Their heads were missing. Two headless corpses, nude and rigid, were jelled upon the intricate persian. Their cold bodies were like marble, the veins bulging with a carved, statuesque grace. The left body was an android. Blue blood pooled from the headless neck, muddying the carpet . The other victim was human- fifty-year-old Maxwell Nicholson. His lifeless body had been on his living room floor for two days.
"Maxwell didn't show up for work. We got a call from his buddy a few hours ago." The police officer sighed and scratched his forehead. I recognized him as the same officer that briefed us on the Carlos Ortiz case.
The living room was generous, affluent even. Velvet armchairs and couches wrapped around a white-brick fireplace and bookcases wallpapered the far wall. The bodies were shoulder to shoulder next to the fireplace. A persian rug, canvasing the hardwood floor, was now covered in the victims' blood.
"Did he have family?" Hank asked.
"He was divorced, but no kids."
"Did he have an android?"
"Not that we know of." The officer replied.
I kneeled to survey the bodies. My peripherals blurred and the room froze as I entered analysis mode.
"...COLLECTING DATA..." The notes scrolled across my vision. "... CLUES FOUND..."
I zoomed in on the human corpse. "NOTE... NO SIGNIFANT BLOATING OR DECOMPOSITION... TIME OF DEATH 48 HOURS..."
I focused my attention on the clean slice across the neck. "ANALYSIS...HEAD WAS REMOVED WITH A HEAVY, SHARP BLADE." Perhaps a sword or machete was used?
There was very little blood spatter. "ANALYSIS... MINIMAL BLOOD SPATTER SUGGESTS DECAPITATION OCCURED POST-MORTEM." I studied the body for any visible signs of struggle. There was nothing on the arms or under the fingernails. The man was calm... possibly incapacitated before he died. I noticed bruising around the neck. Under the speckles of dried blood, dark black marks were present. They were finger shaped bruises. "ANALYSIS... CAUSE OF DEATH... STRANGELATION."
I exited analysis mode and felt the room speed up, my peripheral vision returned. "The human victim was strangled to death." I announced.
Hank nodded. "The decapitation happened here, after the murders."
"That's correct." I dipped a finger in the blue blood on the floor and placed it against my tongue. "DNA ANALYSIS... ANDROID MODEL PL600 #501743921"
"Fuck Connor." Hank growled. "Can you at least warn me before you put shit in your mouth?"
"Sorry Lieutenant."
Hank rolled his eyes and approached the fireplace, leaning in to study the pictures along the mantle. I placed my fingertips against the android's chest, revealing a metallic plate along his ribs. With a gentle push, the plate slid open.
"Was the android strangled as well?" The officer inquired.
"No. Androids don't need to breathe." I replied.
I opened the chest. The smell of burnt plastic stung my nose. Several wires were melted. The heart was fried.
"He was electrocuted." I announced.
Hank nodded. "You said the man didn't own an android right? Who is this?" He pointed at a photograph above the fireplace.
I stood and examined the photo. Maxwell was kissing a young man on the cheek... an android. The android was laughing bashfully, LED glowing bright yellow. He was a PL600 model. Same as the victim.
"They were a couple," I nearly whispered it. I felt a weight against my ribs. The two men on the floor were lovers.
"Fuck." Hank muttered.
I closed my eyes for a moment, allowing myself to recreate the scene. Both victims were killed before the heads were removed. There were no signs of struggle. They were probably taken out quickly, painlessly. The android was electrocuted. A strong enough current would do the trick. But how was Maxwell strangled without a struggle?
I opened my eyes and searched the room. I noticed a half-finished glass of whiskey on the table. On the glass was a black snake curling around and sinking its fangs into a peach. The tail of the snake spelled the word 'JERKS.' I stepped towards the table and lifted the glass to my nose.
"Lieutenant." I dipped a finger into the liquid. "I should analyze the contents of this glass."
Hank sighed and stared at his shoes. I placed the liquid on my tongue. "ANALYSIS... GREEN SPOT WHISKEY... TRACES OF KETAMINE."
"Ketamine." I announced.
"Shit." Hank shook his head. "Maxwell was drugged."
So, we knew cause of death... how it happened. "Both victims were incapacitated. The android was electrocuted. Maxwell was drugged then strangled to death. Both victims were then placed on the floor where their heads were removed."
"So, where the hell are the heads?" The police officer asked.
I paced the room, scanning for any missed details.
"Why take the heads in the first place?" Hank added.
As I was examining the book case something glittered at the corner of my eye. I turned and stepped towards the couch, then overturned one of the velvet cushions. A small trace of blue blood, now naked to the human eye, was dried on the fabric. I was unsure if I could even collect a sample. I lifted the entire cushion to my face.
"Sorry Hank," I apologized and licked the cushion.
Hank gagged. "Ugh... You're worse than Sumo."
"ANALYSING... VELVET... DNA... DNA ANALYSIS... ANDROID MODEL RK800 SERIAL NUMBER UNKNOWN... "
The cushion slipped from my fingers and tumbled back on to the couch.
"What's wrong Connor?" Hank asked.
RK800 RK800 RK800. The model number was still echoing in my skull. "An RK800 model was here..." I said, sounding unsure of myself. "That's my model number."
"What? You're a prototype." Hank objected. "I've only seen one other model with your face... and..."
Yes. I remember. You shot him in the face.
"There must be more." I still sounded unsure of myself. A pressure was building in my skull. My eyes felt... felt strange. I was uncertain how to make sense of this foreign, unpleasant sensation. Perhaps this was how humans felt anxiety. Or maybe I was experiencing a premonition. Perhaps I was seeing my own ominous fate reflected in the blue puddles in the carpet.