1. Linking Evidence

Chapter One

 Jane walked through the elevator. The view of people going in and out of their cubicle, some chatters and pressing keys were audible. My gaze shifted to the clear glass window at the left seeing the view of the city buildings. In her work, she realized how humans were insane, brutal, and evil. Chasing criminals, finding clues to locate them and to find justice. For some it’s an easy peasy job, but have they thought it’s not like magic in simple abracadabra? The criminals were at the jail. Some of her co-workers looked at her indifferently. The right word, judge her position. Having a wealthy family and a wealthy name are two things everyone wanted in life. Being born with a golden spoon, some people thought you have everything. Through it, you could be whatever position you are in. When in fact, she grow a life full of pressure and competition in order for her to achieve what she has now, failure was the last thing Jane in life—to be a failure in the eyes of her family.

A lean man scurried toward her, holding a pile of files in his hands. "Officer Adair," Austin called her attention and walked beside her. Jane glanced at the files he handed to her. She look at the man flashing a wide grin on her, she gave him a casual smile set on her lips as she get the files.

"What do we have here, Officer Macapagal?" Jane asked as her eyes scan the papers, reading every bit of details written, pursing her lips as she walk towards her table. Her brows furrowed, deepened, as one of her fingers tapping the surface of the desk. 

Two weeks before, a report of a body found at the playground of the school was found. According to the report, a teacher sees the body who called 911, and the police went to the crime scene. One thing Jane, a common thing she notice in the report, the victim where teenager having bruises and cuts in the different parts of her body along with the tag ‘I’m sorry for being a whore’ and a week prior three cases of teenagers were found dead in different locations having the same fate like the first victim and the common death they had is head trauma. Jane clicking her tongue. Another teenager’s body was found in the abandoned train yesterday. She stopped clicking her tongue and tapping her hand, and sat properly, leaning forward.

Officer Macapagal sat on the chair in front of her, then leaned on it. "Something is strange," Jane uttered as her forefinger touches the pictures clipped on the edge of the folder. She took it off and scattered it on the table, synchronal according to its date.

"Look at this." she tap on the picture of a girl that was found dead on the playground near a school. "The way the bruises in some part of their body was intentional, it seems a hard object the murderer uses, as well to the cut, not a severe cut but enough for them to feel the agony,” she said, looking at his partner who was looking at her intently listening to what she was saying.

“The police did not find any object in the crime scene. Everything is clean, like it was a plan by the murderer. If according to the autopsy, the victim died not in strangulation, as we find marks of bruises in their neck but a head trauma. But there’s no fracture in their skull, or bruised that the object, heated them which a gigantic puzzle to what is the object used by the murderer, or what you think, any ideas? And they had one common that the Murderer seems obsessed with killing them.” Her brows puckered, clicking her tongue again, staring at her partner.

Officer Macapagal gaped at the picture. “One thing the pathologist don’t understand about the death, it seems like a head trauma but it’s kind of strange and one thing I notice is that both victims were pretty good looking, smart and an achiever, but I don’t understand the tag within the body. Why? He scratched the stubble on his left jaw.

“Bingo! So this murderer is probably a man who was obsessed with that kind of girl, and the victims attend the same school. Something is upon here. Are you doing something today?"

“No, why I am here because this is our fresh case handled by the chief director to us,” Officer Macapagal stated, his emerald eyes show amusement. “I smelled another promotion.” Sound of adventure and excitement rush within her blood as she saw the pile of files handed to them.

Jane gathered all the pictures and files and arranged them accordingly. Lifting her eyes on him along with she snickered. “Oh, please officer Madrigal, not now, we need to solve this, find the murder as soon as possible before this person could kill more victims.” She handed the file back to him and stood up.

“I bet within this month the murderer will be in jail screaming with anger to us, and threatening us,” Officer Macapagal remarked like it’s a common thing to this kind of job but Jane shook her head, shoving off the words those criminals they have put on jail. Typical.

Jane walking towards their car in the parking lot of the NIJ building in the city of LV. She started the car immediately as soon as Austine closed the front seat door. She could see the excitement in his face. It’s been a month before their last cases, and now they are taking a new risky adventure.

"I like it when you're like this, adventure is waving Jane!" Austine exclaimed, who was eager to end this series of murders, and finding out who is the murderer was one of the best and fun parts, discovering shreds of evidence and making the murderer pay is satisfying, a job where she is dedicated to doing to help others.

"Ha! Don't be too excited, Austine we are not there yet," She said grinning, she knew this will be fun but the eagerness in her blood is boiling like wild lava on the volcano ready to burst, as the car turned to the street where the University of N, LV located. During the trip, Austin played pop-rock music booming in the car stereo, and the thing she dislikes when she’s with him, Austin trying hard to voice as he sings, feeling like he’s a pop artist.

As soon as they reached the university, a feeling of nostalgia swept through her for a second, the same university she attended five years ago. Some professors and deans before were not part of the university anymore. Last alumni, she received news that one of the old professors died in cancer and he was one other professor in Major Subject before. Sadness was what she felt. Another eminent professor passed away. The car parked near the school gate area, a guard in black uniform standing on the guardhouse looking alert to his surrounding, his eyes moved to Jane and Austine approaching at him.

Before the Guard asked them, the two showed their police badge and nodded at them as he opened the gate. They are welcomed by students with glared and questioning looks, and some whispered to each other and probably their topic was them. Austine showed his friendly smile to anyone as if he’s one of the cool jock. Some of the attention was on him. What a charm. Jane headed in the faculty's direction and staff building with a stern look on her face, serious enough to make the students bow their heads, avoiding her gaze. They walked to the staircase leading to the office of the emeritus professor.

Banging her fisted hand on the door twice and the office door opened, revealing an old woman probably in her thirties wearing eyeglasses and an old swaying dress, looking at Jane awkwardly as she opened the door enough for the two officers to see what's inside.

"Can I talk to the Head Professor?" Asked Jane. The woman offered the opened door, letting the two officers in, politely.

"Wait, I'll just call her," the secretary said, with an awkward smile before leaving the two in the waiting area of the Head Teacher's office. After a few moments of waiting, the second door opened and a woman in her mid-40 walked toward them wearing square eyeglasses, a casual smile on her face yet the puzzlement in her eyes could not hide in her sophisticated looks.

"Officers, what can I do for you?" the head professor asked with a hint of curiosity in her voice but probably has a clue on why do these young Officers are standing in front of her. Her eyes went down to the files Austine was holding before she dashed her gaze to Jane.

"Officer Jane Adair, the homicide investigator of the missing girl's case," Jane said, showing her badge. The head professor's eyes widened and a knowing smile set on her thin rosy lips. “Jane Adair, long time no see, the Magna-cumlaude of 2017. Please sit. Where is my manner?” she gestured to the two chairs in the lobby.

Austine glanced at Jane with one eyebrow arched upward, and the two were at one chair facing the head of the university.

"I am thankful for the approach and finally talking to me, Officer Adair," she added, settled in one chair across the two officers.

"The evidence and paper were just given to me yesterday, and I was waiting for the evidence to be completed and files to be reported as per my request—I'm sorry that it has taken a day before coming here," an apology, paying respect to the head professor as it was the right thing to say by the young officer was driven and eager to find the culprit, giving justice to the young souls who lost their lives by being killed off someone who is maybe in deep revenge of something and as for reasons she's still finding why and what.

"It's difficult, I know but I can't stand the fear that he or she was giving on my students," the head professor spoke, leaning on the couch looking at the two officers in front of her with passion and eagerness burning on their eyes.

"We will find who is behind this, Mrs. Ramos, and we will ensure safety for every student," Austine full of reassurance he said. The head professor smiled a little, fixing her eyeglasses as she sigh heavily.

"I do have one request, Mrs. Ramos, if that's okay," said Jane, the head professor nod her head.

 "What is it?" with an eagerness in her tone, she crossed her leg.

"May I know the list of students that is famous, achievers and maybe the leaders of every sport and such?" Jane requested.

The head professor stared at her for a second before she nodded. “If it helps to find the murderer, then why not.” Fixing her glasses.