Campagna sat back in her chair and rifled through crime scene reports. She had stopped counting after processing her twelfth box on day three. De Rosa sat at a facing desk, reviewing security footage. He would celebrate completed videos by crumpling a sheet of paper into a ball and attempting a free throw into the trash by the door. He had yet to make a single shot.
She mulled over the case in her head. The fact that the Church had allowed the other victims to be exhumed for autopsies suggested deep unease.
Just standard procedure, she had told the neighbors during interviews to keep the press in the dark. A few reporters were sniffing around nonetheless, asking leading questions.
The crime scene had yielded neither prints nor usable DNA. A murderer had entered Vitale’s apartment, perhaps murderers, given the strength required to pull the cardinal up and tie the rope.
Support workers, including maintenance staff, maids, doormen, and concierges all claimed to have seen nothing unusual. The lodgings of the victims had no staff in common to pin a motive to.
The only connection so far was three dead clerics in one week.
194 words, down from 438. But I like your idea of dialogue
