Crime (h.s. au)

Chapter Four

Ava

"We have the answers," John tells me, holding the file. I've been waiting on this for almost two days and we take a seat in his office.

"Alright, the woman is twenty-six-year-old Victoria Peters, according to her dental records. The blood work was the answers we needed. She had a fatal dose of potassium chloride injected in her system," he explains, and my eyes blow wide.

"Potassium chloride? One of the drugs used in lethal injection?" I reiterate and he slowly nods his head. The knowledge to know that this is involved in lethal injection isn't all that hard to find, but having the chemistry knowledge to obtain potassium chloride is not an easy task. At least, not one for a lay person. However, it is relatively inexpensive in its physical form, which is not the case.

Potassium chloride is the drug used in lethal injection to cause the heart to stop beating. It causes blood clots, leading to cardiac arrest, and eventual heart failure.

"Based on the evidence, I'm assuming blunt force trauma to the face and ribs to essentially render her incapacitated. Then injected to initially end her life," he suggests, my lips releasing a sigh. It's heavy stuff to wrap my mind around these cases, especially when the woman is my own age.

"Shit," I breathe out, John nodding along with me. He has a certain soft spot for those victims of this age. Anyone deprived of life so early is hard to fully understand. Now, all that's on my mind is the motive. Who could have possibly wanted Victoria Peters dead?

"We will be in contact with her family. We have a few leads adding up so I'll be in contact with you," I tell John, taking the file. I shake his hand and make my way out of the building, walking to my car. I hate driving the SUV because of how boxed in I feel, but I love the feeling of authority it brings me.

The only thing I hate is everyone drives slower because I'm in the cop car. I'm not here to intentionally give tickets, only when someone is speeding passed me at a speed much higher than I should allow. On these roads, I don't have many offenders.

I steer into the station and grab the file, walking in. My route to the Chief's office is fast and I shut the door, his head looking away from the computer to look at me.

"Bad?" he asks, and I throw it on his desk.

"Bad," I say flatly, taking a seat. He looks over the file and his eyes blow wide, just as mine had. It's news no one wants to hear, and an unfortunate phone call has to be made to the victim's parents.

"Has she been filed as missing?" I ask, his body shifting his chair to face his computer. It's not long for him to search the database.

"Nope. I'm sure she isn't living with anyone, but if she has a job, her workplace should have called someone on her emergency contacts," he explains, and I grab the file. There is so much needed to happen, so I need to conjure a plan.

"Let me talk to Detective Styles, and you can give the family the call while we question Ms. Zetter," I say, his head giving me a curt nod.

I make my way to my office to drop off my things before walking to Harry's, my hand knocking on the door.

"Ava," he addresses, my hand shutting the door.

"There's a lot to unfold right now," I start and he moves a few file envelopes off of his desk. He files them in his desk and grabs a notepad.

"Let's see it," he tells me, and I hand him the file. He opens it up and takes a look, his eyes widening and eyebrows lifting.

"Potassium chloride, wow," he says, amazed at the fact. It's shocking.