Burn 2 (12 page)

“Uh, perhaps you can detail to me the salient points in it.”

Pat’s expression softens. “I don’t always want you to take a lawyer’s word as the gospel truth, Devon. I know this is difficult, but you should always scrutinize the facts personally. That is my advice.”

“I’ll read it,” Abby says bravely.

Devon flushes.
Come on, steel yourself,
he admonishes his inner cowardice.

“
We’ll read it together,” he says firmly.

Pat assumes a pained expression as if to say:
Just get on with it.

Devon places the report between Abby and himself.
The photograph of Rachel Krieg on the slab – eyes closed, dressed in a bathrobe, stares at him. It was almost as though she were sleeping.

This isn’t so bad,
he thinks. He was expecting a ghastly, dissected body – which accounted for his initial reticence to view the coroner’s report. But this is a non-threatening photo. He can almost believe she is still alive.

Almost
.

He notes the date and hour of the performed autopsy, which was the day before. The coroner is one Manesh Agarwal, M.D., and he was assisted by another woman called Rebecca White, M.D.

NAME: Rachel Krieg
                                          CORONER’S CASE: 5024-473

Date of Birth: _______
                                          Age: 51

Race: White
                                                        Sex: Female

Date of Death: _______

Body identified by: Richard Krieg, brother of the deceased

Devon looks up. He turns to Abby.

“Is Richard Krieg
the one you were telling me about from Zipangu?” he asks.

Abby flinches. “Yes.”

Devon recalls what Claire had said about Richard.
Rachel’s father left most of the money to her because she was the smart, successful one, and not to Richard.
He wonders what was going in Richard’s head when he identified his sister’s murdered body. Was there no love lost between them? Was Richard glad that his beautiful, clever, and much preferred sister was finally dead?

Was he
involved
in the murder?

Devon lowers his eyes and reads on:

‘
The autopsy is begun at 8:30 A.M. on __________. The body is presented in a black body bag. The victim is wearing a yellow bathrobe.’

Devon remembers leaving Rachel naked in her bedroom when she railed at him for not capitulating to her wishes.

‘Jewelry included two diamond pierced earrings, 4 mm in diameter, one in each ear. The body is that of a normally developed white female measuring 71 inches and weighing 118 pounds. The victim appears generally younger than her stated age of 51. Faint scar marks are seen in the inner and outer canthus of both eyes, suggesting previous blepharoplasty.’

“Eye tuck,” Pat explains, just in case neither of them understands the medical terminology.

‘The body is cold and unembalmed. Lividity is fixed in the distal portions of the limbs. The eyes are closed. The irises are blue and the corneas are cloudy. Petechiae are noted in the conjunctiva of both eyes. The pupils measure 0.3 cm. The hair is blonde, straight and layered to approximately 11 inches in length at the longest point. The hair on the occipital region of the scalp is matted with dried blood.

‘
A depression measuring 3 X 3.5 cm is found on the occipital portion of the skull 2 cm from the midline. Several minor abrasions are present around this area of scalp. The skull fracture is consistent with a sharp blow to the scalp area.

‘A tiny green ceramic fragment measuring 0.5 mm in diameter was found embedded in the flesh of the scalp. Forensics identify
that this fragment is consistent with the ones that are found on the floor of the bathroom, which suggest the smashed vase.

‘
Upon removal of the victim’s clothing, there is no evidence of injury anywhere else on the body. Limbs are equal, symmetrically developed and show no evidence of injury. The fingernails are medium length and fingernail beds are blue. There are no residual scars, markings or tattoos.

‘
The genitalia are that of an adult female and there is no evidence of injury. Pubic hair has been shaved in its entirety.

INTERNAL EXAMINATION:

HEAD – CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM: Subsequent autopsy shows a depressed skull fracture which is comminuted, with the broken pieces of bone displaced inward. Underlying brain tissue is severely damaged, with a hematoma measuring 4 X 4.2 cm in diameter displacing the surrounding gyri. The brain weighs approximately 1400 g.’

Devon’s stomach turns. This means they removed her brain, he thinks with bile shooting up his throat.

The rest of the Internal Examination shows nothing remarkable – until he arrives at the Female Genital System.

He reads the finding with growing dread:

‘FEMALE GENITAL SYSTEM: Examination of the pelvic area indicates the victim had not given birth. However, the presence of a fetus in the womb and generalized swelling of the tissues suggests that the victim is pregnant at the time of death. There is evidence of recent sexual activity but no indications that the sexual contact was forcible. Seminal and vaginal fluid samples are removed for analysis.’

Devon is stunned.

Fetus
.

Pregnant
.

Who was the father? And did it have anything to do with
her murder? Why did Rachel Krieg insist on him being the father to her yet ‘unmade’ child if she was already pregnant?

He says, “Do they know who the father is?”

“Not yet. But they have sent the fetus for DNA cross-matching.” Pat holds his eyes. “Could be extremely relevant to the murder.”

Of course. He swallows.

Pat says, “The police would want to question you further about the presence of your semen in Rachel’s vagina. Expect a visit soon from a Mr. Tobias Ford, a homicide detective with the NYPD.”

Devon’s insides clench, but he nods. Abby reaches for his hand under the table and squeezes it.

It is something extremely unpleasant, but Abby knows she has to do it. So she grits her teeth and makes her way down to Zipangu to put in her resignation. It is no use pretending anymore. She can’t work in the place without Rachel’s ghost encroaching on her conscience, and she doesn’t want to work alone in the store with Richard Krieg.

Assuming Richard Krieg would want her there in the first place.

Back home, Devon is being questioned by Detective Ford about his semen. Pat Chalmers is present. She has asked him to tell the truth and nothing but the truth, just like in a court of law, because he has nothing to hide.

“It’s not as if it’s going to get any worse for me,” Devon assures Abby. “I have already been accused of first degree murder. What could be worse?”

Actually getting convicted of first degree murder, she thinks. But she smiles at him for solidarity and holds her remark.

Zipangu greets her with
its ‘OPEN’ sign and fabulous window display of ceramics. She is surprised. She would have thought that Richard would have closed the store in wake of Rachel’s death.

She pushes the door open and walks in, a little hesitant. Richard is seated at the cash register counter. He gives her an unpleasant smile as she strides in.

“So, the little birdie has decided to fly in to roost,” he says.

She holds her chin up.
“In light of what happened, I have come in to tender my resignation.”

She holds up an envelope.

“No need. I have already fired you when you didn’t show up for two days.”

Abby is surprised. “B-but
your sister was murdered.”

Your sister is my boss, not you
, she wants to say.

“So you thought
you’d take a paid and undeclared holiday. We don’t work that way around here, missy. You might have been able to work your charms around my sister, but you won’t with me.” His eyes take on a lustful cast. “Pity. You’re quite the ripe little vixen. But you’re not such a virgin as you make out to be, I hear.”

An uneasy sensation worms down her spine.
“What do you mean?”

He crooks his arms and rests upon them. His eyes are filled with a malicious light.

“Don’t think I don’t know who your boyfriend is. He killed my sister and he’s going to pay for it.” Richard’s grin widens. “Bigtime.”

“My boyfriend didn
’t kill anyone. The killer is still out at large.”

“Oh really? I’d say they have caught him alre
ady and let him go out on bail. He’s out at large in the streets so he can terrorize and kill more women.”

Abby finds her cheeks going hot. “That’s not true.”

“Oh yeah? Word is that you put up the bail for him.” He sneers at her. “Quite the rich little Southern vixen you are, aren’t you?”

“That’s none of your business.”

“On the contrary, it’s very much my business. For all I know, you could have been in league with your gigolo boyfriend there to off my sister. I can see it now. Jealous of their relationship together, which involved a whole lot of hot sex, you planned it together to kill her in her own bed. I don’t mind telling you I’ve shared my theories with that nice police detective who was here to visit just the other day.” An evil slant twists his face. “He shares the same theories with me, as a matter of fact. You can expect a visit from him real soon.”

Cold hands grip Abby’s
gut. What Pat predicted is coming true.

“You don’t seem very upset your sister is dead.”

“Oh, I am, believe me. I am.” His gleeful expression is an aberration to his spoken claims. “I’m broken by it. My own sister who has looked after me since I was a kid. How can I not be cut to shreds if anything happened to her?”

“You don’t sound it.”

“I have done my crying, believe me. When Detective Ford interviewed me, I cried buckets in front of him. Simply buckets.”

Abby refuses to take any more of this, and so she hands him her resignation letter and turns to leave.

“You can’t run away, sweets,” he calls after her. “There’ll be a reckoning coming and you and your boyfriend will be in separate prisons for a long, long time.”

Abby runs out into the sunlight with his laughter chasing her.

“Rachel’s funeral is today,” Devon announces when he sees the notice in the obituary section of the New York Post.

He has taken up painting
again in earnest. He puts his paintbrush into the pot and wipes his hands on his overalls. She hates it when he does that. It takes forever to get the paint stains out. She figures she should buy him plastic overalls.

He has been takin
g a lot less ‘clients’ of late. He doesn’t mention it to her, but he has not been going out at night. She doesn’t bring it up. She isn’t sure whether it’s by his choice, or if the clients are staying away from him because they are spooked by what is happening. She would like to think that it is by his choice and their ‘argument’ had something to do with it.

Still, she knows he has to clear this up, or he would be facing a lot less commissions
on both his professions. Permanently.

“Why are you packing up?” she ask
s.

“I’m going to her funeral.” He does not look at her.

She thinks of Richard and the rest of Rachel’s family there, and the blood freezes in her veins.

“Uh, Devon, I don’t think it’s a good idea.”

“I didn’t kill her and I have nothing to hide. To not show up would be tantamount to admitting I did it. After all, I did know her.”

“No, Devon, that is flawed thinking.
Extremely flawed thinking.”

She pictures everyone glaring at him as if they wish they could shove him into the grave so that Rachel could torment him in the afterlife. She pictures Richard launching
at Devon and starting a fight. Richard is a smaller man than Devon, but rage may make him stronger.

“Devon, it’s not about
you. This funeral is about her family and friends celebrating her life and mourning her death. You can’t go there to make a scene. It’s not about you!”

This seems to puncture through him.

“But I didn’t kill her,” he says obstinately.

“I know you didn’t. That’s why we are all trying to prove it. But you don’t have to make matters worse by attending her funeral.”

In fact, she was toying with the idea of going herself. Rachel was her boss after all. And it would look strange if she didn’t show up, as if either she is guilty or something. And yet, everyone has to know by now that Devon is her boyfriend. They may reserve the same sort of treatment for her that they would mete out to Devon.