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The Dead Body Spoke

"Sir, I couldn’t find any social media accounts for the deceased. I even tried using his photo to search, but there was nothing," Oliver Smith reported, his tone flat.

"Not everyone posts their life online. Once we get his name, we might dig up more information," Jason replied seriously. He opened the door to the forensic lab, where the body recovered from Somerton Beach lay waiting for their review.

"Hey, Dr. Agastya," Jason called out, trying to catch the forensic pathologist’s attention from across the room.

"Oh, hey, officer," Dr. Agastya replied, looking up from the file he was reviewing. "I was just about to start."

"Have the autopsy and forensic reports come in?" Jason asked, scanning the lab filled with racks of equipment and jars of chemicals.

"Yes, the autopsy report is ready, and the forensic report is almost finalized. My assistant is just double-checking a few things," Dr. Agastya said.

"What’s the dead body telling us?" Jason asked, his sarcasm not lost on Oliver. He often referred to the autopsy results as the "language of dead bodies," given their knack for revealing crucial information.

"Follow me," Dr. Agastya said, standing and motioning for them to come closer.

Jason donned disposable gloves and approached the first stretcher, lifting the sheet.

"Not this one—this is a government official," Dr. Agastya clarified, pointing to the other stretcher. "The body from Somerton Beach is here."

Jason moved to the second stretcher, his expression growing serious. "What did you find?"

"First off, we haven’t identified him yet," Dr. Agastya replied, gesturing to the man’s pale face and the brownish tint of his lips. A long incision cut across his chest, a clear indication of the autopsy procedure.

"As I examined the body, it became clear this wasn't a run-of-the-mill murder," Dr. Agastya began, handing Jason and Oliver the autopsy and forensic reports.

"Why's that?" Jason asked, flipping through the pages.

"Look at the neck," Dr. Agastya pointed out. "The killer first tried to strangle him. When that didn’t work, they struck him in the back of the head."

Jason studied the head injury in the accompanying photo. "So, the blow to the head was the cause of death?"

"Exactly. He died from a severe blow to the back of his head," Dr. Agastya confirmed.

"What about fingerprints? Any matches in the system?" Jason pressed.

"No fingerprints," Dr. Agastya replied, raising an eyebrow at Jason’s astonishment. "Whoever killed him burned the insides of his hands to remove them."

"Why would they do that?" Oliver asked.

"To throw us off the trail and make identification harder," Jason surmised.

"We didn’t find a wallet, ID, or anything useful on him," Dr. Agastya added. "The killer likely stripped him of everything before dumping the body."

"So we have no idea who he is, who killed him, or why," Jason concluded, frustration creeping into his voice.

"We also found no fingerprints on the body or clothing. The killer likely cleaned it before disposal," Dr. Agastya explained. "We found traces of alcohol and cleaning chemicals in the nose and ears, which suggests a thorough cleanse."

"Anything that might help us crack this case?" Jason asked, determined to move forward. He needed to impress his superiors and secure a promotion to support his growing family.

"You're dealing with an intelligent killer," Dr. Agastya replied. "The wound on his legs, where his feet were severed, suggests the killer did it before killing him. The pain and fear likely distorted the man's features."

"Why go through that trouble?" Jason wondered aloud.

"Some killers keep trophies from their victims," Dr. Agastya explained. "They want to relive the thrill of the kill."

"Only a serial killer operates like that," Oliver chimed in.

"Let's hope we don’t see another case like this," Dr. Agastya remarked.

"You mentioned something strange on the body earlier. What was it?" Jason asked, shifting the conversation to a more hopeful note.

"Right," Dr. Agastya said, lifting the sheet from the body’s abdomen. "Check out the marks around the belly button."

Jason squinted, unable to see anything at first. Then he noticed faint lines etched into the skin. "Wait, I see some scratches."

"Use this magnifying glass," Dr. Agastya instructed, handing it over.

As Jason peered through the glass, the tiny scratches enlarged, revealing a series of symbols burned into the skin around the man’s belly button.

"What are these symbols?" Jason asked, puzzled.

"I drew them out and tried to decipher them," Dr. Agastya explained. "There are three symbols in a circle: a key for life, a skull for death, and two arrows for continuity."

"Maybe he carved them himself?" Jason suggested.

"I doubt it. These were burned into his skin shortly before he died," Dr. Agastya clarified.

"The killer wanted to send a message with these symbols," Jason said, his mind racing. "But what does it mean?"

"I can’t say, but it looks like the killer wants you to figure it out," Dr. Agastya replied.

"We have no idea who this man is or why his feet were cut off," Oliver summarized, exhaling deeply.

"Exactly," Dr. Agastya agreed.

"This man was healthy, with no diseases. His vitals were good, and there were no drugs in his system," Dr. Agastya concluded.

"Okay, I’m taking this report," Jason said, gathering the files. "If you find anything else, call me immediately."

"I will," Dr. Agastya assured him as Jason and Oliver made their exit.

Jason headed back to the station, determined to deliver the report to his boss, knowing he had a long way to go before this case saw closure.

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