Trail of Destruction

Chapter 51

Chapter 51

When Christine opened the door to the morgue, all her senses went into overload. Her ears rang with the sound of Rolling Stones music, cranked up loud, pulsating through the room. Her nose twitched at the smell of harsh chemicals that almost but didn't quite cover up the stench of the dead bodies. Her arms popped with goose bumps in the refrigerator-temperature cold, forty degrees colder than the sweltering outdoor summer heat.

She gave her body a few seconds to adjust before walking across the room to where the medical examiner was huddled over the examination table. With the music drowning out the other sounds and engrossed in his work, Dr. Irving was oblivious to her approach. When the agent stepped into his field of vision, the doctor jumped back, his surgical tools clanging onto the table.

"Sorry, Doc," Christine said. "I didn't mean to startle you."

"No problem. It's not like I can nick an artery. There's no more damage I could do to this poor girl."

Their eyes met, and Christine could see the compassion in the doctor's gaze. "So what have you found so far, or is it too soon to say?"

"I'm actually just about finished and what I found is what you'd expect. Cause of death is a gunshot to her head. I've already sent the bullet to ballistics. Other than that, she was a young, healthy female. It's a real shame."

"All murders are tragic, but this one feels worse because we know she wasn't even the intended target."

"There's one other thing that makes it even more terrible."

"What's that?"

The doctor shook his head. "She wasn't the only casualty. She was pregnant - about three months along."

Christine rubbed her hands along her arms, feeling a chill from more than just the cold. "What's ironic is that most of these gun nuts are way right on everything, including being pro-life. And yet not only does the unsub kill an innocent victim, he kills an unborn child."

"Makes no sense, does it? But he's probably out there celebrating anyway. Figures he's made his point. And maybe he has -- maybe Newcomb will back off from his gun control agenda."

The agent reached down and stroked the victim's hair. "Not according to him. He told me this woman's death has just made him more determined to push the issue."

The doctor raised his eyebrows. "You've got to give the guy credit. After two assassination attempts, no one would fault him for putting gun control on the back burner. I hope at least he stops giving outdoor speeches."

"From what I've heard, the Secret Service is going to be all over him from now on."

The doctor moved to a sink, stripped off his gloves, and began to wash his hands. "So are you going to be able to catch this guy?"

"I sure hope so. He didn't leave us with a lot to work with, but we're tracking down every lead. Hopefully, it's just a matter of time."

The doctor gestured to his assistants. "I'm through here. You can take her."

Christine watched as they moved the body to one of the morgue drawers. She turned to the doctor. "As soon as I sign off on your report, you can release the remains."

"No one from her family has contacted me yet."

Christine shook her head. "No, apparently there is no family. Newcomb told me that he would take care of the arrangements."

"I guess it's the least he can do. The poor guy must feel pretty awful knowing the bullet was meant for him."

"I'm sure he does. It seems like this hit everyone on his staff pretty hard." Christine turned to leave. "Thanks, Doc. I guess I better go chase down the bad guy."

When she got to the door, she turned back. "You know what? Before you release the body, let's pull a DNA sample from the fetus."

The doctor looked puzzled. "What for? Does it matter who the father is?"

"Probably not. She wasn't married, and nobody I've talked to has mentioned a boyfriend. It's possible that whoever the father was didn't even know about the baby." Christine shrugged. "I know it doesn't have anything to do with the case, but let's do it anyway. This way if someone does surface, we can give him some closure. It seems like the right thing to do."