Chapter Seventeen
By the time they reach the crime scene forensics were almost done with their business. DI Flynn was already there, seeing Calme and Mazzeo he darts toward them.
“You do realize I can’t be seen doing all these official works, don’t you?” she scowls.
“Ah! Mattia told me you were a fire-cracker, but didn’t say you were this much annoying too.” Flynn grimaces. “Anyways, this case probably concerns you.” He informs.
“Where’s the body?” Mazzeo asks.
“In the bedroom. But I must warn you lot that it ain’t a pretty sight.” Flynn says shaking his head. They make their way to the bedroom and after seeing the body Calme shudders. It sure as hell not a pretty sight. Only few hours ago this girl was running around picking fights and now she’s lying on the floor with her throat sliced open and her tongue chopped off. Who would do this and above all for what reason?
“Got anything Barone?” she asks shifting her focus on Barone. Baldini Barone is an excellent forensic technician and there is hardly anything which goes unnoticed by him.
“Aha! Got a bread knife full of prints and few other here and there.” He says holding out the knife in an evidence bag in front of them.
“You mean to say that the bread knife is the murder weapon?” Mazzeo asks drawing his eyebrows together.
“That’s exactly what I mean.” Barone says smugly making it almost clear that he doesn’t really like Mazzeo.
“The killer is quite strong, so to speak and it seems that he’s psychotic as well.” Barone says motioning to the body and continues, “And the work he did on this girl is not a work of any amateur. If you look closely you’ll see how smoothly the cuts have been done. Now I’m done with my work here, move out of my way I have reports to make.” He keeps babbling until he gets out of the apartment. Calme and Mazzeo look at each other, both shrug and head to the living room.
“So, what do you think?” Flynn asks.
“Isn’t there any camera anywhere around the whole building?” Calme inquires. “Yes! One at the lobby, one in the elevator and one at the staircase.” He informs.
“Great! Now we check the footage and Mazzeo and O’Brian you guys apply the door to door trick.” She says. They nod and leave.
“Two murders in a matter of one day. We don’t have a suspect neither the motive behind all of these.” She mutters.
“Yes we do have a suspect. I heard you guys went to a club today and there you had a dispute of some sort with this girl. ” Flynn says haughtily.
“We don’t know that for sure yet. Let’s just not be presumptuous.” Calme says irritably.
They make their way to the control room. But after reaching they see no one there. They find the security guard at the lobby and ask for the footages.
“Now, show us the tapes from 9 pm-3.30 am. And tell me have you seen anyone who’s not from the building around that time?” she asks. The guard seems shaken.
“No Miss nothing like that happened. I have been there the whole time, even when Ms. Taylor came around 9.30 and she seemed pretty upset.” The guard informs.
Calme thinks of the incident that took place at the club. Dominic took Bethany outside and when he came inside there was fire in his eyes. She didn’t expect him to be so angry over something so little.
She was outraged for a while but it was nothing she couldn’t handle. In fact it was a very common act of jealousy from Bethany’s side. But Dominic took it somehow very seriously and acted aberrant the whole time after that. So in the end everyone had to call it a night. What if this murder has anything to do with him? She thinks and shudders at the thought.
“Here Miss.” the guard takes her out of her thoughts.
“Thanks.” She says and the guard leaves the room.
They go through the footage but find nothing noteworthy.
“Is the killer a ghost or something? I’m beginning to find the footage useless Calme.” Flynn says agitated by now.
“Have patience. There has to be something.” She says. Just then they see someone ascending the stairs. It’s a man wearing a black hoodie and sweats, his head is covered by the hood of the jacket. Reaching the top of the stairs he looks up at the camera. But they barely notice his features. His face is masked; only his eyes are shown. Calme’s heart starts to beat faster.
“Call the guard.” She says urgently. Flynn calls the guard and he comes in. “Who’s this man? Have you seen him come in?” she asks him.
“This man came in search of Mr. Burton. The lawyer stays at the second floor. But I told him to come later since Mr. Burton’s not home and he left. I swear I don’t know how he got in and he wasn’t wearing the mask at that time.” The guard says wide-eyed.
“Shit! Just enhance his face.” Calme says. Her heart seems to be on the verge of exploding.
He zooms and adjusts his face and she finds herself staring at the most exotic couple of eyes.
She looks more closely. Yes, the same eyes she admired so dearly. But why would he do this? It was me whom Bethany fought with, then? She looks at DI Flynn and there is a glint of happiness in his eyes, as if he finally solved the puzzle. He looks at her and there is that I-told-you-so expression on his face.
“You said when you talked to this man he was without the mask, right?” she asks the guard. The man nods.
“Would you be able to recognize his face?” she inquires.
“I didn’t notice much because he kept looking down at his feet and wouldn’t meet my gaze but he had these strange eyes. Besides, there wasn’t much light.” He says. Calme takes out her phone and shows him Dominic’s photo. He focuses on the picture and a spark of recognition becomes evident on his face.
“So it was him?” she asks him with a pounding heart.
“Yes Miss. I’m sure now. Those eyes, I can never forget those eyes.” The man says shaking his head. Calme looks at Flynn and he smiles a triumphant smile.
“Thanks-” she checks the guard’s name on the name plate, “Jay, we appreciate your help. But we might need you later. So don’t go anywhere.” With that she leaves the room with Flynn on her trail.
They meet Mazzeo and O’Brian at the lobby.
“What did