Read Online Known Dead by Donald Harstad - Free Book Online Page B

shotgun being fired, but no visible effect, and the empty round not ejected. Struck so often, and especially in the head, he probably fired from reflex.’’
    ‘‘But,’’ said Hester, ‘‘he’d have to have seen something, to put his finger on the trigger in the first place, don’t you think?’’
    Dr. Peters thought for a second. ‘‘Yes.’’
    ‘‘But,’’ said Hester again, ‘‘not soon enough to fire.’’
    ‘‘Right. So,’’ said Dr. Peters, ‘‘we come to Agent Kellerman.’’
    I took in a breath, and some coffee as well. So did just about everybody else. In other circumstances, it might have been funny.
    ‘‘He, also, was struck what appears to be five times,’’ said Dr. Peters. ‘‘But in this case, there’s something very interesting. He appears to have been hit twice by 5.56 mm rounds and three times by 7.62 mm rounds. From the same approximate direction, but from possibly two different levels. And at virtually the same time, based on Officer Johansen’s recollections.’’
    ‘‘What do you mean?’’ asked Dahl.
    ‘‘Well,’’ said Dr. Peters. ‘‘Johansen heard what he thought was basically one burst of fire, and a second or two later, another. When Johansen reaches Kellerman, the wounds we have are already there. There is subsequent firing, but no further hits on Kellerman. And that, by the way, is borne out by the approximate angles and directions of entry on the wounds. I’ve talked to Johansen, and he estimates that each burst of fire was probably about one second in duration. Yet we have two distinct types of round, entering at the same approximate angle and direction.’’ He leaned forward. ‘‘Fragments again, I’m afraid, but the fragments are larger because of his ballistic vest.’’
    Oh, swell.
    ‘‘The casings found at the scene confirm two calibers,’’ said Dr. Peters, ‘‘and Agent Dahl says they’re at almost the same angle from the officer.’’
    ‘‘Yeah,’’ said Dahl. ‘‘But one’s back further, isn’t it, Hester?’’
    ‘‘About fifteen yards,’’ said Hester. ‘‘And to the right of the 5.56 shooter.’’
    ‘‘So,’’ I said, ‘‘can we state with any certainty that Kellerman shot Howie, and that the two unseen dopers shot Kellerman?’’
    ‘‘Yep,’’ said Dahl.
    ‘‘Uh, no, I don’t think so,’’ said Dr. Peters. ‘‘In fact, from the statement of Officer Johansen, I don’t see how Officer Kellerman could have hit the civilian from the front . . .’’
    Oops.
    ‘‘You mean,’’ asked Lamar, ‘‘that the other dopers shot both this Phelps dude and the officer?’’
    ‘‘Yes,’’ said Dr. Peters, ‘‘and from the testimony of Officer Johansen, about two seconds apart.’’ He raised his coffee to his lips, then brought it down a bit. ‘‘That’s not what Officer Johansen thought happened at the time, though. He, too, thought that Officer Kellerman had shot the civilian.’’
    We digested that for a few seconds.
    ‘‘Judging from the evidence from the autopsy, and from the scene of the murders, I believe that one man shot the civilian, and then both that man and his partner shot the officer.’’ Dr. Peters tapped a finger on his notes. ‘‘Can’t prove it, of course. Not yet. That’s up to you.’’ He smiled.
    He held up one of the larger, 7.62 mm casings. It was a dark brown. ‘‘Chinese-made,’’ he said. ‘‘Fires the 7.62 short Soviet round. So, if it’s full auto, I’d suggest an AK-47-type weapon.’’
    ‘‘Or a modified SKS?’’ I asked.
    ‘‘Sure.’’
    ‘‘But definitely not one of the older 7.62 Russian, like from World War II?’’ Dr. Peters was a gun collector, and would be likely to know that.
    ‘‘I don’t think it would.’’
    ‘‘Like,’’ I asked, ‘‘one of the semiauto Tokarevs?’’
    ‘‘Not likely. That had, if I remember, a round with a funny kind of rim . . .’’
    ‘‘Thanks.’’ I shook my head. The cases