Chapter 1
Hillcrest Detective Bureau.
The atmosphere in the Detective Captain's office was stifling.
Travis Smith stood by the window, his face dark as he stared outside, clutching a case report tightly in his hand.
"Jay was about to retire soon, how could he suddenly commit suicide?"
"Wasn't it an accident? He got electrocuted while fixing an appliance..."
"Keep it down! There's a meeting going on upstairs."
The voices of the officers discussing were clearly audible to Travis.
"Chief Johnson!"
The voice outside brought Travis back to reality. He wiped his slightly reddened eyes.
Travis noticed a woman standing next to Carter Johnson.
She looked to be around twenty-seven or twenty-eight, but what caught Travis's attention were her eyes. They were unusually calm, like a still pond.
"Chief Johnson."
Carter nodded slightly, "Let me introduce you."
"This is Elaine Garcia, our new criminal psychology and forensic consultant."
"She's a special talent approved by headquarters, and she'll be a key technical asset to your team."
"Captain Smith, I look forward to working with you," Elaine spoke slowly.
Travis glanced at her. The new colleague had soft features and didn't look like a specially approved talent from headquarters.
She seemed more like an office worker filling out forms in a corporate building.
Could someone like her really help with investigations? Travis was skeptical.
He nodded indifferently, not paying much attention to Elaine.
She seemed like someone who was just here to gain some experience, so it was best to avoid involving her too much.
Carter felt a bit awkward at Travis's indifference and apologized to Elaine, "Elaine, please don't mind him."
But Elaine didn't seem to mind. Instead, she looked at the case analysis on the whiteboard.
After examining it for a while, she suddenly asked, "Where's the evidence report from the scene? Can I see it?"
Everyone looked at Travis. He frowned slightly but waved his hand, "Give it to her."
"This is the case of the electrocution death on the east side of town. The deceased is Jay Lewis, a detective who was three days away from retirement."
"The scene was determined to be an accident, consistent with all the characteristics of accidental electrocution."
Kelvin Perez provided a brief introduction to the case.
All the detectives listening in felt a bit nervous for Elaine.
Travis was known for his strict standards, especially towards those who got in through connections.
"I don't think Ms. Garcia will last long here."
"It's a shame. Other teams have women, but our team is full of testosterone. We finally get a beautiful woman, and she won't stay."
"Be grateful. Even if she's just a pretty face, it's nice to have something pleasant to look at while working."
Elaine quickly flipped through the report, her eyes focused.
Travis watched her with his arms crossed.
The report was thin, with just a few photos and a 'suicide note' from Jay.
The deceased, Jay, was found in his home clothes, collapsed in front of the TV cabinet.
His hand was on a water-soaked outlet.
The doors and windows were intact, with no signs of forced entry, and his body was covered in electrical burns.
There was no alcohol or common toxins in his system, everything pointed to accidental electrocution.
[Sick for too long... tired... finally free... sorry...]
This was the short, pieced-together suicide note.
All the evidence pointed to a suicide driven by long-term illness.
Elaine's gaze paused on the next photo.
In the photo, near the base of the deceased's right pinky finger, there was a small, irregularly shaped charred mark.
She flipped back to the previous photo of the enlarged suicide note.
Everything seemed normal, but upon closer inspection, the stroke of the word 'sorry' seemed stiff, not a natural ending.
It looked like it was forcibly pressed by an external force. This was very odd.
Elaine closed the case file and said, "I need to go to the scene."
Her tone was calm, with a professional authority that couldn't be questioned.
Travis stared at Elaine, "The scene has been cleared! The cause of death is preliminarily confirmed. Aren't the report and photos enough for you?"
Elaine looked up at him, her calm eyes shining with determination and a hint of sharpness.
"Captain Smith, just looking at the photos and report, I can only say the external injuries match electrocution."
She took out a few photos, her voice steady, "The truth often hides in overlooked details."
"The deceased's left hand was on the outlet, so how did the right hand get that unusual burn mark?"
"And the stiff stroke at the end of the note is definitely not naturally written."
Pointing to a corner of the photo, she continued, "There's a very slight scratch on the bottom of this wooden stool."
"From the marks, it looks new, not from natural wear. These details aren't detailed in the report."
The office fell silent, and the detectives outside widened their eyes, looking at Elaine with disbelief.
"These are exactly what Captain Smith said!"
"God, I think she might actually stay with us."
"How do they notice such tiny details? They're not human!"
Carter was also stunned, a slight smile forming at the corner of his mouth. This Elaine sent by headquarters seemed to be different.
Travis looked up at Elaine. In just a few minutes, she had noticed these details.
And that questioning look, was she challenging him?
"Alright, Kelvin, Kian! You two accompany Ms. Garcia and provide the most detailed records."
"Understood."
Elaine left the office, carrying her toolkit.
Travis's reaction was unexpected to her. She had pointed out Travis's oversights and flaws in the case, yet he had no reaction.
This guy was interesting.
Jay's employee dorm still had a lingering smell of dampness and burnt electronics. The furniture was covered with white sheets.
Kelvin and Kian Miller, the two technicians assigned by Travis, followed Elaine, holding inspection lights and recording devices.
They were full of curiosity about this woman.
In their team, Elaine was the only one who dared to confront Travis head-on.
Upon entering the dorm, Elaine's movements became gentle.
She approached the spot where the body was found; the wet floor marks had dried.
Opening her toolkit, she put on latex gloves and crouched down.
Instead of looking at the left hand position that had become the focus, she observed the natural resting position of Jay's right hand when he was lying down.
She took out a miniature vacuum cleaner and gently blew on the area.
Using a special pair of tweezers, she carefully picked something from an inconspicuous tile seam.
"What's that?" Kelvin couldn't help but ask, holding the recording device.
At the tip of the tweezers were a few tiny fragments, smaller than ants.
Elaine's voice was soft, "I don't know."
She picked up a small evidence bag, "Collect it, preliminary judgment suggests metallic residue."
"Here, this light brown spot, it doesn't look like food stains or rust."
She carefully swabbed a small amount of the brown spot with a sterile cotton swab and collected it.
After doing this, Elaine finally moved to the key position that triggered the 'suicide'.