Page 7 of Her Last Promise

The reception area was stark and clinical, populated only by an older woman behind a high counter who barely glanced up from her computer screen as they approached.The chemical smell that permeated all medical facilities seemed especially potent here, tinged with something else Rachel had learned to recognize over the years—the lingering trace of death that no amount of sanitizer could quite mask.

Novak cleared his throat."Agents Novak and Gift, FBI.We're here about Judge Smith."

The receptionist nodded, her face remaining impassive."Dr.Meyers is expecting you.Second exam room on the right."She pressed a button, and the security door behind her and to the right buzzed open.

The corridor beyond stretched out before them, its fluorescent lights casting a harsh glow that made the cream-colored walls appear sickly.The space was sickeningly familiar.How many times had she walked this path?How many bodies had she viewed in these rooms?Too many to count, for sure, yet each one remained etched in her memory.

They reached the second door, and Novak rapped his knuckles against it.The sound seemed too loud in the quiet hallway.Moments later, the door opened to reveal Dr.Meyers, a man Rachel recognized from previous cases.Another face she’d passed by countless times in the course of her career but hadn’t gotten to properly know.Meyers had to be pushing sixty now, his salt-and-pepper hair more salt than pepper these days, but his eyes remained sharp behind wire-rimmed glasses.Deep lines around his mouth suggested someone who had spent too many years frowning over bodies, searching for answers in death.

Rachel couldn't help herself."So what all have you learned in the whopping two hours that you've had the body?"she asked with a bit of dark humor.

Meyers' mouth twitched in what might have been amusement."Well, first of all, it’s been closer tothreehours.And I’ve learned more than you might think, Agent Gift."He gestured them inside."Though not as much as I'd like."

The examination room was brightly lit, making the stainless steel surfaces gleam.Judge Marcus Smith lay on the central table, his body covered by a white sheet up to the chest.In death, his face appeared waxy and slack, nothing like the stern-faced man Rachel had seen in photographs.The fluorescent lights were unforgiving, highlighting every discoloration, every mark on his skin.

"Once we removed his clothing, the signs of struggle became apparent," Meyers said, pulling back the sheet to reveal the judge's torso.Two purple-black bruises mottled his shoulders and upper arms.These indicate he was forcibly restrained, probably during the initial abduction."

Rachel leaned in closer, studying the patterns of bruising."Consistent with someone grabbing him from behind?"

"That would be my assessment," Meyers confirmed.He gently lifted the judge's right arm, turning it to expose the inner elbow."But this is what I found most interesting."

A large, ugly bruise spread across the crook of the arm, centered around a clear puncture mark.The skin around it was swollen and discolored, spreading outward like a malevolent flower.

"Is that an injection site?"Novak asked, stepping closer.

Meyers nodded."Inserted with considerable haste and little expertise.Whoever did this wasn't particularly skilled with needlework.They missed the vein at least once before getting it right.And from the nature of the bruise, I don’t think it was just a single shot.I think there was an IV inserted here."

Rachel studied the injection site, her mind working through the implications."What did the preliminary tox screen show?"

"Sedatives.High levels of them," Meyers confirmed, reaching for a clipboard."Primarily benzodiazepines, though we're still working to identify the exact cocktail.Whatever it was, it was strong enough to keep him completely incapacitated."

"But not meant to kill him," Rachel said slowly, the pieces beginning to fall into place."The cardiac arrest wasn't planned….right?”

“Yes, that would be a hard thing to plan for.”

“So our perp…he wanted to keep Judge Smith alive but sedated."

"What makes you so sure?"Novak asked, his brow furrowed.

Rachel gestured to the body."Look at the care that was taken, despite the amateur IV work.The judge was kept clean, no signs of intentional injury beyond the initial abduction.Even the injection site, while badly done, shows repeated attempts to get it right.This wasn't someone who wanted him dead—at least not quickly.They wanted him helpless, imprisoned in his own body.Plus, if you wanted to kill someone, you’d use something stronger than benzodiazepines."

"But they miscalculated, it seems, “Meyers said.“Either they didn't know enough about the drugs they were using, or they didn't account for some underlying health condition.The judge's heart gave out under the strain.The sedative levels in his system were high but not immediately lethal.Death appears to have occurred due to cardiac arrest brought on by prolonged sedation and stress."

Novak circled the table slowly, his eyes scanning the body."So we're looking for someone with a grudge against Judge Smith.Someone who wanted him to suffer but not necessarily die.Any ideas how many people that might cover?"

"He was on the bench for over twenty years," Rachel said grimly."Could be hundreds."She leaned closer to the injection site again, not liking the theories it started to paint in her mind.

Meyers continued his examination, pointing out other details: slight abrasions on the wrists suggesting restraints, minor dehydration consistent with inadequate IV fluids, early signs of pressure sores indicating the judge had been kept immobile for at least a few days.

Each new detail painted a clearer picture, but one that raised more questions than answers.This wasn't a simple revenge killing.The level of planning, the specific method of incapacitation, the careful maintenance of the victim—it all spoke to something more complex, more personal.

"We'll need thefulltox screen as soon as possible," Rachel said, straightening up."Especially the exact makeup of the sedatives used.That might help us narrow down where they came from."

Meyers nodded."Should have it within twenty-four hours…though I don’t know that it’s going to be any different that the preliminary information.I'll also have a more detailed report on the tissue damage around the injection site.Might be able to tell you more about the type of equipment used."

“Thanks, Dr.Meyers,” Rachel said as she and Novak made their way back to the door.

As they prepared to leave, Rachel took one final look at Judge Smith's body.In life, he had wielded enormous power, his decisions affecting countless lives.Now he lay here, reduced to evidence, his death a puzzle for them to solve.But something about this case felt different, felt personal in a way she couldn't quite define.

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