Crimson

Chapter 7

He scoffed and replied, "As if I were going to let you take the wheel." "Who's the witness?" I asked as he turned the car on. "The witness was Sonia Ingersoll, a dietary aide who was walking home from work when she came across the body. She's still a little shaken up so we'll have to approach her tactfully." I nodded in agreement as I turned to admire the passing trees. What killer could have been sloppy enough to leave the body? Maybe, it's intentional. A warning... For most of the ride, I brooded over the scene and whether or not the killer had made a careless mistake or left an intentional warning for someone on the force.

Either way, this case didn't sit well with me. "There's nothing for you to piece together yet, Isa," Chris said knowingly as he turned down Sylvester lane. I rolled my eyes and turned to Chris. "How do you know I wasn't trying to regain the brain cells I lost at Starbucks with Jensen," I inquired with a brow raised. In defense, Chris shrugged and put up a hand, "Don't give me that look. It wasn't my idea. But, thank you for taking one for the team. Loren will be able to process the evidence much faster since he didn't have Jensen on his case." The grey and white Victorian home was accented with freshly cut grass and shrub bushes. It looked as if it had never been touched by the elements. Chris and I walked up the serpentine path to the front door.

I stood a foot or two to the side and behind Chris as he knocked decisively on the midnight black door. A moment passed before we could hear movement on the inside. The movement stopped which I surmised that Sonia was taking a cautious look through the peephole. Chris must've noticed it too because he promptly held up his badge. There was a click immediately after and before us stood Sonia. She was about average height with green eyes that were pale from lack of rest, thick black hair that was slightly wavy and cropped like the style Kristin Stewart once wore. I noted that she wore scrubs and likely didn't have the heart to shower after being traumatized. "Hello, Ms. Ingersoll, I'm detective Neilson. We spoke on the phone," Chris reminded her and then gestured with a chin to me before continuing, "This is my partner, Detective Knight, we're here to ask you to recount today's events after your shift." Looking up at Chris, Sonia nodded and opened the door to allow us to enter.

And, I thought the outside was spotless... Sonia Ingersoll definitely could give IKEA and Rooms to go a run for their money. "Right this way detectives," Sonia said as she went to the living room. There was a pristine cream leather sectional with an ottoman in front and a black and white armchair with a geometric design that was right across from the sectional. Sonia sat in the armchair while Chris and I took our seats on the sectional. "Would you like something to drink detectives," Sonia asked. We politely declined and got right to it. I took out my notepad and Chris did the same. "Ms. Ingersoll, walk us through the events of early this morning," he said gently with eyes intent.

Sonia took a shaky breath before she began, "I had just gotten off from working a double and was feeling groggy. My normal route after work is to walk through Washington Park to the transit station, and today was no different. I know what you're thinking. A woman shouldn't be out by herself at an ungodly hour walking to a transit station. Well, I usually do have someone with me, but they called out. When I was walking towards the station, I saw a figure lying on the pathway and presumed that it was just a figment of my imagination. Working a double does a lot to you... I got closer and realized that I wasn't losing it. So, I got closer and the woman was facing down. I thought that maybe she passed out and turned her over. And then, I saw that ungodly..." Sonia paled and looked as if she were going to vomit.

"And then... " I prompted. "I called the police. I was hysterical, "she replied still haunted. Chris asked, "Did you see anything out of the ordinary on your route?" Sonia took a moment to think and replied, "No, everything looked normal to me except that woman." "Did you wait alone? " I asked. "Yes, ma'am. It didn't occur to me 'til just now that I could've been in danger myself. God, I'm all kinds of stupid, " she replied and blanched at the realization. I took a moment to appraise Sonia. She looked wan and on the verge of passing out from fatigue, so I took the opportunity to say, "Ms. Ingersoll, you could use some rest." "Don't y'all have more questions?" she asked looking at Chris and me. I glanced at Chris who replied, "No, Ms. Ingersoll, I think those are all of the questions we have at the moment." The three of us stood up. Sonia trailed us while Chris led. I fished out my card, handed it to Sonia, and advised her to call if she remembered anything after she rested as we exited her home.

I caught up to Chris, and we made our way down the serpentine path. "She seemed to be telling the truth. What did you gather?" I asked entering the car. "The bureaucracy continues to fail us. That poor woman probably hasn't had a day off in weeks judging by the redness in her eyes. I'm leaning towards her not being a suspect," he said processing and continued as he turned the car on, "We can only confirm that once we check her alibi." Chris put the car in gear and after a few minutes, we were cruising down I-20 to the station. During the drive, I was analyzing everything that Sonia did and said. It wasn't because I didn't believe her, but I've learned to never rule anyone out until the end. She did say something that caught my attention which was that she turned the victim over. I made a mental note to ask her if she had checked the woman's pulse being that she is a healthcare professional. The story was coherent, but every bit of omitted information can always stack up.

As soon as we got to the office, I went to the lab. Loren was hunched over the victim's body on the table examining the facial disfiguration and gathering samples. "I plan to see what acid did the murderer use to melt the victim's skin and then determine the concentration used. Once I find that, I'll have one of my technicians trace known suppliers, Themis, " he said. I knew better than to ask Loren if he had performed the autopsy yet. After all, it had only been roughly an hour and he had other autopsies to perform. He looked up at me for a moment and then returned his attention to collecting the samples. Once, he collected a satisfactory amount, he secured them and said, "By the time you visit me later, I will have the preliminary examination of the body and allow Mel to get her hands dirty with the autopsy. And, I may have identification too, but don't get your hopes up. The turn around time for this victim is twelve to twenty-four hours unless things escalate." I nodded my head and said, "Thanks, Loren. Although, that's not what I came here for." Loren raised a brow, and then it dawned on him. "Keep your petty games out of my laboratory, Themis, " he said tersely. "I didn't plan on doing anything this time, Loren. Remember this for when I need to call in a favor though, " I said smugly. Then, I left Loren to decide what to do with that statement.