Is There Someone Else Helping

A policeman says to Bob, "There are some bite marks on the victims' legs and some on their hands as well, but it doesn't seem like very serious bites. We will have the medical examiner determine that."

Bob is still squatting down, tilting his head to look at the dead bodies on their sides, "Well, I just saw that there is a gunshot wound right beneath the hair line of the man. Under his left ear. You see?" Bob points at the area where the hair and the left side of the neck connects.

Bob then looks at the woman's neck. "Hmm. The female also has the same wound. So both of them were shot and had a small entry wound. Very hard to do actually, because the killer had to shoot these two while they stood sideways. Not facing the shooter. Not their back towards the shooter. Super clean shot. Almost like it was just a laser beam that shot them." Bob comments.

Upon hearing this, Jack feels like he is struck by the lightening. He knows Keith Hutchins can fire a gun shot like this. Superbly precise and clean. Jack saw it with his very eyes.

Jack takes a few steps forward and take a look as well. "I wonder if..., come over here for a second," Jack winks at Bob.

Getting the hint, Bob stands up and steps aside with Jack.

"What?" Bob asks.

"I think this looks like Keith Hutchins' doing. It's just my gut feeling. He is one of the best marksman and shooter I've known. He claims so himself, saying he is the best in the country."

Bob nods, waiting for Jack to say more.

"Also, Keith has told me that he would kill people somewhere else and then transport them to the area he needs to scare off people. What if he kills this couple somewhere else and dump them here? He probably paid that homeless person to be a fake witness, casting some suspicion that someone who might be shapeshifter killed these two people?"

"That is possible. I agree the two gunshots look professional. This couldn't be done by just anyone, so a former Green Beret like Keith can be the suspect here. But, I wonder if there is another reason contributing to their cause of death." Bob says.

"Yeah. I was suspecting that earlier. Bite marks don't look fatal. The gun shots don't look so fresh. There isn't enough blood dripping or blood coming out of their injuries. These two people might have already been dead before being shot. So the blood flow had already stopped." Jack says.

"Yes, exactly. There would've been a lot more blood on their bodies if they were killed by the shots." Bob explains.

"Yeah. Looks like we do have to wait for the M. E. to tell us the cause."

A policeman in uniform walks over to them and asks if they still want to see the dead bodies.

Bob says, "I don't think I need to. Jack?"

"No. I don't need to."

Jack is surprised Bob asks him and he appreciates it, because this used to be his job-- being a detective. Strangely, Jack doesn't miss it that much. But he doesn't hate it either.

Bob then asks the policeman, "So, no other witnesses but that homeless man?"

"Correct."

"Nothing stolen from the victims?"

"No. Um. Well, the regular items are still with them. The wallet. The purse. The cash and credit cards till here. The woman has earrings on still. And, there is some kind of grandfather old watch on the scene. It's a Rolex, so it's strange it's not stolen."

"Do we know who the victims are? Did you guys check the IDs on them?" Bob asks.

"The IDs in their wallets say they are from the neighboring state New Jersey. Ran both their names earlier. Not in New York Sate or City system. Waiting for New Jersey authorities to tell us something."

"That's super weird," Jack interrupts, "Bob, you're right. Why would a couple wearing valuables walking around in Hell's Kitchen at about 4 or 5 A.M. And judging from what they are wearing, it seems like they just came from a funeral or something. Very formal and both wearing black."

Bob nods, lowering his voice, "Yeah. You say you think Keith Hutchins might have something to do with this. The question is why. Who is Keith trying to scare this time? Nitte? These two victims?"

"Yeah maybe." Jack then suddenly squints and asks the policeman in uniform, "By the way, where did you find the Rolex watch? Seems strange that this victim didn't just wear it on his wrist or at least put it in his pocket."

"Right by the male victim's head." The policeman replies.

"Well," Jack shrugs, "It feels like it was placed there by the perpetrator on purpose."

"I agree," Bob says. "I don't even want to question the witness now."

The uniform policeman is surprised, "You're... you are not going to ask the witness questions?"

"No. I don't think I'd believe him anyway. Pardon me for being cynical, but what kind of homeless person doesn't pocket that Rolex before the police arrive? And doesn't even steal the cash from the wallet." Bob gives a wry smile.

"Oh," the policeman seems to realize that just now.

Bob turns to Jack, "At first when I see the report, my first concern was that Nitte did this for some kind of unforeseen reason. That's why I definitely wanted you to come with, because you know her better. But Nitte just warned us she didn't do it. True, that's just her one-sided words, and I didn't have to buy what Nitte said. However, the more I think about the police report on this case, the more I think it doesn't add up. Now, my concern is not on Nitte anymore."

"Your concern is on Rosanne," Jack says, keeping his eyes on Bob to not give away the fact that they are talking about Rosanne and they know she is watching them.

"Well, let's see what the M. E. and the autopsy reports say about the cause of death. That way, we will have a better idea as to who did this." Bob replies.

"Yeah. Earlier I had a gut feeling that there might be some supernatural powers involved. What I really fear is that someone we don't know is helping Keith with this."

"I know. It seems like whoever is doing this is trying to throw us into several different directions. Animal bites. Gunshots."

Jack then suddenly thinks of something, "Oh! Let's see if there are any Rolex watches that have been stolen in our police records."

Bob smiles and pats on Jack's shoulder, "Good thinking, Jack. I'm so, so, very glad that you are learning the value of records and doing detective works with what you can trace."

"Thank you. Although, we might not find anything, because, it is likely that the records might be in New Jersey."

"Well, we should pay New Jersey a visit later. This is now both a police records department task and detective investigation task." Bob laughs.

"Yeah." Jack then makes a face, but still looking at Bob, "We have to get Rosanne out of our way somehow."

"Oh. Oh no, we keep her," Bob winks.

"But Bob, if Nitte is right, Rosanne could be collaborating with Keith. I don't want Rosanne to find out what we know and what we are doing so far."

"We don't have to be honest with her. We just improvise and shoot the breeze when she's around. We can mislead her so she can tell Keith the wrong information about us."

"Ah."

"But, let's stop by the police records office first. Let me look up a few things. Including her profile."

Jack nods. "Yeah, let's do it."

Jack still has a bad feeling that Keith may have got someone else involved in this whole thing. There are bite marks. The kill shots. But none of these two injuries were fatal. So what is the real cause of death?

And Jack doesn't think it's just Rosanne. There might be someone else.

"Annie, are you ready to go?" Bob asks loudly as they get back into the car, putting on a playful attitude.

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A new character will be showing up soon. Stay tuned!

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