Crime (h.s. au)

Chapter Forty Five

(T/W, mention of self-harm)

Harry

My phone rings and I run my face over my hand, answering the call.

"Detective Styles," I say, and I hear one of the officers on the other end.

"We had a call to do a wellness check this morning and you're going to want to come down here. We have a crime scene," he says, and I ask for the address. I write it down and thank him, hanging up the phone. I call the crime scene lab and give them the address, hanging up the phone and standing up.

"The wellness call this morning is a crime scene," I tell Ava, and she nods. She puts her coat on and I go to Isaac's office, asking him if he wants to join.

"I'm trying to contact Maria Leon. She wasn't at her home or answered her phone so I'll stay here," he explains, and I just nod. Ava and I walk the halls together and we get into a squad car, driving down to the address I was given.

"Wealthy neighborhood," I comment, and she agrees. We park outside by the cop cars and walk up the stairs to the home. Ava walks in and we look around, officers directing us upstairs.

"His coworker called when he didn't show up to work two days in a row. The victim is Luis Julio," the officer says, and we walk into the bedroom. My eyes take in the sight before me, a man lying on his back in bed. He has stab wounds covering his chest and his arms are cut vertically. It's as if he was attempting to self-harm.

Ava parts her lips and I know it's because she's thinking exactly what I'm thinking. Whoever killed this man, also killed Emmett Oliver.

"May I have a pair of gloves?" Ava asks, the technician handing her a pair. She walks over and lifts the covers to the bed, my eyes catching sight of what I didn't want to see. His genitals are cut, just as what I had read in the autopsy report of Mr. Oliver.

Ava then moves to the man's face and slowly opens his lower jaw, her hand closing it right after. She removes the gloves and places them in the biohazard bag.

"We have the work of serial killer," she tells me, her eyes lifting to look into my eyes. She's emotionless and I turn to look at the crime scene investigators.

"I already contacted John so he'll reach out to you as soon as we transfer the victim over to him," an officer tells Ava, my eyebrows furrowing when I look over the crime scene. There's a singular hair on the pillow and I tell the tech to grab it.

I continue walking around the home, seeing multiple technicians taking swabs of surfaces in search for fingerprints.

"Is there any sign of a cell phone?" I ask one of the officers, and he shakes his head.

"No cell phone. And no sign of the murder weapon. There is one knife of the set missing so it's an assumption that it was used," he explains, and I nod. I put my hand in my pocket and continue looking around. The only sign of any altercation was the bedroom. Nothing else seems to be out of place. Nothing seems to be stolen, except for the cell phone.

I walk over to Ava and she presses her lips together, my feet following after her on our way out of the house. News reporters are littered outside the house outside of the tape, a reporter coming up to Ava.

"Lieutenant, anything to report on?" one asks, and Ava leans into the microphone slightly.

"This homicide is clearly linked to one that had occurred only a few days ago. We are expressing this with grave concern that there is a serial killer on the loose. I cannot disclose any further details until we undergo thorough investigation. Please stay safe," she tells the reporter, turning to the squad car beside me.