Investigators could not immediately determine whether the victims had suffered horribly, or if the end came mercifully swift. All that remained of the body were clean, bare bones splayed in three startling dimensions on the still-damp grass. The killer had struck violently, with the full element of surprise. The neck joint was snapped at a 45-degree angle with cruel calculation, the naked shiny limbs exposed and broken in the harsh light of day. What struck the investigators most was that the flesh was completely eaten away, as if the corpse was boiled in a corrosive solution or left to the depredations of flesh-eating beetles. It made no sense. No matter how many times they'd seen this kind of savagery before, this case pained the officers in a new place in their souls. This one was bad - really bad.

After extensive canvassing of the South side neighborhood, no witnesses to the overnight butchery were found, no neighbors or passers-by who might have heard a scream. No one reported seeing anything the least bit suspicious. Even more strangely, no DNA evidence was left behind, meaning the murderer was experienced, cautious, and had used gloves. These circumstances only compounded...

...the Mystery of the Murdered Umbrella.

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