It was a Monday morning, a week after Larry had moved in. He was walking peacefully through the forest when he received a call.
When he checked the caller ID, he saw it was the headquarters, so he had no choice but to answer. "Hello, Forensic Doctor Luk!"
"Hello, Dr. Luk. Sixty bodies have been found in a house near the Cedar Grove community. The address has been sent via message. The head of the FBI's Behavioral Science Unit has requested that you take the lead."
Larry frowned slightly. Sixty bodies in a quiet community? That was highly unusual. He would need to compare dozens of cases on the spot to identify any similarities between them.
"Alright, I'll be there shortly." Larry ended the call and sent a message to Max, who had followed him here. Half an hour later, they both arrived at the crime scene.
Once they reached the Cedar Grove community, it was easy to identify the crime scene thanks to the police cordon around it.
Larry stepped out of the car, and Max handled the equipment.
"Forensic Doctor Luk!" Jack, who was among the group of agents, approached him after finishing a conversation with the police.
"Doesn't look like it's going to be a good day..."
"It never really is in this job," Jack said with a slight smile. "The agents have analyzed the scene. You can take over now."
Larry nodded and even noticed the forensic team leaving the house where the bodies were found.
After all, Larry had his own set of theories about homicide cases, which often helped guide investigations in the right direction.
"Another typical violent murder case?"Larry had previously built a criminal profile of a single killer who mimicked traits from other murderers.
This time, Larry suspected that the traits he had identified might resurface.
"Yes, a family of six was wiped out.
By the way, I forgot to introduce you. This is Beverly Katz, an FBI forensic technician and part of your new team. I'll let her fill you in on the details." Jack wanted Larry to get to know his team, so the suggestion made sense.
At that moment, the Asian-featured woman looked at Larry for a few seconds before saying, "Oh god, you really have issues…"
"My insomnia hasn't affected my work, so let's just get started," Larry said, popping a pill in front of everyone without a care.
Jack glanced at Beverly and gave a look that said, "Don't worry."
In this line of work, you needed weirdos and monsters to catch killers. This time, Larry was their monster.
"Go ahead. You'll be surprised."
"Alright…" Beverly shook her head and led Larry to the crime scene.
"At six this morning, a woman named Ariana Mendoza went out for a run. As she was jogging from the east side, she noticed something shaking in the bushes."
"She thought it was a stray dog and ran over. But when she got closer, she saw it was the three-year-old grandson of the Snow family. He was lying on the ground covered in blood. He was already dead."
"Ariana was so scared that she screamed and collapsed. Her screams attracted the community's security guard. The two of them approached the victim's house, but sensing something was very wrong, neither dared to go inside."
"The Snow family's door was ajar, and several people were lying on the ground. No one responded to their calls. There was blood everywhere, and the stains on the hallway floor had already dried."
"The security guard and Ariana decided to call the police and protect the crime scene. Given the child's condition, they thought there might be survivors, so they contacted us quickly."
"We arrived and did a preliminary inspection. We discovered that all six family members had been killed. Captain Jack asked headquarters to inform you and request your presence."
Larry walked around the outside of the house and noticed numerous symbols on the windows.
Turning to Beverly, he asked, "Do you have any information on whether any family member recently got married?"
Beverly remained silent. She hadn't considered that. After all, she had only arrived at the scene ten minutes earlier and had just finished collecting some evidence.
In some parts of India, during and after marriage, homes are decorated with symbols like rangolis—drawings made with colored powders—and sometimes symbols are painted on the entrance or windows.
Given waves of migration, Larry suspected the family might be of Indian descent, which could help narrow down the case.
"Hold on, I'll call the person who reported it."
Beverly went to look for the officers who had taken witness statements.
Jack approached Larry and said, "If you keep acting like this, you're never going to get married. This girl's good. She's hardworking and professional. She's worried you've got some mental issues that might affect the case."
"Marriage isn't mandatory for everyone… People who constantly chase after it are usually afraid of being alone." Larry didn't go through life actively seeking a partner. He knew things would come at the right time.
"You've got a point. Anyway, here she comes." Jack gestured toward Beverly, who was returning with Ariana, the witness.
Larry shifted his expression and asked, "Do you know how long the Snow family has lived in Cedar Grove?"
Upon hearing the question, Ariana seemed to relax a little. "Uh, yes! They've lived here since I moved in with my husband... The Snow family was lovely, really noble people. Even the youngest daughter got married recently..."
Larry nodded and pulled out a pen and notepad to take notes. "Do you know who the six people were?"
Ariana seemed to struggle answering the questions without crying. After all, they had been neighbors for many years, and now the entire Snow family had been wiped out overnight.
Larry's questioning was making it harder for her to hold back her emotions.
At that moment, the security guard stepped in and said, "Let me help…"
"They were all killed, except for the youngest daughter's husband…"
"He's not here?"
Ariana wiped her tears and added, "The eldest son-in-law is a sailor. He works on international routes, so he spends more than half the year away from home."
Soon after, Larry began to investigate each family member more thoroughly and started drawing his conclusions.