Page 21 of Shadow Angel
“I’ll need to complete the autopsy before coming to a cause conclusion but the sharp force trauma to the base of her skull would indicate he severed her spinal cord.” Wolfe looked at Jo. “She was alive when he stitched her arms to the sofa and sewed her face. There is hematoma and swelling that would indicate this happened six to twelve hours before death. There is indication of sexual activity prior to death and post-mortem. I found bleach inside her cavities, so it seems he wasn’t taking any chances of leaving any trace DNA. No seminal fluid was discovered.” He cleared his throat. “She was posed post-mortem and makeup applied and hair brushed.”
“She was posed facing the door, so she could be seen by anyone walking inside.” Jo stared at the images of the crime scene. “Do you think he went back to visit her more than once?”
“Yeah, the damage to the body would suggest at least three times.” Wolfe raised blond eyebrows and his gray eyes held deep concern. “This is one sick puppy.”
Beth exchanged a glance with Styles, who nodded at her. She took a step closer and stared at Cassie Burnham. “Does she have other significant injuries? I don’t see defense wounds. This would indicate she didn’t have time to fight back.”
“Good pickup.” Wolfe nodded to her. “She has bruising to the left side of her head, consistent with being struck by a right-handed assailant. The grazes on her knees and palms would suggest she fell onto the sidewalk, I found grit and dirt embedded in the flesh. So attacked from the side, fell to the ground, and then probably thrown into a vehicle. She must have been confined and given water laced with the fentanyl. The neat stitching tells me she didn’t fight when he stitched her to the sofa or moved when he stitched her face.”
Making her own conclusions, Beth could see everything clearly, all the killer’s motives, but she needed to act dumb. “Why the smile and open eyes?” Beth looked at Jo. “It’s clownlike, horrific not alluring.”
“It’s the same reason he posed her.” Jo shook her head. “She represents a lover or someone he yearned for and couldn’t have. He made her look seductive, eyes wide open and smiling a greeting. He faced her toward the door to welcome him each time he visited. To him she was beautiful.”
“Oh, Lord.” Carter shook his head. “How did someone get so twisted?”
“I can complete the finer details of the autopsy in your absence but I need to examine the sharp force trauma incision to establish cause of death.” Wolfe indicated to Webber to assist him and they turned over the body.
Captivated, Beth watched closely as Wolfe went to work, expanding the incision and exposing the base of the skull. It was clear how the woman had died. One plunge with a sharp blade in the right place and death would be instantaneous. She waited for the verdict.
“Yeah, cause of death is a severed brain stem.” Wolfe looked at them. “Any more questions? If not, I’ll continue and send you a full report, so y’all can get back to hunting down this maniac.”
A light flashed above the door and Emily left the room. She returned again shortly, frowning.
“Sorry to interrupt, Dad.” Emily turned to Beth her expression grave. “That was your sheriff. There’s been another murder.”
TWENTY-THREE
Dazzled by the speed Wolfe put everything into motion, Beth slowly removed her gloves, face mask, and scrubs. In the hallway, Wolfe was issuing orders to his staff. She listened with interest.
“Em, put Cassie Burnham back on ice. We’ll finish her later. Webber, make sure we have the casket with the cooler loaded into the chopper.” He walked over to Beth. “Call Ryder and get him to send everyone coordinates. I’ll go and do my preflight.”
Nodding, Beth pulled out her phone and as she placed the call Jo came to her side.
“Do you mind if we observe?” Jo tossed her scrubs down a laundry chute. “If it’s the same MO, we’ll be able to help you with the grunt work. I believe Sheriff Ryder is all alone in Rattlesnake Creek?”
Holding the phone to her ear, Beth held up a finger. “Give me a second.”
“We’d love to have you along.” Styles came to her side. “I’ll be topside with the guys doing a preflight check. Come up when you’re ready to leave.” He looked at Beth. “Wolfe has a coffee machine in his office. Grab some to go.” He whistled to Bear and then headed for the stairs to the roof.
Beth stared after him as Ryder answered his phone. “It’s Beth. What do you have for me?”
“It’s an exact replica of the previous murder, right down to the woman on the sofa staring at the back door.”Clearly agitated, Ryder cleared his throat.“It’s darn-right creepy out here. What’s your ETA?”
Beth checked her watch. “I’ll message you when we’re in the air. Styles is doing his preflight check. We’ll need an open space to land three choppers. Where are you?”
“It’s the same place as before.”Ryder sounded incredulous.“The forest warden noticed the crows from the fire lookout and called it in, so I came by and found her.”
Concerned, Beth chewed on her fingers and then dropped her hand at Jo’s inquisitive stare. “The same place, well that’s a first. Lock yourself inside your cruiser and park where you have a three-sixty-degree view all around. If someone comes, take images and then get the hell out of Dodge. Don’t be a hero.”
“Got it.”He disconnected.
Shaking her head, Beth looked at Jo and gave her the details. “He’s taking ‘returning to the scene of the crime’ to a whole new level. What do you make of his behavior?”
“Hmm, I figure he’s done this before and we’ll probably be looking for mummified remains if we want to discover the rest of his kills.” Jo collected her purse from Wolfe’s office, took out a hairbrush, and brushed her hair, securing it with a rubber band from around her wrist. She headed for the counter at the back of Wolfe’s office. “I’ll set up the coffee machine. It’s a pod system, so it takes a little longer. Wolfe has a ton of Thermoses in that closet over there. We’ll need two for each team. There are boxes of energy bars under the counter. Grab a ton of those as well. We don’t know how long we’ll be away, and if Styles is anything like Carter, he’ll appreciate something to eat. It’s been a long morning for all of us.”
Nodding, Beth went to work. Jo’s expression of a ton of Thermoses wasn’t a joke, nor were the boxes of energy bars stacked high under the counter alongside to-go cups. “Does he really need all this stuff?”
“He travels all over at a moment’s notice and rarely stops to eat.” Jo smiled at her. “So yeah, he does.”
