The Secrets of Westwood (The Grace Shaw Series: Book 1)

Chapter Four

The coffee was already half empty when I arrived at the office. That spoke of many things but I knew if I wanted to have a clear head for the hours I planned to spend in the labs, coffee was a necessity. It was a mundane task to fill the coffee maker up again but it allowed my mind to wander through all the tasks I had on for the day. Of course, the main objective for the day was sorting through all the evidence collected. I'd have to go down to autopsy and have a chat with Curtis about the victim and what he'd discovered.

I'd probably get a visit from Emma, who I knew would be going over the crime scene photos. The mystery of 'Erry Om' would surely be bugging Emma as much as it was bugging me. I felt like there was something obvious that we were missing if only I could work out what that was.

Sighing into the remains of the coffee I was drinking, I decided that my first port of call should be Curtis in Autopsy. The idea gave me the shivers, not because I was afraid of being around dead people but Curtis was a different person when in his M.E robes. That he liked to talk to the victims as he autopsied them was something you could get around in time but that he liked to keep his rooms looking like something out of a horror film was just a little creepy.

Despite my many years working here, it was still creepy going to see him.

"So Curtis, what have you got for me?"

"Grace my dear, I think this is the longest you've left me without wanting an answer. That's not like you."

"I had...other engagements yesterday Curtis."

"Ahh yes, the 'evaluation', quite sneaky of Tom if you think about it. I'm surprised you didn't fight him on his obvious attempts to get you to return to work."

"I'm not mad at him Curtis, he was right to push me when I wasn't pushing myself but I didn't come to talk about me."

"Right, of course, our Jane Doe. She was strangled my dear, just look at the marks on her neck. Her killer was standing directly behind her and he used something thin to strangle her with. Our victim fought with her attacker—"

"Any DNA?"

"No, the killer was wearing gloves and perhaps a long-sleeved top for all I can give you are a few black fibres. I've sent samples of the items smeared on the victim's lips, eyes and cheeks."

"Any idea what they could be?"

"That, dear Grace, is your department, not mine but if I had to guess, perhaps something organic and natural? It would certainly make sense considering how we found her."

"We don't have an ID for her yet and I'm hoping when we do it'll shed some light on the situation."

"If I find anything else, I'll let you know."

I thanked Curtis and retreated quickly from the room. Shuddering I felt the warmth of the outside corridor flood my body and my hands wrapped around my arms to chase the goosebumps away. I was feeling like a second cup of coffee would be a good idea and was delighted to have survived a chat with Curtis where no spirit appeared because that was always rather tricky.

I must remember to find a reputable company to dispose of the wilderness at the crime scene.

It occurred to me on the walk back to the labs how planned this murder had been. The item we were searching for wasn't small by any means, not that we knew what it was yet but the garden was incredibly overgrown. If the killer had just thrown the item into the garden it would have been easy to spot and yet we'd seen nothing when we'd scanned the garden. To me, that meant the killer had been watching the house for some time now and a killer to planned so meticulously in advance was a killer to be wary of.