stood up. Tessu followed his gaze to the open kitchen door.
The doorframe was occupied by a woman standing a full six-feet tall with abundant curves topped by auburn hair twisted into a French braid. She was scanning the room with piercing green eyes, taking in the human carnage, oblivious to the stares of the two men. Amy broke the spell with an audible sign of surprise.
“Sensei, what are you doing here?”
“Special invitation,” the woman said. All eyes followed her as she crossed the kitchen, headed for the refrigerator and the Japanese character written in blood there.
Tessu was grateful for any excuse to step away from the victims. Rising, he walked briskly to intercept the woman, stepping in front of her, effectively blocking her path. “I’m the Medical Examiner, and you are...?”
Before the woman could answer, Kitting responded from the counter where she was still perched. “This is my Karate instructor from the Dojo, Mary Malmstrom.”
The woman held up a hand to silence her exuberant student.
“Detective Shore asked me to meet him here.”
Tessu swiped at his unruly hair. “Well Mary, if you could wait for him by the door that would be a big help. We don’t need any more feet tromping around the crime scene than necessary.” He started to turn away, then as an afterthought turned back. “Exactly why are you here?”
Detective Buck Shore had been standing just outside the kitchen door watching the scene unfold. “She’s here because she can read and write Japanese,” Shore said, and walked across the kitchen to join them. “M, this is Sato Tessu, Bay and Harbor County Medical Examiner.”
Tessu smiled. “I thought your name was Mary.”
She returned the smile. “Actually its Mary Margaret Malmstrom, M for short.”
Tessu looked over at Shore. “You know detective, technically this is my crime scene.”
Buck made a short bow. “Just trying to help. I thought that with two bodies you might have your hands full.”
“Of course you’re right, just trying to keep the crime scene clean,” Tessu said, walking back to Richard Green’s body curled up by the kitchen entry.
Shore extended a hand toward the refrigerator. “After you,” he said, and followed her across the floor carefully stepping over blood spray. He paused mid way, his attention captured by the young woman standing on the counter.
“I’ve cleared the front area and there’s a chandelier there you can swing from,” Buck said, and smiled.
Amy returned the smile, then crossed her eyes at him.
The Medical Examiner asked me to climb up here for a perspective shot.” She stuck out her tongue for effect. Buck had been part of the interview process and the two had hit it off. They didn’t cross paths often but when they did there was always a moment of levity.
As though it had never occurred, the banter stopped and the atmosphere of the room came alive with activity. Shore stepped around another large arc of blood spray but never made it to the refrigerator to join M. Amy brought the camera up and began taking pictures. When she finished she jumped down off the counter, and headed for the door.
“I’ll need those pictures before noon,” Buck said.
She acknowledged the detective with a smile and a wave and started taking pictures of everything the killer might have touched as she left the suite. As she went down the hall she imagined the killer slinking up the stairs. She stopped in the lobby to take pictures of the front desk and the entrance to the hotel. When she stepped from the entry onto the sidewalk she noticed a homeless man and pointed the camera at him, surprised when he covered his face. She fished a five-dollar bill from her pocket.
“How about a pose for the camera?” She leaned toward the man holding out the money. “Quick cash. What do you say?”
“Keep your fucking money.”
She took the picture anyway but was surprised when he threw up a hand to cover his face. But when his
The doorframe was occupied by a woman standing a full six-feet tall with abundant curves topped by auburn hair twisted into a French braid. She was scanning the room with piercing green eyes, taking in the human carnage, oblivious to the stares of the two men. Amy broke the spell with an audible sign of surprise.
“Sensei, what are you doing here?”
“Special invitation,” the woman said. All eyes followed her as she crossed the kitchen, headed for the refrigerator and the Japanese character written in blood there.
Tessu was grateful for any excuse to step away from the victims. Rising, he walked briskly to intercept the woman, stepping in front of her, effectively blocking her path. “I’m the Medical Examiner, and you are...?”
Before the woman could answer, Kitting responded from the counter where she was still perched. “This is my Karate instructor from the Dojo, Mary Malmstrom.”
The woman held up a hand to silence her exuberant student.
“Detective Shore asked me to meet him here.”
Tessu swiped at his unruly hair. “Well Mary, if you could wait for him by the door that would be a big help. We don’t need any more feet tromping around the crime scene than necessary.” He started to turn away, then as an afterthought turned back. “Exactly why are you here?”
Detective Buck Shore had been standing just outside the kitchen door watching the scene unfold. “She’s here because she can read and write Japanese,” Shore said, and walked across the kitchen to join them. “M, this is Sato Tessu, Bay and Harbor County Medical Examiner.”
Tessu smiled. “I thought your name was Mary.”
She returned the smile. “Actually its Mary Margaret Malmstrom, M for short.”
Tessu looked over at Shore. “You know detective, technically this is my crime scene.”
Buck made a short bow. “Just trying to help. I thought that with two bodies you might have your hands full.”
“Of course you’re right, just trying to keep the crime scene clean,” Tessu said, walking back to Richard Green’s body curled up by the kitchen entry.
Shore extended a hand toward the refrigerator. “After you,” he said, and followed her across the floor carefully stepping over blood spray. He paused mid way, his attention captured by the young woman standing on the counter.
“I’ve cleared the front area and there’s a chandelier there you can swing from,” Buck said, and smiled.
Amy returned the smile, then crossed her eyes at him.
The Medical Examiner asked me to climb up here for a perspective shot.” She stuck out her tongue for effect. Buck had been part of the interview process and the two had hit it off. They didn’t cross paths often but when they did there was always a moment of levity.
As though it had never occurred, the banter stopped and the atmosphere of the room came alive with activity. Shore stepped around another large arc of blood spray but never made it to the refrigerator to join M. Amy brought the camera up and began taking pictures. When she finished she jumped down off the counter, and headed for the door.
“I’ll need those pictures before noon,” Buck said.
She acknowledged the detective with a smile and a wave and started taking pictures of everything the killer might have touched as she left the suite. As she went down the hall she imagined the killer slinking up the stairs. She stopped in the lobby to take pictures of the front desk and the entrance to the hotel. When she stepped from the entry onto the sidewalk she noticed a homeless man and pointed the camera at him, surprised when he covered his face. She fished a five-dollar bill from her pocket.
“How about a pose for the camera?” She leaned toward the man holding out the money. “Quick cash. What do you say?”
“Keep your fucking money.”
She took the picture anyway but was surprised when he threw up a hand to cover his face. But when his
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