Chapter 6
Elliot and Olivia arrived at the crime scene with Munch and Fin heading to the hospital to see what condition the victim was in. Again the perp had gotten into an apartment to attack his victim but unlike Susan Johnson's attack, this building didn't have a fire escape. Now as they walked up to the apartment's front door, they were met by the officers that had first responded to the scene.
"So what have we got?" Elliot asked as they walked in the front door.
"Neighbor across the hall, a Mr. Oscar Montoya, called it in. He grew concerned about the victim, a Michelle Doyle, when he was leaving his apartment and noticed her front door ajar. Found her lying on her bed, unconscious, half naked, and bleeding from a head wound. We told CSU to take his prints so we could exclude him," Officer Bloom explained.
"No hints that maybe he did it?" Olivia asked.
"We didn't get that vibe off of him. He was completely distraught. Anyone would be after finding their neighbor like that," Officer Ramirez said.
"Yeah he was so rattled that the medics had to sedate him," Bloom told them.
"Ok thanks officers," Elliot smiled slightly and he and his partner turned to the scene before them. He was a little surprised that the neighbor was that worked up and made a note to speak to him when they were done here.
"No fire escape so how did he manage to get into her apartment and no one noticed?" Olivia wondered standing in the middle of the living room. It was obvious that a struggle had occurred. The coffee table was skewed and the items that had been sitting on it now lay on the floor. A lamp laid on the floor, the bulb and shade broken.
"No forcible entry visible…" Elliot was looking at the lock and he frowned.
"Hey Rich, you guys take a look at this lock?" He asked suddenly.
"We fingerprinted it and took pictures. What's on your mind?" Rich wondered as she moved closer to the door from where he'd been looking at something in the kitchen.
"Well he had to get into the apartment somehow right?" Elliot inquired.
"Right and you're thinking that the victim didn't let him in," Olivia spoke up.
"We know our guy doesn't need to wait until he gets inside to attack…" he partner pointed out. If he wanted to get to Michelle he could have attacked her on her way home. There was an alley right next to the building.
"I'll take the entire lock in. Maybe he picked it," Rich nodded.
"He's obviously escalating. Not long in between attacks. No way he has time to surveil his targets and live a normal everyday life," Olivia frowned. That's when a shout came from the bedroom.
"Detectives!" It was Rich's colleague, Jackie. Quickly, they walked back to the bedroom to find the CSU tech pointing to something she found underneath the victim's pants, which had been flung on the floor.
"Me – Three, Cops – Zero," Olivia read. The note had been scrawled on a piece of paper that might have been some stationary Michelle owned.
"Well it's definitely our guy," Elliot frowned. Olivia's phone rang and she quickly answered it.
"Hit the lights would you?" Jackie asked. Rich flipped the light switch off and his coworker pulled out her black light. She made a quick pass over the pair of pants that had been on the floor.
"I got fluids," she frowned.
"Our guy might have just made his first mistake. He had to know that we would pick up the pants…" Elliot trailed off.
"He left the note under there. He definitely did know," Rich agreed before flicking the lights back on.
"So perhaps he has a helper after all," Elliot said.
"That was Munch. Michelle is awake and talking. Huang was right," Olivia told them.
To Be Continued…