Page 23 of Only Girl Alive

“A skinning knife would be my guess, one with a sharp tip. Some skinning knives have a short, wide blade. That fits with the photographs. To work for skinning, it needs to be exceptionally sharp. I would also say the person had some knowledge.”

“Thank you,” Eve said. “Would you send your report to Tamm when it’s ready? I appreciate your help. If we locate the weapon, you’ll hear back from me.”

The call ended.

“We’re looking for a skinning knife and since I don’t know what that looks like, I’ll text Collin and have him email some pictures.”

Collin was their hunter. He took off once a year for man time without his wife, and went out in the wilderness with several of his brothers.

She fired off a text to him. Fifteen minutes later, she had several images to look over.

“Have you spoken to your mother recently?” Clyde asked after she lay the phone in her lap.

“No.” Guilt shot through her. “I need to call but like always, I delay.” She looked at him and saw no judgment in his expression. “I think of her more when I’m in this community. I have so many questions and, like you know, she never answers them.”

“I can’t help thinking there’s a reason,” he said softly.

“What would be so bad she would keep it hidden for so many years?”

“I don’t know. Something gave your mother enough backbone to get you out. I hope one day, you learn the truth.”

So did she.

“I’m tired and wired at the same time,” Eve finally said.

“Close your eyes and try to nap. I’ll wake you when I stop for coffee.”

Eve did something she’d never done during a case before. She rested her hand on Clyde’s. He twisted his over so he could squeeze her fingers, letting her know he was alright with the simple touch. His warm grip grounded her and she relaxed. He didn’t let go. She only half nodded off but it gave her brain the additional rest it needed to face the long day.

They made good time on the trip. The medical examiner’s offices were off the highway in a large white building with huge smoked-glass windows near the local university. They had ten minutes to spare when they entered. Eve took a quick restroom break and when she came out, the receptionist showed them to the prep room. They placed paper medical gowns over their clothing and grabbed gloves and masks they would put on when the autopsies began.

George entered with a smile for Eve and Clyde. The pathologist had a headful of dark brown hair, a triangular face, green eyes, pointy chin, and large glasses with thick lenses that made him appear as smart as he was.

“Tell me what you have,” George asked after they sat down at the table directly outside the autopsy area.

“Four bodies. Father age fifty-five, two sister wives ages twenty-two and twenty-seven, and a male child of fifteen. Their throats were cut,” Eve told him.

“Murder weapon?”

“Still missing, but I have photos of possibles. I’d rather keep those to myself until after you examine the bodies.”

“Anything else I need to look for?” he asked. “Cause of death appears straightforward.”

Eve studied him for a moment. “Please, make no assumptions. The fifteen-year-old was the only one who put up a fight. They had to be drugged and it will show in toxicology. Keep an open mind on everything.”

“Got it, let’s get started.”

They masked and gloved before entering. Eve examined her tape on the bagged bodies and took pictures showing they were not compromised and the chain of custody had been kept intact. The examination room was sterile with steel cabinets and the steel table the autopsies would take place on. A huge industrial bottle of common yellow store-brand dish soap sat on the countertop nearest the sink. Eve never purchased the brand for her apartment because it reminded her too much of dead bodies. George thought it funny when she’d told him this early in their work relationship.

“Best cleaning product on the market,” he’d quipped. “We use it because it works.”

Bart was up first. George said he would perform the juvenile autopsy last. Eve and Clyde moved around the table, giving George access when he needed it. Eve had learned a lot about death from him and he didn’t mind spending extra time explaining things to her if she had questions.

Bart was stripped, the paper bags removed from his hands, and his body taken by the assigned tech to be weighed. It only took a few minutes before he was wheeled back into the room. The tech then manipulated the joints to release rigor. Eve always found the sounds of the procedure, bending the limbs almost to the point of breakage, nerve-racking.

George unpacked the sterile items he would need for the autopsy while this took place. Just as Eve’s team operated, George and the tech worked in unison, having performed these same steps many times. George also took his own photos along the way and kept a small digital camera around his neck.

When the tech finished, George walked around Bart, speaking his observations into a recorder. He picked up the left hand, examining it and the arm closely, followed by taking fingernail samples. Then he did the right side before moving to the legs and feet. He took hair samples from the scalp too.

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