Chapter 13

"Who found the body," I asked Simpson.

"That old man over there. He says he was here to see if there was any scrap laying around," he replied.

"Or any that he could easily break loose," I said. "So does he know, we don't give a crap. We just want to find out what happened."

"Yeah he is cooperating. Said he checked the building two days ago and there was no body at that time." Eddie added.

"Wilson call the ME to pronounce her and then the University to do the Medical Exam." I said. Our medical examiner was a local GP, so we used outside labs. The new affiliation was with the State University was about to be tested. They had a branch 25miles away at Abbottsville.

"Nobody but Wilson and the ME to pronounce her and the Abbottsville crew goes near the victim. We can all wait." I said. The deputies taped off the area while Wilson covered his shoes and began collecting evidence and other loose stuff. Way more than half of what he collected had no relation to the victim at all, but you couldn't be too careful. It was the forensic people's motto and I agreed.

Eddie and Osborn began talking to anyone who would listen and talk back. They were talking to the window breaking neighborhood kids when the ME showed up. He was about a hundred year old white man.

The heat was getting to us all, but to him it could be lethal. "When the fuck are you gonna find someone else to do this shit?" he asked.

"Come on Doc, you know you love it," I said.

"Porter, I haven't loved this shit for 25 fucking years," he said.

"That's quite a bedside manner you go there Doc," I said.

"I am trying to retire and I get you remarking on my bedside manner. You who have killed more men than colon cancer," he said laughing at his own joke.

"So if you want to retire, retire," I said.

"Were would all my patients go. To one of those fucking clinics that don't even have a doctor on call," he said.

"I here there is a full clinic at the hospital in Dobson," I said.

"A full fucking clinic with half the doctors they need. Where they measure the waiting times of days instead of hours," he said. "That's fucking socialized medicine."

"Okay instead of the lecture tell me how long she has been dead, and give me a preliminary cause of death." I demanded.

He put on gloves and the little shoe covers. Even though he tried to act like he didn't care, he was careful to keep the scene clean. "Most likely cause of death was blunt force trauma to the head. Her fucking skull is caved in and her brain is leaking out. I'd say that's a good guess," he said.

Her liver temp and lack of rigger tells me it was last night at least but no more than 24hours. The lab can tell you more." he said.

"You have always done good. Anything on the body to identify her?" I asked.

"Nothing obvious, I expect Wilson can tell you more. The SBI cutter should help some." he suggested.

"Well Doc, she is going to Abbottsville lab not capitol city," I said.

"Good, a teaching hospital will be out to prove they are smarter than any other mother fuckers," he said.

"Jeeze Doc, could you take it easy with all that mother fucker stuff? Somebody my come around. It isn't very professional," I said.

"You Don't like it Porter go get yourself someone else to pronounce the obvious dead, dead," he said.

"She been sexually assaulted?" I asked.

"The question isn't was she assaulted, it is by how many," he said "Does it remind you of anyone."

"No it doesn't. Why you had others like this?" I asked.

"First one ten years ago, then one seven years ago, and then one two years ago," he said.

"Why the hell have I never heard of this?" I asked.

"You think the old sheriff wanted people thinking their kids weren't safe in their beds. Now that last sheriff was a real piece of work. Go back you'll see." the ME said.

"We need an ID take a picture with this," I said handing him my camera phone. "Don't pose her Doc just that the damn picture." He was in the process of moving her to get a full face shot.

"I phoned into the office. Did anyone check for a missing persons reports?" I asked West when she answered. "This is the victim dejour." I said after I sent the pictures.

"She looks like she could be Lucinda Martinez," West said.

"Call Simpson on his phone please. Tell him and give him any of the information in the Doc's report. Then tell him we need to meet, before he does anything other than canvas the mill area."

"Right Sheriff, would you like me to get someone to ID the body, before you go meet with the mother?" Mrs West asked.

"Mrs West I would rather you found someone who can speak to the dead," I said. "Someone whispered in my ear this might not be the first young girl killed by this perp. What do you know about that?"

"We have had a couple of unsolved murders of girl about her age now that you mention it," she said. "But I think they were different ages and they weren't bludgeoned."

"Well make that call and tell Eddie to keep it off the radio. He has me on speed dial," I explained. I was absolutely soaked when the lab crew from the state university at Abbottsville arrived. I guess the weren't used to a Sheriff being soaking wet. Even my hair was dripping and I looked more or less like hell by the time they arrived.

"Is there someone here who can authorize us to go to work," and especially nasty dis-positioned lab tech said.

"Do you reckon the County Sheriff would do?" I asked.

"Yeah where is he," the tech replied.