Case 16: Bloodhound

1

Present Day

Nikita: My time in Moscow... is nearly over.

Jenna: Right... and you mentioned the police force wasn't what you thought. What did you mean?

Nikita: Yeah... it was an unfortunate discovery...

The last case I told you about involved my brother and some shady investigation to give me inside knowledge.

Jenna: Right, he sneaked into the crime scene before you took action.

Nikita: Mhmm... and as you'd imagine, my brother's help was really useful. So, he continued to help me in this way. He would get inside information for me.

Jenna: Let me guess, he got into some trouble?

Nikita: No... but he did find... something troubling.

 

Everything went smoothly... until the next morning after I completed my analysis.

 

2

Past

Kostya: Did you gather anything else from the scene?

Nikita: No, but I'm going back there now. I think I missed something.

Kostya: It's such a depressing scene...

Nikita... one more thing.

Nikita: Yeah, boss?

Kostya: I heard there has been some tension between you and some of the others on the team.

Nikita: I'm not trying to cause any trouble, but some of the guys are very disrespectful to me.

Kostya: Try to keep your composure. I'll tell them the same. But, Nikita, someone told me you were getting inside knowledge in the cases.

Nikita: Inside knowledge?

Kostya: It's a bad road to go down, Nikita. Also, you shouldn't look into things that don't pertain to the cases... just stay focused.

 

*Nod your head slowly*

 

Kostya: Alright, talk later.

Nikita: Right, talk soon.

 

View Statements

 

Look Around the House

 

Crime Scene

 

3

  • Notes from the interview:

    • Deep sadness
    • She had lots of questions
    • She didn't believe it

  • Statements:

    • "He was a good guy, and he was really passionate about his job."
    • "I never, for one second, thought he was so depressed."
    • "I could have helped him, I feel guilty, I wish I could have been there for him."

 

4

  • Notes from the interview:

    • She was speechless
    • She cried endlessly
    • She didn't believe it

  • Statements:

    • "GIVE ME BACK MY SON!"
    • "My boy... my dear boy."
    • "I told him to stay away from policework... now look what happened, he was never depressed until he went to the police force!"

 

5

Lev's father died 3 years ago.

 

6

  • Notes from the interview:

    • Shocked
    • Regret
    • His face was frozen by sadness

  • Statements:

    • "I didn't think he had those kinds of problems... this blindsided me completely."
    • "I don't know what to tell you, detective, I just... can't believe he's gone... he was my best friend."
    • "I should have helped him, but I just, had no... idea."

 

7

The kitchen is in very good condition and very clean and orderly. The kitchen lights were dimmed when the police arrived.

 

8

The basement is dark and dreary, but still clean and organized. There is a box with weapons in it, including a handgun and a shotgun. The basement has a lot of storage boxes and supplies for winter.

 

9

The garage has Lev's vehicle inside of it along with lots of boxes that hold items such as skis, chairs, older furniture, gardening tools, and other various items.

 

10

The bathroom has blue cleaning fluid in the toilet. The bathroom was well-kept, and the bathroom accessories were all placed into small containers behind the opening mirror.

 

11

The bathroom on the main floor has no cleaning fluids in the toilet and the bathroom is organized and contains only a dispenser of soap, a towel, tissues, and toilet paper.

 

12

Nothing stands out in the living room. There are normal couches and a television in the corner. The living room does not have a fireplace but it does have decorations on the walls.

 

13

No doors or locks show any signs of a break-in. The front door and backdoor were both locked when the police knocked on Lev's front door to make sure he was okay. The police then decided to check inside when Lev didn't answer for a prolonged period of time.

 

14

The windows are not tampered with and show no signs of a break-in.

 

15

The victim is a male, age 39. The body is slouched against a wall near the left side of his nightstand. The body has a bullet wound on the left temple. The body is clothed with only pajama pants.

 

16

The bed had been slept in before the death and the room's main light switch near the door is turned on. The nightstand drawer is open. The door to the bedroom was closed when police first got to the crime scene. The room is dirty and has dirty clothes on the floor along with some old papers.

 

17

The gun that was used is resting in the victim's right hand. The gun has no bullets remaining in its ammo compartment.

 

18

The blood spatter and ballistics report indicate that the gun was fired when its barrel was in contact with the temple of the subject.

 

19

Dog hair was found near the body. Gunshot residue is present on the body and the gun itself.

 

20

The victim was Officer Lev, he was part of my police force! Lev lived alone in a medium-sized house. I didn't see Lev much, but from what I remember he was all about finding the bad guys and putting them behind bars. He was a good cop, but maybe he was depressed on the inside...

 

 

21

*Think quietly*

 

Could it really be?

There's no way this was a suicide.

It was definitely a murder.

The gun says it all...

Theoretically, it's possible for the person to maintain a grip on the gun, but it's unlikely.

The killer probably took the gun from the nightstand and staged the suicide.

The real question is what was the motive...?

Maybe he entered through the garage?

I should take a closer look at the garage.

If the killer entered the house by sneaking into the garage first, then...

There must be some evidence of the killer being in the garage.

 

*Call Kostya*

 

Kostya: Yes?

Nikita: You're going to want to hear this...

Kostya: I'll meet you at the base.

 

Conclude Investigation

1. Which location needs to be searched again for evidence?

  • Kitchen
  • Living Room
  • Bedroom
  • Bathroom
  • Garage
  • Outside the house

 

2. What piece of evidence didn't make sense?

  • Animal hair
  • Blood
  • Gunshot residue
  • Nylon fibers

 

3. What allowed me to make my grand deduction?

  • The blood spatter
  • The state of the doors
  • The position of the weapon

 

4. There was an inconsistency in the crime scene, what was it?

  • Lev had pajamas on
  • The bedroom was very messy
  • Lev was against the wall

 

5. What could the cleaning agent in the upstairs toilet indicate?

  • Some evidence could have been flushed
  • Lev decided to clean the toilet very late at night
  • Lev never used the upstairs bathroom

Correct Answers

1. Which location needs to be searched again for evidence?

  • Garage

 

2. What piece of evidence didn't make sense?

  • Animal hair

 

3. What allowed me to make my grand deduction?

  • The position of the weapon

 

4. There was an inconsistency in the crime scene, what was it?

  • The bedroom was very messy

 

5. What could the cleaning agent in the upstairs toilet indicate?

  • Some evidence could have been flushed

Kostya: ... Hmm, good work. Alright, Nikita, see you tomorrow.

Nikita: Of course, I'll see you tomorrow. With the evidence collection from the garage, I'm sure we'll get this guy.

The Next Day

Kostya: Nikita... What the -

 

*Look confused*

 

Nikita: Huh???

Kostya: Yesterday, you said you submitted the evidence from the garage. You said it would link us to the killer.

Nikita: Yeah, I know. I did just that. I found many examples of foreign DNA and hair strands in the garage.

Kostya: Well, then where the hell is it?

Nikita: I submitted the evidence I gathered yesterday! Then I went home!

Kostya: None of it is here, Nikita.

Nikita: Kostya, I swear I brought everything here, it was all accounted for...

Kostya: You can't even admit your own mistakes. Anyway, don't let this happen again.

 

*Remain motionless*

 

Later That Evening

Nikita: What... a day.

Pavel: What happened?

Nikita: Some idiots at the station misplaced all of the evidence I brought to them...

Pavel: What!? That's terrible... Your peers are so incompetent.

Nikita: Tell me about it, and then I got blamed for all of it too.

 

*Pavel thinks*

 

Pavel: You got blamed?

Nikita: Kostya was so mad, and he had no proof that I lost anything at all.

Pavel: Brother...

Nikita: Yeah?

Pavel: I'm curious about something. I'll get back to you in a couple of days.

Nikita: Alright, I'm too tired to even ask you what it is. But, I'll see you tomorrow.

Pavel: Yep, see you then.

 

*Pavel puts on his jacket and exits*

 

Two Days Later

Pavel: Brother... I have some terrible news for you. I know why your team is so incompetent.

 

*Give your brother a strange look*

 

Pavel: Brother, you cannot go back to work. It's not an option.

Nikita: Hold on, what's going on...? What did you find?

Pavel: It's not what I found... It's what I saw... and what I overheard.

Nikita: Please don't tell me this is what I think it is.

Pavel: A man in a black raincoat was talking to Kostya and asked him if Lev was taken care of... Then Kostya received a large briefcase from the man in the raincoat.

Nikita: WHAT!? Kostya got paid to cover up the murder on Lev???

Pavel: Yes, I am assuming that the Russian mob has him on their payroll. Additionally, I did some digging on Lev. Apparently, Lev was trying to put some men from the mob behind bars.

Nikita: What in the hell did I get myself into...? Kostya said he wanted me to stay late tomorrow, too...

Pavel: THEY ARE GOING TO KILL YOU, NIKITA.

Nikita: Because I know that it was a murder and that there was a cover-up... This is bad.

Pavel: We need to leave the city at once.

Nikita: I need to tell Maya. I love her, I don't want to just disappear.

Pavel: Niki... it's just a girl... This is your life we are talking about.

Nikita: Brother... I just have to tell her. I have to.

 

*Pavel looks worried*

 

Pavel: Alright, but tomorrow... we leave for sure.

Nikita: I'll call her now.

 

*Call Maya*

 

*Wait for the phone to ring*

 

*Pavel brings his hand to his head*

 

Pavel: She's not answering, is she?

Nikita: Nope... It's way too late, she's definitely in bed by now.

I'll try again tomorrow... and if no one answers... well, then that's that, and we leave Moscow.

Pavel: Yeah...

Present Day

Jenna: Wow... your superior was working with the mob!?

Nikita: And if that's not bad enough... it gets worse... Just wait for this next part.