Walking into the room, Hawkes chuckled putting his hand out. "It's been a long time Julia. Nice to see you are working a case for once. Mac said he was sending you down to see the clear Cause of Death. You were right that collecting a hair fragment wasn't a bad idea. We looked over Mr Dulcan's head," he began.
"Skip the formalities Hawkes. When this case clears up we can all go for a drink or something," she chuckled and he snickered at her. "What? If you didn't expect me to say that I question if you even noticed me," she teased.
"She's right. Your cause of death on the victim is blunt force trauma to the head," Sid informed as he and Hawkes pointed to a spot. "We didn't notice it on the scene because by the time you had found the body the blood had dried up. More importantly, the body was not killed there."
"He was dumped. So the bruising I found on his back?"
"It was post mortem. The killer wanted you to believe he had killed Tanner Dulcan at the Aokigahara Tree. Though Flack said not to ask why it's named that," he began. She shook her head at him and then looked at the body. "I sent up some specks of material that was in the victim's hair. But I found this in his stomach," Sid continued.
She looked at the material confused. "I'm no genius when it comes to what it looks like half digested, but isn't that a bug body?"
"It is. Meet the common grasshopper half digested and deep fried," Hawkes answered handing her the dish after sealing it. "We're still working on what the blunt force object was, but we'll let you know. Also toxicology says your friend was drunk and high."
"Somewhat explains the bug. Alright thanks guys, if you get something else call me or Mac down," she dismissed walking upstairs with the specimen in hand. She was about to continue before she saw Jo walking over and then pointed to the dish. "This is what was in Tanner's stomach. I have to find a restaurant that serves deep fried bugs. Never thought in my career that line would come out."
"I don't think anyone ever expected that line to come out of anyone's mouth," she admitted as she followed her back upstairs. "Mac said you would be on the case and not stop until you solved it. But he also is worried about how you're doing. This is a case that rings close to you."
"It's my alma mater. I feel a bit of a sense of pride in it. But also, I want to make sure that whoever thought killing someone was a good idea is brought to justice." Jo looked at her as she arrived in a lab and began by examining the bug under a microscope while also typing in some details about the bug and what radius she was looking at. "He was drinking and got high last night meaning he wouldn't have been too far from campus."
"Or maybe he was. See what restaurants in New York do it," Jo answered.
"He wouldn't have been too far. All subways are over 5 blocks from the campus." Jo looked at her confused and she began narrowing her parameters before they got 5 hits. "Alright remind me never to go to any of these places again."
"What? Lost your appetite for new foods?" Mac had to walk in at that moment and admitted it was funny. They had teased her for her ability to try anything without fail, but now she was refusing to do it.
"This effectively remedied my curiosity," she answered revealing the dish to Mac. "Sid says this was in the vic's body and due to the fact that tox found high traces of drugs and alcohol in his system, we need to see what state he was in when this was ate. Due to half digestion I'd say he finished this meal about 2 hours before death," she responded.
"Narrow down the fact that Don isn't having any luck on finding someone with him. Try getting Adam to run his face against security cameras," Mac answered patting her shoulder before leaving and she looked at him confused before grabbing the picture Sid offered of her victim's face and walked over to A/V where Adam Ross was being ... well ... Adam.
"Oi," she greeted and he jumped at her. "Hiya. Did I manage to finally catch you off guard?"
Adam and Julia had shared a love for being free about their personalities. "What brings the newest detective down to my neck of the woods?"
"Mac wants you to run this face in this area of town," she informed handing over the face and the map she printed off. "I think our victim went to a bar that serves deep fried bugs and I have locations I just need to know which ones me and Flack are going to head to. Or rather who Mac is sending where."
"You act so confident around the boss," Adam noted looking at her. "It's not normal. When I first started as an actual worker here I was paranoid. How are you not losing your cool? I mean the supervisor, which makes him the boss, is putting you on his team."
"I'm so calm and collected around Mac because he saved me when I was a kid. So since I made him a promise back then, I'm keeping it."
"Does he know?"
"I don't think so. It was so long ago and I only remember because he and his wife were together and protected me before getting me to an orphanage," she informed casually. Adam looked at her and she sighed glancing up at him. "Don't tell Mac. He doesn't need to know."
"Alright. I'll run the picture. Can you run this?" She looked at it confused and he chuckled. "It's from Mr Dulcan's sweater."
"On it. I'll get it through GCMS," she answered thoughtfully. As she got upstairs and started to prep the sample she glanced up as she saw Flack walking in. "Hello."
"How's the crime lab stuff going?"
"Long. I have to get something through GCMS," she responded before she placed it into the machine and frowned. "Some days I wish those fake shows about Crime Scene Investigators were accurate. Like how we get results in 5 minutes," she answered.
"Sadly they're not. But I spoke with the Chief and he has a desk ready for you and a badge."
"I forgot I'm one of the only few in here credentialed in Forensic Science, Police Foundations and Criminology."
"Your results will take a few hours. It wouldn't hurt to go down to the Precinct and make a few new allies," Mac answered as he handed her a wallet. "Your CSI credentials also came through finally and they allowed us to get your identification cards finally. Go talk to a few people at the precinct. If we get something you'll be one of the first to know."
"About time and also, thanks," she answered as she grabbed the identification and walked over to the elevator with Flack and began the descent to the streets. Flack looked at her and she was about to say something before her phone rang. "This is Chiles."
Flack looked concerned as they walked out before she grabbed her notepad and wrote down and address and ripped it off handing it to Flack. "Got it Detective Danville. I'll be right there," she answered and Flack looked at her. "Chelsea University again. Dorms. Another body," she responded as she went back up the elevator and grabbed her kit.
"I know you weren't at the Precinct yet," Mac began.
"New victim." Mac looked at her and grabbed a case as well. "I was about to ask you to come with. No offence as confident as I should be in my skills by now, I'm not." Mac looked at her confused. "What? Weren't you expecting that by now?"
"No. That's why you were the one I picked out of the 5 from your class that applied. Because you weren't afraid to admit that you could be wrong. Even when we found Tanner Dulcan. You thought the hair was significant but still sought my advice about it. You're new in the field. You shouldn't be one of the smartest."
"Academically wise I could technically be, but it doesn't mean that I am. Field experience tells more," she responded and Mac chuckled at her before they got in the car and drove off to the dorms and as she walked in, she saw blood all over the place. "Well this guy certainly has meaning."
"What? Like I'm whacked out of my gourd? That kind of meaning?" She looked at Flack with a sarcastic smirk on her face and he chuckled. "Who knew Chelsea University would turn into the school of crazies right after you left," he continued.
"Please don't say that. This place was home for," she began before trying to do the math.
"7 and a half years," Mac answered as they walked into the room and she looked at him. "You forget you did Forensic Science first. Graduated that at 19 meaning you were 15 or 16 when you started," he answered and she glared at his skull. "Don't hate me for knowing my math."
"Who we got?" Julia decided that dealing with that was not the most important thing at the moment. She had a new victim to ID, determine Cause of Death (COD), Time of Death (TOD) and possible suspects in the murder.
"Meet Wyatt Nearing. He's 25 years old," Flack began and then looked at Julia. "He was in Criminology."
"I know. He was starting as I graduated. Again basic fact knowledge of any alumni. Have we established where he was?"
"Before or after the whacked out gourd murderer?"
"Haha. Are we calling them that now? Anyways before."
"Yeah. He had a class and then went to get a drink at the bar just down the road and then returned to his dorm," Jo answered walking inside and looking at her. "When were you going to say something about what happened here a year ago?"
"It's unrelated. Suicide Trees, the beach, all of it," she answered. Jo revealed a picture of Detective Chiles getting an award and she blushed looking away. "Completely unrelated," she warned Jo as she resumed her investigation and noticed a part of the body was not looking right.
"What's this?" Mac had never seen it before and Julia bit her lip at that. "I asked about Chelsea University awards and you said you never got one."
"White lie. I got one. But I didn't think it really mattered. Awards don't get you very far in life. It's your talent and skills that gets you somewhere. Now back to our body. Flack do we have any witnesses? No offence but the blood in the halls," she began.
"It's a spatter consistent with the victim," Hawkes began before taking Julia away from the body. "Being flat against the wall. The killer probably got Nearing against the wall and when he was least expecting it, due to arterial spray," he began faking a motion of stabbing Julia in the neck.
"But if he's in his room and the hall looks like this," she continued.
"He survived for another 3 minutes," Mac answered as they looked into the dorm room where blood had sprayed everywhere as well. "Look at this pattern here," he indicated pointing with his flashlight. "It's spattered but it's also more blobbed together. Meaning our victim was starting to lose consciousness and die by the time he got in. He then fell down and that signaled the end."
"Jo?" Jo glanced at Julia as she walked in the scene. "Who discovered the body and how?"
"Dean Drury discovered it after receiving complaints about Mr Nearing and the noise he was making last night. He came to investigate and when Wyatt didn't answer the door he used the master key to get in," Jo answered looking at her.
"So the door was closed and locked behind him," she mused thoughtfully. Mac looked at her and then noticed that she glanced at the window and frowned walking over and she took a camera out. "This makes no sense. If the killer was in here, there's no way for them to get inside unless they came in with Wyatt."
"I see what you mean," Jo answered as she followed her over. "There's blood over here and it's a miniscule amount," she added as she placed down a marker and let Julia snag the pictures. Mac let Jo and Julia process the scene as it was clear that Julia had the clear intents to finish this case.
As blood samples were collected, Hawkes was able to take the body to autopsy. "So we have a second killing and in less than 24 hours."
"Yeah that's just want kids want to hear. Their parents will freak. Not that I can blame but still. We have to find a link," she answered before she heard her phone ring. "This is Detective Chiles." Mac and Jo waited before they saw her smile. "That's great Lindsay. Put it on my desk and I'm on my way back."
"GCMS?" Mac wasn't dumb.
"Yeah we finally recovered what the substance was from Tanner Dulcan's body and after running it through GCMS we got Oleoresin Capsicum," she responded before pursing her lips. "That's most commonly known for being pepper spray," she mused.
"Did Dulcan have a pepper spray?"
"No but I think I know what needs to get done. We're going back to Dean Drury. This time though we have a lead to follow. Why else would someone have pepper spray?"
"Protection," Jo responded and Julia nodded. "You think there's a link that we're literally standing right over and we're missing it." She nodded and Mac followed her with Jo to the Dean's office and as they arrived he was looking worried.
"Dean Drury," Julia began calmly.
"Please tell me why our students are dying," he demanded.
"I'm trying to establish that link. But I need your help to do it. I found Pepper Spray on Tanner Dulcan's sweater. Is there any behavioral reports made on Tanner Dulcan and Wyatt Nearing?" Mac and Jo looked at her shocked as Dean Drury began looking. "I'm thinking if there was pepper spray on him, and it's fresh, maybe Tanner got into a confrontation with someone. We know he was stoned and drunk. I'm not saying all guys. But the stereotypical guy," she began and Jo clicked in.
"They make a move on a woman."
"Or a man if they are in that community. What if our killer was a victim of Tanner's of that exact thing," she began and Jo pretended to make a pepper spray motion and she nodded. "I'm thinking our killer realized it wasn't working and took it up a notch."
"Well then we better have a report," Mac responded. As they were about to continue their discussion, Dean Drury handed Julia two file folders. "Are these all reports on one person or both?"
"Both. They both were good kids. It's why I didn't mention anything earlier."
"I understand Dean Drury but this stuff is vital. Thank you," she answered before looking into the folders and handed one to Jo. "I'm working with Tanner's stuff at the moment so I'll work with his folder. I can't run everything so mind taking on some of Wyatt's stuff?"
"Not at all," she answered as they got into the car. As they were reading, Jo looked and found something before snapping her fingers in Julia's direction and she glanced up. "Your hunch about Wyatt was right. A woman reported him not that long ago."
"Funny. A woman also reported Tanner and this was 72 hours before his death. But I also have 2 male reports under 48 hours before his death. I'm getting a feeling we have witnesses."
"We have to. Now look at my list and at your's." Jo and her had climbed out as they arrived and found 2 people in common. "I'll call them in. You go process the evidence," she assured. Julia nodded and followed Mac and Lindsay back to the lab with the new file folder from the GCMS results.
"So you found the pepper spray on his sweater. I had Sid check for any signs of pepper spray on our victim's body. Guess what he found?"
"Pepper spray and I'm guessing in the eyeball."
"Yeah. But here's the weird thing. The eye wasn't inflamed."
"That's impossible. Any irritant of the eye should cause some swelling," she responded.
"Not if he was a) wearing a contact lens protecting the actual eye and b) had a pepper spray tolerance. Your first victim was immune to the normal responses of pepper spray."
"Have Sid check victim two for pepper spray," Julia advised.
"Already asked him to," Lindsay promised. She then looked at Julia's face and smiled softly taking her hand. "We will find them Julia. I know this case has personal meaning to you. We'll get them this time."
"I know we will. It's just my question being when. How many more suffer while we look?"