Miranda Perez's residence
11:32 a.m.
"Covs borrowed money from me that day. I was just going to deliver it to him because I was on my way home from work when I noticed the door was open."
Nova nodded and took down notes like a good detective would do. He would not waste his several years of training with the agency just to miss a few details in an important case like this. "Did you notice a suspicious person before you saw your cousin's body?"
Miranda, the victim's cousin and the first to see the body, thought for a moment.
Yes, Special Agent Briannova Carlos is pretty sure that she's handling things smoo ---
"Are you recalling scenes from your memory? Or, perhaps, you are thinking of an excuse to lead us off the case?"
Miranda's eyes widened when the young man next to Nova suddenly spoke. Nico leaned closer and narrowed his eyes at the girl, making the witness feel uneasy. Nova just landed on his forehead. 'What the heck is he doing?' He stopped his annoyance by taunting Eastwood's "best" detective, "Can I have a word with you?"
But Nico doesn't seem to be moving. He was still staring at Miranda as if she was calculating his every move.
"You're the first one to find Covaline's dead body, yet reports indicate that it took you a good five minutes before you reported the incident to the police. Why? Did you have to make sure you first removed your fingerprints at the crime scene? You had to will you hide the murder weapon you used first? "
The girl's mouth fell open in front of them. Obviously shocked at what the detective said. Nova angrily pulled Nico by her arm, away from Miranda. When he was sure that the woman could not hear them, he immediately gave his partner a bad look.
"Are you crazy? Why are you suddenly accusing our witness ?! That's unethical! It's in the rule book!"
The male just shrugged her words off, "Exactly."
"What 'exactly' ?!"
"Chill. Why the Sherlock are you mad at me anyway?"
"I have every right to be mad at you! You're ruining our investigation!"
The girl just kept her mouth shut when she realized what he had said. He also didn't expect that "outburst". Still, Nico remained nonchalant about it. How could he be so calm in a situation like this? Nova really couldn't believe it.
A meaningful smile flashed on Nico's lips. "First off, you don't need to lecture me about the rules with that big mouth of yours. Second, I'm not ruining my own investigation. Last, don't you know that the 'intimidation technique' is sometimes the simplest way to solve a case? In several instances, the culprit acts like the witness just to secure his 'innocence' involving the case. "
Nico briefly looked at Miranda who was busy on her cellphone before his eyes returned to Nova. He leaned in closer. "HELP didn't find any fingerprints in the crime scene. As long as I don't have ---"
"Let's go!"
"--- err, fine. As long as WE don't have a profile of that Heartless Killer, everyone is a suspect."
Nova sighed. He did not want to admit to himself that the young man was also right. This case is not like those infidelity ones she was accustomed to. She bit her lower lip and nodded. Nico walked away quickly, leaving her dumbfounded.
'Darn it. He left me just like that? '
He just returned to his seat next to it and continued questioning. Nova smiled hesitantly at Miranda, "I'm sorry. Anyway, any suspicious persons before Covaline died?"
Miranda nodded. "Nothing. I had been too busy with work. We haven't talked much with Covs since he resigned from work last December."
"Do you know why he resigned?" Nico's curiosity. For a moment, Nova was nervous that he might single the poor woman again.
Miranda nodded again. "I don't know either. It's just that everyone's been upset since they broke up with her boyfriend."
The two detectives' ears perked up at the mention of a boyfriend.
"What's his name?"
"Where does he live?"
"Any physical descriptions?"
"What's his contact number?"
Miranda just blinked when the two took turns asking questions. Like children eager to be given candy. 'They're things,' she thought. The girl smiled timidly at the two and started scribbling the infos down on a piece of paper.
Nico and Nova looked at each other, both frowning. It looks like they still need time to get used to each other's presence.
Nico was about to speak when Nova's cellphone suddenly rang. His forehead furrowed when he saw his superior to SHADOW, Olympia, calling. 'What's the matter?'
Nico watched the companion answer the call. He noticed that the girl's expression changed. Whatever the person on the other line is telling her, it wasn't good. When the call ended, it immediately approached him, a serious look in his eyes.
"We've got another crime scene to investigate. The Heartless Killer has attacked again."
---
Eastwood Heights
12:15 p.m.
Nico had been peeking out the window for a long time. He watched the neighborhood pass by in a blur as the car came to a halt. Only then did he notice that it was parked. "Tell me again, why are you driving?"
Out of the corner of her eye, Nova unbuckled her seatbelt before glancing at him through the rearview mirror.
"Because SHADOW provides its agents with standard benefits --- like cars."
The young man could not hear the teasing in his tone. He frowned at the girl. "Are you implying that DEATH doesn't give us enough benefits?"
"I did not say anything."
"You hinted at something. Don't get cocky with me, Ms. Carlos."
Nova grinned and got out of the car. Unlike Miranda's accommodation, their destination was far away so they needed a ride. Nico took a deep breath and immediately followed him. They had only been with this woman for a few hours, but she was already having a headache. 'This is exactly the reason why I don't like the female species,' he concluded.
He surveyed the community. The place is quiet, the yards are clean and obviously rich people live in this subdivision. "Not a typical place for a serial killing." But if he has learned anything from being a detective, it is not to underestimate even the smallest details.
When they reached the particular house surrounded by police vehicles and people in blue uniforms with "ECU" printed on the back, Nico immediately felt the urge to end the case. He doesn't like working with ECU rats, or SHADOW agents for that matter.
They were greeted by Heralic Eastwood Local Police chief, Chief Inspector Placido Ortega. It shook their hands.
"Ah! It's a good thing you're here, Mr. Yukishito, Ms. Carlos. We've just been checking the area for fingerprints or any evidence that can point us to the suspect but as in the previous crime scene, we didn't see anything. . " At the same time, the old man caressed his thick mustache.
'That's because you don't know where to look.'
"No worries, chief. We'll handle this," Nico said and accepted the latex gloves given by an ECU officer.
"How many hours has the victim been dead?" Nova immediately asked as they walked into the elegant house.
Chief Ortega looked at the notes he was holding and glanced at his rolex, "According to our initial findings, the estimated time of death of the victim was five hours. She was likely killed around 7:00 a.m."
As the two talked, the young man's eyes went to the corpse in the center of the living room. The first thing Nico noticed was the disturbing fact that ... "He has no head."
She secretly smiled. A beheaded corpse is something you don't encounter every day!
"Decubito dorsal his position, like the previous victim." A voice came.
Nico's mood deteriorated again when Nova stood beside him. He frowned at what it said and weakly responded, "Obviously. Even a newbie knows that stuff."
'Dying positions are elementary! What does he think of me? '
At that moment, an ECU personnel gathering evidence not far from them shyly raised his hand. "Err ... I hope you don't mind me asking. What is decubito dorsal?"
Nico almost face palmed.
Nova smirked and pointed a pastel pink manicured finger to the corpse.
"The 'decubito dorsal' is the dying position where the victim is lying with his back flat on the floor. Just like that."
The man nodded and smiled at the girl. "Thank you."
Nova's grin widened and her companion's eyes widened. "Did I think even a novice knew that thing?"
Nico rolled his eyes.
'Stupid newbies.'
Nico just turned his attention back to the corpse. Like the previous victims, the lady's chest was open and her heart was missing. The bloody mess did nothing to cover up the fact that this was a masterpiece of the same person: Eastwood's so -called "Heartless Killer". He also seems to want to align with the serial killers.
'Stupid name.'
"Who saw him first?"
"Neighbor. He said he was going to ask for a dish when he noticed that the door was open." Chief Ortega stated.
Nico nodded and started examining the crime scene. The cracked picture frame below the coffee table is an indication that the victim may have resisted. Moreover, there seems to be no other possible evidence. Blood pooled around the corpse and a horrible stench wafted under his nose. "When we entered earlier, I didn't notice any signs of forced entry at the door. It's possible she knew the killer. I need a list of the last people she talked to. Get her cellphone and ----"
"She's missing her cellphone." Nova frowned while reading notes from an officer.
"Damn Sherlock."
Nova returned the notepad and shook it as she stared at the corpse. "Looks like our psycopath killer is getting more creative. They saw the victim's I.D. inside its chest. Why don't we just find some fingerprints?"
"Ms. Carlos, since we have the same killer, I doubt that he left any sort of personal evidence behind. He carefully hid his fingerprints at the previous crime scene. Why would this one be any different?"
"He chopped her head off! HK is getting more aggressive."
HK?
Nico cringed at the lame abbreviation. 'Tsk! Women. '
"On the contrary, I think he's just insulting us. See."
Using the tweezers he took from his personal investigation kit, Nico carefully picked up the piece of paper that was dripping with blood flowing from its neck. He laid the bloodied paper on a steel tray and unfolded it. Inspector Ortega and Nova also looked at the evidence he obtained.
"Block 6, Lot 14, Eastwood Heights ... An address! HK might have left it out." The girl smiled but the companion immediately sighed, "He's not that stupid. He even thought of printing the address so we wouldn't recognize his penmanship. It looks like this one is really teasing. He wants us to go to this place and look for someone. And since he's not a fool to give his address, whoever lives at this address might possibly be either connected to the victim or just a random person. "
Nico doesn't want to admit it but it's just the first one. They may be able to get clues to the victim's death in case it is connected to anyone living at such an address. Nico grunted in frustration and grabbed a thermometer from an agent.
Chief Ortega once again stroked his mustache, "This case is getting more complicated. It looks like it will be difficult for us to keep it a secret from the public."
"Has the media heard of this yet?" Nova inquired but the senior officer just nodded. They know consistently that it won't be long and the media will know this case as well.
Nico stood up, a calm expression on his face, "Just keep us updated if the lab finds anything interesting. I'll try to find the connection to this mystery. For now, keep your facts straight, Chief ..."
Chief Ortega and Nova frowned.
Nico smiled charmingly, showing off his dimples, and presented the thermometer, "83.5 ° Fahrenheit. He's been dead for six hours. Probably killed around 6:00 a.m. It looks like the Eastwood Crime Unit's ability is rusting." And reluctantly he returned the thermometer to an ECU personnel and removed his latex gloves. The ECUs stopped at what the detective said, obviously shocked.
"Where are you going?" According to Inspector Ortega, he tried to put aside the insult received from the young man.
Nico smiled, "I need to go. I have a date with Goldilocks."
At that moment, Eastwood's greatest detective walked out of the crime scene without another word.
'I'll just take a taxi home.'
---