They'd walked back to their room at the Order of the Adunih from the guard house where they had undertaken the first stage of a murder investigation, both of them wrapped up against the cold and wind, although she needed it less. She'd checked if he wanted to stop at a street vendor and get something to eat, or if there was anything he needed to pick up at the market before they got on with the next stage but, other than that she was content to just be there, walking with him until they got back to the room they were sharing and had been for a couple of trials at this point. When they got back, she cleared off the desk in their room and started to put out the samples and so on that they had collected. As she was with everything, she was meticulous and ordered, each of the samples was labelled and she brought out the notes she had made in the room when she had examined the body.
"There were so many of them there, but she wasn't, as far as I can tell," it had been hard to concentrate in there. "I think she's passed over, thankfully. She hadn't eaten for a few trials, I think he didn't feed her, there was no sign of him trying to force food on her but her not taking it." Had that situation occurred, she explained, there would be bruising around the mouth and lips, maybe damage to teeth or gums. "I'd say that she was restrained, there were bruises on her wrists and ankles. Metal. The manacles were metal. It leaves a different kind of mark," she smiled, gave the slightest of shrugs and held up her hand, well aware that she might have just hit a nerve with him and so determined to lighten it. "I would show you, but I am mostly without scars these trials." They would soon, at this rate, be completely gone and Faith could not express her delight in words, even in the midst of such a sombre conversation.
Looking down at the doctor's notes, Faith concentrated quietly for a while, thinking about what she had seen as he set up his equipment. "It was an easy mistake to make. It takes a strong hand to throttle. They're small, though, and he's large. But, he's hesitant too, I think. The way he does this, it's almost passive. Like, he doesn't feed them and that weakens them. He restrains them, but doesn't physically harm them until just before he kills them. By which time they'll be weak and terrified. It's about power and control, but I think he feels out of control." Faith's silver eyes were serious as she looked at him. "We have to stop him. We have to. He's just going to keep going. The dye on her hair worries me, too. It opens up possibilities for him, for more women." So, she explained, as far as she could tell they were looking for someone frustrated, unhappy with his life. Strong. The scarf and the perfume were both significant, definitely.
"They burn their dead, on a funeral pyre pushed out on to a lake. They don't have graves or markers, which is a shame. At a graveside, I can, with concentration, see the person. Who they were, that kind of thing. But with no grave marker, I can't do that. It's possible, though, that they haven't moved on. I'd like to go to their homes and where the authorities believe they were taken from, just in case." If one of them was there, she explained, then they might be able to try and communicate with her. Maybe. Faith was struggling with understanding the enormity of this power she had, but she was coming to grips with it and she had to try. Still, there were questions to be asked first.
"So, what did you find and what do we need to do next?"
"There were so many of them there, but she wasn't, as far as I can tell," it had been hard to concentrate in there. "I think she's passed over, thankfully. She hadn't eaten for a few trials, I think he didn't feed her, there was no sign of him trying to force food on her but her not taking it." Had that situation occurred, she explained, there would be bruising around the mouth and lips, maybe damage to teeth or gums. "I'd say that she was restrained, there were bruises on her wrists and ankles. Metal. The manacles were metal. It leaves a different kind of mark," she smiled, gave the slightest of shrugs and held up her hand, well aware that she might have just hit a nerve with him and so determined to lighten it. "I would show you, but I am mostly without scars these trials." They would soon, at this rate, be completely gone and Faith could not express her delight in words, even in the midst of such a sombre conversation.
Looking down at the doctor's notes, Faith concentrated quietly for a while, thinking about what she had seen as he set up his equipment. "It was an easy mistake to make. It takes a strong hand to throttle. They're small, though, and he's large. But, he's hesitant too, I think. The way he does this, it's almost passive. Like, he doesn't feed them and that weakens them. He restrains them, but doesn't physically harm them until just before he kills them. By which time they'll be weak and terrified. It's about power and control, but I think he feels out of control." Faith's silver eyes were serious as she looked at him. "We have to stop him. We have to. He's just going to keep going. The dye on her hair worries me, too. It opens up possibilities for him, for more women." So, she explained, as far as she could tell they were looking for someone frustrated, unhappy with his life. Strong. The scarf and the perfume were both significant, definitely.
"They burn their dead, on a funeral pyre pushed out on to a lake. They don't have graves or markers, which is a shame. At a graveside, I can, with concentration, see the person. Who they were, that kind of thing. But with no grave marker, I can't do that. It's possible, though, that they haven't moved on. I'd like to go to their homes and where the authorities believe they were taken from, just in case." If one of them was there, she explained, then they might be able to try and communicate with her. Maybe. Faith was struggling with understanding the enormity of this power she had, but she was coming to grips with it and she had to try. Still, there were questions to be asked first.
"So, what did you find and what do we need to do next?"