Decrease

Tuesday - September 14

Everyone gathers around when Julie says, "Well, that's a start. That's the best thing we have to go on for right now. I will get a team to New York to check every tattoo parlor and see if they can identify the markings."

"New York! Is that where these bodies were found?" Monica asks.

"Yes, they were," replies Julie. I look at Monica and see that she's upset.

Julie begins to exit the lab when I notice something peculiar, something dull looking.

"Julie, wait!" I shout. Julie stops in her tracks and heads back over to table one.

"What is it, John? What do you have?"

Grabbing some tweezers, I manage to dig into the area where the neck once was. Carefully trying not to tear too much tissue, I'm able to grab what I see and manage to lift it out from the victim. I take the object to the electronic magnifier, place the piece onto the stage plate, and adjust the viewer to see what it is. I continue to adjust the magnifier until I'm able to identify it. "It's metal, like from a necklace," I tell everyone.

"A cross maybe?" Ted asks.

"I don't know, Ted."

"Are there any markings on it, John?" asks Julie.

"I don't see any markings on this side. Let me turn it over."

After I turn the piece over and readjust the magnifier, I notice an inscription. Adjusting the magnifier up one hundred times, I make out what it reads.

"It reads "To Mar"."

"To Mar could mean a lot of things," says Julie, "It could be Mark, Margaret, Marjorie, anything!"

"I need to know what type of metal this is. I can't tell since it was dissolved by the eroding flesh. Ted, please hand me a Petrie dish so we can get this down to the lab immediately."

Ted goes to the shelf and grabs a Petrie dish. He removes the lid while I carefully lay the piece in it. Ted secures the lid tightly.

"Who wants to run this down to the lab? Tell them we need an answer, and quick!" I say.

"I will," responds Julie.

"Okay," as I hand the dish to her. She immediately vanishes.

"This is great, you guys!" Ted exclaims. "How lucky are we to find a tattoo and an inscribed piece of metal!"

"Yes, it is, Ted," I say.

"Listen, you two," says Monica, "I went through the lab report that was received today and I noticed that there isn't a DNA report."

"Monica," says Ted, "you know that DNA findings are a three to five day test. Why are you so concerned about that right now?"

"Just hoping, Ted."

I look at Ted with perplexity and realize he's thinking the same thing I am. Monica knows that DNA testing takes days to analyze. And besides, the DNA may be contaminated by the eroding flesh. It doesn't make any sense that she would even mention it not being in the report. She knows something.

"Monica? Are you all right? You seem to be, I don't know, unaware of the procedures that are involved in cases such as these. Do you need some rest?" I ask her, with deep concern.

"No. No. I know it takes time, but I guess since these cases are so unusual, I just thought that they would rush the reports as quickly as possible."

"We'll get the reports soon enough," I assure her.

"I hope so," she whispers softly, as she walks away.

I walk over to Monica and place my hand on her shoulder, and ask, "What's wrong?"