busy. Best thing is to go and see the mayor. He’s the one who will
need to find a replacement, and to make temporary arrangements.”
“Oh very well. Most unhelpful.”
To say this could be the first murder in the town’s history,
he was staggered by her lack of concern for the vet, but then she did get
confused at times. All she ever talked about was her cat. Shaw was still
pondering on the bare footprint. He switched to unofficial mode, and turned on
his charm, putting his arm around her shoulder, having decided to soften his
tone.
“Listen, you know most of the gossip in town. Is there any
word of the vet having a boyfriend?”
“Oh, interesting. No, I hadn’t heard, but I’ll ask around now
you mention it. Do you think a boyfriend murdered her, and not a wild animal?”
“No, we don’t know anything yet. Just tell me if you hear
anything. And don’t go telling anyone what I asked.”
“Ooh, a secret. I like secrets.”
Shaw rolled his eyes and wished he hadn’t asked. He wasn’t
sure if she would take it the vet had a boyfriend and she would start to spread
rumors.
Mrs. Fisher walked away. Jim, his other deputy, pulled up in
his SUV pickup.
“What’s the situation?” Jim asked, as he walked over.
Shaw filled him in with the details. Jim shook his head,
took of his hat, and wiped his brow.
“What do you want me to do?”
“Phone the hardware store and ask Mike over here to open the
front door. I need to take a look around. I don’t want to tread around the scene.”
“Will do.”
Shaw fished through a slit in his overall and pulled out his
cell phone. He dialed LA homicide headquarters.
“Sheriff Brett Shaw here, Breakers Pass. Can you put me
through to the crime scene investigation department?”
“Sure, one moment, sir.”
He didn’t have to wait long.
“Brett, is that really you? John Bateman. How have you been?”
“Hi, John. Well I’ll be. Good to hear your voice. I’m
missing the cut and thrust of working in LA, but I can’t complain.”
“What can I do for you?”
“I’m going to need a forensic team up here. Possible code
one, eight, seven.”
“Breakers pass did the receptionist say?”
“Yeah.”
“Hmm, difficult. We’re up to our necks in it down here
today. I could schedule for tomorrow afternoon. What about the body?”
“It’s still in situ. Somehow I have to arrange to get the
body to the morgue after forensics.”
“You’ve got a problem then. You need the body on ice as soon
as possible. Sorry, I say ice, what I mean is around plus four degrees Celsius.
As long as it doesn’t get below zero degrees that’ll be fine.”
“Got ya. Listen, I’ve taken pictures of some blood-smeared
tracks outside, I just need to photograph the body, but that’s all I can do.”
“Well, in the circumstances, you need to take photos of the
body from different angles. You’ve seen us do it enough times. Then bag the
body and keep it cool like I say. Oh, and cover the tracks outside. All you
need to do is chalk around the position of the corpse and to make sure that
you’re wearing protective clothing when you bag the body. Then secure the
building and we’ll take it from there. I have to say though; the morgue is busy
just now. The sooner you can get the body to LA to have it scheduled, the
better. You know how busy it is down here at weekends.”
“Okay, thanks, John. Will do.”
The call closed. He dialed the coroner’s office. The normal
procedure in Breakers Pass was to take a body to the funeral home, where the
doctor, if he hadn’t already, he would write a death certificate. They hadn’t
needed an autopsy in all the time he had been town sheriff. He knew the cooling
system in the storage area at the funeral parlor would keep the body cool.
However, he also knew John was right. He needed the body in LA as a priority.
Shaw explained the situation to the clerk.
“Sorry, but it could be two days before we can get out
there. Could you get the
need to find a replacement, and to make temporary arrangements.”
“Oh very well. Most unhelpful.”
To say this could be the first murder in the town’s history,
he was staggered by her lack of concern for the vet, but then she did get
confused at times. All she ever talked about was her cat. Shaw was still
pondering on the bare footprint. He switched to unofficial mode, and turned on
his charm, putting his arm around her shoulder, having decided to soften his
tone.
“Listen, you know most of the gossip in town. Is there any
word of the vet having a boyfriend?”
“Oh, interesting. No, I hadn’t heard, but I’ll ask around now
you mention it. Do you think a boyfriend murdered her, and not a wild animal?”
“No, we don’t know anything yet. Just tell me if you hear
anything. And don’t go telling anyone what I asked.”
“Ooh, a secret. I like secrets.”
Shaw rolled his eyes and wished he hadn’t asked. He wasn’t
sure if she would take it the vet had a boyfriend and she would start to spread
rumors.
Mrs. Fisher walked away. Jim, his other deputy, pulled up in
his SUV pickup.
“What’s the situation?” Jim asked, as he walked over.
Shaw filled him in with the details. Jim shook his head,
took of his hat, and wiped his brow.
“What do you want me to do?”
“Phone the hardware store and ask Mike over here to open the
front door. I need to take a look around. I don’t want to tread around the scene.”
“Will do.”
Shaw fished through a slit in his overall and pulled out his
cell phone. He dialed LA homicide headquarters.
“Sheriff Brett Shaw here, Breakers Pass. Can you put me
through to the crime scene investigation department?”
“Sure, one moment, sir.”
He didn’t have to wait long.
“Brett, is that really you? John Bateman. How have you been?”
“Hi, John. Well I’ll be. Good to hear your voice. I’m
missing the cut and thrust of working in LA, but I can’t complain.”
“What can I do for you?”
“I’m going to need a forensic team up here. Possible code
one, eight, seven.”
“Breakers pass did the receptionist say?”
“Yeah.”
“Hmm, difficult. We’re up to our necks in it down here
today. I could schedule for tomorrow afternoon. What about the body?”
“It’s still in situ. Somehow I have to arrange to get the
body to the morgue after forensics.”
“You’ve got a problem then. You need the body on ice as soon
as possible. Sorry, I say ice, what I mean is around plus four degrees Celsius.
As long as it doesn’t get below zero degrees that’ll be fine.”
“Got ya. Listen, I’ve taken pictures of some blood-smeared
tracks outside, I just need to photograph the body, but that’s all I can do.”
“Well, in the circumstances, you need to take photos of the
body from different angles. You’ve seen us do it enough times. Then bag the
body and keep it cool like I say. Oh, and cover the tracks outside. All you
need to do is chalk around the position of the corpse and to make sure that
you’re wearing protective clothing when you bag the body. Then secure the
building and we’ll take it from there. I have to say though; the morgue is busy
just now. The sooner you can get the body to LA to have it scheduled, the
better. You know how busy it is down here at weekends.”
“Okay, thanks, John. Will do.”
The call closed. He dialed the coroner’s office. The normal
procedure in Breakers Pass was to take a body to the funeral home, where the
doctor, if he hadn’t already, he would write a death certificate. They hadn’t
needed an autopsy in all the time he had been town sheriff. He knew the cooling
system in the storage area at the funeral parlor would keep the body cool.
However, he also knew John was right. He needed the body in LA as a priority.
Shaw explained the situation to the clerk.
“Sorry, but it could be two days before we can get out
there. Could you get the
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