Inner And Outer Demons

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Tris's POV

What was once a quiet near empty bedroom, is now swarming with C.S.I. and medical examiners. Some taking pictures of the room from every possible angle, and others tending to the body of our now dead suspect.

"Suicide?" I ask Nita as she pulls on a pair of gloves.

"Looking that way." She replies as they finish taking photos of the body.

Shaking my head, I turn to Tobias.

"But why?" I ask him, confusion lacing my words. "Why, after having just robbed the couple he built a safe for and murdered them, would he kill himself?"

"Guilt?" Tobias offers.

I tilt my head as I purse my lips. "After going through all that trouble? It doesn't make any sense."

Tobias scratches his jaw, "Have they found any trace of what was in the safe here in the house?"

I hadn't even thought about that.

"I don't know." I shrug, looking at Nita as they begin to bring his body down off of the ceiling fan.

"I'm going to go find out." Tobias tells me before he leaves the bedroom.

Gently, they rest Mr. Stuarts body down on the bed. Not yet removing the belt from around his neck as Nita takes a look.

His face is a pale color, a purplish blue hue as oxygen had been completely cut off. And I'm thankful that his eyes were closed so I don't have to see the signs of asphyxiation that lingers within them. The blood shot and burst vessels.

As one of the medical examiner assistants moves to the side, I catch a glimpse of something I hadn't seen earlier.

"Wait," I say and step closer to the bed and the body. "He's wearing a belt?"

Pulling his shirt up an inch or two higher, I show off the swede belt that is looped in the belt loops of his jeans.

"He didn't just use the belt he was wearing?" I ask and look over at Nita who matches my gaze.

"Why, if this man was in such a rush to kill himself, did he take the time to go get a different belt from his closet?"

"What size belt is that?" Nita asks me as she begins to unbuckle the one from around his neck.

"Um," I start pulling the belt off from around his waist. "34."

Nita hums softly, and looks to me with a raised eyebrow. "This one is a 42."

That is quite a large jump in size, and that can tell me only one thing.

"That isn't his belt."

Nita agrees with a nod of her head, and as I begin to take a deep breath, Tobias reenters the room.

"No sign of any valuables that would've been in the Harper's safe."

"Well, we just found something that puts a kink in our case here."

Tobias raises a brow, "What?"

"Michael Stuart didn't kill himself, he was murdered."

"Meaning whoever helped Stuart rob and kill the Harpers, turned on him."

I nod. "He must've wanted whatever was in that safe all to himself, and killed Michael to get it."

Tobias releases a sigh, and rakes a hand through his dark curls.

"I'm going to head back to the precinct," I tell him. "I'll hitch a ride from one of the officers if you want to stick around here."

Tobias nods, "We should probably call that girl from the security services back, get a statement."