Read Online Command Indecision (Lexi Graves Mysteries) by Camilla Chafer - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Camilla Chafer
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someone else she knew couldn't have come by first. Someone she felt comfortable enough with to come out from behind the counter."
"Were there any defensive wounds?" I asked. “Could she have been pulled over or around the desk?”
Solomon shook his head. "The ME says the first blow, the kill blow, was from behind. Judging from the trajectory of the second, she would have spun around. By t he second or third blow, she was definitely on the floor. There was bruising on her ribs, like someone straddled her. Got up close and personal when the perp went into overkill. "
"But still, using a bat and not his fists?" I winced as I turned away, towards the reception desk and into the offices. I looked back over my shoulder at Solomon as something occurred to me . "Why did she turn away?"
"Maybe she was done with the conversation or going to get something? Her purse?"
"If she was going to get her purse, there's no reason to attack her, unless it was a ruse to get her off guard."
"I like the ‘done-with-the-conversation theory’ more," Solomon decided, taking a step closer to me and placing his hands on my shoulders, holding me still. " She tells him to go, or she’s done, something very final. In a ra ge, our unknown grabs something—she isn’t afraid straight off, so he doesn’t have the weapon to start with— and attacks her. The first blow catches her unawares because it’s from behind . She doesn’t see it coming. Maybe she collapses, against the counter or the floor, then gets up, turns around, gets hit again and falls." Solomon spun me around, towering over me , his hands firm on my upper arms . "Our unknown jumps her so she can't move, can't struggle , and continues to beat her until he's sure she's dead."
"That's nasty."
"That's murder."
I looked across the counter. There were in and out trays, folders full of forms, and a local phone book. On the wall, there were only photographs, including those of the staff. "I don't see anything heavy enough to hit her with."
Solomon turned in a slow circle and I watched him take in the half dozen chairs, the side table holding a neat stack of magazines, and a plant in a white pot. "Unless the killer brought it with him, something's missing. No murder weapon was found."
"Could he have taken it with him?"
"Probably." We took one last look around, seeing nothing out of the ordinary. " I’ve seen enough. Let's close up and take a look around outside." Solomon reset the alarm and locked the door, pocketing the keys. Aside from the door to the office, the path ended in a brick wall, too tall to jump over , even for Solomon. I couldn't see any way of scaling it without a ladder. The shrubbery was bushy and green, but wouldn't conceal much. I followed Solomon around to the front, looking down the quiet road. This stretch was office after gray office, facing onto an open green area, across from which were some buildings, already locked up tight for the night.
"You see anywhere to hide anything?"
I shook my head. "Nope."
"Me neither. What do you see?"
"I see it's very open."
"Exactly. Would be hard to leave the crime scene all bloody without being noticed. The parking lot is over there, but he could have walked. Even quiet as it is, it would be a risk to leave, especially if I was bloody and carrying a weapon."
We paused side-by-side, hands in pockets, surveying the area. "What would you do?"
"Take o ff my shirt, wrap it around whatever I used as a weapon, and walk casually away. I'd just be a shirtless guy, taking a walk or a jog. Or if I took off my jacket, I'd just be a guy who was carrying a jacket. Nothing out of the ordinary. "
I gave him an appraising look and tried not to think about him without his shirt on. "That just occur to you?"
"No."
I let that one slip. "Huh. If you were in uniform, you wouldn't take off your shirt. That would be noticeable," I pointed out. "You wouldn't want to be called out for defacing your uniform."
"True. So here's what we have.
"Were there any defensive wounds?" I asked. “Could she have been pulled over or around the desk?”
Solomon shook his head. "The ME says the first blow, the kill blow, was from behind. Judging from the trajectory of the second, she would have spun around. By t he second or third blow, she was definitely on the floor. There was bruising on her ribs, like someone straddled her. Got up close and personal when the perp went into overkill. "
"But still, using a bat and not his fists?" I winced as I turned away, towards the reception desk and into the offices. I looked back over my shoulder at Solomon as something occurred to me . "Why did she turn away?"
"Maybe she was done with the conversation or going to get something? Her purse?"
"If she was going to get her purse, there's no reason to attack her, unless it was a ruse to get her off guard."
"I like the ‘done-with-the-conversation theory’ more," Solomon decided, taking a step closer to me and placing his hands on my shoulders, holding me still. " She tells him to go, or she’s done, something very final. In a ra ge, our unknown grabs something—she isn’t afraid straight off, so he doesn’t have the weapon to start with— and attacks her. The first blow catches her unawares because it’s from behind . She doesn’t see it coming. Maybe she collapses, against the counter or the floor, then gets up, turns around, gets hit again and falls." Solomon spun me around, towering over me , his hands firm on my upper arms . "Our unknown jumps her so she can't move, can't struggle , and continues to beat her until he's sure she's dead."
"That's nasty."
"That's murder."
I looked across the counter. There were in and out trays, folders full of forms, and a local phone book. On the wall, there were only photographs, including those of the staff. "I don't see anything heavy enough to hit her with."
Solomon turned in a slow circle and I watched him take in the half dozen chairs, the side table holding a neat stack of magazines, and a plant in a white pot. "Unless the killer brought it with him, something's missing. No murder weapon was found."
"Could he have taken it with him?"
"Probably." We took one last look around, seeing nothing out of the ordinary. " I’ve seen enough. Let's close up and take a look around outside." Solomon reset the alarm and locked the door, pocketing the keys. Aside from the door to the office, the path ended in a brick wall, too tall to jump over , even for Solomon. I couldn't see any way of scaling it without a ladder. The shrubbery was bushy and green, but wouldn't conceal much. I followed Solomon around to the front, looking down the quiet road. This stretch was office after gray office, facing onto an open green area, across from which were some buildings, already locked up tight for the night.
"You see anywhere to hide anything?"
I shook my head. "Nope."
"Me neither. What do you see?"
"I see it's very open."
"Exactly. Would be hard to leave the crime scene all bloody without being noticed. The parking lot is over there, but he could have walked. Even quiet as it is, it would be a risk to leave, especially if I was bloody and carrying a weapon."
We paused side-by-side, hands in pockets, surveying the area. "What would you do?"
"Take o ff my shirt, wrap it around whatever I used as a weapon, and walk casually away. I'd just be a shirtless guy, taking a walk or a jog. Or if I took off my jacket, I'd just be a guy who was carrying a jacket. Nothing out of the ordinary. "
I gave him an appraising look and tried not to think about him without his shirt on. "That just occur to you?"
"No."
I let that one slip. "Huh. If you were in uniform, you wouldn't take off your shirt. That would be noticeable," I pointed out. "You wouldn't want to be called out for defacing your uniform."
"True. So here's what we have.
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