Read Online Gone But Knot Forgotten by Mary Marks - Free Book Online Page B

so abruptly water spilled over the edge. “What did he find?”
    Farkas glanced quickly toward Avila and then back at me. “As he laid out the bones in the coffin, he noticed a crack in the hyoid. The bone split apart when he tugged the ends. He got curious and looked at the fracture under a magnifying glass. He believes the break occurred before death, so he notified us.”
    I knew it. Something bad happened to Harriet. I shuddered at the vision of her body reduced to bones. Although I knew the answer to my next question from watching a hundred cop shows on television, I needed Farkas to confirm it. “What exactly is the significance of a broken hyoid bone?”
    â€œThe bone in the throat breaks when someone is strangled.” Crusher had walked into the kitchen in time to hear the last part of the conversation. He wore clean clothes from an overnight bag: jeans, a black T-shirt, a red bandana on his head, and his feet were bare.
    I looked at Farkas. “Is he right?”
    He measured Crusher with a surprised glance and nodded.
    â€œAre you telling me Harriet Oliver was strangled?” I felt woozy and wobbled a little.
    Crusher reached me in two steps and put an arm around my shoulders, supporting me like a huge bear, smelling faintly of lemon verbena soap. In real life I stood five feet two inches and wore a size sixteen, but standing next to him, I became a petite size four.
    Farkas cleared his throat. “The coroner picked up her remains an hour ago. He wants to examine this new evidence.”
    â€œIt’s not new evidence,” I said. “It’s evidence he missed in the first place. And anyway, her funeral is scheduled in two days. Monday. You can’t make her miss her own funeral.”
    Farkas scratched the side of his head with his finger. “Well, yeah, the coroner can do pretty much whatever he wants.”
    I jammed my fists on my hips and thrust my head forward, preparing for a fight. He raised a calming hand. “But the exam won’t take long. He just wants to confirm the mortician’s findings. He assured us Mrs. Oliver will be returned by Monday.”
    â€œWell, what about the stupid coroner? With three whole weeks to examine her body, how could he miss such an obvious clue?”
    Farkas took out a handkerchief and wiped the sweat off his forehead. Now, far be it from me to criticize the overweight. They are my people, but this poor man needed to lose some serious pounds.
    Detective Avila opened a file and looked inside. “The autopsy report shows an unknown cause of death. The coroner wrote cardiac failure as a probable cause.”
    â€œI know what the report says, Detective. I have a copy. Just so you know, your heart always stops beating when you die. Cardiac failure occurs in one hundred percent of deaths. What the report doesn’t say is why everyone assumes she died of a heart attack. The coroner didn’t have an organ to examine. Were there medical reports in the file indicating she suffered heart problems?”
    The detectives looked at each other but didn’t respond.
    I put my hands on my hips and leaned forward. “Exactly. Someone at the county coroner’s, who should have known better, got lazy and screwed up. At least the mortician paid attention, thank God. Otherwise, evidence of Harriet’s murder would have been buried along with her body.”
    Farkas closed his eyes briefly. “Look, I can understand your frustration. The shooting at the LA airport happened around the time Mrs. Oliver’s remains were discovered. The coroner processed an unusual number of bodies that week. Stuff happens. Things sometimes get overlooked.”
    I opened my mouth to complain, but he kept on talking.
    â€œRight now we consider Mrs. Oliver’s house to be a crime scene. Nobody can go inside until we’re through investigating. I’m asking you to please give me the key to the house.”
    â€œHow long