Chapter 6 Kelvin's Rebellion
Lexine's parents just broke down, tears streaming down their faces.
Kelvin couldn't take his eyes off Sienna. She was a medical examiner, but she had a knack for reading people too.
The guy who talked to the victims' families was a pro at interrogations, but even he needed more practice when it came to Sienna.
Lexine's dad, Tony Gonzalez, and her mom, Tammy Baker, were sobbing non-stop. Sienna paused for a second before asking, "Did Lexine go through sexually assault before she died?"
Tammy's cup slipped from her hand, spilling cold water everywhere. She stared at Sienna in shock. "How do you know that?"
"My colleague mentioned she always seemed well-behaved, but her body had these small self-harm marks that had been there for a while. For a girl to self-harm, it usually means something's wrong at home or she's dealing with some kind of trauma."
Tony and Tammy both looked down, their lips trembling.
Sienna didn't push them, just waited quietly. After a bit, they let out heavy sighs, full of regret.
"Three months ago, Lexine came back from a bar with her friends, and she wasn't herself. We found out she'd been assaulted sexually at the bar," Tony said.
Leroy blinked, looking confused. "We checked that angle too, but came up empty."
Tony covered his face, his voice muffled, and slapped himself hard. "It's all my fault! If I'd known Lexine couldn't handle it, I would've killed that rapist!"
Leroy sighed. "Lexine's best friend said she was seeing a therapist then. She was trying to move on."
Tony and Tammy were crying uncontrollably.
Sienna took a deep breath and turned to Ava's mom, Bertha Rivera. She was sitting quietly, her eyes empty.
Sienna asked gently, "Hi, can I ask you about Ava?"
Bertha's eyes flickered, and she slowly looked up at Sienna, her lips moving.
"After I divorced her dad, Ava stayed with me. But after I remarried, she didn't like coming home anymore."
Sienna asked seriously, "Why?"
Kelvin jumped in, "Rape and domestic violence."
That short sentence hit Bertha like a ton of bricks. She suddenly got agitated, standing up with bloodshot eyes. "I remarried to raise her. Why did she cut ties with me? Didn't she understand how hard it was raising her by myself?"
Sienna frowned. Bertha was almost hysterical.
Sienna was about to say something, but Kelvin beat her to it. "Is being raped by her stepfather a small matter? Even if she killed him, it wouldn't be entirely her fault."
Sienna's eyes widened in disbelief. Kelvin's long hair covered his eyes, and his thin lips were pressed together, giving off a creepy vibe.
As a cop, he actually said that!
Leroy's vision went black, and he rushed over to cover Kelvin's mouth. "Why are you saying these things?" he hissed.
Leroy had teamed up with Kelvin on cases before. Leroy came from a family of cops with a solid rep in the force. In the whole task force, he was the only one who could sometimes argue with Kelvin.
Leroy signaled to the other officers, and soon, the family members were escorted out of the room.
The room went dead silent until Kelvin knocked Leroy's hand away.
Leroy gave a sheepish smile, muttering, "These victims had tough backgrounds and lives. But is that a reason to be killed?"
Sienna chuckled lightly. "It's not a reason to be killed, but it's why they crossed paths with the killer. The real reason the killer went after them is because they remind him of Cara in some way."
Leroy had almost forgotten about Cara, and his mind instantly got jumbled.
Leroy asked, "So why did he kill Cara?"
Kelvin lifted his eyelids and suddenly said, "If I were the killer..."
Sienna looked at him, surprised.
Kelvin seemed lost in his own world, his voice low and slow. "After finally escaping a tough situation and meeting a kind girl I liked, who then died because of my weird fetish, the only thing I'd want to do is piece her back together to pretend she's still alive. Even if it's just a shell lying beside me, I could convince myself that person is Cara."
After Kelvin finished, he felt a sharp gaze on him. He suddenly spread his hands, smiling with a hint of wickedness. "I'm just saying."
Sienna pursed her lips lightly. Kelvin had completely immersed himself in the killer's mindset, fully empathizing with him.
Few people could empathize with a criminal, which was a very dangerous state.
Sienna suddenly asked, "Kelvin, have you ever killed anyone?"
Kelvin squinted at her and leaned in slowly, whispering in her ear, "Try it whenever you get a chance, Sienna."
Sienna leaned back and said bluntly, "Kelvin, I haven't dissected a living person yet, so I'd like to try."
Leroy was silent for a moment, then reminded them, "We're discussing a case right now."
Leroy rubbed his chin, feeling troubled. "So the killer might still kill more people? But we still don't know how the killer met them."
They had thoroughly investigated the social circles of the four victims, finding no clues.
Kelvin withdrew his gaze from Sienna, stood up, and said coldly, "No one can do something without leaving traces. There must be something we missed, like the male lover Tom contacted. Sienna, what do you think?"
Sienna said calmly, "But I'm just a medical examiner. I've given you all the clues from the bodies. The rest is up to you to investigate."
After speaking, Sienna lowered her head, lost in thought.
Kelvin kept staring at her. Unexpectedly, Sienna suddenly looked at him, making him uncharacteristically flustered and look away.