Black Thunder Read Free Page B

forevidence. Any uncovered foreign objects would be carefully recorded.
    The first several inches of surface material was more dirt than soil and had clearly been mixed and disturbed by previous digging, which made the exhumation easier. Within fifteen minutes the men had removed enough earth to reveal the remains of a naked adult human body buried facedown.
    Ella and Justine came forward to help.From what Ella could see, most of the closely cropped hair was still attached to the dried out, dark brown, leathery skin on the skull. In the back of the head and slightly higher than ear level were two nickel-sized holes. The size and shape immediately suggested bullet wounds, and from their location, she thought of an execution-style murder. This person didn’t die an accidental death.
    Ellastood. “People, work very carefully,” she announced, looking into every face to make her point clear. “We’re dealing with a murder here, and I don’t want to lose a single piece of possible evidence.”
    After the body was completely uncovered, still intact, Justine took another series of photographs. They carefully widened the excavation so they could place a thirty-inch-wide piece of plywood nextto the body. Then, working together, the four team members slid the body onto the board and lifted it to the ground beside a stretcher.
    The M.E. came up, bag in hand, and while everyone watched, she examined the body for several minutes, concentrating on the skull. Then she looked up. “Help me turn the body over, people, then give me some more room to work.”
    Benny and Joe assisted, working carefullyto ensure the body remained intact, then moved out of the way to let Justine take more photographs of what was clearly a male.
    Ella stared at what had once been a living, breathing human being. There was no way anyone would be able to make an ID without forensics now. Even if the body hadn’t been decomposed, the destruction caused by two exiting bullets would have made facial recognition nearlyimpossible.
    Ella moved away and watched her friend work. As she did, she caught the appreciative looks Benny and Joseph gave Carolyn as she knelt down beside the body. Ella bit back a smile. Her friend had always been a beautiful woman, but was even more so now. There was a new grace to her movements.
    “The victim was shot twice,” Carolyn said, speaking into her digital recorder and confirmingElla’s earlier and obvious assessment.
    Justine came up and stood beside Ella. “The body was buried deep enough to keep scavengers from uncovering the body and to prevent it from being washed out in anything less than a flood,” she said.
    “That means the grave took some time to dig,” Ella said. “I noticed that some of the harder-packed sediment was broken apart in big chunks. To get through thatlayer the digger must have used a pick. He came prepared.”
    Ella told Justine about the plants around the crime scene. “I’m going to call Mom and see what she can tell us about this.”
    The phone rang several times before her mother finally picked up. Rose sounded winded.
    “You okay, Mom?” Ella asked quickly.
    “Yes, I was just trying out a new, whole-wheat bread recipe. I wanted to give your daughtersomething more nutritious than store-bought.”
    “She doesn’t really mind the regular stuff, Mom.”
    “Well, I do,” Rose snapped, then with a sigh, continued. “I’m sorry. I’m just trying to get this right. Was there something you needed?”
    Ella wasn’t sure what had been bothering Rose lately, but her mom simply hadn’t been able to relax. Although Rose no longer worked for the tribe surveying nativeplants, she hadn’t followed through with her initial plan to just take it easy and enjoy her retirement. Ella suspected part of it was due to the fact she’d been laid off so abruptly. Tribal funds were so tight that even the police department was operating on an austerity budget.
    “I’d like to run something past you, Mom,”