Page 44 of The Dollmaker

“How old is she?” Dakota asked.

“I’d say between twenty-five and thirty. Her skin is in great shape, though it’s clear she liked tanning, as evidenced by the faded lines around her breasts and groin.”

“Tan lines take a couple of weeks to fade,” Vargas said. “That might help with fixing a timeline.”

“They fade anywhere between a week to six weeks,” Dr.Kincaid said.

“She’s thin,” Dakota said.

“She’s underweight by about ten pounds,” Dr.Kincaid said. “But if you look at her biceps and quads, you’ll see some muscle definition. At one point she worked out regularly.”

“A woman who cares this much about her looks suddenly decides to disfigure her face? Makes no sense,” Vargas said, more to herself than anyone else in the room.

“I can tell you she had intercourse right about the time of her death,” Dr.Kincaid said. “No signs of vaginal tearing, and I was able to swab a satisfactory DNA sample from the semen that her partner left behind. If this guy is in any kind of DNA database, you’ll find him.”

“Let’s hope only one DNA signature is present. Narrows the field,” Vargas said.

“Agreed,” Dr.Kincaid said.

“This kind of detailed tattoo work, if done against her will, takes planning,” Vargas said. “Why plan so carefully and then leave a DNA sample behind?”

“He might not be that smart, but I doubt it. He could have gotten sloppy, but after all the time and effort he took to change her and pose her, that makes no sense either,” Dakota said. “If I had to guess, I’d say he is simply arrogant and knows he isn’t in a database.”

“This doesn’t look like the work of a first-time offender,” Vargas said.

“No,” Dakota said. “He’s never been caught before.”

The internal exam lasted an hour and proved that the victim had been healthy. Her lungs were clear and her other internal organs in top shape. Her heart was a normal weight and size. Stomach contents revealed what appeared to be oatmeal. There were no signs of a pregnancy in the uterus.

When the entire exam was complete, Tessa began to suture the victim’s chest. Dakota backed away from the table and tugged off his gown, clearly anxious to be away from the room, and most especially, her. The body had been a barrier between them and had been a neutral subject to discuss.

“Vargas, let me know if anyone shows on the surveillance tapes or there are hits with DNA,” Dakota said, depositing his gown in the trash.

The agent joined him and tossed her wadded-up gown in the disposal bin. “You’ll be the first to know if we spot anyone.”

“Good.”

Vargas reached for her jacket and pulled it on. “Keep those lines of communication open on your end, Agent Sharp. I want to know what you know.”

“Right.”

Vargas turned toward Tessa, who was using the classic baseball stitch to close. “As soon as the tox screens arrive, Doc, you’ll call me?”

“You two will be the first to know,” Tessa said.

Dakota tossed a look toward Tessa and held her gaze for a beat. Heat rose up inside, making her cheeks burn.

“Thank you, Dr.McGowan,” Sharp said.

He’d never called her Dr.McGowan when they’d been together. Until their relationship was settled, working with him was going to be maddening.

“Right, thanks, Dr.McGowan,” Vargas said.

“Certainly, Agents. Call me with any questions.”

Sharp had too much work on his plate to be sidetracked by Tessa. The sooner one of them filed papers, the better for both of them.

As he slid into the car, he checked his voice-mail messages. An officer in the city of Richmond had an eyewitness who’d seen Terrance Dillon about 11:00 p.m. on Sunday. He redialed the officer’s number. “This is Sharp. Got your call regarding Terrance Dillon.”

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