I stood over the broken body that lay on the table, cut up in several different places. Some of the cuts were from the autopsy, but others seemed to have been placed there by the murderer. It was hard to tell if the wounds were used to bait the alligators or the result of pure rage during the murder. Unconsciously, my hands gripped the cool metal until my knuckles were white, my blunt nails digging into the palms of my hands. I relaxed my grip, taking several deep breaths before looking over at the door where Peter stood.
“What do you have for me Peter?” I asked again, taking another glance at the victim lying on the examining table.
“Well, the girlfriend seemed genuinely surprised and broken. But, you know, I think she’s leaving town. There were several bags sitting in the entry way of Commissioner Swan’s house. You might want to check her out before she takes off. Something’s not right, but I can’t put a finger on it. Maybe you can, since you have that freaky talent with reading people and their emotions. Isabella claims she hasn’t seen Mike since Monday. Said he told her he was traveling North to see his family.”
Peter stopped then, letting the information sink in before asking, “So what did the Medical Examiner have to say?”
“Well, believe it or not, none of the physical wounds caused his death. All the stab wounds missed major arteries and organs, and the suffocation was only enough to make him unconscious and leave a bruise. What actually killed him was an allergic reaction to poison ivy. Somehow, he was exposed to it burning, inhaled the fumes, causing him to die of asphyxiation.” Finishing the report on the victim, I pulled the sheet back over his head, and Peter and I walked back to our desks.
A few minutes later, Peter looked up from the folder he had open on his desk.
“Wait, you mean to tell me that we can’t charge anyone with this poor kid’s death? We have no answer for his family?”
I looked over the desk at him, shaking my head. “You’re half right, Peter. We can’t charge someone with his death, but we can sure as hell charge someone with assault. And, we do have an answer for his family, he died of asphyxiation after inhaling the fumes of burning poison ivy. It’s as simple as that.”
“Do you think the commissioner would let us bring his daughter in to ask some more questions?” I asked, settling in my seat.
Peter glanced up from his computer screen with a wicked grin, “There’s only one way to find out, and I vote that you get to ask him since it was your idea. Have fun. You know how protective he is of her.”
I stood up and took a deep breath before making my way to the commissioner’s office.
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