Page 88 of Tough as Steele

“Hey, we meet at the morgue too,” Nate said in a lighthearted tone, hoping a little humor would lighten the tension.

She chuckled and faced Londyn, her slender body looking like it might bend in the wind. “Good to see you, too, Detective Steele. I’m about to get my assistant from the van and transport the body, but I have a few minutes if you have any questions.”

Nate appreciated Dr. Albertson’s patience with law enforcement officers. Officers who hadn’t touched the bodies or otherwise interfered with evidence before she arrived on scene, that was.

Nate looked at the body. The woman was lying on her side in the leaves, her eyes fixed and staring into the distance. A bullet had pierced her forehead right above her nose. Same location as Gaskin, but stippling circled the wound, suggesting a closeup shot.

Wound distorting her appearance or not, there was no doubt in Nate’s mind as to her identity. “It’s Jessica Oates.”

“Yeah, it’s her,” Londyn said, from where she’d come to stand beside him. “No question. Even with the facial damage. She also goes by Wendy Powell, the name of her former cellmate.”

Nate squatted by Jessica. “No blood or brain matter by the body.”

“Or any brass,” Londyn said. “Unless you picked it up already.”

Yost shook his head. “We’ve only begun our search, but we didn’t find any casings in the area. From the damage to the woman’s head, it’s clear we’re dealing with a rifle shot, but it was at fairly close range.”

“Agreed,” Londyn said as the wind kicked up and leaves peppered Jessica’s face and body.

Nate looked at Londyn. “Can’t be the same rifle used to kill Gaskin, though. Easton took that weapon into evidence before seven, and if Dr. Albertson’s time of death is right, Jessica wasn’t shot until ten.”

Dr. Albertson eyed them. “You know I’m right.”

“So if she was killed by the same shooter, he changed up his weapon.” Yost gritted his teeth. “Also sounds like he changed things up a bit with the distance.”

“Good news is the slug didn’t exit the body,” Dr. Albertson said. “A minor miracle at this close distance. After I retrieve the bullet, you can have it examined, if it’s not too damaged.”

“When will that be?” Nate asked.

“I can schedule it for first thing in the morning.”

“I know we ask favors of you all the time. At least I do, and you do your best to grant them. We have a kidnapped elderly woman we’re trying to find, and this bullet might help us find her.”

Dr. Albertson let out a long breath. “Fine. I’ll do the cut when I get back to the morgue.”

“I’ll owe you.”

“Add it to the long list you already owe me.” She gave a wry smile. “I’ll expect you to attend. I won’t try to hunt you down to give you the results. And I won’t have anyone at the lab to hand the bullet to at this time of night.”

“We’ll be there, and I’ll try to get the same examiner in who’s working our other investigations,” Nate said, not that he was at all confident he could achieve that.

She gave a sharp nod, and he prayed he could get this examiner or any examiner to come out at this time of night to analyze the bullet.

“I think we all agree this isn’t the murder scene,” Yost said. “Looks like she was shot elsewhere and dumped here.”

Nate looked at Dr. Albertson. “You’re certain that she’s only been dead for four hours?”

She planted her hands on her waist, where she’d belted the Tyvek suit around her thin frame. “Not positive, of course, as one can never be positive this early on, but body temp has dropped only slightly. I’ll know more once I get her on the table. I also concur that she’s been recently moved. We have dual levity. Lateral lividity in addition to posterior lividity.”

Over the years, Nate had learned far more than he ever wanted to know about the way blood pooled in a body after a person died. Lividity usually started thirty minutes to four hours after death and was most noticeable twelve hours after death. When it was fixed, the purplish discoloration of the skin became permanent.

“In layman’s terms?” Yost asked.

“She first lay on her back where the blood pooled,” Dr. Albertson explained in an even tone. “Then she was moved to this position on her side, and we now have purple coloring at her back and side.”

Yost nodded. “Also helps in time of death that a guy saw the body being dumped, and we got to her right away.”

“What was someone doing out here at this time of night?” Nate asked. “And should we be considering him for the murder?”

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