Page 18 of Water's Edge

He looks at Ronnie. “Do you want to see an autopsy?”

“Sure,” she says with her mouth, but her face says no.

“Take Deputy Marsh with you. She needs the experience.”

I’ve seen my share of dead bodies and death, but I haven’t attended a post mortem. I haven’t been required to attend one yet and I am sure Ronnie hasn’t, either. I’m not sure how I feel about doing so now. I only know I need answers.

* * *

A little later Ronnie is behind me, looking over my shoulder at the screen of my laptop. I must have been so deep in thought I didn’t notice she was there. I’d forgotten that I pulled up a Google search for Marrowstone Island.

“Why are you researching the island?”

“I was thinking I’d buy it. Build a casino. Retire somewhere warm where it doesn’t rain all winter. Buy a yacht.”

She giggles.Really.“I’m not a big water person. I’ll go out on bigger boats, like your yacht. But I don’t get in the water unless it’s a hot tub or a spa.”

Of course not.

“I just want to see how Boyd was able to find the cliff. There wasn’t a path to it.”

Boyd claimed to have experience climbing, but he didn’t seem built for it. Maybe it was nothing. Maybe I was just reading something into his behavior at the scene. He willingly volunteered that he was a criminal justice major in college and immediately asked if he was a suspect. Why would he think that from being asked why he had gone down the cliff? It is a fact that some criminals will insert themselves into a police investigation in order to get the full effect of their kill, a second rush, information. And he was right. The person to report the crime was always the first in line to be a suspect. Then on to someone close to the victim. Spouse, significant other, friends, kids, coworkers, and the like.

I tune back in. Ronnie is saying something, and I have been only half listening.

“Do you want me to call Captain Martin and see if he’s found anything?”

She is single-minded. But I haven’t checked in with Captain Marvel, nor has he checked in with me. I guess I assume if he finds something, he will call.

“Call him.”

Ronnie already has his number punched into her phone and hits the dial button.

“Ask him his opinion on how the body got there.”

I think I already know, but he’s got more time on the water than I do. My water travel is all by ferry.

“And ask him about the all-seeing eye. See if he’s ever seen that on any other beaches before. Maybe it’s kids doing that.”

“Do you think it was left by the killer?” Ronnie asks, and I’m saved from answering when Captain Marvel answers his phone. I mouth “Speakerphone.” Ronnie taps the screen and I can hear voices in the background and then Captain Marvel says, “Ronnie. Good to hear from you.”

Oh, please. He has her number in his contacts.

“I’m at the Sheriff’s Office with Detective Carpenteron speakerphone.”

“Hi, Megan,” he says.

“Where are you, Captain?” I ask.

“Still at the scene. We’re using the Humminbird—that’s for underwater imaging—and radar to see if there’s something out here we missed. It’s slow going.”

“Oh, be careful. You have the other deputy there, don’t you?”

“Don’t you worry about me, Ronnie. Tell Detective Carpenter that I found something.”

I take the phone from Ronnie. “This is Carpenter. What do you have?”

“I don’t know if it’s important, but you said to let you know if we found anything no matter how insignificant.”

---