Cali pauses. Lance notices her expression and decides to continue. He assumes that it's normal to react that way since the town us supposed to be crime-free.

“When we got the news that a body was found by the river, we were all surprised. Sure, we got suicide cases before but not one died by the river. Mostly are at home. So we already had an impression that we have a different case. Also, when Shane and Mel checked her body, she has signs of struggle. Her neck and wrists are damaged.”

Cali cups her mouth. For some reason, she feels frightened too. But her fear immediately disappears is overpowered when she remembers her goal: to know the truth and deliver the message to the people. That's the reason she wants to be a reporter. She wants the citizens to know what to look out for, especially in cases like this.

“Her slippers are missing but there is no signs of rape or sexual assault. With this, we think it might be a crime of passion or revenge. It’s hard to think of a cause since we still have no information about Jane’s life.”

“You.. don’t think that it could be a serial killer, right?”

“I hope not. Please don’t write it like that.”

Cali shakes her head. She knows that she can’t be opinionated in her report and she must keep everything by facts. Also, she is aware that she can’t cause panic to people especially when this is the first time something like this happened in their town.

“I can go to her workplace with you. I need to check her things and all other links I can find to lead us to her killer.”

Cali is excited. She shouldn’t be. What their facing might be serious but deep inside, she feels the thrill all over her body.

---

“So, what made you decide to be a detective?”

Cali asks as Lance drives them to Jane’s workplace. He lightly smiles which feels that this is not the first time someone asked him about this. He knows that it's weird to be a detective for a place that rarely has crimes.

“I just want to help people. It also feels good that I’m the first one in the city. At first, people thought it was stupid to have a detective since San Antonio has been cleared of crimes for years but I insisted that no one can predict the future and look at us now.”

“Are you… happy that we have a murder case now?”

His eyes widen by the sudden question. “Well.. if you put it that way…”

He pauses. “I guess you can say that I feel useful. That finally I can do my role in this town.”

She looks at him. Lance isn’t the most friendly-looking out there, he looks serious and strict. But now that he is talking about his job, he looks passionate and excited. Maybe Cali feels that way too. Sure, she can write tons of news about the town, but she knows that crime news is something she is passionate about. And she is glad that she is the one tasked to do this job.

“I do want to catch him as soon as possible though” he suddenly adds as he turns the car.

“Him?”

He nods. “I just have a hunch that it’s a guy. The marks were brutal and I don’t think a woman can be that strong enough to make those wounds.”

---

Jane is a secretary at a big company. Her main job is to prepare all the needs of her boss including setting his appointments and if he’s busy, talking to some clients.

“Jane has been with us for 5 years now”

A friend of her says as she takes Lance and Cali to Jane’s desk. All the employees are grieving and there is a photo of Jane by her room. When the friend opens the door, Lance already has a glimpse of what kind of person she is.

“If you need anything else, please don’t hesitate to ask me.”

Cali turns to Lance who just nods. After a few seconds, the friend leaves them. Cali looks around as well but she really can’t find anything that she’s supposed to see.

“You said that her killer might be a man, do you think it’s a boyfriend?”

He sits on her chair and analyzes her things.

“No. Her family didn’t mention she’s dating.”

“How about a suitor?”

He flips her notes but he doesn’t see anything unusual. Her desk is full of paperwork and receipt. She isn't the most organized person he met, but she seems like she knows where everything is located.

“I don’t think so. But we can ask her friend.”

In just a couple of minutes, Lance already understands that Jane is a simple person. She likes feminine things, like floral or purple items. She likes colored pencils and other writing materials. But she seems to be like a workaholic. She doesn’t put any photo of her family or friends on her room and just everything related to work.

This might also explain why she doesn't have a boyfriend. Her plate is already full and if she wants to focus on her work, she doesn't need distractions.

---

“No. She isn’t interested in anyone and no one tries to ask her out. I guess it’s because she’s so focused at work. There are times when she would stay up late here.”

“But except that night” Lance comments.

The friend sadly nods. “She is excited to go home. She said she promised her family that she will be there that night.”

“Can you think of anyone who could’ve done this?” Cali asks while the friend shakes her head.

“Please, do everything to catch who did this to her.. I can’t think of anyone since Jane is a very nice woman. She wouldn’t offend or hurt anyone.”

With that being said, Lance and Cali are more interested in finding the killer. Cali is a fan of crime stories. She likes guessing who the killer is. But with someone who has a clean record like Jane, it might take a few more investigations and interviews before they can find a suspect. Lance knows this too. Before going to Jane's workplace, he asked some of his policemen friends to find any CCTV footage that can help them find the killer. The river is near Jane's office so this could mean that the killer waited for her that night and attacked when no one is around.