The dilapidated mansion was shrouded in an eerie atmosphere, its cobwebbed corridors and dark, empty rooms a testament to years of neglect. Each room was defaced with graffiti, satanic symbols, and jagged slashes on the walls. Police and forensic officers combed the scene, carefully gathering evidence and securing the crime area from the public. A patrol unit stood guard, preventing reporters and unauthorized personnel from crossing the police tape.
Only the lieutenant remained, overseeing the investigation and ensuring LAPD officers stayed on the perimeter to interview the teenage witnesses, while the forensics team meticulously documented the physical evidence. The old mansion showed clear signs of abandonment - cracks marred the white-tinted brick walls, and vines snaked up the sides of the two-story structure, suggesting it had been left untended for decades.
As Raven approached the police tape, she passed a blonde woman, her keen senses detecting a faint scent of spearmint. Raven paid the woman no mind, her focus solely on the eerie crime scene that lay before her.
The lieutenant regarded Raven with evident disgust as she arrived late. "Hello, freak," the officer said coldly, arms crossed and hip jutting out to convey annoyance. Raven blinked, her focus drifting from her surroundings. The lieutenant, wearing a uniform with slicked-back hair and sunglasses, silently appraised her. Raven returned the officer's gaze without a word. "Please have a mint before addressing me, Lieutenant," she said nonchalantly, turning her attention to the police tape.
Raven sniffed the air as she ducked under the police tape, then lifted it to allow Lucifer access to the crime scene. Lucifer seemed amused, smiling as he joined the conversation between Raven and the Lieutenant. "Isn't she feisty?" he remarked to the Lieutenant with a large, amused grin. "You never know what's going on in that head of hers - she's like a blue flame," Lucifer added, subtly flirting with Raven.
Raven ignored Lucifer's advances, focusing instead on her surroundings. She detected the scents of old spray paint and possible mold from the nearby ocean. Wrapping her arms around herself against the chilly sea breeze, Raven noticed a faint hint of bleach in the air. "Hmm," she hummed curiously, taking in all the details.
The lieutenant, with annoyance, pointed at Lucifer and said, "Woah, Freak, who is this?"
Raven responded bluntly, "Colleague."
Lucifer looked down at Raven with an amused brow, while Raven's monotone face and annoyed eyes caused the lieutenant to clench his fist in anger.
Raven noticed the woman standing just a few feet from the police tape once again. The woman, with long blonde hair and wearing a revealing, tight-fitting purple and red dress paired with red stilettos, was staring intently at the lieutenant, as if trying to capture his attention. Her disheveled appearance, including red scuff marks on her knees suggesting she had been kneeling for some time, made it clear she was being insistent - even as the police ordered her to stay behind the tape and had to repeatedly push her back.
"Colleague, how did you get a colleague?" the lieutenant asked condescendingly, rolling their eyes, fully aware that Raven had the authority to invite a partner or consultant.
"Lucifer Morningstar," Lucifer introduced himself with a confident smile, unfazed by the lieutenant's insult and dismissive attitude. Noticing the lieutenant's disgust towards Raven, Lucifer decided to observe from the sidelines until Raven requested his input.
"Did she follow you home?" the lieutenant said with a laugh, finding Lucifer's presence completely unbelievable as they allowed him to pass through.
Raven's eyes rolled in frustration at her lieutenant's comment. As she surveyed the crime scene, she noticed the lieutenant's deodorant had the same spearmint scent as the blond woman behind the police tape. "So?" the lieutenant replied dismissively, guiding Raven and Lucifer through the area.
They passed by rooms filled with occult paintings and satanic symbols, signs that the abandoned building had been used for illicit parties and rituals.
Raven's voice dripped with confidence as she observed, "From the state of her knees, I'm sure the affair was worth it." The lieutenant glared, jaw clenched. "How did you-" they growled.
Lucifer's eyes widened as he shifted his gaze between the lieutenant and Raven. Lucifer realized the woman the lieutenant had been involved with must have been present at the crime scene, given Raven's deductive prowess. "Oh, you sly dog! You even brought her to the crime scene!" Lucifer chuckled, lightly patting the lieutenant's shoulder, secretly amused that Raven's insight had been correct.
The lieutenant muttered "Oh, shut up" as he shoved Lucifer's hand away and moved closer behind Raven. They kept a watchful eye on Raven, ready to intervene if she jeopardized the case - not that they expected her to, but they couldn't risk her making the situation worse.
Raven ignored the boys' banter, her focus entirely on deducing anything she could from the halls and rooms. She took in every detail, completely absorbed in memorizing the crime scene. The closer they got to the victim's body, the more pungent the odor of paint thinner and cleaning supplies became.
The lieutenant opened the door to the master bedroom, and Lucifer fell into step beside Raven. Raven observed that the area outside the bedroom showed little sign of vandalism, yet the entry doors appeared heavily reinforced. Splintered and broken boards littered the floor in front of the master room's entrance, but the door itself had been replaced with a freshly installed, gleaming new one, complete with freshly painted hinges. This puzzled Raven - if an intruder had forcibly entered by breaking down the original door, why would they then install a brand new one?
"This took extreme planning," Raven said bluntly as she surveyed the room before turning her attention to the body.
"The murderer must have an emotional connection to this room," Raven mused aloud, ignoring Lucifer and the Lieutenant's conversation. "Why?" Raven added.
The Lieutenant responded coolly yet confidently, "Perhaps because it's secluded and easy to dispose of a body."
Raven feigned enthusiasm. "Brilliant."
Surprised by her sarcasm, the Lieutenant relaxed his shoulders. "Brilliant impression of an idiot. Look at the door and the walls - he took great care of this room. Any curious kids could have easily snuck in through those doors, but that would have caused a ruckus, loud enough to draw attention from the patrol and passersby."
In a matter-of-fact tone, Raven explained, "The splintered wood on the floor was meant to protect this room from public access. The only reason you discovered the body is because the unsub wanted you to find it."
The lieutenant rolled their eyes, crossing their arms in exasperation at Raven's words. Lucifer nodded, understanding everything Raven was saying, finding her observations fascinating. Raven sniffed the air and noticed paint cleaner. "The lack of spray paint on the walls indicates the murderer cleaned them. This suggests a psychopathic killer who meticulously planned the crime as an artistic display." Raven said, her thoughts tumbling out as she looked at the lieutenant.
Raven leaned in closer to examine the victim, crouching down to get a better look. The victim was hunched over on her knees, her wrists bound with zip ties in a praying position. Protruding from her collarbone and lower jaw was a torture device called a "Heretic Fork," its forked needles piercing through her flesh and keeping her head tilted upwards. A wooden cross was impaled through her stomach, forcing her into a hunched position and propping her arms outward into a preying position. The air was thick with the pungent odors of bleach, cleaning products, and a faint trace of stomach acid which could be vomit.
The victim's disheveled black hair was matted with what appeared to be her own dried vomit, and Raven detected a faint scent of ammonia or sulfur. Raven deduced the unsub must have used hair dye on the victim, as streaks of black eyeliner marked her cheeks, as if she had been crying. However, the eyeliner lacked the typical smeared look of tears passing through makeup, suggesting it had been deliberately applied to create the illusion of crying.
Raven's eyes landed on the shiny, golden Rolex watch adorning the victim's wrist - the same distinctive timepiece that had graced Jimmy's arm. A dawning realization jolted Raven, shifting their expression to one of shock and bewilderment. The victim must be connected to Jimmy's murders somehow, but how and why remained a mystery.
Raven's violet and red heterochromia eyes descended to the wooden cross impaled through the victim's nude chest. She took a second glance at the victim's features, no longer in focus. It was as though her mind had shut her out, preventing her from concentrating on the case just to make her recognize who the victim truly was. Raven's face instantly paled, her eyes widening as she stared at the victim. Raven fell back from her crouched position, landing on her rear in shock. Her hand covered her mouth as she whispered in pure disbelief.
"M-Marline..."