"The two bodies just brought to the autopsy table will take some time to examine. Let me first go over the preliminary information for the two bodies we've already processed."
Brianna quickly switched to her professional mode, speaking more rapidly.
"The male body matches the data you provided. It has been buried for at least five years, almost completely skeletonized, with missing hands and feet. Biological samples have already been sent to the lab for DNA analysis."
Higgins raised a finger to indicate he had something to add. "I've examined the insect remains on the male body and compared the soil composition, particularly the characteristics of the Diptera larvae..."
"Uh, just give us the conclusions in plain English," Rossi interrupted, familiar with their tendency for long-winded explanations.
Higgins rolled his eyes, somewhat reluctantly summarizing, "Your suspicions were correct. This body was reburied, no more than three days ago. The exact timing still needs further confirmation."
Rossi nodded and pointed to the two completely skeletonized bodies. "These two are known victims. We have ample time to wait for DNA test results. Our priority now is to identify the two more recent female bodies and look for clues that could lead us to the killer."
Brianna led them to the first body discovered at the initial site. Jack, despite the overpowering stench, took a closer look. The body had been partially cleaned, with fragments of clothing collected and placed in a nearby dish.
"I've only done a preliminary examination, so I don't have much information yet. This body is of a woman under 30, who suffered greatly before her death."
Brianna pointed to the face of the corpse.
"There are petechiae around the face, consistent with asphyxiation, but there are no ligature marks. The thyroid cartilage is intact, with no signs of fractures, but the facial area shows signs of internal bleeding, indicating the victim screamed for hours before death."
Jack, though only a novice in forensic science, could still identify some obvious features.
"Was she buried alive? I noticed severe damage to her fingernails."
Brianna shook her head. "Not necessarily buried alive. Any sealed container can cause asphyxiation. I found paint fragments under her nails."
A chill ran through everyone as they envisioned a young woman trapped in a sealed oil drum, screaming and clawing in vain, eventually dying of asphyxiation while the killer listened, deriving pleasure from her agony.
"The killer is a copycat, likely a fan of Rosalind. They both take pleasure in the victims' dying struggles, gaining psychological satisfaction from their torment. Though their methods differ, their goals are the same."
Jack wasn't skilled in psychological profiling yet, but he could put himself in the characters' shoes and quickly offered a simple analysis.
John's face was the most troubled, as he was naturally empathetic.
"Oh, right, there's something you might find interesting."
Brianna took out a UV light and shone it on the skin of the corpse's chest.
John leaned in, straining to make out the faint tattoo.
"DOD8918? What does that mean?"
"Day of Death, August 9, 2018, which is tomorrow, six months ago."
Rossi's face darkened as he explained.
"Brianna, could we check the other, more recent body?"
Jack suggested, feeling a hunch.
Brianna nodded and swiftly moved to the second body. She used scissors to cut away the clothing and examine the skin. Although the body was already past its decomposition peak, it was still discernible that the victim had been a young woman.
"On the abdomen, DOD11918."
Everyone exchanged looks of growing unease.
"The date on the first body and the second body are three months apart. Following this pattern..."
John voiced what everyone was thinking.
"Tomorrow, there will be another victim, and only then will Rosalind tell us where the third burial site is. This is her plan."
Rossi's face had grown even grimmer.
"Is she trying to propose a deal? It's as if she's holding someone hostage now," John speculated.
Jack shook his head. "She won't say anything. She's just waiting, enjoying this, relishing our anxiety and helplessness. These emotions feed the demon within her."
John looked helplessly at Rossi, who nodded, confirming Jack's analysis. John's face turned pale.
Rossi, however, remained composed and continued questioning Brianna, "Dr. Brianna, can you find the crime scene through trace evidence comparison or something similar?"
Brianna shook her head. "We need time. We can't even confirm the identities of the two victims yet. I can't even take fingerprints. Rehydrating the skin for fingerprinting will take at least two hours, and DNA testing will take even longer..."
"Uh," Jack scratched his nose awkwardly. This wasn't the time to hold back. He pointed to the chest of the body before them. "The victim probably had breast implants. If we retrieve them, the serial number might help us quickly identify her."
Despite the grim atmosphere, Jack noticed the others looking at him oddly.
"Ah-ha, found it!" Higgins suddenly exclaimed from where he was working with a microscope, drawing everyone's attention.
"What did you find?" John asked eagerly.
"A fungus. I found these spores on the clothes and under the nails of the first victim. It's a mycorrhizal fungus unique to South Asian tropical forests. Now I've found the same fungus on the second victim's clothes."
"What does this mean? Did both victims visit South Asian tropical forests?" John was puzzled.
"A tropical botanical garden or a zoo with Asian elephants, maybe? Los Angeles has something like that, right?" Higgins asked, looking up.
"You mean the killer tattooed the victims in a public botanical garden or zoo, then trapped them in an iron barrel to enjoy their death throes?"
As John dismissed the idea, Jack's mind clicked. He suddenly remembered something.
"Not a botanical garden, but a zoo. An abandoned zoo."
"There's an old zoo in Los Angeles that was closed in the 1960s. It's been left to decay ever since, isolated from the world."
It came back to him now. In the original storyline, John found and rescued the third victim there, getting beaten up in the process, allowing the killer to escape. This led to the subplot where Lucy was kidnapped.
John slapped his forehead. "You know the old zoo too? I visited it when I first came to LA. It's very close to Griffith Park."
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