Her Rebirth

The scent of stale coffee and paper filled the air as Amelia sat in the worn-out chair opposite the officer’s desk. She had been called in following the report Lilac made days ago, the incident with the man who tried to attack her with acid.

Detective Jae, a sharp-eyed man in his late forties, flipped through the file in front of him, then looked up at her.

"Miss Cosgrove," he began, "we’ve closed the case you were involved in... the attempted acid attack."

Amelia tilted her head slightly, calm but alert. "That was quick."

"Yes, because the suspect, Davis Lee, was found dead. In his apartment." The detective’s mouth twisted in something that might have been discomfort. "The condition of the body was... unusually brutal."

Amelia’s brow lifted, quite surprised by the turn of events. "Go on."

He leaned forward, folding his hands over the file. "When we found him, he was already decomposing. The neighbors reported a foul stench after several days. His body was discovered sprawled in his living room. Face beaten beyond recognition, it was swollen and crushed. His jaw was shattered. But that wasn’t the worst part."

Amelia’s eyes remained unreadable, her posture still.

"He was forced to drink acid," Jae continued flatly. "It was poured directly into his mouth. Forensics confirmed traces of hydrochloric acid in his stomach and lungs. Whoever did it made sure he suffered."

There was a long pause.

"Maggots had already begun feeding on the body by the time we got there," he added, almost as an afterthought. "The smell was horrific. We’re still waiting on full toxicology, but the preliminary report is clear. It wasn’t suicide."