The man with the mustache nodded as he flipped open the detective notebook in his hand. "The victim's name is Nando, 35 years old. He's an unemployed man who has lived in this neighborhood for over a decade. No known relatives," he explained. "It says here that Nando was a provocateur, stirring up the residents to protest the forced eviction. He encouraged them to demand more compensation than what was being offered."
"Several residents have testified," he continued, his expression growing more serious, "that ever since the protest started a few months ago, there's been a lot of intimidation. The remaining residents in this area have faced nightly terror. Thugs show up, throwing rocks at houses and causing disturbances. The locals believe these thugs were sent by the company."
Candrasa rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "So, it's possible the murder was motivated by silencing the victim. If Nando was seen as a threat for stirring things up, the perpetrators might have thought eliminating him would help move the project forward," he said. "It could be that the company hired one of these thugs or even a hitman to carry out the execution," he speculated.
Meanwhile, Derian, who had only been listening, suddenly voiced his thoughts. "This murder is too systematic to be just about silencing someone. Considering the signature behavior left by the perpetrator, it's clear there's a deeper motive at play," he said.
"You're right," Candrasa responded, the oddity only now dawning on him. "This doesn't fit the typical pattern of a hitman. They usually just dispose of the body or leave it behind without bothering to leave any sort of signature behavior," he said.
Ali furrowed his brow and asked, "Given the signature behavior, what's your hypothesis, Lieutenant?"
"Revenge and humiliation," Derian replied.
Both men frowned in confusion. Candrasa quickly spoke up. "Revenge and humiliation?" he asked.
Derian nodded. "Yes. The brutal blows the perpetrator inflicted on the victim are the result of long-repressed emotions and anger, finally unleashed in an uncontrollable attack," he explained. "As for the lipstick on the victim's face, it's a clear form of humiliation. Psychologically, the perpetrator must have smeared it deliberately, intending to degrade and mock the victim."
"My assumption is reinforced by how the perpetrator focused the attack on the victim's face. The victim's other limbs suffered minimal injuries, likely due to resistance, while his face was severely disfigured. The face is the most recognizable part of a person, the first thing others see. By destroying and defiling it, the perpetrator was essentially humiliating the victim, degrading his dignity," Derian explained, his dark eyes filled with intensity.
Candrasa immediately responded, "Considering the condition of the body when we first found it, that assumption makes sense," he said. "The body was just lying in the middle of the alley, with no attempt to hide or cover it up. This shows the perpetrator wanted the victim to be easily found, making sure everyone would see the disfigured face."
Derian took a deep breath, clearly weighed down by heavy thoughts. "But we still have to consider all possibilities," he added. After a brief pause, he glanced at Ali and asked, "Which company is trying to forcibly evict this area?"
"Binar Bangsa Company," Ali replied, his mustache twitching as he spoke. "They're in the infrastructure business, and the project they're pushing for here in Bena Village is reportedly a mall."
The dark-eyed man nodded in understanding. "Alright," he responded. "Now, I want you to gather any information you can about the company."
"Yes, Sir!"
With that, Derian and Candrasa left the scene, heading toward Derian's black car still parked on the side of the road.
***
Niskala Police General Hospital
A cold, somber atmosphere filled the forensic room. The male corpse, recently examined, lay on the autopsy table, a haunting reminder of a tragic end. An elderly forensic pathologist, Dr. Arif, sighed heavily as he scribbled notes on his notepad. His focus broke when the sound of footsteps echoed across the sterile room.
"How are the results, Doc?" asked Derian, entering with a serious expression.
Dr. Arif let out another long sigh. "The victim suffered severe head trauma, likely from a blunt object, as you suspected," he began. "The blows were delivered with immense force, so it's likely the victim was already dead after a few hits. Yet, the perpetrator continued to strike the head even after death."
Derian stepped closer to the autopsy table, his dark eyes examining the gashes and lipstick marks on the victim's disfigured face. "What more can you tell me about these wounds?" he asked, his gaze never leaving the mangled face.
Dr. Arif pointed to several injury sites on the victim's face. "Look at these wounds. The fractures in the jaw and skull show the blows were delivered with significant force. I found several cracks in the skull, indicating internal bleeding, which likely caused the victim's death," he explained.
Derian's dark eyes shifted to meet the old forensic doctor's face. "Have you determined the type of weapon the perpetrator used?" he asked.
The old man nodded. "Yes. Based on the injury patterns and wound shapes, it's likely the murder weapon was a hammer. "Hammer blows tend to leave consistent and uniform wounds, just like these," he said, pointing again to the corpse's face. "Additionally, I found small particles embedded in the wounds, possibly metallic in nature, likely from the hammer itself. But we'll need to wait for lab confirmation," he added.
While Derian only nodded in response, his serious gaze remained fixed on the victim's disfigured face. Doctor Arif, noticing his silence, spoke up again. "The perpetrator really wanted to destroy the victim's face," he said, furrowing his brow as wrinkles deepened across his forehead. "Just like your theory earlier, it seems the perpetrator had a clear intention to make the victim appear grotesque, deformed, or ugly."
"Revenge-driven murders always end in brutality," Derian replied, his tone cold.
Doctor Arif sighed wearily. "Let's hope we can find traces of DNA under the victim's fingernails. That could be our breakthrough in closing the case."
"Hm. But the results will still take a few days to come back, Doc," Derian said, his expression showing signs of fatigue. Just then, the familiar sound of his phone ringing interrupted his thoughts. The screen flashed the contact name 'Mr. Grumpy Candrasa.'
As soon as Derian swiped to answer, Candrasa's voice burst through the speaker. "Bro, the digital forensics results are in. We found a recording of the victim's last phone call—and it captured the perpetrator's voice!"