Chapter 86: Rules Are Dead, But People Are Alive
Despite the obvious mismatch, Theodore still showed his police badge and requested an employee list from the on-site supervisor of Southern Star Catering Services.
Bernie went to the school security to ask for the temporary registration forms from last night's campus entries and exits.
At least tens of thousands of people had entered and exited during the evening, and even during the early stages of the riot, thousands had passed through legally. Yet security only provided them with two thin sheets of paper.
When Bernie asked for more, the security guard pulled out a blank registration form and performed a live demonstration of how entries were recorded, casually scribbling illegible information.
Tossing the two forms into the back seat, they walked into the sports complex where several young forensic technicians had been waiting impatiently.
High-powered bulbs illuminated the locker room, making it bright as day.
Theodore entered the scene first, Bernie following behind, with several forensic technicians carrying evidence bags bringing up the rear.
Everyone else crowded around the doorway, craning their necks to peer inside, eager to witness Theodore's legendary ability to "communicate with ghosts."
After circling the locker room, Theodore walked into the restroom and stared at the stall where the body had been found. He remained motionless for a long time, only shaking his head and leaving when the forensic technicians needed to collect evidence.
Seeing him emerge, the detectives at the door parted respectfully, some with obvious awe in their eyes. They probably assumed Theodore had been communing with the restroom ghost all that time.
Theodore removed his gloves, temporarily changed his plan, and gestured for Bernie to join him in questioning the Southern Star temporary workers.
On the way, he shared his crime scene reconstruction with Bernie.
"There were several suspected blood drops near the door. The deceased was likely sitting there treating his injuries when the killer approached."
"The murderer followed him in and strangled him from behind using a football equipment strap."
"The deceased struggled violently, pushing backward trying to stand, but lost his balance and frantically grabbed at the electrical wire."
Bernie raised a question: "Was the wire torn off by Amos?"
Theodore nodded and explained his reasoning.
He'd examined the wiring in the visiting team's locker room and found it exceptionally simple. The wire ran through a hole in the wall behind a metal cabinet, was clipped to the wall, passed through a switch, extended to the ceiling, and connected to the light fixture.
At the break point, the two conductors had a length difference of at least three inches. If deliberately cut, the conductors should have been flush.
He continued his analysis: "Before entering the locker room, the deceased had been beaten by quarterback Leroy on the field, resulting in torn ligaments in his left ankle that prevented him from putting weight on that foot."
"The pain in his left ankle when he tried to stand caused him to lose balance and fall."
"The deceased continued struggling on the ground, trying to attack his killer, which left defensive wounds of varying severity on his right palm and forearm."
"But with the killer behind him, the deceased couldn't generate enough force and was eventually strangled."
"The murderer maintained strangulation for several minutes to ensure death, then dragged the body into the restroom and stuffed it in the innermost stall."
Bernie rubbed his neck. "Wasn't he afraid someone would walk in?"
Theodore shook his head. "The killer might have decided to murder him on impulse."
"On impulse?" Bernie was surprised by this theory.
Theodore explained his reasoning.
He suspected the killer hadn't initially intended murder. After all, when someone is determined to kill, they rehearse it countless times mentally beforehand. At minimum, they bring their own weapon.
The preferred tool is usually a gun, then a knife, never a football equipment strap, unless that strap held special significance.
"Amos's killing was likely due to personal vendetta, unrelated to racial conflict," Theodore concluded.
While extremist groups like the KKK often used murder to express political demands, usually accompanied by ritualistic humiliation, they preferred public executions rather than concealed strangulation followed by hiding the body.
Their visit to Southern Star Catering Services proved frustrating.
The company wasn't uncooperative, they summoned last night's on-site supervisor, a middle-aged man built like a football player.
He told Theodore and Bernie that temporary workers had been hired at the school entrance.
At two o'clock yesterday afternoon, they'd arrived punctually at Oak Grove Manor High School. The school and surrounding area were already packed with crowds, and they recruited temporary help from among those people.
Because black attendees had been collectively expelled from campus before the game, and the school refused to sell tickets to black customers, while their banquet setup was right next to the stadium with a clear view of the game, recruiting temporary workers had been especially easy yesterday.
Many people didn't even want wages, they were willing to work for free just to watch.
They'd selected seventeen people from those offering free labor and issued them work permits.
Theodore asked if he could identify those seventeen people, but the supervisor just shook his head.
He'd been hiding in his car yesterday, secretly drinking the banquet wine, and had gotten drunk early on. He didn't even know about the riot that broke out later.
The supervisor called in other company employees who'd been present, trying to help.
But after questioning them, they received several conflicting versions, with numbers far exceeding seventeen people.
The employee responsible for table and chair setup claimed he'd seen four different versions of "Pop Hansen" alone.
The worker checking delivery manifests mentioned seeing what appeared to be six different "Fosco Sonics."
These people had worked efficiently, dropped off materials, and vanished like ghosts. Combined with poor lighting conditions, identifying them was impossible.
Many descriptions of their appearance weren't even remotely human.
Leaving Southern Star, it was already lunchtime.
Theodore and Bernie chose a barbecue restaurant to treat themselves well.
At their table, they discussed the case again. Bernie hinted in a roundabout way that perhaps it was time to communicate with the deceased's ghost.
Theodore transferred the ribs he'd ordered onto Bernie's plate, a signal for him to shut up and eat.
He had indeed profiled the killer, but was still missing several key details and couldn't directly identify a suspect.
Halfway through their meal, the Felton television station, which had been broadcasting the soap opera "Desperate Housewives," interrupted with a news bulletin.
"Just moments ago, the Felton Police Department held a press conference to announce major news:
In the early hours of this morning, Amos Williams, head coach of the Free Fighters team at Woodson Memorial High School, was confirmed dead in the visiting team's locker room at Oak Grove Manor High School."
"Deputy Police Chief Eugene Harper announced preliminary investigation results on behalf of the department:
Coach Williams's cause of death has been confirmed as 'mechanical asphyxiation,' and the suspected murder weapon is a fabric strap with a distinctive pattern."
"Police emphasized that the case remains under investigation and currently 'does not rule out any possibility,' but urged citizens not to believe rumors and to avoid interfering with judicial fairness."
Bernie bit down on his half-eaten rib and asked stupidly: "Who is Eugene Harper? Where is Senior Police Supervisor Daniel Flores?"
Theodore, however, frowned: "Does he have water for brains?"
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