Read Online Raven: A political thriller by J.J. Franck - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: J.J. Franck
Ads: Link
who killed the young
woman.
“Will you be ready for that?” Fred said.
Don turned to Fred with a look that could kill. “What do you mean by
that crack?”
Don knew what Fred was getting at, even though he didn’t answer him.
From the start Don had been troubled by the murder of Raven VanBuren. It
started when he walked into her house and saw her portrait above the mantel.
Something inside troubled him, and he couldn’t stop thinking about Raven or the
image of the corpse in the burnt-out Mustang. He was having a hard time coming
to terms with this whole case. And what part of it had to do with Senator
Maxfield’s disappearance?
They drove through traffic in silence after that. Fred didn’t want to
say more. Don, on the other hand, had to deal with his partner’s concern. When
they finally got to the coroner’s office, it was Don who walked in first. As
they waited for Dr. Schmidt to open the door, Don turned to Fred with one of
his looks.
“I’ll do all the talking,” Don said.
“Don’t you always?” Fred was getting tired of Don treating him as if
he didn’t know what he was doing.
Fred, in all actuality, had learned a lot from watching Don in action.
That was why this case was troubling him so. Don was not on top of his game.
His judgment had been clouded the moment he walked into the victim’s house last
night.
* * *
The coroner’s office was cold and impersonal. The sterile, stainless
steel interior only added to the cool feeling. Fred never liked going there. It
always gave him the creeps. Don on the other hand didn’t let anything bother
him. That was, until this case started.
Don had his pad opened, taking notes, while Fred sat back and just
listened to the two talk about the dead body on the metal slab as if it were
nothing unusual. Dr. Schmidt had been the coroner for going on fifteen years.
Don liked him and he was easy to talk to. He always talked to Don and not down
to him, unlike some of his assistants when Dr. Schmidt was working on another
case.
Don after a long silence looked at Dr. Schmidt and asked, “How sure
are you that it’s the VanBuren woman?”
“There wasn’t much to go on.”
“Give me what you got,” Don said.
“We have a woman the same height as Ms. VanBuren,” he said.
Don turned and stared at the charred body on the table as Dr. Schmidt
continued. “Same weight and build. A dental ID is impossible with the damage
from the blast to the face.”
“What if it isn’t her?” Don asked.
“You have the body in her car. To me, it’s a safe bet that it’s her.
Unless you have reason to believe otherwise.”
“What about blood type?” Fred asked. He was tired of just listening to
the two and decided to get into the conversation.
Dr. Schmidt glanced at him for the first time, as if not realizing
Fred was even there.
“Same as our girl. We could do a DNA, but you’d have to bring me
something to compare it to,” Dr. Schmidt quickly replied.
Fred shook his head for a moment. He then stared at Don for the
longest time. It would be easy enough to go back to the house and get something
that belonged to Raven VanBuren and finally put to rest for Don who was on that
slab.
“If it wasn’t our girl, then who could it be and why wouldn’t our girl
be calling us to set us straight?” Fred quickly interjected. It was a
reasonable question, one that Don and Dr. Schmidt hadn’t really thought about.
The look on Don’s face told Fred he wasn’t getting through, and then
he just shook his head and continued.
“Christ, Don, this has been in all the papers, not to mention the
radio and television. You’d have to be living in a vacuum not to have heard
about it.”
Don turned to Dr. Schmidt. “So you’re positive it’s the VanBuren girl
on the slab,” he said as he motioned to the stainless steel table in front of
them.
“As sure as I can be, given what I have to go on. Who else could it
be?”
Don just shook his head and then asked, “Have her
woman.
“Will you be ready for that?” Fred said.
Don turned to Fred with a look that could kill. “What do you mean by
that crack?”
Don knew what Fred was getting at, even though he didn’t answer him.
From the start Don had been troubled by the murder of Raven VanBuren. It
started when he walked into her house and saw her portrait above the mantel.
Something inside troubled him, and he couldn’t stop thinking about Raven or the
image of the corpse in the burnt-out Mustang. He was having a hard time coming
to terms with this whole case. And what part of it had to do with Senator
Maxfield’s disappearance?
They drove through traffic in silence after that. Fred didn’t want to
say more. Don, on the other hand, had to deal with his partner’s concern. When
they finally got to the coroner’s office, it was Don who walked in first. As
they waited for Dr. Schmidt to open the door, Don turned to Fred with one of
his looks.
“I’ll do all the talking,” Don said.
“Don’t you always?” Fred was getting tired of Don treating him as if
he didn’t know what he was doing.
Fred, in all actuality, had learned a lot from watching Don in action.
That was why this case was troubling him so. Don was not on top of his game.
His judgment had been clouded the moment he walked into the victim’s house last
night.
* * *
The coroner’s office was cold and impersonal. The sterile, stainless
steel interior only added to the cool feeling. Fred never liked going there. It
always gave him the creeps. Don on the other hand didn’t let anything bother
him. That was, until this case started.
Don had his pad opened, taking notes, while Fred sat back and just
listened to the two talk about the dead body on the metal slab as if it were
nothing unusual. Dr. Schmidt had been the coroner for going on fifteen years.
Don liked him and he was easy to talk to. He always talked to Don and not down
to him, unlike some of his assistants when Dr. Schmidt was working on another
case.
Don after a long silence looked at Dr. Schmidt and asked, “How sure
are you that it’s the VanBuren woman?”
“There wasn’t much to go on.”
“Give me what you got,” Don said.
“We have a woman the same height as Ms. VanBuren,” he said.
Don turned and stared at the charred body on the table as Dr. Schmidt
continued. “Same weight and build. A dental ID is impossible with the damage
from the blast to the face.”
“What if it isn’t her?” Don asked.
“You have the body in her car. To me, it’s a safe bet that it’s her.
Unless you have reason to believe otherwise.”
“What about blood type?” Fred asked. He was tired of just listening to
the two and decided to get into the conversation.
Dr. Schmidt glanced at him for the first time, as if not realizing
Fred was even there.
“Same as our girl. We could do a DNA, but you’d have to bring me
something to compare it to,” Dr. Schmidt quickly replied.
Fred shook his head for a moment. He then stared at Don for the
longest time. It would be easy enough to go back to the house and get something
that belonged to Raven VanBuren and finally put to rest for Don who was on that
slab.
“If it wasn’t our girl, then who could it be and why wouldn’t our girl
be calling us to set us straight?” Fred quickly interjected. It was a
reasonable question, one that Don and Dr. Schmidt hadn’t really thought about.
The look on Don’s face told Fred he wasn’t getting through, and then
he just shook his head and continued.
“Christ, Don, this has been in all the papers, not to mention the
radio and television. You’d have to be living in a vacuum not to have heard
about it.”
Don turned to Dr. Schmidt. “So you’re positive it’s the VanBuren girl
on the slab,” he said as he motioned to the stainless steel table in front of
them.
“As sure as I can be, given what I have to go on. Who else could it
be?”
Don just shook his head and then asked, “Have her
Similar Books
