“Kayla did the actual autopsy on this one, so you’ll have to let
me know what tipped you off on this one. The department is saving money by offering internships instead of getting me a proper second in command,” Shaw offered.
“Always the bottom line, isn’t it?” William said.
“Unfortunately, yes. But if you can find anything that will help, by all means.” Shaw pulled on one blue latex glove, then grabbed a handle to one of the drawers and pulled hard. There Pigg lay, pale and slightly yellow. William wrinkled his nose at the chemical odor that pervaded the air.
“Smell takes some getting used to, doesn’t it?” Shaw made a face and snapped on his second glove. “What are we looking for?”
“Some kind of mark on the body. Like it was left there on purpose,” Jeffers said almost dismissively.
“I, um. Okay.” Shaw looked slightly uncomfortable as he bent over the corpse.
“Look between the ring finger and the middle finger on the left hand,” William instructed.
Shaw looked up, then glanced between William and Jeffers, who was now glaring at William with all his impotent might.
“Definitely more specific.” Shaw’s cheer seemed to have bounced back. “Ah, right. Exactly there. Looks like…” He splayed the fingers apart, then reached into his pocket for a mini-recorder. “Yes, there’s clearly a cut here on the middle finger of the left hand. The cut is positioned under the second knuckle on the interior side of the finger, with two shorter cuts crossing over it. Likely made at the time of the murder, or right after. The precision suggests a razor… or a scalpel.”
He turned the recorder off. “I’ll amend the report straight away. This is no accidental cut. It’s too straight. Want to see?”
Anne came over to his side of the corpse and took a good look at the cut. “Why would you bother to do something like that? The man’s already dead. He’d have to get closer to the body after the kill.”
“That’s serial killer behavior,” Jeffers said, coming over to take a work at it. “Trophies and brands.”
“I dunno if he’s a serial killer, but I’d imagine he’s proud of his work,” William offered. “Didn’t use to bother with guns, though. Knives used to be his thing.”
“Oh, does this give you a new lead?” Shaw asked.
“Yeah, a big one.” Anne put her hands on her hips. Her whole posture bore the weight of her thoughts as she began reworking this case in her mind. The certainty that it was someone who had killed before probably changed her approach.
“How the hell did you know about this?” Jeffers said.
William slipped his hands into his pockets. “Told you. Been on the inside. Ya pick up a few things.”
“I bet you do,” Jeffers said, leveling the full weight of his suspicion on him. The inference was clear. He believed that William had made the mark himself, or that he’d employed the person who had made the mark.
Those suspicions would be easy enough to quell, but William didn’t feel like sharing just now. Jeffers was an idiot if he thought anyone would walk right into the police station to tip them off to evidence they’d missed. William had given them a huge push in the right direction. His conscience was in the clear.
“Well, looks like you lot have work to do.” William turned to leave.
“No way. I want to know how you knew that mark was there,” Jeffers demanded.
“Not without a lawyer, if that’s the tone you’re going to take.”
Shaw looked utterly lost. Pity he worked for the police. He seemed a good fellow.
“We can’t hold him without cause, Jeffers,” Anne reminded him.
William smirked a little as he watched Jeffers turning red. Easily the best part of his day.
***
“I apologize for Jeffers,” Anne said.
William winked. “Maybe you ought to apologize by making better use of those handcuffs.”
“Not a chance.”