In Death 20 - Divided In Death by J.D. Robb

Author:J.D. Robb [Robb, J.D.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2011-04-29T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter 16

She wasnt surprised to find herself standing over Joseph Powells body, but she was

furious. She had to control the fury, coat it thickly before it clouded judgment. Hed lived alone, and that had been one of the many breaks for his killer. Hed been

scrawny, with little meat on his bird bones and a crop of hair cut short around the ears and

trained, somehow or other, to stand up straight from his head in a six-inch crown dyed

lightning-blue.

From the looks of his place, hed liked music and cheese-flavored soy chips. He was still

wearing his headphones, and an open bag of the chips was in bed with him.

There were no privacy screens on the single bedroom window, but a shade, blue as his

hair, had been drawn. It blocked out the sun well enough, turned the room to gloom, and let all

the traffic sounds—air and street—rumble against the glass like a storm rolling in. Hed toked a little Zoner along with his chips. She could see the remnants of paper and

ash in the dish shaped like a stupendously endowed naked woman on the table beside the bed. Another break for the killer. Hed been zoned out, music pounding in his head, and

couldnt have weighed more than one-thirty. It was unlikely hed even felt the jolt from the laser

pressed to his carotid artery.

Small blessings.

Across from the bed, tacked up for the view she was sure, was a life-sized poster of

Mavis Freestone, exploding into a midair leap, arms extended, grin wide and full of fun. She

wore little more than the grin and strategically placed glitter.

MAVIS!

TOTALLY JUICED!

The sight of it, hanging on the dingy beige wall, laughing down at the dead made Eve

incredibly sad and sick.

Because Morris was there, and she knew he needed to take some control, she stayed back

and let him handle the initial exam.

“One jolt,” he said. “Full contact. Burn marks from the weapon are clearly evident. No

other visible trauma. No signs of struggle or defensive wounds. His neurological system would

have been immediately compromised. Death instantaneous.”

“I need positive ID, Morris. If you want I can—”

He whipped around. “I know the drill. I know what the fuck has to be done here, and

dont need you . . .” He lifted both hands. His breath shuddered in, then out. “And that was so

uncalled for. Im sorry.”

“Its all right. I know this is rough on you.”

“Close to home. This hits very, very close to home. Someone came into this room and

killed this . . . boy as carelessly as you might swat a fly. He did that without knowing him,

without having any feelings about him. Did this only to remove a small barrier so he could walk

into my house. This really meant nothing more to him than putting on his shoes so he wouldnt

stub his toe. Victim is positively identified as Powell, Joseph. Im going to take just a minute,

Dallas, to pull myself together so I can do him, and you, some good.”

She waited until he left the room. “Peabody, I need you to work this.

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