AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Ripley glanced back at her partner, a new picture beginning to form in her head. She made a mental note to look into Katherine’s advocating efforts when they got to the precinct.
“Thank you Miss Hudson,” Ella said. “You don’t know anyone who might want to hurt Katherine? No unsavory characters in this building or nearby?”
Margaret huffed and waved her arms around. “Take your pick. Plenty of lunatics in this building.”
Sergeant Grant jumped in, “We’re interviewing every resident one by one. We’re being meticulous.”
Ripley nodded, passed Margaret her card. “If you think of anything or see anyone suspicious hanging around, please call us.”
Margaret took her leave. Once she was out of earshot, Grant said, “Well, she was more helpful with you than she was with me.”
“The female touch,” Ripley said. “Okay, Grant, we need you to canvas the building and interview every resident. Make a note of anyone who stands out, anyone you feel might have a violent streak. Also, get the forensic techs to sweep the fire escape. There’s a boot print on the section near Katherine’s balcony. If we can gauge his shoe size, it won’t be much but it’s a starting point.”
“Got it,” said Grant. “I got a message from the coroner’s office while you were inside. Both bodies are ready for inspection.”
“Perfect. We’ll head there now. Let us know if you find anything ASAP.”
“Same to you.”
The makings of a behavioral profile were beginning to take shape, but a few things were still up in the air.
A violence-against-women protestor murdered in cold blood. The two elements made for a disturbing marriage, but one that would seem perfect to a twisted mind, someone with a burning hatred for the opposite sex.
“Let’s see what the coroner has found,” Ella said. “Could be something that reveals this guy’s motive.”
Ripley pulled her phone out and saw she had two messages from Martin, the new man in her life. A former police officer himself, and one dealing with his own demons that Ripley wasn’t sure she could accommodate. One message said,Stay safe on your trip.
The other said,I miss you.
“Mia?” Ella called. “Never mind, lover boy. We’ve got a ripper to catch.”
Ripley always struggled to accept affection. It didn’t matter if it was from a friend, lover, or stranger. Something about it stirred up alien emotions that suddenly made her feel like a child again. It was a barrier she’d had for years, and one she desperately wanted to break down but didn’t quite know how.
“Sorry,” she said. “You’re right. We need to inspect these bodies.”
CHAPTER SIX
“Thank you for coming, agents,” the coroner said as she uncurled two white sheets from neighboring corpses. “Where do you want to start?”
Ella applied her facemask but forewent the polythene gloves. She could handle the sight and touch of dead bodies, but the scent was akin to inhaling a fistful of nettles through the nose. It stung, burned, and reminded her that life was short and cruel with occasional bursts of distraction. Ripley opted for neither, as she always did. She viewed protective gear as some kind of weakness, apparently.
“I’m Agent Dark; this is Agent Ripley. Can we start with the most recent body?”
“Sure,” said the coroner. She was a youngish blonde girl, thick bangs that covered her forehead, the ends caressing a facemask that left only her eyes visible. “I’m Doctor Harwood. I’d shake your hand but you don’t want to touch this.”
“Understood.” Ella peered at the woman’s hands, covered in fluid of unknown origin and she wanted to keep it that way. “Could you talk us through what you’ve found?”
The coroner grabbed a pointer and ran it across the body of Katherine Parkinson, her skin now a yellowish-white hue and her lacerations fully sewn up. Ella took a moment to pay her respects to the poor girl taken long before her time. Ella could tell that, in life, Katherine Parkinson was a ray of light. She might never have met her, but witnessing a person in death revealed more to you than their living selves ever could.
“Katherine Parkinson, forty-six years old. Only one wound to speak of, and that’s a two-inch laceration to her abdomen. The cut penetrated heraorta artery, which in most cases, is usually a death sentence.”
“That’s what happened here?”
“Yes. The rapid blood loss inducedhypovolemic shock, which killed her within approximately three to four minutes.”
Ella gazed at the sewn-up wound and imagined the scene playing out in her mind. She thought of the killer blitz-attacking Katherine, chasing her through the apartment, then thrusting the blade into her stomach. But then what did he do? Did he watch her die or did he flee while she was still alive?
Ripley asked, “Anything of note from the wound itself? Do you know what kind of instrument was used?”
