Julian caught Eli by the wrist before he could pull away completely, holding him still long enough to examine the marks more closely. The fingerprints overlapped in several places, leaving a messy pattern of bruises across both wrists. Even so, the individual impressions were distinguishable if one looked carefully. The thumb and the other four fingers had left their marks on opposite sides of each wrist, suggesting that the person responsible had restrained both of Eli's hands with a single hand.
The darkest impressions were on the inner sides of his wrists, where the pressure had evidently been greatest. Considering the position of the marks, it was not difficult to imagine how they might have been inflicted from behind. Julian's expression remained composed as he examined the evidence, his attention to detail almost reminiscent of a conscientious forensic doctor reconstructing the circumstances of an incident.
