The Eye of the Beholder

Part 2

File: Bob Ross
Title: Painting #2
IN - Investigation Note
Actual Date: 12/1/2023
On 12/1/2023 at 4:58 AM, this investigator went to crime scene after receiving calls regarding two dead bodies. One body was hanging by a noose in the closet, and the other held a painting on the living room couch. Content of the painting was abstract and vague, providing little to no context to the crime scene. This is the second homicidal crime scene within two weeks that contained an abstract painting. Considering the similarity of the paintings' styles, one could suspect it is the same culprit. Both victims have three stab wounds in chest. Apartment is one bedroom. Neighbor next door heard screaming and agreed to interview.
Interview w/Neighbor:
Investigator - "About what time did you hear the altercation?"
Neighbor: "I'd say around 3:30 in the morning. It woke me up."
Investigator: "What all did you hear?"
Neighbor: "I could hear the door being kicked in, then glass breaking. Some tumbling around? If that's the right way to word it? Then, of course, the screams."
Investigator: "How long did you know your next door neighbor?"
Neighbor: "A couple years, now. He was always pretty loud, obnoxious, but last night felt different."
Investigator: "Did you know him or his friend well?"
Neighbor: "No, not really. He was just the loud neighbor who lived next door. He'd have friends come over a lot. He seemed like he was friendly enough, but I just never really tried to get to know him like that."
Investigator: "Had you seen or heard any suspicious activity regarding your neighbor prior to tonight?"
Neighbor: "Yeah, I have. Some nights, I'd see him walking back to his room with bloodshot eyes, looking jittery and disheveled. Kinda reminded me of a coke head I knew in college."
This investigator then thanked the neighbor for the interview and left the premises.

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You gotta be objective in this line of work. It's not about what you might know to be true deep in your gut, it's about being able to prove it. Intangibles are absolutely a factor, but that's what they are: intangible. Without something real, something with weight, there's not much you can do.

Intuition is the immediate understanding of a perceived truth, uninfluenced by the scrutiny of reason. Perception is tricky. Previous life experiences, emotional responses to stimuli, and various other outside factors can disrupt your vision. Still, life has a funny way of guiding you to where you need to go. You don't even realize just how close to the finish line you are and then, just like that, you got a gold medal.