-You know, I think I've heard the name Salvione before. I'll have to look it up in the database. - Ashley said as we walked down the corridor.
-Could be anything. All right, I'm gonna go to the lab, run some tests. About the autopsy, I think we'll have the results tonight.
-Okay, I'll be in the office.
After I finished talking to my sister, I went into the lab, Alice was already there, preparing everything for the expertise of the evidence.
-Well, let's get started. - I said and put medical gloves on my hands.
Blood, fingerprints, evidence, autopsies. Some people may not believe it, but I really like my job. The job of a forensic scientist is more than looking at evidence under a microscope and writing reports. It's about analysing and correlating specific facts from the evidence, which ultimately leads to justice. Every time I do it, it warms my soul to think that my work will help save someone's life, find someone important, or put a goddamn serial killer behind bars. I don't notice how time passes, I just have time to look at the wall clock in the lab, and an hour or two has already passed. So this time I didn't realise two hours had passed.
-All right, the results are in, I'm going to go and tell our inspectors. Alice, start writing up the report and tell Janine to have everything ready for the autopsy at five o'clock.
-Okay, is there anything else I should do?
-No, that's all. -that was the last thing I said before I threw the used gloves in the bin and left the lab with the documents.
As I walked down the corridor to the inspectors' office, I had the feeling that someone was following me. Walking on my heels, stealthily watching my every move, waiting for the right moment to do something. And maybe I knew who it was, but I was afraid to admit it to myself. "To hell with that," I thought to myself.
-I've had the blood on the ring analysed and it turns out it belongs to the murdered man. There are no prints, and the autopsy results will be in tonight, but I don't think the autopsy will show anything. All we know is that this man was strangled and then stabbed in the heart. - I was telling my colleagues as I walked into the office.
-All right, this all points to a crime that's been a long time in the making. Remember I said I'd heard Salvione's name before? -said Ashley, turning her gaze back to me.
-Yeah, did you find something?
-I did, I dug into our database and it turns out the now murdered Signor Salvione was wanted by the police in Naples, Venice and Rome.
-He and two of his associates, Monica Fabbri and Gerald Linswand. -Dante added.
-What did he and his accomplices do?
-They were the heads of a sect and they sacrificed people in their rituals.
- Religious fanatics, so it suggests the murder may be directly linked to their sect.
-Rose, have you finished your work in the lab yet? -Ashley asked.
-Well, I'm totally free until 5:00.
-Great, I propose this plan of action, you and I will try to find out where our murdered Signor Salvione went every Friday. Dante and Silvio will look for information about the sect and the two surviving leaders of the sect.
-I agree.
-I agree too.
-I don't agree. You really think some old lady saying he went out every Friday is going to help us in our investigation? - Well, I think it's pretty clear who was saying it, of course, Olivia.
-Let me ask you, what do you suggest we do?
-I think it was just a spontaneous murder. Two people had a fight, and then this.
-And this? You're kidding me, we've just given you a lot of evidence that suggests it was planned and linked to religious fanatics.
-It's all bullshit. And why the hell are you getting involved in an investigation, you're an expert and if I'm not mistaken you're supposed to be in your lab doing reports, aren't you?
-Olivia, you start by doing your job. Unlike you, Rose is not only doing her job, but she's also helping us with the investigation. -Dante said before I could answer Olivia.
-And not like some people, walking around at work. - Ashley added to his words.
Olivia rolled her eyes and walked out of the office.
-Thank God she's out of the way.
-Too bad it's only temporary.
-Yeah, so, Rose, are we going?
-What are we waiting for, let's go. - was the last thing I said before my sister and I left the office.
-Where to first?
-We're going to visit our witness, hopefully by now he's sobered up.
We went down to the car park and got in the car and drove out onto the road. After 20 minutes of driving we pulled up to an apartment block which was literally a stone's throw away from the house where the murder took place. My sister and I got out of the car and went into the entrance. The witness's flat was on the fourth floor. Five minutes later we were standing in front of the door.
- Senor Bianco, open the door, it's the police. -Ashley shouted and rang the bell.
-I take it no one is going to open the door for us. - added the girl.
-Yeah, now we're gonna have to break the door down. - I said sarcastically and loudly. And then the door opened a little and a man's face appeared. He looked around and finally looked at us.
-Come in. -The man whispered, and Ashley and I walked into the flat.
-Hello, I'm Chief Inspector Ashley Grace.
-Good afternoon, and I'm forensic scientist Rosalind Grace.
-So let's get started. What did you see tonight? -said the sister, sitting down on the sofa in the living room.
-He'll find me, I saw him. He'll come for me, he said quietly.
-Look, don't get hysterical, if you were going to be killed, there'd be two bodies at the crime scene.
-Ashley, are you kidding?
-I'm just trying to calm him down.
-Listen, you're in no danger, if you think you need security we can provide it. -I said to the man.
-Thank you, at least someone cares about witness safety.
-When we've sorted out your security, can we move on to the testimony?
-So I'm walking past the flat, I see the door open and I hear screaming. I thought I was imagining things, but after five minutes I decided to open the door. I open the door and there he is, a knight in a black cloak.
-And I see he's not only an alcoholic, but a drug addict. -I whispered in my sister's ear.
-I admit he looks like a madman with a certificate, but at least we'll get some information out of him. -so the girl whispered to me.
-And he had a bloody blade in his hands, and then he jumped out the window. I couldn't see his face, he was wearing a mask. -the man continued.
-Anything else?
-That's all I saw.
-It's crazy. -I whispered.
-What's what? -asked the witness.
-I say thank you for the information, see you later. -I said goodbye.
-See you later. -Ashley said goodbye, and she and I headed out.
As we left the flat and Senor Bianco closed the door behind us, my phone rang.
-Hello....