Page 31 of Lost Lake
“There could’ve been an initial phase of restraint to seduce her. That would be broader, superficial force, leaving those external marks to subdue her. Then more targeted pressure causing the isolated internal hemorrhages without adding new surface trauma. It indicates a sustained assault with somecontrol over the application of force, but exactly how many methods or the intent behind it? That’s for you and the behavioral analysts to interpret. The pathology just points to escalation, not necessarily expertise.”
“Law enforcement, military, martial arts?” El ventured, her mind racing through profiles.
“Could be.” Faye held her gaze. “Or someone practicing for future kills.”
El gaped at the doctor. “You’re talking serial killer?”
“I’m presenting possibilities. What you investigate is your decision.”
El moved a few steps away and mulled it over. She didn’t like where this development pointed, but she couldn’t ignore it. She’d need to run a ViCAP search. The FBI’s Violent Criminal Apprehension Program was built to track and correlate information on violent crime, especially murder. If an investigating officer entered data on a similar unsolved murder, she should be able to find it.
Eager to move the process along so she could get out of this room, she stepped back to the table. “Any indication she was sexually assaulted?”
“None.”
“That’s a blessing for sure.”
Faye nodded and pointed at the dissected shoulder region. “I found micro-tears in shoulder and neck muscles. These are consistent with a van accident, but could also be from abrupt traction or forcible manipulation.”
“The kind that could occur if someone was grabbed from behind with sudden, violent force,” El suggested.
“That’s right,” Faye said. “If that occurred, the pattern suggests the victim wasn’t in a defensive posture or facing the assailant at the moment of impact, implying a rear approach without prior awareness or resistance.”
“An ambush.” El’s mind started to piece together the fragments. “Kenna would’ve had to survive the crash. Climb out of the van. Then maybe lean into the backseat to get Lucy. He came up from behind. Surprised her, and she grabbed the screwdriver we found. She injured him, and his blood was transferred to her shirt.”
Faye nodded slowly, setting aside her probe. “That scenario aligns well with the injury pattern. But it’s still hypothetical until we cross-reference with the vehicle forensics, toxicology, and scene reconstruction. No scenario is locked in yet.”
El could see it. Kenna bending into the van, reaching for her daughter, and then nothing. She could imagine Kenna’s shock and fear. Imagine Lucy’s terror. And of course, Kenna stabbing him.
El swallowed away the awful feeling in her gut. “Besides using the screwdriver, did Kenna fight back?”
“Could be,” Faye said. “Several nails are broken. I collected biological material from under the others. I’ll have the state lab analyze all of it.”
A state lab would take forever. Not something El wanted to wait for. “I know you have guidelines to follow for submitting samples, but could you redirect those samples to the Veritas Center? Our agency is covering the cost.”
Faye nodded vigorously. “They’re on our approved list, and faster results would be great.”
“Thank you.” El let the words carry weight. Her eyes moved along the body and stopped at the wrists. “You haven’t mentioned the bruising.”
“It was up next. It’s accompanied by micro-punctures at both the wrists and ankles. The pattern is consistent with zip ties, specifically, a textured variety. Serrated or ribbed inner surface.”
That was something. A specific tool, a specific pattern. Something to search in ViCAP. Something that might connect this to another scene.
“So, she was definitely restrained,” El said.
“Yes, and one more finding.” Faye pointed to the back of Kenna’s right hand. “Trace blood, barely visible to the naked eye. No wound to explain it. Same situation as the shirt. Either her attacker’s or Lucy’s. I’ll send it for analysis with the other samples.”
El studied the hand for a moment. Of everything recovered so far, this might be the closest thing to a direct link. “I mean this genuinely. I’m glad you took this position. You bring skills this county hasn’t had access to before.”
Faye waved her off. “Just doing my job.”
“You’re doing it exceptionally well.” El paused. “I hope small-town life holds its appeal for a while and you don’t leave us for a big-city lab.”
“It does.” Faye’s eyes above the mask crinkled, likely from a smile. “And whatever comes next in my life is in God’s hands, not mine.”
El nodded. She suspected the routine cases that filled most of a county examiner’s calendar would eventually frustrate someone with Faye’s training, but she kept the thought to herself. “Is that everything so far?”
“One more thing,” Faye said, her voice quieter now. “Probably the most significant finding of all.” She waited a beat. “Kenna was twelve weeks pregnant.”
