>check out the bloody wooden stake
Not wanting to walk into the same joke three times, Chase does not ask Griffin if this is the murder weapon, and instead tries something more tactful.
"Any noteworthy results on this thing?", he asks as he gets out a plastic evidence bag of appropriate size.
"What thing?" was his response.
"The stake, genius. The one that’s already marked as evidence."
"Oh. Tested positive for fingerprints, but only those of the victim, I’m told. You should also know that it was in the guy’s throat when we first arrived"
Chase makes a sort of “yeesh” noise as he pockets the bagged stake. “At any rate, this item is definitely suspicious. I’ll have to remember this…”
"Wait, suspicious? That’s a hell of a way to put it."
"It’s a sort of cop lingo, kid.", Chase said, turning the tables of condescension. "See normally I advance my logic by connecting clues with each other. But sufficiently ‘suspicious’ objects can be connected to clues in much the same way as other clues can."
"…Then how is that not just a clue? Can’t you just say the stake is a clue?"
"Well, no. The stake is actually in my inventory. That means I could theoretically use it for multiple different connections, since it doesn’t get ‘expended’ afterward. I can also present it to people right away, and if the situation demands, I can actually use it. You know, as a stake."
"Ugh. I can’t wrap my head around the arbitrary bureaucratic loops you folks jump through". Griffin presumably shakes his head. "Whatever, if you need to pitch an emergency tent with that piece of evidence, go right ahead."