Chapter 7 : Limited Access
994 Words
Ethan returned to the police station and continued with the rest of his work.
He organized evidence records.
Checked the scene photographs.
Filed several reports.
None of the work was complicated, but all of it required patience.
By the time he was ready to leave, Ethan placed the last report back on the desk.
He picked up his coat and walked out of the evidence department.
He had just reached the hallway when a familiar voice came from behind him.
“Ethan.”
He turned around.
Maya was walking toward him from the other end of the hallway.
She was holding a file, and she looked more relaxed than she had a few hours earlier.
“You haven’t left yet?”
“Just about to.”
Maya stopped in front of him.
“Good. I caught you in time.”
She closed the file in her hand.
“The autopsy results on Daniel are back.”
Ethan looked at her.
“How did it go?”
“The medical examiner took another look at his head injuries.”
Maya paused.
“Looks like you were right.”
Ethan said nothing.
“His injuries are consistent with two blunt-force impacts.”
“The first one caused the original injury.”
“The second hit the same area and made the damage worse.”
Maya looked at him.
“So it’s pretty hard to call this an accident now.”
Ethan nodded.
“They’re reopening the case?”
“It’s officially a homicide investigation now.”
Maya said,
“We’re going back through the people Daniel had been seeing recently.”
“Especially the people who used to come by his apartment.”
“Hopefully, we’ll get something soon.”
Ethan nodded.
“Good.”
Maya looked at him.
“If you hadn’t caught those things at the scene, we might still be treating it as an accident.”
Ethan smiled slightly.
“I just happened to notice.”
“I wouldn’t call it luck.”
Maya said,
“A lot of people looked at those photographs.”
“You were the one who caught it.”
Ethan didn't answer.
Maya glanced at the time.
“Hey, I’m kinda hungry. Wanna grab something to eat and catch up?”
Ethan looked at her, slightly surprised.
“Sure.”
Maya picked up her coat.
“There’s a pretty good café nearby.”
They left the police station.
A few minutes later, they arrived at a café nearby.
It wasn't particularly crowded.
There were still a few empty tables by the window.
They found a table and sat down.
Maya ordered some food and two coffees.
Once their food arrived, they started talking.
Maya looked at Ethan.
“When I first saw you today, I thought you’d already been working for a few years.”
Ethan smiled.
“Really? Why?”
“You just didn’t seem like a student at the scene.”
“What makes you say that?”
“For someone at his first crime scene, you were pretty calm.”
Maya said,
“You took your time and looked at everything.”
Ethan took a sip of his coffee.
“That’s how our professor teaches us. If you don’t stay calm and pay attention, you’ll miss a lot.”
“Which professor?”
“Professor Whitmore.”
Maya nodded.
“I’ve heard of him.”
Ethan looked up.
“You knew him?”
“No.”
Maya shook her head.
“I’d just heard the name before.”
They continued talking for a while.
The conversation moved from university to work, then to forensic science.
Maya seemed genuinely interested in Ethan’s field.
“So, how’d you end up in forensic science?”
Ethan thought for a moment.
“I guess I just liked figuring things out.”
Maya smiled.
“Fair enough.”
They sat quietly for a moment.
Maya looked at him.
“What are you thinking about doing after you graduate?”
“I’m not sure yet.”
“You thinking about staying in Boston?”
“Probably.”
Maya nodded.
“So what are you working on now?”
“School stuff. And my thesis.”
“What’s your thesis about?”
Ethan thought for a moment.
“I haven’t completely decided yet.”
He paused.
“But lately, I’ve been looking into some older cases.”
“Old cases?”
“Yeah.”
Ethan glanced down at his coffee.
“Some cases were closed years ago, but the records were incomplete.”
“If new technology becomes available, or the old evidence is reviewed again, there’s always a chance of finding something that was overlooked.”
Maya nodded.
“That actually makes sense for forensic science.”
“That’s what I’m thinking.”
Ethan paused.
Then, as casually as he could, he asked,
“The police department must have a lot of records like that, right?”
Maya looked at him.
“A lot.”
“Can I access them?”
“Why?”
Ethan smiled.
“I was just wondering if, for the cases that fit my thesis, I could apply to review some of them.”
Maya thought for a moment.
“If they’re closed cases, or certain cold cases, there should be some records you can apply to access.”
“But you wouldn't be able to enter the police database directly.”
“I figured.”
Ethan nodded.
“If I need to apply, I can go through the proper process.”
Maya looked at him.
“I can ask about it for you.”
Ethan looked up.
“You can?”
“Sure.”
Maya took out her phone.
“Give me your number.”
Ethan took out his phone as well.
They exchanged contact information.
Maya put her phone away.
“I’ll let you know when I hear something.”
“Thanks.”
Ethan nodded.
He didn't ask anything else.
For now, that was enough.
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