In Your Custody

•FORTY-FOUR•

Sometimes life gives you what you want,
just not in the way you wanted them
~•~•~

Type of Examination: Necropsy examination of an adult feline

Sex: Male

External Examination:

-There is an open laceration from the center front of the windpipe, through the larynx and thyroid gland, down the sternum, and to the groin, ending at the base of the tail. The greater omentum and small intestine were outside of the abdominal cavity upon discovery.

"I don't want to read this." Axel closed the packet and tossed it back on top of Anna's desk, "I don't know what half that means."

"They found that it-"

"He. His name was Sergio." He clarified in a very calm and low voice that the chief was honestly surprised even belonged to him, "Vera wouldn't like if you called him an 'it'."

"Sergio. Yes, okay, Sergio." Anna smiled sadly, her lips pressed together in a grim line, hoping it was doing well to hide her worry and be more reassuring than anything, "I had the vet give me a rundown." She sat down in her seat and took a moment to flip through the file and find the page she was looking for. She turned it to him, her finger on a specific sentence, "They were able to determine the type of blade that was used, was the same as the pocket knife found at the scene." She explained.

"Any useful information?" Axel was not impressed, "Can we trace back the purchase of the pocket knife?"

Anna shrugged, but didn't appear too hopeful, "I'm sure there is something Burnns could discover, but the likelihood that this guy bought this knife for this single purpose within even the last year, is... unlikely."

He looked through the pages, skimming the information and stopping on the DNA analysis, "Any fingerprints? Identification of some kind?" His heart was pounding, excited they had physical evidence that could be used against this monster.

"Not from him." Anna sighed, "that's what I need to tell you."

Axel looked up, his bushy brows pulled down along with his frown, "What?"

The chief swallowed the lump in her throat and took a deep breath, "There was residue on the blade that didn't belong to the cat."

Axel sat up straight in his chair, leaning forward excitedly, "Who?" He urged her to continue, but she didn't want to.

She felt sick.

"Melanie Johnson."

Melanie Johnson... Johnson...

Wilderness Park, Salt Creek

Each memory clicked into place, his mental image forming before his eyes, "The only girl found outside of Lincoln?" He asked, but didn't expect an answer. He knew who she was.

Anna nodded her head, peering over at him from under her eyelashes, "He's still out there." She said exactly what they both were thinking.

"Don't take me off the case," Axel said quickly, the only thought on his mind was keeping Vera safe.

Anna took in a deep breath, folding her hands in her lap, "I wasn't planning on removing you. You're my most trusted officer and..." She raised her eyebrows, her expression light and playful, "I would probably need to be locked in a mental institution if you left me to handle Burnns on my own."

Axel chuckled, leaning back in his chair, finally looking at his superior, "He is a pig in more ways than one." He yawned, rubbing his bloodshot eyes, heavy black rings below them.