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The doors flew open on a panting Faye. She braced her hand against her chest. “Dave wants us downstairs. He’s found something.”
“Hopefully the cause of death,” Ally mumbled.
The DI led the way, and the rest of them followed his brutal pace. By the time they were down in the basement, Chad’s breathing came in rasps.
The DI stepped up to the viewing window, and Dave waved. His bright yellow suit and gas mask stood out in the white room.
“Cause of death?”
His mask hissed before he replied. “Looking at him, I’d say asphyxiation. Test results aren’t back, but the body and his clothing have a very distinctive smell. One I recognize.”
The DI waved his hand for Dave to elaborate.
“Chloroform.”
“He was knocked out first?”
Dave gestured to Justin. “I need to do the blood work, and have a look at what he’s eaten, but for me to still be able to smell it now, there must’ve been a lot around him.”
“The old rag over the face trick,” Josh said.
Dave shook his head. “I don’t think so. There’s no irritation around his mouth or nose like you’d expect. No residual either. I’ve taken swabs just in case, but his hands…”
“What about them?” The DI asked.
Dave picked one up to demonstrate. “The skin has been irritated. This rash covers his fingers and his palms, but not the back of his hands, and I can see white residue, almost a thin film over his skin.”
“He got knocked out through his hands?” Josh asked.
“No, but I’d say they were his closest body part to the source of chloroform.”
Ally drummed her fingers against her chin. “How fast can Chloroform knock you out?”
“It would take fifteen minutes to render you unconscious, but it would have an effect from the first breath. Numbing. Disorientating. Weakening. Some use it recreationally to achieve a high, but it’s not an easy substance to use that way, too inconsistent, and the speed of the effects vary from person to person, place to place, dose to dose.”
“The amount that was used…” the DI started. “Your professional opinion?”
“As I said, if we can still smell it, that means a lot, certainly enough to kill you, but whether that’s how he died remains to be seen. I need to do more tests to confirm the cause of death.”
“Thank you, Dave.” The DI turned to walk away.
Dave hissed a breath, then his voice fizzled through the speaker again. “That’s not why I asked Faye to get you.”
“Then why?” The DI asked.
Dave stepped over to the body on the table and opened the man’s shirt. Chad steeled his reaction, not giving away anything to those around him as Dave’s sigh came through the speaker, long and suffering.
“What does it say?” The DI asked, despite them all being able to see it.
“Romeo,” Dave answered. “Someone has written Romeo in black marker pen across the victim’s chest before rebuttoning his shirt.”
Romeo.
****
Chad peered out the car window at the club. The huge black building had no windows, just a heavy wooden door, and swirly tube lighting spelling out The Desperado. It was the only building painted black on the street, but surprisingly wasn’t the building that drew the eye.
That was the shop next to the club.
