Page 14 of Silent Night

Late morning sunlight filtered through the blinds, casting a pattern of shadows on the linoleum floor as Sheila, Natalie, and Finn entered the coroner's office. Sheila found herself wondering how long Jennifer Bainbridge's body had been submerged in the cool waters of the Great Salt Lake before they discovered her. Could the killer still have been lurking nearby, watching them from a distance as they examined the scene?

She glanced around at the unfamiliar surroundings, taking in the rows of filing cabinets, the cluttered desk piled high with papers, and the faint hum of fluorescent lights overhead. She had never set foot in a coroner's office before, but she was determined to learn everything she could about this case. She knew that knowledge would be their greatest weapon in catching Jennifer's killer.

"Are you okay, Sheila?" Natalie asked, picking up on her sister's anxiety. Her voice was gentle, yet carried the authority of someone who had been in this line of work for years. Despite their competitive nature, her concern for her sister was evident.

Sheila nodded, swallowing hard. "I'm fine," she replied, attempting to sound more confident than she felt. "I just…I've never done anything like this before."

"Seeing a body is never easy," Finn said, his gruff voice revealing a hint of the pain he'd endured in his own past. "But it's important to remember that we're here for Jennifer—and for justice."

Sheila took a deep breath, bracing herself for what was to come. She knew that she couldn't let her emotions get in the way of her work. Jennifer deserved better than that.

The door to the autopsy room creaked open, and Dr. Jin Zihao stepped into the coroner's office. He was a tall man, with neatly combed black hair streaked with silver, and sharp, intelligent eyes that seemed to take in everything around him. His lab coat was pristine, as if he had just put it on, and it contrasted starkly with the somber atmosphere of the room.

"Dr. Zihao, this is my sister, Sheila Stone," Natalie said, gesturing to Sheila who stood by her side. "She's assisting us with the investigation."

"Nice to meet you, Ms. Stone," Dr. Zihao said, extending his hand for a polite shake.

Sheila took his hand, noting the firmness of his grip and the confidence in his voice. There was something about him that commanded respect, even though she had just met him. She couldn't help but feel reassured by his presence—he clearly knew what he was doing.

"Please, call me Sheila," she replied, trying to match his level of professionalism. "I'm eager to learn from you."

"Of course, Sheila." Dr. Zihao nodded, a hint of a smile playing on his lips. "Follow me, please."

He led them through the door and into the autopsy room. The room itself was a cold, clinical space, with stainless steel tables and instruments laid out in precise order. In the center of the room lay Jennifer Bainbridge's body, covered in a thin white sheet.

Dr. Zihao gently pulled back the sheet, revealing the young woman's lifeless form. As Sheila's eyes fell on Jennifer's face, she felt her breath catch in her throat. The sight was both eerie and unsettling—the woman's skin was pale, almost translucent, and her body was encrusted with a white substance.

"Is that… salt?" Sheila asked hesitantly, forcing herself to look at Jennifer's body despite the unease it caused her.

"Yes," Dr. Zihao said, his voice clinical and detached. "The high salinity of the lake has covered her body in salt crystals. It also affects the preservation of the body, making our job a bit more challenging."

Sheila could feel her heart pounding in her chest as she stared at the victim, trying to process the reality of the situation. This young woman could have been alive just hours before, and now she lay cold and still on an autopsy table, her life stolen by a ruthless killer. It was a sobering reminder of the stakes involved in this investigation—and the responsibility Sheila felt to bring justice to Jennifer and her family.

"Could you explain more about the effects of the salt on her body?" Natalie asked.

"Of course," Dr. Zihao said, adjusting his glasses as he leaned closer to Jennifer's body. "The high concentration of salt in the Great Salt Lake creates a unique set of conditions for preservation. In this case, the salt has actually mummified parts of her skin and tissue."

"Does that make it harder to determine the cause of death?" Natalie asked, her eyes narrowing as she studied Jennifer's body.

"Somewhat," admitted Dr. Zihao. "However, I'm confident in my assessment that the cause of death was strangulation." He gestured toward the victim's neck, where dark bruises stood out in stark contrast against her pale skin. "You can see the distinct pattern of finger marks here, likely from the killer's hands."

Sheila felt a surge of anger as she looked at those marks, a burning desire to make the murderer pay for what they had done. Swallowing hard, she asked, "When do you think she was killed?"

"Based on the state of her body and the evidence of rigor mortis, I would estimate that she was murdered early this morning, before dawn," Dr. Zihao replied, his voice steady and professional. "It's difficult to pinpoint an exact time due to the salt's impact on the decomposition process, but the absence of nocturnal insects and their larvae suggest it didn't happen last night—or that her body wasn't exposed to the open air last night, at least."

Sheila's heart raced as the gruesome details of Jennifer Bainbridge's murder washed over her like an icy wave. She swallowed hard, trying to maintain a neutral expression, but she felt her stomach twist into knots with each new piece of information.

"Sheila?" Natalie asked gently, concern etched on her face. "Are you okay?"

Sheila blinked and looked at her sister, attempting a reassuring smile. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just...processing everything."

Natalie gave her a knowing nod, clearly aware of Sheila's inexperience with such grisly investigations.

Finn, meanwhile, furrowed his brow and addressed Dr. Zihao. "Have you noticed any signs of a struggle? Defensive wounds on her hands or arms?"

Dr. Zihao nodded. "Yes, there are bruises on her forearms, consistent with someone trying to fend off an attacker." He gestured to the bruises in question.

The room seemed to close in around Sheila as she thought about the fact that whoever killed Jennifer was still out there, waiting to strike again. She clenched her fists, determined to find this monster and make them pay for what they'd done.

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