Jude’s over by the ambulance, talking to the man who found the body. Thankfully, it was too late for children to be out playing. The man was cutting through the park on his run and is now wrapped in a shock blanket.
Oz is getting the lowdown from the cops on the scene and Eli is still scowling at Freya. I had to stop myself from going after her when she took off. My hands itched to hold her hair back as she bent over the trash can. I’ve always had that instinct to care, even when I was five and my mother spent her nights throwing up in the toilet. ‘My little protector’she’d say,’always looking after me.’She was so proud. It wasn’t until I was a teenager that naive little me finally twigged he shouldn’t have to look after his alcoholic mother.
Whenever I’m around Freya I’m filled with that nagging urge to care. To protect her. I can’t do that though, not for her,and especially not at a crime scene. Freya’s wellbeing is not my responsibility. Eli’s, on the other hand, is.
I try to shield him as best I can from the Maxwell case but if I keep him out of the loop too much he pushes back. I understand his need to be involved but it’s a fine line between allowing him that control and stopping him from getting obsessed. For years, Maxwell was all he cared about. When he started with the drugs it got really bad and I will never forget finding him on the side of the road, his limbs bent at odd angles. Oz, Jude, and I worked hard to pull him out of his own head, to give him a life worth living and I dislike that bringing Freya in is risking that. It’s my job to think about the bigger picture though and what Eli wants, more than anything, is to see Maxwell behind bars.
A new set of headlights flood the park. A moment later, Dr Knightly climbs out of the black Mercedes and heads over to the body, kit in hand. I call Eli over to join us. Being near Eva will be good for him. On the surface Eli likes most everyone, but he has very few friendships. Eva seems to have gotten past those walls of his though.
She brushes a hand against his arm when he approaches. His shoulders relax a little, but he doesn’t flirt with her like he normally does. He just flashes her a small smile then glances back at Freya.
Curiosity sparks in Eva’s eyes, but I give a subtle shake of my head. I trust Eva, but Freya’s identity is need to know.
Eva puts her case on the ground a good distance away from the body and snaps on a pair of gloves.
I watch her as she works, each step calm and methodical. People are inclined to think coroners are cold hearted but they’re just very good at compartmentalizing. It’s a trait Eva and I share. Or at least we used to, but no matter how hard I try to tuck thoughts of Freya away in a locked box, the little escape artist always manages to get out.
She walks up to us, like my thoughts drew her back to me. Her breathing is calm, and she’s got a bit more color in her cheeks now, but her hand trembles as she brushes a loose curl back from her face.
She catches me staring.
I pull my gaze away from her and back to the victim. I have a case to solve. I refuse to let Freya distract me.
“Initial impressions?” I ask as Eva straightens up.
“Rigor Mortis is just starting to set in so you’re looking at about two hours since time of death.” Eva points at the wood chip covered ground. “She wasn’t killed here, obviously. No blood. The laceration across her throat looks like it was made in one continuous movement. The edges are clean which means the blade was sharp. I’m guessing it will match Maxwell’s other victims, but I’ll need to take her back to the lab to be sure. We can get a better idea of both the victim’s and the killer’s positioning by looking at the angle of the wound too.”
I nod, taking in the woman’s body. Her eyes stare in shock at the sky, her mouth open on a scream. Eva moves the torch over her face, the light shining on the still-wet drops of blood in the woman’s hair. It’s ginger, the same color as Freya’s. I make note of the similarities between the woman dead on the swing and the one standing next to me. Given the name carved into the victim’s flesh it’s likely not a coincidence. I blink away the image of Freya bound to the swing, her throat cut open.Compartmentalize.
“What do you make of the presentation?”
“He’s escalating,” Eli says.
Eva nods. “It’s different to usual that’s for sure but the basics remain the same. I can see some rope burn under the edges of the rope which suggests she was tied up before being killed. I’d say the cuts on her chest were probably made pre-mortem too. There doesn’t appear to be any sign of hesitation this time, butI’ll take a closer look at the morgue. There’s not much more I can do until then.”
“Thank you, Dr Knightly.”
She rolls her eyes at my formality. “You’re welcome, Agent Park.”
Eva goes to talk to one of the crime scene techs and I turn back to the body. If Freya used to be the one making the cuts on the chest, logic dictates they’ll have been done by Maxwell this time.
Eli speaks up again. “He’s displaying her. Sending a message.”
It’s pretty clear who that message is for.
“Did your dad ever take you to the park?” I ask.
Freya’s still staring at the body. She jolts a little at my question. “No. I used to go by myself, on the way back from school. I’d stop and sit on the swings and wish my-” She cuts herself off. “And wish I had someone to play with.”
I nod, not letting her see that I noticed her slip up. Freya’s not telling me everything, but I’m a patient man.
Eva returns to gather her belongings and on the other side of the park Jude leaves the witness and heads back over to us. “I’ve got an ID. Once Kyle over there calmed down, he recognized the victim. Posy Winters. He said she just moved in with her husband one street over. They’re a military family. Husband’s on tour. Next of kin are her parents who live out of state.”
“All right. Jude, Eli, follow up on next of kin. See if we can reach her husband too. Get him home. I’ll send Oz out to her house to look for any tech, and Uniforms scouting the area to see if we can find the abduction point. Eva, let me know when you’ve finished your autopsy.”
Eva looks up from packing away her kit and gives me a nod. “It’ll get to it as soon as I can.”
“I’ll walk you to your car,” Eli says, bending down to pick up Eva’s kit.
