December 19 – 6:35 PM.
Forensic Office
“Professor Araki, a moment of your time. If you will.”
“Oh! Detective Merlin! Good evening.”
Professor. Araki was in the middle of cleaning up the labs for the night when Detective Merlin arrived. As it was near closing time, most of the lights had been turned off save a corner or two and only a handful of lab technicians were left.
Prof. Araki put down the alcohol spray bottle and took off his gloves when the detective came over. “How may I help you tonight?”
“Sorry for keeping you, but I need to look over the evidence for the Diamond Hotel murder again. And a second head if you will.”
“Understood, one moment.” Prof. Araki walked over to the shelves and dragged out a bin with various serial numbers on it. By himself he placed the bin on a new table and started pulling everything out, a series of evidence tucked in clear plastic bags and Ziplocs.
Merlin didn’t bother to organize them in a grid, he just dug through the pile on the table like a dog looking for his bone. While searching he would brush aside any items he felt were not relevant to the case. After collecting a small group of random items, putting them to the side, he would then pull out the evidence in his own pocket: the golden button, the blue dress chip, and the clump of dog fur.
Prof. Araki pointed at the third bag in Merlin’s hand. “Oh yes we confirmed it’s—”
“Dog fur, I just found out this afternoon. God.” Merlin shuddered at the traumatic memory and he fanned the objects in his hand, right over the pile of evidence from the hotel. “Other than these three, was there anything else in this pile related to a woman? Any kind?”
Prof. Araki shook his head. “Majority of the evidence we gathered are either unisex or for men. Most likely belonging to the victim. Nothing specifically woman. Not even discarded make up bottles or even tissue with lipstick marks. Not to mention, I smelled only one type of perfume and it was the same one Tessa Roads wore on the night of the murder.” The detective gave an impressed look at the forensic specialist, who waved a hand. “I have a very sharp nose, don’t mind me.”
“Right.” Merlin would put the button, chip, and fur to the side and brushed his hands through the other evidence as if sorting through a bin of pebbles. “So, this is everything you gathered from the hotel. You didn’t throw out anything else? Not like a used tampon correct?”
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“According to standard procedure we bring back everything from the crime scene, be it regular garbage or even a loose leaf paper. When we confirm it has nothing to do with the case we store them in an extra container and keep it away from the key evidence.”
Prof. Araki held up a hand before Merlin could interject. “I assure you, nothing was ‘thrown out’. Given the fact this happened inside a hotel room, and not something like a park or garden, it is more likely we make sure everything we gathered is present.”
Merlin nodded in understanding, before he put on a frown of frustration. Seeing the dilemma, Prof. Araki continued to speak to help out. “As you can see there’s a cologne bottle, empty; men’s shaving cream, particularly for sensitive skin, also empty; razor; razor; hotel soap and toilet paper wrappers and—”
“Whoa, whoa, whoa.” Merlin suddenly held up a hand to pause everything. He then reached out to the pile of evidence and pulled something out.
Make that ‘two’ somethings.
Two men’s razor. One was a Gillette brand, three blades. The other was a Philip Morris, five blade with extra padding.
“Professor.” Merlin spoke up. “How many razors do you have?”
Prof. Araki had a confused reaction before holding up one finger. “One. An Electric Razor.”
“...And I usually buy in bulk from the convenience store, special sales you know. Even then they’re all the exact same type.” Merlin hefted both razors in each hand, as if testing out their weight. He even held them up by pinching their bellies, comparing size and length.
“Okay. I understand multiple types of shoes; I accept various types of ties; ... But two razors? Two COMPLETELY different razors, for one man?
“Perhaps.” Prof. Araki tried to think of an answer. “One is for shaving the face and the other for...other regions?”
“Well. I had a good look at his body back at the morgue. Not to slander the dead, but he definitely wasn’t well groomed down there. And sure enough he had no habit to shave his legs.” Merlin gave an awkward cough to change the subject. “Why two different razors in his room?”
Prof. Araki picked up one of them and examined it with his eyes. “I believe this Philip Morris model is specifically designed for men with sensitive skin. Less likely to redden the face after shaving and less likely to develop a five o clock shadow without scaring the face much.”
“Two men’s razor. Zero women’s belonging.”
“Other than Tessa Roads’ skirt, one shoe, handbag, nothing of—Oh excuse me.” Prof. Araki stopped himself as one of the lab technicians approached their conversation. They whispered to each other, before the lab technician handed several bags for the forensic specialist and returning to their duties.
Merlin couldn’t help a smirk, giving a cat call for what he was seeing, “Oh-la-la. Professor. What sort of case are you working that would involve panties?” Adds a tiger like purr to laugh off.
“...I beg your pardon, detective?”
“That, in your hands. Those are panties from another investigation right?”
“Oh no. They’re your case, Detective Merlin. We brought them back from Diamond Hotel.”
“...Wut?”