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🕑 Added 2025-03-24 14:09:13 +0000 UTCAnatomy of a Killer
Chapter 22 - The Girl in the Woods, Part 11
Captain Matthews nodded at Ángel's observation and explained, "You asked the right question, but we previously analyzed the students' group chats, and the content is interpreted in a much simpler way."
Larry looked at the color-printed screenshots that the captain handed him. At first glance, the messages didn’t seem to reveal anything significant:
Valeria: "Aren’t you coming to the gathering?"
Greta: "Yes, I think so."
Camila: "We can go to the woods so no adults bother us."
Alejandro: "Sure."
Nicolás: "But it’s raining."
Valeria: "I’ll take a taxi. The rest of you can come later if you can."
Greta: "Alright!"
There didn’t seem to be anything alarming. But behind the apparent banality of these words lay a pattern that any detective could detect: the killer was within Greta Mayer's circle of friends. However, none of them admitted this fact or cooperated with the investigation.
When they were called in to testify, they refused to cooperate, and their parents hired lawyers to obstruct the process. This delayed the investigation, but thanks to the intervention of the Mayer family, the police gained access to the messages, strengthening the case.
"This is complete bullshit," a detective muttered before asking, "Was Camila trying to accuse Valeria before she died?"
"It doesn’t matter," Matthews interrupted dryly and pointed out, "Valeria is at the station right now. We arrested her under the pretext of questioning her about the chat, but we still need to solidify the case. Her family is downstairs… and the situation is delicate."
The captain turned his gaze to Larry and then said, "Lieutenant LaGuerta mentioned that you had solid evidence. Explain your progress to us."
Everyone in the room fixed their eyes on him. Doakes even encouraged him:
"We want to hear your reconstruction of the scene. This killer girl is hard to deal with."
"Yeah, the bitch cried during interrogation and didn’t say a word," Sergeant Doakes said with disdain.
LaGuerta, who fully trusted Larry, was more direct: "We don’t have much evidence, and it's difficult to make a complete reconstruction. Larry, show us what you have."
Larry frowned, took out several color-printed A4 documents, and spread them out on the table. "This is a photo of the crime scene. And this other photograph was taken by Ángel when we went to the high school to look for clues about Greta Mayer’s murder."
One of the images showed Greta’s body with multiple deep wounds—a clear sign of hatred. Another photo captured Camila’s lifeless hand holding a small fragment of white leather shaped like a "B."
"By comparing details, we discovered that this fragment is identical to the decorative flowers on Valeria’s shoes." After saying that, Larry continued, "A small find, but a revealing one, of course."
The room remained silent. Larry proceeded with his analysis:
"Greta Mayer’s wounds are brutal. Her killer tied her up, tortured her, and stabbed her repeatedly, making sure she suffered before dying. As for the four gashes on Camila’s neck and the final stab wound in Greta’s perineal area, they indicate that the killer had a deep resentment toward them… and an irrational fear that they would 'come back to life'."
A chill ran through the room. Larry moved on to the next piece of evidence:
"The killer meticulously planned the first victim’s murder. They chose an isolated area in the forest park, wore gloves, anesthetized Greta, and attacked her by surprise. Even the wild dogs at the scene were part of the killer’s plan."
A murmur spread among those present.
"In contrast, Camila’s murder seems to have been a crime of passion—something that wasn’t premeditated. We found Valeria’s DNA on the shoelaces used to strangle Camila. We also found traces of Valeria’s skin under her nails, indicating a struggle."
The officers’ faces reflected a mixture of disbelief and astonishment. Larry moved on to the final point:
"Besides the biological evidence, we found hay, dry branches, and lighters near Camila’s body. I suspect Valeria attempted to burn the corpse to erase evidence, but the sudden appearance of a security guard forced her to flee."
Larry delivered the final blow:
"This morning, we reexamined Greta’s body. In her mouth, trapped in a blood clot, we found a hair. DNA analysis confirmed that it belongs to Valeria. We also identified a pressure mark on Greta’s back. The killer pinned her down with a knee while tying her up… and the DNA on her skin matches Valeria’s."
Captain Matthews exhaled heavily.
"And the motive?"
Larry slid another sheet across the table.
"Everything points to Nicolás. Camila had a sexual relationship with him and believed they were a couple, but Nicolás denied it. This created tension in the group. Valeria, who probably had feelings for Nicolás, saw Camila as a threat. Greta, on the other hand, was the only one who knew the truth and, somehow, confronted Valeria that day in the woods during the gathering—where no one else but the two of them showed up."
Larry crossed his arms.
"This wasn’t an impulsive murder. Valeria planned Greta’s death… and when Camila confronted her or discovered the truth, she killed her in a fit of fear, rage, and tension."
The silence in the room was deafening. There were no doubts: Valeria was the murderer.
Nicolás felt sympathy for Greta, and all his friends had always protected her. This detail, insignificant to many, awakened something dark in Valeria. Despite being part of the popular kids' circle, she had always gone unnoticed. Invisible. The frustration of not being noticed, of living in others' shadows, might have been the catalyst for her actions. Camila suspected her too late, and if Valeria felt threatened, she might have decided to silence her.
"I’m done. This is all we need to catch that murderer—female murderer," Larry said as he pushed the detailed report toward Lieutenant LaGuerta, who seemed to have been his strongest supporter.
"By the way, has Valeria’s family situation been verified?"
The captain opened his work journal and reviewed his notes.
"Verified. The day Greta Mayer was murdered was her grandmother’s birthday. At first, I found it hard to believe that girl was the killer, but we have no records of her returning home that day."
"What about the taxi?"
"She took a taxi. Should we focus on that? If the taxi driver dropped her off near the first murder scene when she should have been at her grandmother’s house, then there’s nothing more to say."
"We’ll do that."
The evidence was clear. There was no room for doubt.
The captain slammed the table energetically. "We're interrogating her now! Larry, get ready. This time, you'll be leading the interrogation."
"No, I'm not good with kids. Sergeant Doakes will get everything out of her."
"Thanks for the compliment, forensic, Luk." Sergeant Doakes took charge of the interrogation team. Meanwhile, Larry sank into a chair, closing his eyes for a moment.
A sharp pain in his left eye made him dizzy. Discreetly, he took two sedatives. Ángel watched him without saying a word. He simply stood up and poured him a glass of water.
Larry accepted the gesture with gratitude.
"Are you okay?" Ángel asked after making sure no one was watching.
Larry smiled wearily. "Just tension. Neuralgia. Nothing serious."
"If you're feeling better, come with us to listen to the interrogation."
The three of them headed to the adjacent room.
This time, the captain listened intently to the statement. The pressure on the Municipal Office was high due to the brutal consecutive murders. His tension eased as he saw how easily they obtained the confession.
"I didn't expect it to be this easy. It looks like she's admitting to it."
According to what she said, Valeria had scheduled a meeting with the group but changed the location at the last minute without informing Greta. Valeria took a taxi to pick up Greta under the pretense of going to the meeting site. Originally, everyone was supposed to go, but since the meeting was canceled, no one else arrived.
Larry observed what was happening in the interrogation room through the one-way mirror. An open backpack lay on the table. Among the scattered items, a bag of roasted peanuts and a bottle of mineral water stood out strangely.
Larry narrowed his eyes and quickly approached the mirror.
Valeria was no longer playing the role of the sweet girl. Her expression showed relief, with a hint of contempt in her smile.
Something was wrong. Her change in attitude was abrupt.
"In the end, I could have escaped when Camila stopped moving. I gathered pine needles and branches to burn her. But the security guard saw my flashlight. I hid behind a low wall, but the guard found the body and called the police. That's all."
Valeria leaned back in her chair. Her face appeared calm, but her breathing was uneven. Her eyelids and cheeks were swollen as if she had been crying.
Larry suddenly understood what was happening. "Where is her family?"
"Downstairs, with Lieutenant LaGuerta!"
"Call them now!"
The agent nearby reacted and quickly dialed. Within seconds, the call connected. Larry, urgency in his voice, took the phone and asked, "Lieutenant LaGuerta, I need Valeria's family to answer an urgent question."
On the other end of the line, a hesitant voice replied, "Hello?"
"I'm a forensic investigator. I need to know if Valeria has a history of peanut allergies or asthma."
"What...? Yes, Valeria has asthma and is allergic to peanuts. Why are you asking...?"
Larry exchanged a glance with the captain, who understood immediately.
Before the interrogation, Valeria had eaten peanuts.
She had tried to kill herself.
That's why she confessed so calmly.
"Get her to the hospital immediately!"
The captain nodded, ready to give the order, but then, inside the interrogation room, Valeria grabbed her throat. Her eyes widened in terror. She gasped. Her breathing became more labored with each passing second.
"Call an ambulance! Now!"
