Tarot's Touch Read Free Page B

acid tongue but Alex knew a kindred spirit when he found one.
    “Can I take a look yet?”
    “Just a couple more minutes while we finish photography. We got the tent up over the body but it was pouring with rain until about half an hour ago. We’ll be lucky to find any trace evidence in the area. However, as you can see, the body is wrapped in a tarpaulin. Young PC Naylor used his brain and didn’t touch anything, so it’s dry underneath.”
    Alex glanced back at the tarp and the semi-exposed body beneath it.
    “Cause of death?”
    Adele tutted. “You know I can’t speculate, however the multiple stab wounds in the guy probably didn’t help.”
    Alex rolled his eyes at her black humor. “Any other observations?”
    “I can give you a rough time of death—late last night. He wasn’t killed here—there’s not enough blood on the tarp. The killing blow is likely to be the one to his heart. A lot of the minor wounds are lower down the torso—groin area.”
    Alex winced. “Any ID?”
    Adele shook her head. “Not yet. If you get suited up, I’ll show you the body. There are spare coveralls in the van.”
    “Okay.”
    Alex let himself out of the tent and walked across to the coroner’s van. The same tech he’d spoken to earlier handed him a packet of white coveralls, which he pulled on over his clothes. One size fits all was taken to new limits with the voluminous hooded suits.
    “One size fits pregnant grizzly bear,” Alex muttered. “I could get three of me in here.” He zipped up the suit and pulled the hood up over his hair, making sure any stray strands were tucked away, then went back to the tent. Adele took one look at him and broke into peals of laughter.
    “Good Lord, you look like an abominable snowman!”
    “Thanks, Adele. You boost my ego no end. Now, can we get on with it?”
    Alex braced himself as Adele lifted the tarpaulin so that he could view the body. He wasn’t squeamish but had never managed to get used to the expressions that fixed themselves to victims’ faces. The shock, terror or bewilderment that left traces in pallid skin and blue lips never failed to make an impression on him. He tried to remain detached as he took in the body, naked from the waist down, punctured with stab wounds and covered with blackened smears of dried blood. The top half of the body was still clothed in a smart shirt and tie, though the shirt was stained with blood and a small tear in the fabric showed where another blow had struck. Apart from some red marks around the mouth, the face was undamaged and Alex guessed that the victim could not have been more than thirty-five. His brown eyes were open. His receding hairline grayed at the temples, but was an unremarkable mid brown shade for the most part.
    “How did you end up like this?” Alex muttered the words under his breath, taking in as much detail as he could. Eventually he ducked out of the protective tent and unbent his tall frame. He pulled down his hood and scrubbed a hand through his hair. It had started to rain again, but Alex liked the sensation of the water on his face, cleansing the aroma of death that had soaked into every pore.
    The coroner was at the van stripping off her coveralls, so Alex joined her and wriggled out of his own suit.
    “Thanks, Adele. Have you got anything else for me?”
    “Ah, Alex, you know I always save the best for last.” She pulled a plastic evidence bag from her coveralls pocket and handed it over.
    “This was in his hand.”
    “Fuck.”
    “My sentiments exactly.”
    Through the clear plastic, Alex could see a brightly colored tarot card. Larger than a normal playing card, the artwork was beautiful.
    Adele looked at it over his shoulder. “The card…it’s called The Empress.”
    “It’s a sure sign that this killing is not the work of your average thug,” Alex responded.
    “The weird ones do seem to have a habit of finding you, my dear. The card needs to go to forensics, but I’ll email a picture