HOSTAGE (A Clean Suspense Murder Mystery) (Detective Jason Strong Series Book 11) by John C. Dalglish

Author:John C. Dalglish [Dalglish, John C.]
Language: eng
Format: azw3, epub
Published: 2015-06-30T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter 7

By seven-thirty the next morning, Jason and Vanessa were in the small office of Doc Davis. Ten minutes later, the Medical Examiner came in holding a cup of Dunkin Donuts coffee.

“Where’s mine?”

Doc dropped into his chair and regarded Jason with mock irritation. “I didn’t get you one because I was hoping you wouldn’t be here when I arrived.”

Jason clutched his chest. “I’m hurt.”

“Whatever!” Doc sipped his coffee and then reached for a folder behind him, tossing it on the desk. “Death was quick; gunshot to the head. Approximate time of death was between ten at night and two in the morning, thirty-six or so hours before she was found.”

Vanessa flipped open the file. “What was the gun?”

“.22 caliber, close range.”

“Contact wound?”

Doc shook his head. “No, but less than five feet.”

“Anything else?”

Doc stood up. “Yeah; follow me.”

The two detectives exchanged looks of Oh, no! but trailed the coroner out of the office. Vanessa spoke for both detectives. “This isn’t going to cost me my breakfast, is it?”

Doc laughed. “You two are unbelievable. Blood and guts can be sprayed across a crime scene and you’re cracking jokes, but show you a body on a table, and you get all squeamish.”

Jason attempted a defense. “Hey Doc, it’s all according to what you’re used to.”

Doc stopped next to the X-ray viewer on the wall. “Yeah, right! Don’t worry, your breakfast is safe.”

He flipped the switch, illuminating four black-and-white images, and started to explain. He pointed as he spoke. “There were bruises on the dead woman’s torso, including the neck, back, and legs. I decided to do X-rays, and this is what I found. She’s had a fracture of her collar bone here, another of her forearm here, her cheek bone here, and at least two of her fingers, here and here.”

Jason peered closer at the breaks. “Could they have all occurred at the same time, say in a car accident, for instance?”

“They could have, but they didn’t. The thickness of the bones reveals the level of regeneration, and all are at different points in the healing process. This poor girl was either very clumsy or physically abused.”

Jason watched his partner’s jaw tighten. Few things got her more worked up than a coward who abuses women. He pointed at the screen. “Those fit with the house, which was barely livable.”

Doc flipped the light off. “That’s all I’ve got. I sent the bullet across the hall to Doc Josie.”

Vanessa turned and Jason followed. “Thanks, Doc.”

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