Page 59 of The Situation Ship
“I wouldn’t be here if I wasn’t under orders. You can call the captain if you want to confirm, but you’ll only be wasting our time,” Davide informed him.
The doctor hesitated before allowing them to enter the morgue, leaving the two security guards guarding the door.
“This is Dr Rancliff. He’s our medical examiner,” Davide said.
“Isaiah Rivers.” Isaiah offered his hand, but the doctor seemed unhappy about his presence and ignored the gesture. He walked over to the steel bed, where a body lay covered by a sheet. Isaiah couldn’t tell if it was Calliope or Joshua.
“Mr. Rivers is here to see Joshua’s body. Please tell him everything he wants to know, and then we’ll leave,” Davide said, leaning against the counter.
“Are you sure? This is against procedure,” Dr Rancliff said, moving closer to the covered body. Isaiah didn’t like being talked about as if he weren’t there, but he needed the information, so he bit his tongue.
“Isaiah can be trusted, and Captain Hamill has given me strict instructions to provide him with any information he requires.”
Still looking unconvinced, Dr Rancliff lifted the sheet covering Joshua’s body, confirming that the first mate had been telling the truth. Isaiah rubbed his forehead, dreading telling Poppy that Joshua was dead.
The medical examiner took a deep breath. “The victim was stabbed numerous times. One puncture hit the lung, causing it to fill with fluid, and another struck his lower abdomen and heart. There was no saving him, despite our best efforts. We believe the assailant isn’t skilled with a blade or literate in anatomy.”
“Why do you think they weren’t skilled with the weapon?” The killer wasn’t doing too badly, given Joshua was their third victim.
“The killer kept stabbing, unsure of where to strike. There was also some hesitation in the blow to the shoulder. From the angle of the stab wound, the killer is shorter than Joshua, which could be another reason for the excessive wounds.”
“That’s something we know, then. What about his clothes? Was there anything in his pockets?” Isaiah asked, hoping for a phone or something that could indicate who Joshua had been dealing with or, as Poppy had said, who he’d been working against.
“No, there was nothing in his pockets,” the doctor said, pointing to a tray on the counter behind him where Joshua’s belongings were placed. “He was wearing trousers, a shirt, and a belt. There was no phone or jewellery.”
“To have so little on him, he must have been staying somewhere on board, but we haven’t figured out where yet. We’re trying to track his movements, but it’ll take time,” Davide put in.
Isaiah leaned down to get a better look at the wound on Joshua’s abdomen, noticing that the skin around it was torn. “Calliope was stabbed in the neck with a thin metal hairpin we found in her dressing room. We assume the killer used whatever was on hand, indicating that it wasn’t planned, but this was clearly done with a knife that had a serrated edge, which explains the heavy bleeding,” he said. “What about the knife used on Patrice?”
“It was the same –a serrated knife. You’ve got a good eye,” Dr Rancliff said. “But it would be difficult for a guest to bring such a weapon on board.”
Isaiah didn’t understand why the killer wouldn’t use their weapon of choice on all three victims. Something about Calliope’s murder had been more frantic and spontaneous.
“Not for a bodyguard or a member of security,” he pointed out. “I’ve got my sidearm and a switchblade that I was allowed to carry on board.”
“Are you suggesting it’s a member of our security team? I can assure you that everyone on staff has been working with us for half a decade without incident,” Davide said, puffing out his chest, offended at the insinuation.
“I’m not pointing fingers at your crew. The weapon could have been used by a bodyguard or stolen from a bodyguard or a member of your staff, and that’s if the killer didn’t have it with them when they boarded. I’m only talking out loud. There’s no need to get defensive.”
Davide sighed. “Sorry, I’m just protective of my staff. Many have families to support, and I don’t want anyone falsely accused.”
“I’ve no intention of pointing fingers at anyone without clear evidence,” Isaiah assured him. “I’m just used to bouncing ideas off my partner.”
“Glad we cleared that up. Bounce all you need,” Davide said, his defensive tone softening.
“Were there any defensive wounds on Joshua or skin under the fingernails?” Isaiah asked, noticing there were no bruises or scratches on the body.
“I swabbed his skin and took samples from under his nails for any trace evidence that the water didn’t wash away. I’m keeping any and all evidence contained until we can send it for testing when we dock,” Dr Rancliff replied, pointing to a medical-grade fridge. “Based on the lack of defensive wounds and the shallow stab wound to the shoulder, I believe he was attacked from behind and caught off-guard. He didn’t have time to defend himself before being struck again in the abdomen.”
“Were there any other injuries noted around the time of death?” Isaiah enquired, hoping for additional clues.
“There’s a bump on the back of his head. When he was stabbed in the abdomen, he might have fallen backwards and hit his head on the edge of the jacuzzi. The water in his lungs – we aren’t sure if the killer attempted to drown him before fleeing when they heard Ms Roe approaching, or if he swallowed the water upon losing consciousness before we could rescue him,” Dr Rancliff explained, setting a chart with the injuries marked out on the table.
“Having jacuzzis built into the floor no longer seems like a good idea,” Isaiah quipped, contemplating how easy it would have been to drown Joshua once he was already down.The killer didn’t need to be particularly strong.
“Not when someone tries to use them as a murder weapon,” Davide agreed. “We’ve closed them off for now.”
“What about Calliope? Did she have any defensive wounds?” Isaiah asked.
