The kid's face flushes red beneath his regulation buzz cut. He's maybe twenty-five, probably fresh out of the academy, still convinced that volume and aggression can substitute for actual competence. "I don't care who you are, lady. Nobody gets past this perimeter without proper authorization."
The casual dismissal in his voice—lady—hits exactly the way he intends it to. This is a test, a young man with a badge trying to establish dominance over a woman who's forgotten more about crime scenes than he'll learn in his entire career.
I smile, the expression cool and sharp as a winter morning. "Of course. Procedure is important." I reach into my purse and withdraw my consultant ID, along with the businesscard Detective Finch gave me after our last case together. "Here's my authorization. And here's Detective Finch’s direct number if you'd like to confirm."
Reed takes the documents with obvious reluctance, studying them like he's searching for forgery. Meanwhile, Casey watches the exchange with barely concealed amusement. She's seen this dance before: young cops trying to establish authority, experienced consultants who know exactly how to deflate their posturing without breaking a sweat.
"This looks…legitimate," Reed admits finally, though he sounds disappointed by the fact. "But I still need to log your entry time and—"
"Dr. North." Another voice cuts through the tension, and Detective Emmett Finch appears behind Reed with the weary expression of someone who's dealt with too many overeager rookies. "Thanks for coming out. Casey filled you in on the basics?"
"Getting there," I reply, accepting the lifeline with gratitude. "Officer Reed was just explaining proper protocol."
Finch glances at the younger man with the kind of look that suggests this conversation will continue later, in private. "That's very thorough of him. Reed, why don't you go help Martinez with the exterior perimeter? Make sure the neighbors stay behind the tape."
It's not a suggestion, and Reed is smart enough to recognize dismissal when he hears it. He hands back my credentials with a muttered "Yes, sir" and disappears toward the front yard, his boots echoing with wounded authority.
"Sorry about that," Finch says once we're alone. "Kid's eager, but he hasn't learned the difference between thorough and territorial yet."
"Everyone has to learn," I reply diplomatically, though part of me enjoyed watching Reed's confidence deflate. There's something satisfying about precise authority wielded at exactly the right moment.
"So," Finch continues, turning his attention back to the body. "What's your initial assessment? Casey says the staging is unusual, even for our city."
I force myself to look at Marcus Chen's sutured chest again, to see it through professional eyes rather than personal memory. The stitching is deliberate but amateur, the work of someone who understands the concept but lacks formal training. Each thread tells a story about the person who placed it there, about their need for precision and control.
About their need to leave a message.
"This isn't random," I say finally. "The positioning, the sutures, the fact that nothing was stolen—this is communication. The killer is trying to tell us something."
"Tell us what?"
I study the careful arrangement of the body, the ritualistic precision of every detail, and feel something cold and familiar settling in my chest. This isn't just communication. This is conversation.
And I'm terrified I know exactly who's trying to talk to me.
The smell hits me as soon as we cross the threshold into Marcus Chen's living room—blood and disinfectant, the metallic tang of death mixed with the sharp chemical bite of something clinical. It's a combination that should turn stomachs, make hardened officers step outside for fresh air and a moment to compose themselves.
I breathe it in like perfume.
Around me, the patrol officers shift uncomfortably. One of them—Andrew Mitchell, according to his name tag—has gone slightly green around the edges. Another keeps swallowing hard, fighting his body's natural revulsion. They're trying to maintain their professional composure, but the smell is getting to them in that primitive way that bypasses rational thought and goes straight to the gut.
Casey notices my lack of reaction. I catch her studying my profile as we move deeper into the house, noting how I don't cover my nose or adjust my breathing or show any of the small signs of discomfort that normal people display when confronted with violent death. She files it away with that analytical mind of hers, another data point in whatever profile she's building of Dr. Lila North.
"Dr. Martinez is in the kitchen," Finch says, leading us through Chen's meticulously organized living space. Even in death, the man's obsession with order is evident—magazines arranged by date, throw pillows positioned at precise angles, not a single item out of place. "He's been working the scene for about three hours now."
Dr. Eduardo Martinez crouches beside Marcus Chen's body like a priest performing last rites. At sixty-two, he's seen enough violent death to fill several lifetimes, his weathered hands moving with the practiced precision of someone who's learned to find truth in trauma. He doesn't look up when we enter, too absorbed in documenting the killer's handiwork with meticulous care.
"Eduardo," Finch calls softly. "Dr. North is here."
Martinez glances up briefly, acknowledging me with a nod before returning his attention to the sutured chest cavity. "Dr. North. Perfect timing. I was just finishing my preliminary examination."
I move closer, forcing myself to see Marcus Chen as a case study rather than a mirror reflecting my own buried nightmares. His skin has taken on the waxy pallor of the recently dead, but there's something almost peaceful about his expression. No signs of terror or struggle, no indication that he suffered during whatever happened to him.
"Cause of death?" I ask, crouching beside Martinez and pulling out my own notebook. Professional distance. Clinical observation. These are the tools that have kept me sane for nine years.
"Exsanguination," Martinez replies without hesitation. "But here's what's interesting—look at the pattern of these incisions."
He points to the sutured wound with his pen, tracing the path of the killer's blade without actually touching the body. "This wasn't a single cut designed for maximum efficiency. The killer made multiple smaller incisions, working systematically from top to bottom. See how the bleeding patterns suggest he took his time?"
