Page 412 of Sticks and Stones
“Maybe they expelled them from their bodies elsewhere,” Reed offered when it didn’t look like it came from them.”
Ethan didn’t buy that.
“Or the person who killed them did this to point away from him.”
Yeah, Gene agreed.
“Someone’s playing games with us. Someone is having a good time too.”
Ethan was to the point.
“He’s trying to skew the investigation, all the while he’s unloading his merchandise,” Ethan said. “How much do you want to bet he knows his helpers are in custody and his hopesare this got past the city ME?” Ethan said, when the MO had changed.
Reed didn’t like that.
“I don’t miss things.”
Gene was to the point.
“Be angry at the killer, not us. We trust your findings. That’s why we offered to let you do this.”
That seemed to calm him down.
As for Ethan and Gene, they were anything but calm. They were annoyed.
These three didn’t die of a drug overdose, or from rough sex. With the exception of the abrasions on their wrists and ankles, their bodies were pristine.
“Their throats are cut,” Reed said. “That’s exsanguination as COD. That’s my temporary finding until I get them in. It’s sadistic to dump them naked, and to do any of this to them.”
Ethan knew why.
“Trace,” he said. “The killer wouldn’t want us getting any carpet fibers, or anything that would lead us to who they are. Again, he’s playing a game.”
Reed hoped they found whoever was behind this.
“Get us any trace you can pull, Doc,” Gene said. “We aren’t counting on any, but see what you can find. Try to play match the shit to the victim, but already, we know what’s going on. That’s a red herring. Let us know if they were sexually assaulted.”
That he could do.
“Give me a few hours,” he said. “I’ll call you. I’ll have my team start working on trace now.”
They appreciated that.
“We’ll be in touch,” Gene said, knowing it would take a few hours for the man to get the autopsies done.
They had to keep moving.
Looking at his watch, Gene knew what timeBull’sopened. They were closed yesterday to lay low, but he’d bet the bikers were back at it today.
“We have an hour untilBull’sopens for the day. We need to call Greyson, and see if he’s good to join us.”
That worked for Ethan.
Pulling out his phone, he made the call.
“Croft,” came his voice over the phone. “What’s up, Ethan?” he asked.
It was time to share the fun.
