saying…”
Karen reached into the incision and pulled out some tissue that Charlie couldn’t identify—and didn’t really want to.
“These are the victim’s ovaries and uterus.” She set them on a metal tray David held out to her.
“Okay…” Charlie had to clamp his jaw shut to keep from urging her on… or throttling her.
“And these…” she began, taking a couple of clamps and her scalpel back inside and using them to resect another piece. “ These are testicles.”
“Wait, what? ” Charlie asked, sure he must have heard her wrong.
“You heard me,” Karen said dryly. “This victim was obviously living as a female, but she possessed both female and male reproductive organs; she was hermaphroditic.”
“Holy shit. Does that happen often?”
“No. It’s very rare, actually. I wouldn’t be surprised if the serology comes back indicating some sort of hormone therapy, designed to suppress one sex and enhance the other.”
“Huh… then that begs the question, was the hermaphroditism why he picked her, or was it an unwelcome surprise that led to the genital mutilation.”
“That is indeed a puzzle,” Karen said, moving up to the victim’s head to begin the dissection of the brain. “Worst part is, like the others, I believe she was alive for most of the mutilation. It was likely the removal of the liver that caused her to exsanguinate.”
She picked up her scalpel, then paused to look at Charlie. “You don’t want to be here for the brain, Charlie. I don’t expect to find anything here but if I do, it will be in my report. I’ll try and put a rush on the tox and the serology, and I’ll start looking at the slides as soon as I finish here. Go home and get some sleep, you look like hell.”
“Gee, thanks. I think you’re right. Sonny and I will have to talk to her family tomorrow, see if they’ll release those medical records you mentioned. Not having to get a court order would save us a lot of time. Anyway, I’m outta here. Enjoy your… brain.”
“’Night Charlie.”
“Morning, Karen. See ya, David.”
“Bye, Detective.”
Charlie couldn’t help the slump of his shoulders and the shuffle in his step as he left Karen’s lab. It had been a long, horrendous night, but it was doubtful he’d get any rest until he’d talked to the victim’s family. What he really needed, Charlie decided, was a good cup of coffee or twelve.
Chapter Six
He looked like death warmed over. Charlie sat hunched over at the table in the corner. I had been doing inventory in the back when Chelsea had popped in to let me know he was here. I was a little embarrassed by how fast I scrambled out front to get a look at him—and what a look it was.
His skin was pale as a ghost, his blond hair stuck out all over the place as if he’d been running his hands through it, and he had dark circles under his eyes. I shuddered to think of what kind of night a homicide detective had to have to come in looking like that. I imagined that Charlie’s bad night at work would be a bad night for everyone.
As I ambled over to him, I put a little swing in my step, determined not to let on that I was worried about him. I pasted a smile on my face when I came to a stop at his table. “What can I get you, big fella?” I asked, sounding ridiculous even to my own ears.
He glanced up at me and the smile that spread on his face was like the sun coming out after a storm. It made my insides twitch. “Tableside service now?” he asked
“Only for you, baby. Only for you.”
His chiseled cheekbones pinked nicely, and he fidgeted with his watch, but he didn’t run away again. Progress.
He let out a weary sigh that seemed to rattle his chest-bones. “I’m gonna need about a pitcher of your strongest coffee.”
“That bad, huh? No offense, but you look like you’ve been rode hard and put away wet.”
“Careful, Titus, you’re starting to sound like a local.”
“Bite your tongue, Cowboy. I might not’ve been
Karen reached into the incision and pulled out some tissue that Charlie couldn’t identify—and didn’t really want to.
“These are the victim’s ovaries and uterus.” She set them on a metal tray David held out to her.
“Okay…” Charlie had to clamp his jaw shut to keep from urging her on… or throttling her.
“And these…” she began, taking a couple of clamps and her scalpel back inside and using them to resect another piece. “ These are testicles.”
“Wait, what? ” Charlie asked, sure he must have heard her wrong.
“You heard me,” Karen said dryly. “This victim was obviously living as a female, but she possessed both female and male reproductive organs; she was hermaphroditic.”
“Holy shit. Does that happen often?”
“No. It’s very rare, actually. I wouldn’t be surprised if the serology comes back indicating some sort of hormone therapy, designed to suppress one sex and enhance the other.”
“Huh… then that begs the question, was the hermaphroditism why he picked her, or was it an unwelcome surprise that led to the genital mutilation.”
“That is indeed a puzzle,” Karen said, moving up to the victim’s head to begin the dissection of the brain. “Worst part is, like the others, I believe she was alive for most of the mutilation. It was likely the removal of the liver that caused her to exsanguinate.”
She picked up her scalpel, then paused to look at Charlie. “You don’t want to be here for the brain, Charlie. I don’t expect to find anything here but if I do, it will be in my report. I’ll try and put a rush on the tox and the serology, and I’ll start looking at the slides as soon as I finish here. Go home and get some sleep, you look like hell.”
“Gee, thanks. I think you’re right. Sonny and I will have to talk to her family tomorrow, see if they’ll release those medical records you mentioned. Not having to get a court order would save us a lot of time. Anyway, I’m outta here. Enjoy your… brain.”
“’Night Charlie.”
“Morning, Karen. See ya, David.”
“Bye, Detective.”
Charlie couldn’t help the slump of his shoulders and the shuffle in his step as he left Karen’s lab. It had been a long, horrendous night, but it was doubtful he’d get any rest until he’d talked to the victim’s family. What he really needed, Charlie decided, was a good cup of coffee or twelve.
Chapter Six
He looked like death warmed over. Charlie sat hunched over at the table in the corner. I had been doing inventory in the back when Chelsea had popped in to let me know he was here. I was a little embarrassed by how fast I scrambled out front to get a look at him—and what a look it was.
His skin was pale as a ghost, his blond hair stuck out all over the place as if he’d been running his hands through it, and he had dark circles under his eyes. I shuddered to think of what kind of night a homicide detective had to have to come in looking like that. I imagined that Charlie’s bad night at work would be a bad night for everyone.
As I ambled over to him, I put a little swing in my step, determined not to let on that I was worried about him. I pasted a smile on my face when I came to a stop at his table. “What can I get you, big fella?” I asked, sounding ridiculous even to my own ears.
He glanced up at me and the smile that spread on his face was like the sun coming out after a storm. It made my insides twitch. “Tableside service now?” he asked
“Only for you, baby. Only for you.”
His chiseled cheekbones pinked nicely, and he fidgeted with his watch, but he didn’t run away again. Progress.
He let out a weary sigh that seemed to rattle his chest-bones. “I’m gonna need about a pitcher of your strongest coffee.”
“That bad, huh? No offense, but you look like you’ve been rode hard and put away wet.”
“Careful, Titus, you’re starting to sound like a local.”
“Bite your tongue, Cowboy. I might not’ve been
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