It was 7 in the evening when Sam reached the address of the crime scene located in the less wealthy part of West London. The redhead, wearing a brown trench coat stepped out of the cab and crossed the street, noticing Levi's blue Shelby cobra parked on the street. The criminal consultant stood leaning by his car just outside the building, smoking a cigar in hand. Beside him stood the lead investigator of the case Davies.
Sam looked at Levi, as usual, he was dressed for the nines, this time a navy-blue three-piece suit; but her eyes narrowed at the cigar between his lips. "Hello, Sergeant." Sam casually greeted Davies, the two shook hands in formality. Davies proceeded forward to usher the two towards the crime scene.
Sam turned to Levi just before she followed, "please don't do that when I'm around." Then walking away.
The Irishman's mouth quirks up at her annoyed reaction, it was a rare sight for him. After the many months they have known each other he had observed how tolerant she was on most things, and even had no problem dealing with him.
There were only a few things that vexed her, and apparently, he just learned one of them was smoking.
He inhales deeply and throws cigar on the ground and steps on it and he follows after them, he quickened his pace to catch up to the redhead and says, "I don't understand why you're pissed at me smoking, and have no reaction when others do." Levi points out, "You spent a lot of time around me, Levi. I only have to tolerate others second-hand smoke once or twice. I don't like the smell of it. So, I'd appreciate it if you don't smoke when I'm around or come near me when you recently had one." Sam explains, then pauses mid-step and turns to him suddenly.
"And I thought you quit?"
"It's a gift." Levi simply says and continues forward.
"I'm surprised this case interests you, it's as good as an open and shut case, Dr. Gray," Davies says as they go over the yellow police tapes.
"Knox's son came to me. I promised to check the case myself." Sam simply stated, entering the main entrance. Levi and Sam looked at the camera attached to the ceiling and the entrance where it was pointed and where the video recording came. Levi walked around surveying the area while the redhead focused her attention on the CCTV.
"We've seen the video, admittedly the suspect had some similarities with Knox. But it does not eliminate the fact that the video was grainy. It would still be impossible to make an absolute identification." Levi commented.
"But Michelle Knowles, the witness, made a positive identification," Davies replied.
"She's wrong." Sam states confidently, Davies shot Levi a bewildered look but the criminal psychologist simply smiled. He knew she saw something he hadn't seen on the video. So, what was it?
"Sergeant how tall is Mr. Knoxx?" she asked suddenly, standing below the camera fastened on the ceiling and pulling a tape measure.
"6'1" Davies answered after a thought, watching the pathologist curiously.
"I see," she mumbles, extending the tape measure upwards to the camera, measuring the distance of it from floor to ceiling.
"May I know what you're doing?" Davies asked, when she finished and decided to measure the distance of the camera to the door, then the width and height of the door.
"Aaahhh, Photogrammetry." Levi thought out loud, understanding what she was trying to do.
"Yes," Sam confirms,
"Well there's no need for that, we've got a consultant on it and I can give you a copy of the findings if you like." and Sam's eyes snapped at Davies, "He's confirmed it," he adds,
"Huh. An expert?" Sam asked, cocking a brow, as she mentally did the math in her head, after writing down all the measurements in her notepad.
"Well, I wouldn't call them that. But Harrison's, it's a private agency that Criminal Investigation Department employ from time to time to reconstruct a crime scene." Davies explained.
Levi took the notepad in Sam's hand and mentally checked the math himself. His eyes narrowed at the redhead; she really was something else. He'd never met a better Forensics expert than she was, who knew all sorts of things, even Photogrammetry.
Levi turned to Davies, "He's wrong, get another one." handing the pad to Davies who in truth had no idea what he was looking at. All the numbers, and computation and the number '5'11" was circled in the end.
" Although admittedly I'm not a certified expert in Photogrammetrist, I am confident a 'real expert' would come up with an answer not far from my estimate of 5 feet and 11 inches," Sam claimed.
"2 inches height difference is a lot, Sergeant" Levi comments, finding the case suddenly interesting, something more was going on, He could sense it.
"Math? " Davies mutters lost; it was hard keeping up with the two he thought. He was a good detective, he was certain at that, and people would even consider him quite intelligent. But those two, he looked at them, blond and redhead discussing the case in technobabble. Their mind was in a different stratosphere altogether, maybe that's why the two seemed to get along well as Marco had previously mentioned during one of their drinks.
"I reckon you understand the general gist of what photogrammetry is Sergeant?" Sam says, turning to him. "Of course," Davies replied, he knew Photogrammetry is using a two-dimensional photograph to create a three-dimensional image. Done with mathematics and physics.
Levi takes his mobile and shows Davies the video, pausing it on the image of the suspect entering the main entrance and gives him a simpler version of what they did.
"Fortunately, the security camera is in a fixed position, and with the grid pattern of the floor thanks to the tiles we have what we call ideal geometry." Levi starts, moving his finger for effect on the lines the tiles created on the floor.
"We have the man standing, the door behind him. With the distance and angle the camera has, the grid on the floor we can scientifically assume the suspect stands around 5feet and 11 inches."
"Yes. You've got the wrong guy" Sam adds confidently. "But Knowles ID'd him, how can we explain that?" Davies asked. "Simple, either she's wrong or she's lying," Levi replies humored by the idea of a possible cover-up.
"And what about the murder weapon, I heard you didn't find it, even after searching Knoxx's home?" Sam challenged, "Come to think of it, Davies, isn't it a bit fishy? Aren't these all going too fast?" Levi says grinning widely, eyeing the detective sergeant. "Not only that I was able to get hold of Knoxx's psychological profile," Levi starts, "Hey, but those are also confidential- how did you even manage to get a hold of it?"
"I flirted with one of the staff." Levi simply explains how, and continues "He did not match the suspects."
"Are you going to let a man get convicted for a crime he most likely did not commit?" Sam says, turning to Davies who felt suddenly uncertain, it did make sense, even the process of Knoxx's case was too fast.
Sam takes her notepad from Davies's hand and writes a number and a name.
"This is the contact information of Prof. Meyer, he's a photogrammetry expert, a real one, from the University of Nottingham. Ask him for a second opinion, I believe he'd be willing to help, he likes the attention. He's writing a book." Sam says, earning a nod from Davies.
It was a week later when Davies dropped by at Guy's, Sam was in the morgue with Clark, her assistant. She was busy showing him the ropes, what to look for in a body, and what it all means.
The door swung open moments later revealing Davies, he had a constipated look in his face, Sam thought.
"I take it you took my advice," Sam told Davies, eyes back to the body.
"You were right. Prof. Meyer checked the videos; he refuted the initial findings." Davies explained. "Suspect is 5'11" as you estimated." he adds., "That's good. So, what did you come here for? You could have just left a message." Sam says, knowing full well he needed something from her.
"With our primary suspect gone. No murder weapon in hand was on a dead end. I want to ask if you could consult for this case." Davies said he was well aware of the chances of her saying yes. It was rare for her to consult in the first place, and from what he heard she doesn't do NEW cases.
"Okay." Sam stated simply, and Davies paused for a moment, "Wait?" He asked, and Sam turned to look at his surprised expression. Green eyes meet blue eyes. "Yeah. sure. I promised the boy I'd look at his father's case. I'm planning on keeping it." she says.
"I'll drop by tom, please inform your team to prepare everything," Sam instructs eyes back to the corpse. Her way of saying the conversation was over.
"Okay! " Davies exclaims enthused and he marches out of the morgue.
"Can I join you, Dr. Gray?" Clark asked, hopeful, he was after all a fan of her work. He had worked hard just to get the privilege of working with her, even his fellow trainees were envious of him getting to learn first-hand from who they've dubbed as 'The Master'.
"Sorry, Clark. I was hoping you'd continue with Dr. Hawthorne. You still need more training with performing an autopsy, it's still a bit sloppy." Sam says, and the man just 5 years her junior nodded in understanding, knowing she was a perfectionist.
"I'll let you work on some trace evidence after this," Sam adds grinning at him, knowing it was the area he wanted to specialize in.
Your gift is the motivation for my creation. Give me more motivation!
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