The real life of an American police officer: Winning over others with virtue

Chapter 321 First Appearance at the Scene

Of course, Eric didn't take these so-called internal regulations seriously.

He only glanced at it briefly and found that most of the terms and procedures were similar to those of the patrol department, except that the investigation authority and reporting targets were upgraded.

Eric minimized it, set it aside, and went to explore other things.

Ultimately, my attention settled on the names Cold Case and Inactive.

He was curious about the detectives' methods of solving cases, so he randomly clicked on a few.

The result was either complete failure or no progress at all.

For example, the convenience store robbery and murder case, case number 09-1834:
A night shift store clerk was shot and killed at close range during a robbery at a convenience store.

The surveillance video captured the general shape and movements of the two masked suspects, but the image was blurry and their facial features could not be identified.

Several shell casings and a cheap lighter left on the ground by the suspect were recovered from the scene.

However, no matching fingerprints could be found in the database, and the shell casings could not be associated with any known firearms involved in the case.

There is also a note below: All conventional investigative methods, including interviews with local residents and questioning informants, have failed, and the case has been put on hold due to a lack of leads.

Case No. 16-7721: The Mysterious Death of an Elderly Person Living Alone
A retired elderly man living alone was found dead in his home; the cause of death was a severe blow to the back of the head. The doors and windows were intact, there were no signs of forced entry, and there was no CCTV footage.

The household belongings were slightly disturbed, but it was impossible to determine whether any valuables were missing. Neighbors reported that they did not hear any unusual noises.

The forensic examiner was unable to determine the exact time of death, which spanned as long as three days.

Note: This case falls somewhere between an accident, robbery-murder, and even a crime committed by an acquaintance. The motive and the perpetrator are unknown, and there is a lack of direct evidence. Ultimately, it was shelved due to the inability to make a breakthrough.

Is it that difficult?

Eric turned the pages, his brow furrowing slightly.

Unlike the street cases he handled as a patrol officer, these cases often got stuck at a certain stage, preventing the investigation from moving forward.

Insufficient evidence, missing witnesses, vague and contradictory clues, etc.

In some cases, we've managed to find the culprit, but due to insufficient evidence, we can only watch him go unpunished and cannot convict him.

As a result, many cases have become unsolved and are left to gather dust in the archives.

"and"

In addition, Eric also discovers some very strange missing persons cases.

These missing persons cases all involved scenes with signs of shootings or other struggles, but the people seemed to have vanished without a trace.

They vanished without a trace, neither alive nor dead; they simply disappeared without a trace.

This reminded him of that action movie featuring John Wick.

That action movie seems to have a dedicated cleaner to handle the aftermath.

"This is bad," Eric thought to himself. He had come here with the intention of triggering a mission.

But now it seems that solving the case is far more complicated than he imagined.

Eric closed the folder and rubbed his temples.

It seems unlikely that you can easily complete tasks here.

However, Eric suddenly remembered something else.

"Everything has two sides, and the chances of triggering a mission are relatively higher."

Eric's interest was piqued again, and he began to explore it seriously.

-

"That's not good."

After an unknown amount of time, Eric made a second sound and glanced at his watch.

"So salty?"

From the moment he arrived at the detective agency building at around 8 a.m. until now, it's almost 11:30 a.m. The entire morning has passed without anything happening except for Peña showing him the procedures and giving him a brief introduction to a few colleagues.

There were no sudden emergency calls, no mysterious system prompts.

Costa never showed up either; according to Peña, Costa went to the morning meeting.

Does attending a morning meeting really take this long? Is a squadron leader slacking off somewhere?

Looking up, I couldn't see where Peña had gone.

Joyner and White were simply busy with their own things.

The only difference was the method. Joyna cleaned from time to time, and Eric finally understood why the office was so spotless. It turned out that Joyna was too idle and had to find something to do.

White would occasionally disappear from his workstation, disappearing to who-knows-where, but the smell of smoke he brought when he reappeared and the two-finger gesture he made when calling him to come out told you that he had gone out to smoke.

"This is bad!" Eric exclaimed for the third time.

This seemed quite different from the tense, exciting, and crime-ridden life of a detective he had imagined.

He was like a pebble thrown into a lake, initially creating ripples, but then quickly sinking to the bottom and being submerged by the calm water.

White seemed to notice his somewhat bored state and tossed him a small bag of mints across the workstation: "Hey, newbie, don't look like you're doing nothing."

"Seventy percent of a detective's work is like this: waiting, analyzing, and writing those damn reports. Expecting car chases and gunfights like in the movies every day? Dream on."

Joyna also put away the feather duster and added gently, "Be patient, Eric. Breakthroughs in cases often take time and a bit of luck."

Familiarizing yourself with the case file is the first and most important step.

Eric took the mint, his cheek twitched, and he unwrapped it and put it in his mouth.

During his time as a patrol officer, he has already handled several police cases.

It's fun to slack off, but he didn't come here to slack off; he's vowed to become a superman!
Helpless, Eric endured it for a while longer, and around noon, he was taken to the inner restaurant by Joyna and Whitela for a rather simple welcome party, which was held in which none of the captain and vice-captain were present.

The restaurant was bustling with noise, a mix of uniforms and casual wear.

Joyna found a relatively quiet corner with practiced ease, while White returned carrying a mountain of plates.

“Don’t expect anything delicious here,” White mumbled as he ate a large mouthful of pasta.

"A victory is achieved if you can fill your stomach without getting food poisoning."

Joyna, on the other hand, ate much more gracefully. She sipped her vegetable soup and said to Eric, "Don't rush, Eric. Every newcomer goes through this adjustment period at the beginning."

The important thing is to use this time to familiarize yourself with the system and processes, so that you won't be caught off guard when cases actually come your way.

Eric ate ​​the rather mediocre-tasting grilled chicken breast and nodded.

But looking at the police officers coming and going in the restaurant, most of them in a hurry, I felt like a bystander who had accidentally wandered in.

"What's the plan for this afternoon?" Eric asked, trying to regain some initiative.

Joyna and White exchanged a glance: "Nothing's planned."

Eric smiled but didn't say anything.

But Joyna suggested, "If you're really bored, you can find something to do. Set your sights on a case that interests you and go to the evidence room to retrieve the evidence left behind in that case. Of course, you'll have to handle the application process yourself."

White chimed in, "Though it might not be of much use."

Joyna glared at White: "The process isn't difficult. There's an application form template in the system. Just fill it out, submit it, and after you get the electronic approval, go to the evidence room on the basement floor to register and collect it. You can give it a try."

Eric took a light breath and said, "OK! I'll give it a try."

He prefers to be active rather than passively waiting.

The simple welcome lunch ended uneventfully.

But just when Eric thought the day was going to end in a sluggish atmosphere, in the afternoon, Costa, the captain who hadn't shown up all day, suddenly appeared, accompanied by a solemn-looking Peña.

Eric, who had been searching for suitable cases to practice on, was a little excited:
"Is this a case that's been filed?"

Just as he expected, Costa merely glanced at him, said nothing, and simply said calmly.

"I just received a case, and everyone needs to be at the scene now!"

"Location: 224 Cherry Lane, a rental apartment building, room B on the third floor. Preliminary judgment is that it is a murder, and the scene is terrible."

Costa's gaze swept over Joyna and White.

“Joyna, you’ll mentor Eric. He’s new here, so you’re responsible for guiding him through the on-site investigation process. Make sure to take very careful notes.”

Finally, his gaze fell on Eric, and he narrowed his eyes slightly: "Eric, you stay with Joyna, observe and learn as much as you can, but also be alert and ensure Joyna's safety. Anything could come out of a place like that."

Eric glanced at Joyna, said nothing, and simply nodded.

"White, you're in my group. We'll be responsible for the perimeter and screening potential suspects."

"Penia, you'll act as the coordinator, contacting the forensic and criminology departments to ensure they arrive as quickly as possible."

Costa quickly assigned the tasks and turned to leave.

"Move quickly!"

The atmosphere in the office instantly became tense.

Joyna grabbed her gear bag and said to Eric, "Check your gloves and shoe covers, don't forget them."

White grimaced at Eric and whispered, "Site investigation? The boss really knows how to find you work. But it's good, there's always a first time. Don't throw up when you get to the scene."

After saying that, he packed his gear and hurriedly followed Costa.

But Peña is gone.

Eric was experiencing this kind of sudden change in atmosphere for the first time, so he didn't dare to be careless and quickly checked the pistol and handcuffs at his waist.

Then he grabbed the unopened package of latex gloves and shoe covers from the table, stuffed them into his pocket, and followed closely behind Joyna.

The group quickly went downstairs, and the piercing sound of police sirens instantly shattered the tranquility of the afternoon.

Led by Joyna, Eric got into an unmarked Ford Explorer.

He sat in the passenger seat, watching Costa and White get into another car, and couldn't help but take a deep breath.

Compared to the idleness of the morning, this change was indeed quite sudden, making all his senses subconsciously sharpen.

Joyna glanced at Eric, fastened her seatbelt, and started the engine.

Under her control, the car smoothly drove out of the parking lot, closely following Costa's vehicle, and merged into the afternoon traffic.

"Is this your first time on-site? Are you nervous?" Joyna suddenly asked.

Eric's gaze swept across the rapidly receding street scene outside the window: "A little? Mainly because I don't know what's going on." He paused, then added:
"This feels completely different from when you're a patrol officer dealing with ongoing incidents."

“That’s normal.” Joyna’s voice remained gentle, carrying a composure born from years of experience.

“Remember Costa’s words: observe and learn more. When you get to the site, follow me and pay attention to my survey steps and key points. Your primary task is to observe and learn the process.”

“Understood!” Eric nodded.

As she drove, Joyna continued to explain the procedures to him in more detail: "Remember, when we arrive at the scene, we usually won't be the first to go in. The patrol officers will cordon off the area to ensure that no unauthorized personnel enter or leave."

Our primary task is to preserve the integrity of the scene. Forensic technicians will enter first and will be responsible for taking photos, videos, and finding and extracting trace evidence such as fingerprints, hair, and fibers.

A forensic pathologist will conduct a preliminary examination of the body to determine the time of death and the obvious cause of death.

Before they complete their initial work, we generally only observe from the entrance, conducting limited peripheral surveys without damaging the core site.

It must be said that both Joyna and Peña were very dedicated to teaching newcomers. Although he understood these things, Eric still nodded to indicate that he understood.

The car quickly arrived at 224 Cherry Lane. Just as Joyna had said, a cordon had been set up in front of the apartment building, and several police officers were maintaining order with banners in place.

Costa and White are speaking with the patrol officer in charge from outside the line.

Interestingly, he recognized those patrol officers.

The patrol officer who spoke with Costa was even Bed, whom he had spoken to before regarding the investigation of Diego.

Joyna parked the car a little further away where it wouldn't get in the way, and led Eric out of the car.

She first took out a vest from the trunk used for on-site investigation and handed one to Eric, then put it on herself.

“Boss,” Joyna said, walking toward Costa, “have the forensic team and medical examiner arrived yet?”

Costa gestured with his chin toward the apartment building entrance: "Just arrived, they're doing initial treatment inside. You guys wait at the door."

White and I will go and visit the other residents in the building to see if anyone heard or saw anything.” He glanced at Eric, who was following Joyna like a well-behaved child.

"Take this opportunity to see how professionals work."

Eric nodded, ignoring Bed's raised eyebrow, which held a hint of inquiry and a "you're pretty good, kid" expression.

He also ignored the gazes of the patrolling police officers nearby.

He's a detective now, not a patrolman, so he doesn't have time to slack off and chat with these people.

After Costa and White left, Eric followed Joyner into the apartment building and walked to the door of apartment B on the third floor.

The door was ajar, and the low voices of forensic personnel and the crisp clicks of camera shutters could be heard from inside.

The stuffy smell in the air became more tangible. Eric subconsciously touched his nose. His physical abilities had changed too quickly, and his senses were astonishingly sharp.

He smelled a strong, pungent odor of blood, along with a faint, almost imperceptible stench of decay.

This means that the death had occurred some time ago.

A forensic technician dressed in full white protective clothing, wearing a mask and goggles, is coming out, holding a sealed evidence bag in his hand.

He saw Joyna nod, then paused when he saw Eric, his voice muffled through his mask:

"The initial fixation and panoramic photography are complete, and the key areas have been marked. You can go in now. Please watch out for the fingerprint powder and marking lines we've scattered on the ground."

Another acquaintance.

Eric's eyebrows twitched as he noticed the strange look in the forensic technician's eyes. He recognized the technician; he seemed to be Hope's student.

(End of this chapter)