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🕑 Added 2025-03-31 00:25:49 +0000 UTCAnatomy of a Killer
Chapter 37 - Pond, Part 4
Larry turned toward a photo showing the scar from the surgery on the groin and the tattoo of the deceased and handed it to the sergeant. "The most specific detail about the deceased is that he had surgery for a hernia before the age of five, and the location was in the deceased's right groin."
"How are you so sure?"
"You can tell by looking at the size of the patch."
"He had a huge inguinal hernia, and the surgery was probably not performed in the country. Because twenty years ago, the suture method used in hernia repair surgeries in our country was different from this one. Maybe one that could match would be from the United Kingdom."
"Also, the patch used in the surgery is the highest-quality expanded polytetrafluoroethylene patch. You could say it was the most expensive at the time, which gives an excellent lead for the investigation."
"This tattoo, 'Never say die,' if translated directly, we all know what it means. But for the more knowledgeable, 'Never Say Die!' is the eighth studio album of the heavy metal band Black Sabbath, released on September 28, 1978."
After saying that, Larry pointed out something that caught his attention: "The highlight is that the body had been frozen and stored for a long time, which means the decomposition rate in the water would likely have accelerated. This suggests the body must have been thrown in around five days ago."
"This also indicates that the killer has a large freezer at his house. I also noticed something—it's not a solid basis to be sure, but I think this victim is an imitation of the dismembered prostitute cases."
"An imitation?"
"It could be a possibility, but there is no solid foundation for this assumption. Just something to keep in mind to profile this killer." As a criminal profiler, this was Larry's job: to find signs that could connect murders or relate one to another.
"As for the lung tissue sections, they need to be analyzed, and I'll send you the results as soon as possible. Only through a diatom analysis can we determine the environment in which the deceased was when they died."
Captain Matthews nodded and glanced at his watch. It was already 9:00 PM, and if he was right, Larry had been examining a body for over seven hours. This was due to the complexity of the body; it wasn’t easy to examine.
"Alright, leave the rest to the detectives."
"Now I’ll take care of retrieving the surveillance footage from the surroundings." Sergeant Doakes, who had just arrived, pointed out: "Tomorrow morning, go directly to the homicide division for a special project meeting. The captain specifically selected you to attend."
Larry, quite tired, nodded and said, "Alright."
Ángel had been very diligent today. He didn’t even rush to leave work and simply returned to the office with his camera.
Larry also wanted to organize the crime scene, so he went to the office, and Max volunteered to go get food.
As soon as Max returned to the office, Ángel intercepted him and asked, "What food did you order? Please tell me it’s not Asian food, no seafood either."
"Chicago-style pizza!"
"Something acceptable, though not healthy." But this wasn’t something Ángel minded. In fact, he loved pizza.
"Don’t you want any, Larry?"
"Do you feel hungry after seeing what I was doing? That, for sure, needs to be studied by a psychologist."
…
The next morning, at the pathology division, Larry had slept a bit on the way to the reception.
"Who wants donuts?" Dexter asked, returning with a box of donuts.
Larry declined, but Ángel couldn't resist having one. He then remembered what was coming, so he lifted the two papers he had in his hand and waved at Larry.
"See you, Dexter."
"Good luck with your work."
