Return of the Mako

With an uptick in his voice, Luke said, "How can you possibly say that? We have a human torso that a shark threw up and it looks like it has been through a meat grinder." “This is highly unlikely to be a shark attack." “I saw Jaws. I know what sharks are capable of.” Brigida said, "Shark attacks are very rare. Not only that but if there is a shark bite, they literally take one and then leave. You have a torso that would have involved multiple bites. They just don’t stick around when they know after the first bite that this is not on the menu.” “Not on the menu?” Luke thought it funny and said, “Seems like humans would be easy to eat. No fur or scales to digest.” Brigida moved closer in her chair. “Mr. Roberts, Sharks have been around for 450 million years. They eat fish and marine mammals. Humans have been around for only about 100,000. We have not been around long enough to get on their menu. When they take a bite, they realize they have made a mistake and move on. We don't have the fat they need.” “What about all those people that are killed by shark attacks?” She rolled her eyes. "Really now. That is just the media blowing up the hype about shark attacks. It sells newspapers. The fact is only around five people are killed on average every year around the world from shark attacks. People think sharks are mindless killers. But that's not what they are. They're cautious. Curious. They investigate things carefully before they commit. Most shark 'attacks' are just test bites—the shark trying to figure out what something is." "That's supposed to make me feel better about swimming?" "It should. Sharks are not savage beasts, the maniacal killers. That's humans projecting their own darkness onto something they don't understand." She picked up the tooth again. "See this tooth, this is a mako shark. It’s a masterpiece of evolutionary engineering, designed specifically for gripping and piercing slippery prey.” Luke said, “A shark is a shark, right?” “Not at all. They are all very different. A mako is designed to catch fast-moving prey like tuna and swordfish. Other sharks have very different teeth. Take a Great White shark. Their teeth are broad and serrated like steak knives. This mako’s tooth is like a wicked, curved needle.” Luke peered at the tooth. “I see what you mean.” Brigida said, “But you have a mako shark here. They are a very distinctive shark. This tells you it wasn’t a shark attack. We have studied shark attacks by species for over 500 years and mako attacks are very rare and a death virtually non-existent. A mako shark attack is not a predictable hazard, Mr. Roberts; it is a glitch in the universe, a momentary collision between two worlds that usually slide past one another like ghosts in the fog. What you have here is a murder and not an attack which what people practically want to call any interaction with a shark." Luke said, "Alright, I have to ask, how then did this torso end up in the shark's stomach?" Brigida said, "Well it's simple. These animals search for food as they can travel up to 90 miles a day. Mako sharks are apex predators so they can go after the largest animals in the ocean. However, they are also scavengers. Carcasses, especially things like dead whales are what they are after. That function makes them the cleaners of the oceans. If they come across something like this torso, they're going to eat it." As he walked out the door, he asked, "Can I have another interview for follow-up questions?' She did not think it was necessary but he was polite and she said, "I am available but am very busy." Luke said, "Oh, one last thing. Where is Andromeda now?” “I released her. She is back in the wild ocean.” He wanted to say something light-hearted, so he added, "Let's hope she doesn't have to save herself from any more monsters." Brigida's expression flickered—something unreadable passing across her face. "In my experience," she said quietly, "the monsters always come. The question is whether you're ready for them." As soon as Luke left and checked in iPhone, he had received a text that the autopsy report had arrived and he could interview the medical examiner in person at the police morgue. Scott Arturio, the medical examiner, walked Luke into the examination room where the torso was on the metal table. Scott handed Luke a document entitled, 'Report by Medical Examiner.' Review of male with head missing as well as all four limbs. Hispanic or Latino based on skin color. Based on anterior examination, height probably 5'6" based on measurements of torso. The torso was found in the shark's stomach which was expelled during captivity. Victim based on acid development had only been in the shark for less than 48 hours. Enough material on the torso left to assume that the person had recently been killed. Noticeable Marks: After posterior examination, one tattoo located in upper back region below the cervical spine and above the lumbar spine. A tattoo is a picture of a crown with five points. Coloration of crown yellow. Conclusion: Homicide. No identity since no fingerprints could be taken. Luke closed the folder after reading it. “The person at the Aquarium said this was not a shark attack. Do you agree?" “Well, I would have thought if the person was in the water and attacked by a shark that there would be water in the lungs as the person was no longer able to swim. I can tell you that this person didn't drown. I opened his chest and examined the lungs. There was no water.” Luke examined the torso carefully. He looked closely at the bones of the femur and humerus. He noticed something odd. They were cut through cleanly, probably by someone using a saw. Luke said, “If a shark had bitten off the arms and legs, you would have seen shattered bits and pieces of bones and the tattered flesh, but you don't see that." Scott got closer to the humerus bone and could make out the saw marks and said, "I see what you mean.” Luke added, “He was killed first, probably shot in the head. By cutting off the head, the killer eliminated any bullet fragments that could identify the gun and lead to the shooter. The killer then sawed off the limbs so there would be no fingerprints. He threw everything into the ocean. The shark was probably swimming by and stumbled on an easy meal." Scott said, “I can’t argue with your logic.” Luke said, "I read about a case in Miami once. Drug runners dumping bodies in the Everglades, figuring the gators would handle disposal. Took three years, but the police got every one of them. Not because the police were smart. Because the swamp kept pushing things to the surface. Bones, jewelry, a wallet sealed in plastic that the gators couldn't digest." Scott was curious and asked, "And you think the ocean works the same way?" "Someone went to a lot of trouble to make this man disappear. And the ocean brought him right back."