Aleksander parked the van at Tinicum Wildlife Preserve's edge, crime scene tape cutting through the tree line. He walked with Wednesday, Enid, and Sofia toward the secured clearing, where CSU techs worked under portable lights.
Lev "Oz" Özdil stood waiting—warm almond-shaped dark brown eyes expressive under thick neat dark hair, clean-shaven jawline defined, slight olive skin catching the glow. Optimism showed in his relaxed shoulders."Hey, Lev Özdil—call me Oz," he said, shaking hands all around. "Teresa Lisbon reached out to my boss, Lieutenant Selena Soto. Asked for a favor—help you guys run this case smooth."
Sofia paused, looking him over. "You're LAPD Major Crimes, right? Then you probably know my cousin, Daphne Forrester. She's junior detective there."
Oz's face lit up with easy recognition. "Wait, you're Daphne's cousin? Small world. She's solid—always has that spark."
Wednesday stepped forward, voice monotone. "Family reunions later. Where's the body?"
Oz raised his hands quick, chuckling light. "Fair enough. Hikers stumbled on it this morning. Their dog dug it up right here in the brush."
Aleksander scanned the thick woods around them. "Smart dump spot. Nothing but trees for miles."
Enid nodded along. "Yeah, my family did a trip here once. Super remote—no one's coming out this far unless they mean to."
Sofia glanced around dryly. "So our witnesses are the birds and bees, huh?" She turned to Wednesday. "Unless you pick up any psychic vibes off it."
Wednesday gave a single nod. Oz lifted the tarp, revealing skeletal remains half-buried in dirt.
Aleksander said, "Sofia, do your thing."Sofia knelt smooth, snapped on gloves, and popped her case. She checked the bones careful. "Female. Looks over 35, easy."
She probed the ribcage, then pulled a deformed bullet from fractured bone—held it to the light. "And here's your cause of death. Bullet, lodged in the ribs. Looks like Deer eye bullet from a hunting rifle—.30-06 or .308. Deformed bad, but rifling marks look like a bolt-action." She bagged it quick.
Sofia turned the bagged bullet again, frowning at the bones. "Check this—the deer eye mushroomed on impact, shattered three ribs clean through. But no bullet hole in any clothes nearby."
Wednesday tilted her head, voice deadpan. "So the doer stripped her before shooting."
Aleksander crouched lower, scanning the skeleton. "Next question. Where's her head?"Sofia poked through the dirt around the torso. "Probably taken by the killer. Clean cut at the cervical—saw marks, not animal."
Oz keyed his radio quick. "Yeah, unit—flag anything cranial in the grid."
Enid grimaced. "Trophy hunter. That's next-level sick."
Wednesday stood, brushing soil off her hands. "Fits the profile."
While Sofia grabbed the Erudite DNA scanner—purple-black handheld with green glowing screen, fixed bottom vial, removable top collector. Twisted off the top cylinder, blue light flickering as she swabbed bone fragments. Snapped it back onto the vial base, pressed a green button.Screen lit up—waveforms danced, data scrolled. Synthetic voice cut clear: "Initiating PCR amplification... mitochondrial DNA sequencing complete... querying CODIS, Interpol, and NCIC databases... bone collagen degradation analysis confirms PMI approximately 18-20 years." Progress bar hit 100%. "Positive match: Janet Lambert, DOB 3/14/1969, reported missing 4/22/2006 by spouse Leroy Lambert, Philadelphia PD case #PH-06-1847. Genetic markers align 99.999%—daughter Susan Lambert listed in family file."
Sofia looked up at Aleksander, eyes wide. "We got a positive ID on the victim. Just like that."
Aleksander cracked a small smile. "Cool. Mom's tech doesn't mess around."
He glanced at Wednesday. "You getting anything psychic here?"
Wednesday crouched down, fingers brushing the bones. Her eyes went distant—vision slammed in. Janet and her daughter Susan in a small store, Janet checking the window every few seconds, tense. Jump cut: Janet bolting through dark woods, heavy breaths, man with a gun pounding after her. Gunshot echoed sharp.She pulled her hand back slow, face blank as always.
Aleksander leaned closer. "What'd you see in there?"
She pulled her hand back slow, face blank as always. "Killer was hunting her. Camouflage clothes, night vision goggles. Hunting rifle."
Aleksander looked around the dark trees, voice low. "Why do I get the feeling there's more bodies here?"
Oz straightened, optimism fading to focus. "I'll tell the unit to expand the grid—start digging."
Enid shivered. "Great. Serial hunter in the woods."
Oz glanced at his watch. "K9 unit's rolling in soon—they'll sniff out anything buried."
Sofia turned to Enid, eyes curious. "Hey, you're a werewolf, right? Can't you just use your enhanced smell to track down any other dead bodies around here?"
Enid gave a flat look, crossing her arms. "Tracking live people? Easy. But old skeletons buried for twenty years? That's all dirt, bugs, and tree roots to me. My nose doesn't do zombie apocalypse."
Oz's radio crackled—he stepped aside, took the call quick. He came back, flipping his notebook. "Got some background on Janet. Husband Leroy—bad news. Abusive as they come. She finally snapped, left him when he went after their daughter Susan. Filed domestic abuse charges same day she vanished. Susan told cops Dad showed up at the store right before. Only thing she remembers clear? Pair of men's boots walking in."
Sofia leaned in. "How'd that play out with the kid?"
Oz nodded. "Janet told her to duck behind the counter if anyone came—figured it might be him."
Sofia let out a slow sigh. "Poor kid. Both of them scarred bad from Leroy."Enid frowned. "So... husband did it?"
Oz shrugged light. "Missing Persons poked around, but nothing stuck. No hard tie."Aleksander rubbed his jaw. "Can't say for sure he's the shooter yet. Still, we need eyes on him. Wednesday, you, Enid, and Oz check the husband."
Wednesday gave a short nod. "Fine."
Aleksander scanned the dark tree line. "Sofia and I will track the daughter—get her side. But something tells me the father's a dead end."
[A/N:Can you guess which case this is from?]