that I let Marcus bite me whenever he wants. Thankfully, the marks heal pretty quickly and aren’t horribly noticeable with my collar. But if he knows we’re going somewhere that day, he’ll generally bite my thigh to help hide it from straying eyes.
Eric nods. “That could be a good reason behind it because she showed no drugs or alcohol in her system.”
“What about the holes in her hands?” I ask.
“They look comparable to holes caused by nails. The skin where the holes are has been torn, maybe from excessive weight, but all after death.”
“You think she was hung by them?” Marcus asks.
“It’s a very likely possibility.”
“Maybe that’s how she fell into the river?” I say. “If that was the case and the nails didn’t hold, her body could have dropped into the water and been washed away with the quick current. But if we’re thinking something like that, would it be more of a religious thing? Like crucifixion or something along those lines? I’m not sure that’s the right direction to head.”
Marcus shrugs. “We won’t be able to tell until we find more information. For now, we’ll keep that in mind and send a team out to do another sweep to look for anything she might have been hung from. This information might help us narrow it down.”
Eric nods. “I think we have two things here that really stand out. Her hands and her finger.”
“And you got nothing from the bite?” Marcus asks.
“There was no DNA to pull from it. The area could have been disinfected after, or the time in the river could have ruined the sample.”
“Thank you for your work,” Marcus says.
After we’re done, we head back to the department where the roommate is supposed to meet us to answer some questions. She’s early, so as soon as we walk inside, we’re informed that she’s ready.
When we step into the room, she looks up at us, clearly already nervous.
Marcus generally has me greet them to help calm them down so they’ll be comfortable enough to talk to us. “Good morning, I’m Detective Hayes and this is Detective Church,” I say as I hold a hand out.
“Hannah Parker,” she says as she shakes our hands.
“Thank you for coming in,” I say as I have a seat. “I’m really sorry for your loss.”
She nods. “Thank you. I didn’t know her extremely well, we just started living together a month ago, but it was really weird for her not to come home without saying something. I was scared I was being rash by reporting her missing, but… sadly, I wasn’t.”
“No, you’re helping us out a lot by coming here,” I assure her.
Hannah gives a quavering smile. “Okay, good.”
We spend a little time talking with her to get her to relax before jumping into things that will be more stressful to talk about. We ask her when the last time she saw Tonya was and if she’d been in contact with her. We also ask if she’d been acting strangely or if Tonya had been seeing anyone at the time. The answers are all normal or vague, just because Hannah isn’t entirely sure herself.
“She didn’t have a boyfriend?” Marcus asks.
Hannah shakes her head as she seems to think about it. “Not that I know of. She’d broken up with a guy about a month before I met her, but he still came around and hung out. But it was very civil.”
“Can you give us his name?” Marcus asks.
“Johnny Davis, but… he couldn’t have done it. They got along great and were like best friends.”
“But he might have more information for us,” Marcus explains.
She nods as she wrings her hands. “Do you… do you think I should be worried? Like… would they come back to this area?”
“There are no signs that anyone broke into the house, right?” Marcus asks.
She shakes her head. “No, I was there when she left for class. She just… never came back.”
I always hate leaving people to feel nervous about these situations. Rarely does a killer come back to the same spot, but it’s still always a fear for them and for us. She’s relying on us because we’re experts, but if we give her the wrong information, her life could be at stake. “It’s always best to be cautious. Make sure you’re with someone when you’re walking to and from class, especially at night. Keep your doors and windows locked at all times. If you feel like something is wrong or off, call the police immediately, alright?” I