Page 70 of The Altar Girls

‘Water?’ This stumped Lottie. ‘How?’

‘Samples have been taken for analysis. Drowning is the cause of death for this little one. The girls died within minutes of each other.’

Lottie turned to Boyd, whose face had gone green. ‘What does this mean?’

He shook his head. He appeared so uneasy that she added, ‘You want to go outside?’

Without a word, he turned and rushed out.

‘What’s up with him?’ Jane asked.

‘Just Boyd being Boyd.’ But Lottie figured he was unable to look at the little girl’s body on the cold steel slab while he couldn’t find his son. ‘Was it accidental drowning?’

‘I don’t know at this early stage. But she was moved shortly after death. See the lividity. She wasn’t killed where she was found.’

‘Same as the first girl,’ Lottie said. ‘Anything from Naomi’s toxicology analysis?’

‘Nothing back yet. These things take time. But you know the hymn sheet found in her hand had the priest’s DNA on it.’

‘That’s to be expected. He tutored the children’s choir.’

‘Is that why he readily assented to having his sample taken?’

‘Could be. I’ve to interview him formally yet. Grainne said there was a piece of paper clasped in Willow’s hand along with the rosary.’

‘Yes. It was folded up tightly and is similar to that found in Naomi’s hand. Sheet music. I’ve sent it for analysis too. I scanned a copy. Did I not email it to you?’

‘I’ve been on the road and doing interviews all morning. I might have missed it.’

Jane nodded to her technician, who tapped a computer. ‘Sent it again.’

‘Thanks,’ Lottie said, eager now to open up the email app on her phone while hoping Jane had more information. The pathologist was staring at her. ‘What?’

‘You look more stressed than usual.’

‘A lot going on. At work and at home. The home one is a long story.’

‘Aren’t they all.’ Jane attempted levity, but it didn’t work in such sombre surroundings.

‘I appreciate all you’re doing, Jane.’ Lottie would have bitten her nails if she hadn’t nitrile gloves on. ‘So, one girl was hit on the back of her head and the other drowned. Doesn’t make sense if they were abducted and killed by the same person.’

‘Further examination of Naomi’s skull shows a hairline fracture to one side. She could have fallen and been unconscious when she was hit with an implement. Or it could have happened in the reverse order.’

‘Nothing makes sense,’ Lottie said. ‘All are fragments of a bigger picture and my job is to see it as one complete image.’

‘You can only do that scene by scene. Step by step.’

‘Yeah, well I want to jump more than two steps at a time.’

‘Follow the evidence and I’ll do my best to get you what I can in the quickest time possible.’

‘Appreciate it, Jane.’ She focused her mind on all the religious pointers in the case. ‘The rosary in Willow’s hands. Find anything there?’

‘It’s gone for analysis.’

Lottie turned to leave, but first she studied Willow’s little face. It was serene in death. No evidence of the final moments of her trauma. Did she see her friend being killed? Or did she die first? ‘I’ll find out what happened, petal. I promise you I’ll get who took your young life away from you.’

With that, she swept out of the room and headed for her car with more resolve than she’d felt in any of her recent investigations.

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