shuffle step turned into a trot and then a sprint she was really surprised. Who was this guy? She turned and headed for her car, never noticing the homeless man peering at her over the top of a rusting AMC Gremlin.
Chapter Four
Buck looked down at the Medical Examiner as he draped Richard Green’s body. “You got a time of death for me?”
“It’s hard to say for sure, two maybe three this morning. Maid found them around nine,” Tessu said.
M walked over as Buck kneeled down and pulled the sheet back for a closer look. “What else do you have for me?” Buck said.
“Slice and dice. The male has several deep slices to both the right and left forearm. From the depth and number I’d say he put up a fight, lost a lot of blood. But he died of a knife wound made by a very long knife, one that entered just below the stomach, missed the kidney, and exited next to the spine.”
Buck looked over at M who nodded. He let the sheet drop. “And the woman?”
Tessu shook his head. “Single knife wound to the abdomen, probably the same weapon used on her husband. But I’m pretty sure she died of the decapitation. Odd thing though, there’s no trace of clothing in the wound.”
Buck shook his head. “I don’t understand.”
“All Mrs. Green was wearing was a T shirt, but long enough that the knife would have cut through the material before entering the skin. The T-shirt is undamaged. It’s as though he took it off, stabbed her then put it back on.”
Shore lifted the sheet covering Kate Green but couldn’t see the front of her shirt. She had fallen to her knees then forward so that her hips were up, and her shoulders were down, dried blood was everywhere. M was looking over his shoulder.
He carefully pulled the sheet back over Kate’s exposed buttocks. “Any sign of sexual assault?” M said.
Tessu shook his head, “I haven’t gotten that far yet. That’s the way she was when I walked in. The maid found her. You want to see the head?”
M stood up and looked over at the small covered object. “Anything special I’d be looking at?”
“Not really. You’ve seen one bodiless head you’ve seen them all.”
She walked over and joined Buck who was standing in front of the refrigerator tracing the character with his index finger, not quite touching it.
He looked over at M. “Can you read this?”
Tessu walked over and stood next to her.
“I can’t say for certain. It’s old Japanese, pre World War Two,” she said. “What do you think Tessu, any ideas?”
“It’s beyond me, but I think you’re right--old Japanese for sure.”
Buck didn’t say a word, turned and walked toward the door, but stopped in the center of the kitchen taking in the crime scene, committing it to mind. M walked past the Greens, past Buck, out of the kitchen, and into the hall.
He found her leaning against the wall, back flat, head down.
“You alright?”
She looked up. “Yeah, fine thanks. I just had to get out of there.”
“You see anything I need to know about?”
She didn’t answer for a second. “Something about the knife used as the murder weapon. I just can’t put my finger on it.”
Chapter Five
Buck stepped up, next to M. “ L
ets catch up with Kitting. One of her shots could provide a clue about the weapon.”
M walked toward the exit at the end of the hall, Buck right on her heels. They took the stairs down two levels to the ground floor, briskly crossing the lobby of the Dungeness Bay Hotel to the sidewalk out front.
No sign of Kitting. “She’s probably half way to her house by now,” Buck said.
“Hey you two, shouldn’t you be up at the crime scene?”
Buck whirled around. “Hey Ramos, you haven’t seen Amy Kitting, in the last five minutes, have you?”
Chief detective Octavio Ramos shook his head. “Got hung up at a domestic, just got here.” He walked into the lobby, M and Buck following. “How’s the new
Chapter Four
Buck looked down at the Medical Examiner as he draped Richard Green’s body. “You got a time of death for me?”
“It’s hard to say for sure, two maybe three this morning. Maid found them around nine,” Tessu said.
M walked over as Buck kneeled down and pulled the sheet back for a closer look. “What else do you have for me?” Buck said.
“Slice and dice. The male has several deep slices to both the right and left forearm. From the depth and number I’d say he put up a fight, lost a lot of blood. But he died of a knife wound made by a very long knife, one that entered just below the stomach, missed the kidney, and exited next to the spine.”
Buck looked over at M who nodded. He let the sheet drop. “And the woman?”
Tessu shook his head. “Single knife wound to the abdomen, probably the same weapon used on her husband. But I’m pretty sure she died of the decapitation. Odd thing though, there’s no trace of clothing in the wound.”
Buck shook his head. “I don’t understand.”
“All Mrs. Green was wearing was a T shirt, but long enough that the knife would have cut through the material before entering the skin. The T-shirt is undamaged. It’s as though he took it off, stabbed her then put it back on.”
Shore lifted the sheet covering Kate Green but couldn’t see the front of her shirt. She had fallen to her knees then forward so that her hips were up, and her shoulders were down, dried blood was everywhere. M was looking over his shoulder.
He carefully pulled the sheet back over Kate’s exposed buttocks. “Any sign of sexual assault?” M said.
Tessu shook his head, “I haven’t gotten that far yet. That’s the way she was when I walked in. The maid found her. You want to see the head?”
M stood up and looked over at the small covered object. “Anything special I’d be looking at?”
“Not really. You’ve seen one bodiless head you’ve seen them all.”
She walked over and joined Buck who was standing in front of the refrigerator tracing the character with his index finger, not quite touching it.
He looked over at M. “Can you read this?”
Tessu walked over and stood next to her.
“I can’t say for certain. It’s old Japanese, pre World War Two,” she said. “What do you think Tessu, any ideas?”
“It’s beyond me, but I think you’re right--old Japanese for sure.”
Buck didn’t say a word, turned and walked toward the door, but stopped in the center of the kitchen taking in the crime scene, committing it to mind. M walked past the Greens, past Buck, out of the kitchen, and into the hall.
He found her leaning against the wall, back flat, head down.
“You alright?”
She looked up. “Yeah, fine thanks. I just had to get out of there.”
“You see anything I need to know about?”
She didn’t answer for a second. “Something about the knife used as the murder weapon. I just can’t put my finger on it.”
Chapter Five
Buck stepped up, next to M. “ L
ets catch up with Kitting. One of her shots could provide a clue about the weapon.”
M walked toward the exit at the end of the hall, Buck right on her heels. They took the stairs down two levels to the ground floor, briskly crossing the lobby of the Dungeness Bay Hotel to the sidewalk out front.
No sign of Kitting. “She’s probably half way to her house by now,” Buck said.
“Hey you two, shouldn’t you be up at the crime scene?”
Buck whirled around. “Hey Ramos, you haven’t seen Amy Kitting, in the last five minutes, have you?”
Chief detective Octavio Ramos shook his head. “Got hung up at a domestic, just got here.” He walked into the lobby, M and Buck following. “How’s the new
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