"Angela, you have two choices now. I can negotiate with Detective Calderon, who is in charge of your case. You have 24 hours before the case is officially handed over."
"I choose the first one."
Angela imdiately agreed before Commander Gray could even ntion the second option. As a veteran patrol officer, she had handled many similar cri scenes, but patrol officers usually only protected the scene and did odd jobs. Now that she had finally beco a probationary detective, this opportunity was rare.
"I'll assist 'Detective' Angela."
Jack also volunteered. He had recently acquired entry-level forensic skills, and this was his first ti encountering such a heinous burglary; how could he miss it?
Commander Gray nodded: "Tell your findings."
Jack also took out his notebook; this was the initial questioning he and Angela had done after Christine and her husband had cald down a bit.
"According to the couple's description, the perpetrators were two n, both wearing ski masks, white males, possibly Latino, between five feet nine inches and five feet eleven inches tall, of dium build."
"The man who assaulted Mrs. Christine was wearing white sneakers with red triangles on them. We've reported this information to command center, and they'll issue an arrest warrant."
Commander Gray seed satisfied and was about to turn away when he rembered sothing and asked the couple, "Is there anything else we should remind the forensic team about? They're very busy today; it'll probably be another two hours before they arrive."
"Uh…" Jack looked at Angela, who gestured towards the door, and then realized, "That visual doorbell, the cara location has a piece of electrical tape on it; they might be able to collect fingerprints from it."
Commander Gray nodded again in satisfaction.
"I need to et with the two victims. I need to persuade Mrs. Christine to undergo a forensic examination. I suggest you examine the scene before the forensic team arrives, but be careful not to cause any damage."
Back at the cri scene on the second floor, Jack and Angela's hearts sank once more. A young life had been lost before their eyes; even with complete strangers, the human capacity for empathy could still cause such emotional distress.
Angela put on rubber gloves and lifted the body's right arm. To Jack's surprise, there was a bullet hole above the elbow.
He quickly examined the bullet hole on the back of the body. Through the torn clothing, he could see that the hole was larger, and the surrounding skin had a star-like pattern. He imdiately understood.
"This is an exit wound. That ans the bullet entered through the elbow, traveled along the hurus, pierced the entire arm, and finally exited through the back. The bullet severed an artery, causing him to bleed to death."
Angela gave him a strange look. "Are you planning to compete with for the detective position? When did you start studying forensic dicine?"
Jack instinctively reached for the back of his head, but then realized he was wearing rubber gloves and had just touched a corpse.
"I've been reading a few forensic books during my vacation. There's a very interesting book on human skeletons; I recomnd you give it a try."
Angela shook her head and sighed. Her partner was good-looking, capable, and their teamwork in just a few months surpassed any of her previous partners. Unfortunately for her, he was too talented.
It had taken her nearly ten years to barely reach the detective position, while this guy, who had been with the LAPD for less than six months, was already considered a rising star. In two years at most, once he had the qualifications, he would naturally beco an agent.
What's most infuriating is that she can't even feel jealous or bring up gender issues; this guy's hard work and progress are obvious to everyone in the precinct.
But Angela's competitive spirit is still quite strong. She pointed to the deceased's mouth: "Tell what the liquid coming out of his mouth is?"
Jack hesitated for a mont, then answered sowhat uncertainly: "Pulmonary edema secretions?"
"The cause of pulmonary edema?"
Jack hesitated, this was a bit beyond his grasp.
"Bronchiolitis or opioid addiction," Angela said with a triumphant smile.
"If it's the latter, this case gets interesting."
Jack muttered to himself, his eyes scanning the bedroom.
Angela subtly blocked a certain angle with her body, then continued to question him.
"Why don't you continue with your thoughts?"
Jack readily offered his opinions, point by point.
"There are no obvious signs of a struggle, and the room hasn't been ransacked. One intruder was downstairs indulging in lust, so what was the other trying to do by bringing the victim into his bedroom?"
"If it was to assault him, the bed is clean and tidy, and the victim's clothes aren't disheveled enough. That doesn't make sense."
Jack suddenly had a flash of inspiration: "Is it possible that the killer and the victim knew each other? They abandoned the master bedroom, where valuables might be stored, and instead ca to their son's bedroom because it contained what they needed?"
Angela smiled slightly and stepped aside.
"For example, so kind of prescription drug."
Behind her was a wardrobe, and on the floor beside it lay a small pill.
Jack stepped forward and noticed that the side panel of the wardrobe was slightly warped. With a gentle nudge, he could see several more identical white pills scattered between the wardrobe's side wall and drawers.
Angela took out her phone and snapped two photos of the spot.
"Forensic investigators will need to take it back for testing, but I can tell at a glance it's OxyContin."
Jack inwardly grimaced, his initial sympathy for the deceased vanishing almost entirely.
OxyContin and other prescription opioids are among the most common and abused prescription painkillers in the United States. As opioids, these substances, with molecular formulas similar to morphine, are highly effective in relieving pain and providing a euphoric effect, but their addictive potential is equally significant.
However, for so well-known reasons, these addictive drugs, which should only be used to relieve pain in patients with advanced cancer, have been abused to an appalling degree.
To make an interesting comparison, if a person catches a cold, their first thought might be to drink plenty of hot water, rest, and if the symptoms are severe or the fever persists, they would go to a hospital or clinic, get so cold dicine or fever reducers, and rest for a few days until they recover.
So people might experience minor complications due to their constitution, such as pharyngitis; the doctor would prescribe so anti-inflammatory drugs, and a nurse would give them an IV drip for a few hours, which would usually lead to a quick recovery.
Most people follow this process, and the cost is not high; even without health insurance, the treatnt costs are generally affordable for most ordinary people.
However, the process is different in the United States.
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