Andrew and Kara pull up to the lake in their car, and they are immediately struck by the eerie and still atmosphere. Andrew is a seasoned detective at the Angel Valley police station, with over a decade of experience under his belt. He is a man of few words but known for his sharp mind and keen observation skills. He has a calm and collected demeanor but is not afraid to take charge of a situation when necessary. Andrew has a strong sense of justice and is dedicated to solving crimes and protecting the community. He is a skilled and methodical investigator who is not easily swayed by emotions and personal biases.
Kara is a junior detective at the Angel Valley police station, with several years of experience under her belt. She is known for her quick thinking, ability to be creative, outgoing, talkative, friendly and approachable personality. A team player and always willing to lend a helping hand. She also has a strong sense of curiosity and is always eager to learn and grow as a detective.
Andrew and Kara put on their gloves. They approach the body of a Jane Doe on the shore; they notice the CSI team has just arrived and has set up powerful floodlights to illuminate the area. The bright lights make the scene feel more intense and immediate. The water is eerily still and the only sound they can hear is the gentle lapping of the water against the shore. The night is dark, and the only light comes from the bright floodlights and the faint glow of the stars.
Andrew can feel the mist on his skin during the night. The only light comes from the stars in the sky, which cast a faint glow on the scene. The trees surrounding the lake loom in the darkness, their branches reaching out like gnarled fingers, adding to the eerie and unsettling feeling. The lake seems to be a place of mystery and secrets, where anything can happen and be hidden. Andrew can’t shake the feeling of being watched, as if something is lurking just beyond the edge of his vision. The body of Jane Doe seems to have been positioned almost intentionally. Andrew can’t shake off the feeling that there’s something off about this case and the lake and the surrounding environment only add to the eerie feeling and sense of wrongness.
A few minutes later, Kara Tillman approached him. “Hey, what’s going on here?” she asked, looking at the body with a mixture of curiosity and disgust.
Andrew sighed and stood up, stretching his aching back. “I’m not sure yet. This is a Jane Doe, and there are some strange things about the scene. I’m not sure what to make of it.”
“Yeah, and it’s not the only wild thing that happened tonight,” Kara said. “We’ve got a double homicide on the east side and a massive mannequin at the scene. I’m telling you, something strange is going on in this city.”
Kara was a good detective and an even better friend to Andrew. They had worked together for years. Still, she sometimes let her imagination get the best of her. “A mannequin?” Andrew asked, raising an eyebrow in surprise.
“Yeah, it’s huge,” Kara replied with excitement in her voice.
“That’s strange,” Andrew changes the subject back to their case.
“But why leave a body in a public place like this?”
Kara shrugged. “Maybe they were trying to send a message,” she suggested. “Or maybe they were just trying to get rid of the body as quickly as possible.”
Andrew kneeled next to the body, studying it closely. The woman appeared to be in her late twenties or early thirties, and she had long brown hair that was matted and wet from her time in the lake. She was wearing a simple white sundress, and there were no visible wounds or injuries on her body.
“I’ll need to get the coroner’s report,” Andrew said, standing up and brushing his gloves. “But I think it’s safe to say that this wasn’t a natural death.”
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Kara nodded. “I’ll go call Dorian and see if he can rush the report,” she said, pulling out her phone.
As Andrew surveys the crime scene, he can’t shake the feeling that there’s something off about this case. The lake is eerily still; the air is heavy with the scent of death, and Jane Doe’s body seems to have been positioned almost intentionally on the shore. Despite the first responders’ reassurances that the property is owned by a local business owner, Andrew can’t shake the feeling that there’s more to this case than meets the eye.
They prepared to leave the crime scene, and Andrew’s flashlight beam caught a glint of something on the ground just a few yards away. He walked over to investigate and discovered a small patch of reflective sand. It seemed to have been scattered there on purpose, almost as if someone was trying to mark the spot.
“What the hell is that?” Kara exclaimed, her eyebrows furrowed in confusion.
“I do not know,” he said, his voice laced with intrigue. “But we should probably take a sample and have it analyzed.” Andrew scooped up a handful of the sand and placed it in a small evidence bag, determined to find out what it was and where it came from.
They drove back to the station.
“So, what do you think is really going on here?” Kara asked, as they drove back to the station. “Another weird crime in Angel Valley? I mean, a double homicide and a giant mannequin. This city is getting weirder by the minute.”
“I don’t know,” Andrew replied with a shrug. “But I have a feeling it’s only going to get a stranger from here. And you know what that means, right?”
Kara laughed. “More late nights and coffee runs for us. Great. At least we’ll have each other to keep us sane.”
Andrew smiled. “Exactly. We’ve been through worse, right?” “True,” Kara said with a nod. “But I have a feeling this one is going to be a doozy.”
Kara chuckled as she walked alongside Andrew. “You know, I think you’re the only one around here who doesn’t think I’m crazy for believing in the strange things that go on in this city,” she said. “I mean, I know it’s not the most conventional place to work, but it’s not like we’ve never seen weird things before.”
Andrew shrugged his shoulders. “I’m just a detective doing my job,” he replied. “I don’t care if it’s a conventional case or not. If I can help solve it, that’s all that matters.”
Kara smiled at him. “You’re a good man, Andrew,” she said. “I’m glad to have you as a partner. You always keep me grounded.”
“You do the same for me,” Andrew replied. “I don’t know what I’d do without you around here.”
Andrew and Kara walked into the police station, greeted by the chaotic scene in the lobby. A crowd of officers had gathered around a massive, metallic mannequin that sat slumped in the corner. Andrew shook his head in disbelief at the sight.
As they approached the mannequin, one officer shouted, “I think there’s something in here! Get the crowbar!” Andrew and Kara watched in horror as the officer pried open the chest plate of the mannequin. A hiss of air escaped, filling the room with the smell of decay. And as the officers looked inside, they were greeted with the grotesque sight of a crushed body slumped over and covered in fluids. The officers closest to the mannequin recoiled in disgust, some even fleeing the room entirely.
As the officers fled the station, Andrew and Kara stood frozen in shock at the sight of the body that had been found inside the mannequin. “This is the strangest thing I’ve ever seen,” Kara whispered to Andrew.
Captain Kilwether was a no-nonsense kind of guy, with salt and pepper hair and a permanent scowl etched into his face. He was a seasoned police officer, having worked his way up the ranks over the years. Tough, but fair, and had a deep sense of loyalty to the department. As he stood in the station's lobby, surrounded by the chaos that had erupted in the wake of the gruesome discovery, he knew he had a lot of explaining to do.
“The public is bound to know about this in the morning, Captain,” Andrew said, his voice laced with concern.
“I know detective,” the Captain replied gruffly. “The Commissioner is on his way over and I imagine the FBI will be called next. This is way out of our league.”
Kara, who had been standing silently by Andrew’s side, spoke up. “What do you think happened here, Captain? It’s like something out of a horror movie.”
The captain sighed heavily. “I do not know, but I’m sure we’ll find out soon enough. In the meantime, we need to lock this place down and get a CSI team in here to figure out who that poor soul was.”