James didn't bother acknowledging Merry's clear frustration. He shrugged it off, got into his car, and started the engine. Ben and Marcus followed behind in the government-issued vehicle, each of them silent and focused on the task ahead as they made their way to the crime scene.
When they arrived, they found themselves in a quiet, upper-middle-class neighborhood, the kind of place where the streets are lined with well-maintained houses and perfectly trimmed lawns. Flashing police lights illuminated the otherwise peaceful street, and yellow crime scene tape cordoned off the front yard of a modest two-story house.
James parked his car, stepped out with Lily from the other side, and both joined Marcus and Ben, who were already in conversation with a uniformed officer standing by the perimeter of the house.
"We're with the FDA," Marcus said, flashing his badge. "What can you tell us about the situation?"
The officer, a weary-looking man who had witnessed his fair share of brutal scenes, sighed heavily as he spoke. "It's a rough one. The victim is Clara Dawson, 42, a well-known local business owner. She was found early this morning by a neighbor. She was married, but had no children, lived here with her husband, who's out of town on business. The body shows multiple stab wounds. What's strange is, the door was left slightly ajar, like someone was confident enough to walk in and out without worrying about being caught. The house itself is untouched, no valuables taken, no sign of a struggle. Whoever did this came here with a clear intention, they wanted her dead, nothing else."
Ben furrowed his brow as he listened. "Any leads or suspects yet?"
The officer shook his head, frustration evident on his face. "Nothing concrete. We've been canvassing the neighborhood, but no one saw or heard anything unusual. Neighbors are spooked, but no useful information so far."
"Does anyone have a motive?" Lily asked.
"We're not sure yet," the officer replied.
"What time did this happen?" Merry inquired.
"Somewhere around midnight, closer to 2 AM," the officer answered.
"Alright, thanks for the information," Marcus said with a nod. "We'll handle it from here."
Marcus took a moment to assess the scene before giving out instructions. "Alright, let's get to work," he said, his tone steady and focused. "Ben, search the house thoroughly. Look for anything that seems out of place, even the smallest detail. Check every room, closet, and drawer. The killer might've left something behind."
Ben nodded, already heading toward the entrance.
"Merry, talk to the neighbors," Marcus continued. "Someone might have seen or heard something unusual, even if they don't realize it yet. Get them talking."
Merry gave a curt nod and moved toward the nearest house, ready to knock on doors.
"Lily, check the area outside the house," Marcus added. "See if there are any signs of forced entry from other points or unusual footprints around the yard. Anything that suggests how the killer got in or out."
Lily nodded and quickly made her way around the property.
Finally, Marcus turned to James. "You're with me. We'll take a closer look at the body and the immediate surroundings. Let's see if there's anything that stands out."
James followed Marcus and reached the room where her body was lying on the floor covered with blood
"Monster!..I" Marcus said with a low tone, looking at the women's condition
James's eyes then shifted to the carpet beneath the body, where the pattern of the fibres seemed disturbed as if something had been dragged across it. 'She was moved. She wasn't killed here.'
Looking around the room, he noticed the lack of blood splatter on the nearby furniture, further confirming that Clara had likely been stabbed elsewhere in the house and then placed in the living room.
James's eyes narrowed as he spotted a faint smear of dirt on Clara's shoes. It was barely noticeable but enough to catch his attention. 'She was outside right before the attack,' he thought, piecing it together. 'The killer probably followed her in.'
With all these observations falling into place, James leaned closer to Marcus. "She wasn't killed here. She was moved, stabbed somewhere else in the house, and it looks like she was outside just before it happened."
A few moments later, Ben called out from another room. "Found something!" Marcus and James walked over, meeting Ben by the kitchen. "This is where she was attacked," Ben said, pointing to a spot near the kitchen island. A pool of dried blood had soaked into the floor, and there were signs of a struggle here, unlike in the living room. "It looks like the killer dragged her body to the other room after the attack."
Meanwhile, outside, Lily was busy combing through the garden. She crouched near the side of the house, where the ground seemed slightly disturbed. "Hey, over here," she called. The team stepped outside to join her.
"I found some tracks," she explained. "It looks like she was in the garden before the attack. There's something off about the way the soil's disturbed. She must've been talking to someone or waiting for someone out here." Lily pointed at the faint marks in the grass.
James glanced at the tracks and the broken dirt. 'Whoever attacked her likely approached from here, caught her off guard, and followed her inside.' He looked at Marcus. "This is where it started."
Marcus nodded, his expression serious. "Keep searching for more clues. There's something we're missing," he said, directing both Lily and Ben to continue their search around the property.
As they dispersed, James lingered near the crime scene, deep in thought. 'Why move her to the living room?' he wondered. The kitchen would've been easier to leave her in if the goal was just to kill her, so why go through the trouble of relocating the body? It didn't make sense unless…there was a message or a purpose behind it.
James crouched down near the edge of the living room, scanning the space again, his mind turning over every possibility. 'The living room is more visible. Was the killer trying to stage the scene? Or maybe they wanted someone to find her here specifically.' The motivation for moving the body nagged at him, like a puzzle with one piece missing.
After half an hour of thorough searching, the team wrapped up the investigation at the crime scene. The victim's body was carefully handed over to the FDA Medical Center for further examination. Marcus, standing by the edge of the yard, scanned the area one last time before turning to the team.
"Merry, did you get anything useful from the neighbors?" Marcus asked, his tone calm but expectant.
Merry nodded, flipping through her notes. "Nothing too solid, but I got some background on Clara. Apparently, her business was doing pretty well. She owned a small chain of cafes around town, and from what I've gathered, there were no major issues, financial or otherwise. A few neighbors mentioned that she'd been seen talking to a man outside her house in the evenings a few times, but no one got a good look at him."
Marcus raised an eyebrow. "A man? Any guesses on who it could be?"
Merry shook her head. "They weren't sure, and the descriptions were vague. Could be someone related to her business or just a personal connection. I also learned that Clara had recently expanded her cafe chain and had been in talks with investors, which might have stirred up some competition."
James, still thinking about why the killer moved her body, added, "That could be something. If her business was expanding, there might've been someone who wasn't too happy about it."
Marcus nodded thoughtfully. "Good work. It's not much, but it's something. Let's regroup back at the office, dig into her business dealings, and see if there's a link between that and the murder. There's got to be more to this."