sienna turned to Kelvin and said calmly, "Kelvin, this is the primary crime scene. The killer might work in the medical field since his methods are very professional."
Kelvin looked at her thoughtfully. He pondered, 'The killer took different body parts from each victim. What would it be next time?'
He continued to think, 'Or maybe there were more than just these four bodies, ones we hadn't discovered yet. But there was no connection between these four victims.'
Kelvin continued to ask, "What else?"
"The specific details can only be determined after the autopsy. I'll have the forensic report for you by tomorrow night," Sienna said as she stood up and followed the police to take the body back to the station.
Kelvin watched Sienna's departing figure and clicked his tongue.
At that moment, an officer who had been questioning the sanitation worker came over and said quietly, "Kelvin, the sanitation worker said that elderly people come to exercise in this park every morning. He hasn't seen anyone suspicious and found the body while picking up trash as usual."
If there were many people, then the footprints would be indistinguishable.
Kelvin thought of Sienna's words and instructed in a deep voice, "Focus on the medical personnel who frequently visit the park. The killer is very good at disguising. Don't overlook any small details."
Kelvin looked down at his clothes and suddenly asked, "Do these clothes look too sloppy?"
The officer was stunned, thinking, 'Is it okay to comment on the boss's attire?'
Kelvin sealed off the scene. There were too few clues, so they quickly returned to the station.
After changing his clothes, he came out with a stern look and said coldly, "It's been a month, and we still have no leads on the killer. What have you all been doing?"
They had thoroughly investigated the victims' identities but still hadn't found any connection between the victims and the killer.
The entire task force fell silent. Leroy lowered his head even more, mumbling a few words but not daring to speak up.
Arnold's hands paused on the keyboard. Sometimes he thought it was a criminal gang. Otherwise, they couldn't always avoid the cameras.
Kelvin walked to the case board, which was covered in notes. He squinted slightly and sneered. "Have you identified the victim?"
The room was silent, everyone looking at each other.
Travis looked at Leroy with a confused expression. Leroy looked at silent Arnold.
Kelvin impatiently tapped the table, his gaze growing colder, his head throbbing. Suddenly, a soft voice came.
"The victim's name is Lally Lewis, a 25-year-old dance instructor at Eclipse Dance Club. She's currently single, and her parents live in another state. They haven't been notified yet."
As she spoke, Sienna walked in, holding some documents, and handed them to Kelvin.
The anger in Kelvin's heart was inexplicably extinguished by her.
Kelvin looked down. The first page was a sketch of a somewhat familiar face.
The woman in the sketch had no mouth, but her other features strangely matched the missing parts of all victims.