Dib arrived at the little gas station at the edge of Madison and Oneida. He showed his badge to the officer at the scene and then ducked under the tape as she held it up for him to pass. Two investigators conversed near the covered body and one turned to him and shook his hand as he approached.
"Membrane? Your superior said you were coming."
"What do you have?"
"Stabbing. Two wounds, entry and exit. Unidentified weapon. Whatever it was, it went clean through."
Dib checked his watch. He'd made good time getting here. "Forty and your coroner still hasn't showed?"
"Yeah, he was wrapping up a suicide when I called. Should be here soon. We're a small town, we don't usually see two deaths in one day," he replied, eyeing Dib. Look out, big city Norwich detective. Dib scoffed silently.
"Show me?"
The Madison detective leaned down and lifted the tarp. Dib crouched down to peer at the body. Sure enough, one stab straight through the heart. He straightened and looked around.
"In broad daylight?"
"Gas station owner was closed for lunch when it happened, self-serve." He pointed out the victim's car parked by one of the pumps. The gas tank was open, nozzle on the ground. "Seems he was attacked while getting gas."
"How'd he end up over here?" Dib asked, tracking the distance with his eyes. It was at least a dozen meters between the vehicle and the body.
"Your guess is as good as mine. Wasn't dragged. Almost seems like he was thrown here, though that doesn't make sense."
Dib stepped around the body carefully, moving towards the vehicle and giving a wide berth to any path the murderer might have taken to the body. He leaned to look inside the car, then stood on his toes to see over the top of the SUV.
"Hey," he called. The investigator walked over.
"Did you see this?" Dib gestured to the top of the vehicle. Four deep dents sunk in the car roof, one almost deep enough to puncture through to the interior.
"What the hell.."
"I'd say whatever made those, did that," Dib gestured at the body and looked at the investigator. The man shook his head and drew his phone, walking off as he dialed his superior. Dib stepped off the scene and returned to his car, picking up the folder in his passenger seat and flipping through the photos to the close-ups of the stab wounds. Same type of wound. He leaned his head back against the seat and closed his eyes. He created this, this was his fault. The Irken was killing, but why? He opened his eyes quickly and called his superior.
"Have there been any reports in Utica?" he asked when Charles picked up.
"Utica? No, none I've heard of. I have note out to let me know if there are any more homicides like these. Why?"
"Just thinking ahead," Dib replied, reaching to program his GPS. "Us, now Madison. Seems the killer is heading north."
"I'll call up there and give them a heads up."
"Alright." He hung up dialed Steven Barnes.
"You'll let me know first?" he confirmed as he pulled onto the highway.
"Absolutely. See you in a bit."
"Alright." Dib hung up and tossed the phone into the passenger seat. He reached to open his glovebox and took out the loaded glock there, setting it on the dash next to the GPS.