Read Online Dead Guilty by Beverly Connor - Free Book Online

mind.’’
‘‘No?’’
‘‘I thought you and I could discuss it.’’
‘‘I haven’t the time or the inclination to microma nage the exhibits. Most of my people know their jobs. I like to leave them alone.’’
‘‘All right, I can handle that. How about going cav ing?’’ He gave her a one-sided dimpled smile and pulled a folded paper from his shirt pocket and handed her a list. ‘‘These are some good caves to start with. Some of us from the Bartram Caving Club’s been to all of them.’’
Diane read the list. Blowing Cave, Climax Caverns, Glory Hole Caverns, Kingston Saltpeter Cave Pre serve. She cocked an eyebrow. ‘‘You’re kidding.’’
‘‘What?’’ He took the list and studied it for several seconds before he burst out laughing. ‘‘I didn’t name them.’’
‘‘Which one do you suggest we start with?’’
‘‘Glory Hole Cavern’s really beautiful but not a lot of fun for someone who hasn’t had much experience. Didn’t you say one of your crime crew wants to come along?’’
‘‘Neva Hurley. She’s visited caves as a tourist, and a few as an explorer, but she doesn’t have much experience.’’
‘‘Climax is a good cave. Great geology. Lots of fos sils. The front rooms are pretty easy. It gets harder farther in.’’
‘‘Where is it?’’
‘‘Near the Florida border.’’
‘‘Anything closer?’’
‘‘There is a cave I’ve been interested in visiting.’’ He stuffed the list back in his pocket. ‘‘It’s not easy to get the owner to allow people in. It’s a big cave and not too hard, I’ve heard. Some of the deeper rooms and tunnels are for experienced cavers. It also has some good geology. It’s only twenty miles from here.’’
‘‘Do you think you could get permission?’’
‘‘Yeah, I think so. A guy in my caving club is tight with the man who manages the property. We’ll have to take him.’’
‘‘That’s fine. Do you know if it’s been mapped?’’
‘‘Some of the tunnels, but I haven’t seen the maps. You thinking about mapping it?’’
‘‘If it’s an interesting cave and hasn’t been mapped, yes. That’d be fun.’’
‘‘I’ll let you know something in a couple of days.’’ Mike stood up and started for the door, hesitated, smiled, turned again and went out the door.
Diane looked through the papers Andie had left on her desk. Nothing that couldn’t wait. She needed to get back to the autopsies.

Chapter 8
    The diener was placing another of Diane’s bodies on the table when she reentered the autopsy containment room, suited, masked and gloved, her hair under a plastic cap. The rooms were cool now, the odors man ageable, the way they should be.
    This victim was called Green, after the color of cord Diane had used to secure the ends of the cut hanging rope. Green had hung fifteen feet from Blue.
    Lynn and Raymond were chatting away about the Braves as they cut away the clothing. The only part of the conversation Diane understood was Raymond saying, ‘‘Unh unh, ain’t no way.’’
    Lynn looked up and nodded as Diane approached. ‘‘This one is about the same age as Blue,’’ she said. ‘‘I’d say in his early twenties, maybe late teens.’’
    ‘‘Too young to die,’’ said Raymond.
‘‘We have some insect specimens for you from Blue.’’ Lynn motioned toward the counter where several jars sat. ‘‘We collected live larvae as well as dead husks. Raymond enjoys that sort of thing, don’t you, Raymond?’’
‘‘You going to hatch those bugs?’’ asked Raymond.
‘‘That’s the only way the entomologist can be cer tain about the species of the larva and how long the life cycle is. It’ll help fix the time of death.’’
‘‘They haven’t been there long. I’d say just a couple of weeks, from the rate of decay,’’ said Lynn.
‘‘They were hanging off the ground,’’ said Diane.
‘‘Shouldn’t make that much of a difference,’’ said Lynn.
This was the first time Diane