Chapter 22 #2
“Yeah. One good thing, she has fibers under her nails. She fought very hard.” Kane stood and walked slowly around the body.
“I figure he attacked the other victim from behind as well. She didn’t get time to run or do anything.
” He glanced around the boiler room. “Jesse Holland told us he’d checked out the boiler room to make sure no one was there.
Someone was hiding in here where he couldn’t see them. ” He scanned the room.
Jenna went to his side, unease creeping over her. “Maybe there’s a closet here somewhere where they keep tools.”
“Stay close. We’ll take a look.” Kane pulled his weapon and moved very slowly from furnace to furnace, checking along each wall. He led the way past an open purse, its contents scattered over the floor, and then walked along the wall at the back of the room. “There it is.”
Jenna’s attention moved to a yellow door with the red sign: keep out. staff only. She followed Kane to the door. “It needs a key to open it. If someone hid in there, they could only be one of the staff. Why didn’t Holland check the door?”
“Maybe he did.” Kane turned to look at her.
“All doors can be opened from the inside to prevent people from getting trapped. The killer could have waited here for her to come into the room. He would have taken his chances that she’d be alone, or he made the call to get Holland out of the way. We’ll need to see his phone.”
The smell of oil and machinery seemed to hang in the heat, and from the rancid smell, it had accelerated the decomposition of the body. “What if they’re still hiding in there?”
“Doubtful, but we’ll check.” Kane went through his pockets and pulled out a set of lock picks and went to work. In seconds the door opened.
Pulling her weapon Jenna stood to one side of the door, as Kane opened it slowly and moved forward, leading with his M-18 pistol. A light flashed on, illuminating an almost empty room with boxes of tools lining the walls. “I guess the light has a sensor.”
“Yeah, it would be for cost cutting, as people tend to leave lights on. In a room like this, maybe someone wouldn’t go in there for days on end.” Kane closed the door and stepped to her side. “They often use sensor lights in government buildings, especially the bathrooms.”
Footsteps came down the hallway and Jenna heard Raven’s voice.
Wolfe had arrived with his team. Keeping to the outside of the room, they headed for the door.
Having Wolfe on scene had a calming effect on everyone and Jenna’s unease dropped down a level.
Apart from Colt Webber, the medical examiner’s office had become a family affair, and this time he brought his wife, Norrell, along, as well as his daughter, Emily.
Although Norrell specialized in forensic pathology, her interest in crime solving overlapped into what she called the fresh cases.
She’d taken Wolfe’s name when they married, so asking for Dr. Wolfe at the medical examiner’s office often caused confusion.
Jenna nodded as they came into the room.
“This murder is a shock to me. I’d been sure she’d be safe.
” She stared at Ellie’s twisted blue face and swallowed hard.
“We’ve cleared the building. You should be safe to work in here but please watch your backs. ”
“We’re all carrying and we’ll be just fine, Jenna.
Did y’all record the scene?” Wolfe looked at them expectantly.
“Raven mentioned that Rowley has taken photographs of the footprints they noticed between the buildings. They’ve searched everywhere and can’t find anything out of place.
” He pulled off his woolen cap, displaying a shock of white-blond hair.
“It’s hot in here. That’s sure gonna mess with the time of death. ”
Shaking her head, Jenna met his gaze. “No, we’ve just arrived. We can start now.”
“No, it’s fine. Webber can do it.” Wolfe smiled at them, seemingly oblivious to the stink in the room. “We’ll record the scene and get this body out of the heat as soon as possible. Y’all go and interview your witnesses.”
“We have a rough idea of the time of death.” Kane moved to his friend’s side. “One of the maintenance men delivered her here and then went back to check on her sometime later. I’ll get the exact time from him and text it to you.”
“That will make my job a whole lot easier.” Wolfe turned to look at Emily. “We’ll need to get her hands bagged.”
“Not a problem.” Emily dug into the forensics kit Wolfe had placed on the floor for evidence bags to cover the victim’s hands.
“I’m concerned about her head and neck.” Norrell moved closer to the body. “I figure for the perp to get that close to kill someone, she would have been pressed up against him at one time and have fibers in her hair.” She glanced up at Wolfe. “Do you want me to cover her head?”
“Y’all don’t need me here at all, do you?
” Wolfe grinned at her, snapped on examination gloves and turned his attention back to Jenna.
“My team is working as smoothly as yours now.” He pulled on a face mask.
“You can leave her with me now, Jenna. I’ll call you later, after I’ve done a preliminary examination. ”
Knowing she’d left Ellie McBride in safe and caring hands, Jenna turned toward the door. “Thanks. We’ll catch you later.”