North American detective: From scoundrel to god among men

Chapter 13 Saint Cecilia's Smile

The plane landed in Rankin County, West Virginia, and the body was kept in a local white funeral home. The coroner was Dr. Akin. If he determined that the cause of death was questionable, the body would be sent to a medical center in a neighboring county for a more professional examination.

But Crawford couldn't wait for the slow process, so he brought his men directly to the scene, hoping to find something, catch the murderer, restore the FBI's prestige, and shut the newspapers up.

The county public security department picked them up from the airport. I don't know what these police officers were thinking, but they drove a vehicle used for transporting prisoners. There weren't enough seats, so Starling had to sit in the back seat.

As if it were a matter of course, a group of grown men unceremoniously sat in the front, a county policeman pushed Titus into the car, and when it was finally full, Starling stood awkwardly outside the car.

Everyone just stared at her with puzzled looks, as if asking, "Why aren't you sitting in the back?"

Titus wanted to ask her if she wanted to change seats, but Crawford stopped him and shook his head. Titus understood that this was a hurdle that Starling had to overcome.

Starling noticed this subtle movement, nodded, smiled to indicate that she was fine, and then got into the back of the car.

She didn't want them to think she was pretentious or just a pretty face. She thought angrily, "The back of the train isn't so bad, at least I don't have to squeeze in with a bunch of men."

The rear compartment and the driver's cab were tightly separated, with the only narrow window blocked by an iron bar, like the kind in prisons. Starling had to get very close to that narrow window to hear what was being said in the driver's cab.

The patrol car pulled up to the funeral home and the men got out. At that moment, Starling noticed that the back of the car had no door handles on either side, which was normal.

Because the back of the truck was for prisoners, those damned guys forgot about her there. Starling quickly banged on the glass window hoping everyone could hear something and realize that the truck was missing someone!

Someone please save her! At least don't wait until Crawford needs someone to examine the body before hastily releasing her. This makes her feel like a disposable tool!

She remembered Dr. Lecter's words in the dungeon: "Once they've used you, they won't take this case anymore."

Starling grew angrier and angrier, banging hard on the window. Just then, with a 'click,' the door was opened from the outside. Starling punched the person who entered, and to make matters worse, she lost her balance and fell headfirst inside.

"I'm sorry, I..."

Starling brushed her messy hair aside and looked up to meet Titus's gaze. The sunlight was blocked, giving him a damnable glow, making his face as rugged as an ancient Greek sculpture.

She thought: What a damn magnificent face! What a damn terrible face!

She encountered a scenario that no girl wants to experience: to run into a guy she liked at the worst possible time.

Starling thought: Titus must think of her as a reckless girl!

"It's alright, you're a fierce and beautiful detective."

Starling swore she hated the name, hated Titus, and with a radiant, almost deathly smile, she said:

"Thank you so much, you violent gangster detective."

"You're welcome."

After the brief incident, the two went to the funeral home together. The roadside was lined with boxwood and elm trees, which exuded a strong summer atmosphere under the sunlight.

Inside the funeral home, Crawford and a police representative were talking.

Crawford said, "Thank you for informing us so quickly, representative."

The representative shook his head and said, "It wasn't me, it should be someone from the prosecutor's office. Our police chief is currently on vacation in Hawaii and doesn't have time to deal with you."

"What we need to do now is to find out if this girl is local and where she came from."

Crawford said, "We can help with that."

The representative said, "I have already spoken with the state police precinct chief, and they will begin the investigation."

Crawford, having been rebuffed, thought for a moment and then said:

"Sir, there are some aspects of this type of sex crime that I think are best discussed among men. Do you understand what I mean?"

Crawford nodded, indicating that Starling was present, and she agreed, following Crawford to the small room next door.

These words were not concealed, and everyone present heard them, and they all looked at Starling in unison.

This infuriated her. A woman who didn't even respect her own boss—she knew Crawford probably just wanted to talk to that representative alone, which was why he said those things.

But this did not stop her from feeling indignant. What made her even more ashamed was the scrutinizing gaze of the male police officers, which was now focused on her.

Starling was somewhat at a loss and subconsciously looked at Titus.

Titus wasn't staring at her, or rather, he was the only man present who wasn't staring at her; he was looking up at something.

Starling was intrigued and followed Titus's gaze to a classical oil painting—Saint Cecilia.

She was a Christian saint who, according to legend, vowed to remain a virgin for life for the sake of her faith. However, her parents still arranged a marriage for her, which led to the martyrdom of Saint Cecilia.

In the oil painting, Saint Cecilia wears red and white roses on her head and holds a palm leaf in her hand. The saint's smile seems to transcend centuries, gentle yet powerful.

Starling stared at her for a moment, then smiled back.

About five minutes later, Crawford and his representative came out, indicating that they had reached an agreement.

The crowd surged into the embalming room, almost filling it to capacity, creating a chaotic scene.

Titus thought he should find a way to get everyone out of the room, at least to make room for Starling to examine the body. So he looked at Crawford, who, after asking Starling to get the equipment, had been chatting with the representative.

But this matter has to be done, otherwise Starling will have to stand in a crowded group of men examining the corpse when she comes back, and she might accidentally touch the wrong place if she turns around.

Crawford noticed Titus's gaze at this moment. Titus pointed to the pile of people in the room, chatting aimlessly, and a few guys were seriously analyzing whether the victim had been raped by the murderer before his death, and what the ravaged genitals looked like.

The body was retrieved from the river by a fisherman whose hook had snagged something heavy. Upon closer inspection, he discovered it was a female corpse.

Crawford's response was to nod.

"Yes, you're right. I'll leave this to you." Crawford nodded slightly.

Titus noticed that the people here were mostly local representatives, sheriffs, prosecutors, and administrative officials, and now Crawford, as a SAC (local FBI director), was counting on him, a newly recruited agent, to give the orders and kick people out.

"Damn my riddle-solving boss," Titus thought bitterly.

He hates people who don't explain things clearly to you, only give you a signal, and you pretend not to understand, then he'll question you afterwards; but if you think that's his tacit approval and do things according to your assumptions, when something really goes wrong, you'll find that he's been relentlessly pushing you forward!

Titus thought of Starling; if he didn't do this, the task would most likely have fallen on Starling's shoulders.

Crawford was certain that if the Supreme Representative had no objections after Titus finished speaking, he wouldn't say anything; if the Representative was dissatisfied, he would definitely lick the Representative's big white hook and scold Titus.

Titus took a deep breath.

The great Astartes is fearless!