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2. Observation in Ped CDU until CT reported
3. Plain X-ray right upper limb and right lower limb
4. D/w Trust Child Protection lead given ?NAI
5. Refer to Peds
1500hrs A&E SpR (Dr. Evans)
Imaging Update
CT Report: Frontal extradural hematoma and overlying linear skull fracture
Right Arm Radiograph: Nondisplaced distal radius fracture
Right Lower Limb Radiograph: No acute bony injury, evidence of previous tibial mid-shaft fracture
D/w Pediatric Cons on call: father attributes old fracture to car accident as toddler.
Plan:
1. Admit under Pediatrics
2. Ongoing observation, for review mane
3. Pediatrics to complete Child Protection proforma
CHAPTER
13
TODAY THE CRIME scene is quieter. One lone officer guards the woods; only a few figures in white remain. This time Cara’s alone, Deakin declining to join her. She didn’t argue—she knew why.
As Cara drives up, she sees Libby waiting. Dressed in full white crime scene overalls, Libby Roberts smiles broadly at Cara as she climbs out of the car. Her hood is down, and her long, bright pink hair shines incongruously against the trees.
Known as one of the best in her field in blood pattern analysis, Cara was pleased to hear Libby was going to be assessing the crime scene. Getting her view firsthand was invaluable. Cara knew she’d make sense of the chaos.
“Coffee?” she asks, and Cara hands her a tiny paper cup of espresso, exchanging it for the white suit in her other hand. Libby drinks as Cara puts the outfit on, discarding the empty cup back into Cara’s car.
Cara hates these suits. They never fit properly; the gloves are always sweaty, even in this cold, and the mask’s constrictive, making her feel breathless and suffocated. But also because of what she’s come to associate them with: the death, the blood, the horror of what’s to come.
They don their gloves, shoe covers, and masks, pulling the hoods up. Cara follows her under the cordon.
“Those poor girls,” Libby mutters. They stand next to the car, and Libby points out dark brown patches on the grass. “Blood and apparent drag marks. What I’d expect to see from moving a body from the back seat to the trunk.”
“Body?” Cara asks. “Just one?”
Libby takes her around to the back. “Impossible to say for sure, but we’ve taken swabs throughout so we’ll be able to confirm whose blood is whose. However, if you’re forcing me,” she says, and Cara nods, “from the pattern, I’d say victim number one was killed in the back seat, then dragged around; number two in situ in the trunk. See this pooling here and this void?” She points to a gap in the dark red stain. “That’s where her body was lying. It’s neat, with undisturbed edges, so I’m assuming she wasn’t repositioned after the head was removed. And speaking of the decapitations …”
Libby points to the two deep ridges in the bumper and the pool of blood on the ground. “My assumption is they were done here.” She mimes a chopping motion with her arm. “One final strong strike on each, going straight through the vertebrae of the spine, into the car.”
“Any idea with what?” Cara asks, and Libby frowns.
“Something like a meat cleaver? Find us a weapon and we can compare. Moving on,” Libby continues, “we have some impact spatter on the top of the trunk, indicating at least one contact into wet blood. See?” Cara grimaces. “This could have originated from repeated stabbing into an already injured area.”
They move around to the back seat, Cara following Libby without comment. It’s a lot, almost too much for her to take in.
“Same pooling, same spatter, but more of a mess as the victim tried to get away.” She points to smears on the car window, thick lines of red, smudges around the door handle. Cara can’t help but imagine her last moments, desperately trying to escape. And the girl inside the trunk, listening to her friend being murdered, knowing what must be coming for her.
