Page 70 of Night Prey
Ian had texted Malone about the box after they’d interviewed Nicole, but he now gave her additional details Nicole had provided.
Malone’s eyes narrowed. “I sure hope Olivo doesn’t find out she took this box and target her and her family. They would have to move. Maybe go into witness protection.”
“I suppose it all depends on what’s in the box,” Ian said.
“I’ve been thinking about it, and I wonder if it’s proof of some action Junior took against Olivo. And even if Olivo didn’t get this package, maybe another one was successfully dropped off. Whatever was in it caused Olivo to have Junior killed.”
“Could be,” Ian said. “Nicole’s mother is reviewing additional security footage, but so far her cameras didn’t capture anything.”
The door to the X-ray room opened, and Sierra came out carrying the box like it was one of Asher’s dirty diapers. Her face had paled, and her eyes were narrow.
“What’s in it?” Reed demanded.
Sierra took a long breath. “A human finger. A severed finger.”
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Malone had to swallow a few times to curb the nausea rising in her stomach. She’d expected something like the picture she’d received. Never did she imagine the box would contain a human body part. Never. Especially when Ian said the box was heavy.
“Whoever sent the finger took care.” Sierra set the box on the nearest stainless steel table. “It’s in a foam cooler surrounded with a lot of ice packs. If it’d been delivered on time, it might’ve been able to be reattached. But now? I doubt the finger is viable and reattachment isn’t possible.”
Malone’s stomach churned just thinking about it, but at least she now knew the many ice packs made the box so heavy.
“If Junior sent it, it’s odd for a major drug dealer like him to be concerned about saving a finger,” Ian said. “Unless he had a sentimental connection to the person he snipped the finger from.”
“We’ll need to get this to the ME to examine,” Londyn said.
“Might I suggest we take one step before doing that?” Sierra asked.
Reed shifted his focus to his wife. “What do you have in mind?”
“You’re authorized to open the package, so I suggest we do and have Kelsey look at the finger to see what she can tell us.” Sierra looked at Ian. “Kelsey is our forensic anthropologist. She could give us an idea of who the finger might’ve come from. Maybe we can even get a print.”
“Great idea.” Ian took out his pocket knife. “Go ahead and call her, and I’ll open the box.”
“I’ll call,” Sierra said, “but there might be other prints on the box. Let me process it.”
“I assume you’ll leave powder behind,” Londyn said. “We’ll have to explain that to the LT, and he won’t like it.”
“She’s right,” Ian said. “We’ll stick with examining the finger in any capacity that doesn’t change it.”
“I can take a DNA sample and print the finger without altering anything,” Sierra said, taking her phone from the pocket of her lab coat.
“Then do that after you make the call,” Ian said.
She tapped the screen and lifted it to her ear. “Kelsey, good. Glad I caught you.”
Malone half listened to the conversation, but most of her attention was on Ian slipping on gloves then slicing the box open. She’d never seen a severed finger before and suspected it would be gruesome, but she wouldn’t fall back and ignore it. If this finger helped convict Snipes, and as an added bonus, Olivo too, she would suck it up and do whatever was needed of her.
Ian reached into the box and lifted the lid on the Styrofoam cooler. “Wow, the ice packs are still cold.”
She braced herself for seeing the finger.
He pulled out a piece of paper. “Note says, You wanted proof, here it is. Pay up or I’ll start sending you one body part at a time until you do.”
Malone gasped. “A ransom note.”
“That’s harsh,” Londyn said.
