Read Online Shades of Murder (The Mac Faraday Mysteries) by Lauren Carr - Free Book Online
Authors: Lauren Carr
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hadn’t …” With a shiver, she stared off across the field filled with clover swaying in the breeze. “She’d been dead over twenty-four hours.”
Joshua studied the crime scene picture of her body that was clipped to the top of the reports in the file. Her wavy red hair was fanned out behind her where she had been sprawled out naked in the bed of clover. Having grown up with family in the farming business, he recalled that farm animals love the sweet taste of clover.
The bruise across her neck was dark against her gray flesh. “She was garroted,” he said. “Cartwright strangled his victims from the front with his bare hands.”
Cameron nodded her head. “That was the deal breaker for trying to charge Cartwright with the murder.”
“Are there any signs of sexual assault?” He flipped through the coroner’s report to find the official statement.
“She had sexual intercourse shortly before she was killed, but not directly before. The ME said it was most likely consensual.”
Flipping through the report, Joshua led her back to the road where Irving sat waiting. “He collected semen from her body.”
“The sample wasn’t viable for DNA analysis.”
Joshua asked her, “Did you ever find any leads, besides the Ghost, in identifying her?”
“At the time of the murder, her picture was all over the news for more than a week,” Cameron said. “We never located her car. Cartwright would always drive the car back to the shopping center from where he’d snatched his victim.”
“Forget about Cartwright,” he said. “We’re looking for someone else. How about her fingerprints?”
“We ran her fingerprints through AFIS and there were no hits,” she said.
“Okay.” Joshua studied Jane Doe’s picture and the ME’s report. “No body piercings or tattoos. There’s some alcohol in her blood, but nothing significant. Appendectomy scar. Her lungs were clear. She wasn’t a smoker. Mid-to late twenties.”
“Cartwright’s victims were late teens to early twenties.”
“My point is this woman is not malnourished. No drugs, no—She was well taken care of. Someone cared about her.”
“The Ghost,” Cameron said. “But, according to her, she was taking care of it.”
Joshua was reading another line in the autopsy report. “X-rays show the victim had extensive dental work possibly originating in Europe, most likely Britain.” He turned to her. “Did you know that the most expensive dental work in the world is done in Britain?”
“I did not know that,” Cameron replied. “She may be European.” She slapped her forehead with her open palm. “The Ghost spoke with a European accent. Of course!”
She looked up in time to see a jet ascending overhead as it took off from the airport located several exits up the freeway. “The airport isn’t far from here. The killer could have snatched her from there shortly after she arrived from someplace else. She’s not local. That’s why no one recognized her picture on the news. Her body was dumped. That was another thing. The body showed signs of lividity and there were carpet fibers in her hair.” She showed him the place in the forensics report where it reported the carpet fibers.
“Can you run her fingerprints again?” Joshua asked. “This time run them through the international database. If she’s a foreigner, you may get a hit. Someone somewhere in this world has to know this woman.”
She laughed. “I’ll get into so much trouble if I go into evidence and ask them to run her fingerprints through the international database. Do you have any idea how embarrassing it would be for Bixby if we found Jane Doe’s real killer on her watch?”
“I don’t want you to get into trouble on my account.” He closed the folder and handed it back to her.
She hugged the case file to her chest. “I didn’t say I wasn’t going to do it, darling.” She brushed her fingers across his cheek while gazing into his blue eyes. “I just said I was
Joshua studied the crime scene picture of her body that was clipped to the top of the reports in the file. Her wavy red hair was fanned out behind her where she had been sprawled out naked in the bed of clover. Having grown up with family in the farming business, he recalled that farm animals love the sweet taste of clover.
The bruise across her neck was dark against her gray flesh. “She was garroted,” he said. “Cartwright strangled his victims from the front with his bare hands.”
Cameron nodded her head. “That was the deal breaker for trying to charge Cartwright with the murder.”
“Are there any signs of sexual assault?” He flipped through the coroner’s report to find the official statement.
“She had sexual intercourse shortly before she was killed, but not directly before. The ME said it was most likely consensual.”
Flipping through the report, Joshua led her back to the road where Irving sat waiting. “He collected semen from her body.”
“The sample wasn’t viable for DNA analysis.”
Joshua asked her, “Did you ever find any leads, besides the Ghost, in identifying her?”
“At the time of the murder, her picture was all over the news for more than a week,” Cameron said. “We never located her car. Cartwright would always drive the car back to the shopping center from where he’d snatched his victim.”
“Forget about Cartwright,” he said. “We’re looking for someone else. How about her fingerprints?”
“We ran her fingerprints through AFIS and there were no hits,” she said.
“Okay.” Joshua studied Jane Doe’s picture and the ME’s report. “No body piercings or tattoos. There’s some alcohol in her blood, but nothing significant. Appendectomy scar. Her lungs were clear. She wasn’t a smoker. Mid-to late twenties.”
“Cartwright’s victims were late teens to early twenties.”
“My point is this woman is not malnourished. No drugs, no—She was well taken care of. Someone cared about her.”
“The Ghost,” Cameron said. “But, according to her, she was taking care of it.”
Joshua was reading another line in the autopsy report. “X-rays show the victim had extensive dental work possibly originating in Europe, most likely Britain.” He turned to her. “Did you know that the most expensive dental work in the world is done in Britain?”
“I did not know that,” Cameron replied. “She may be European.” She slapped her forehead with her open palm. “The Ghost spoke with a European accent. Of course!”
She looked up in time to see a jet ascending overhead as it took off from the airport located several exits up the freeway. “The airport isn’t far from here. The killer could have snatched her from there shortly after she arrived from someplace else. She’s not local. That’s why no one recognized her picture on the news. Her body was dumped. That was another thing. The body showed signs of lividity and there were carpet fibers in her hair.” She showed him the place in the forensics report where it reported the carpet fibers.
“Can you run her fingerprints again?” Joshua asked. “This time run them through the international database. If she’s a foreigner, you may get a hit. Someone somewhere in this world has to know this woman.”
She laughed. “I’ll get into so much trouble if I go into evidence and ask them to run her fingerprints through the international database. Do you have any idea how embarrassing it would be for Bixby if we found Jane Doe’s real killer on her watch?”
“I don’t want you to get into trouble on my account.” He closed the folder and handed it back to her.
She hugged the case file to her chest. “I didn’t say I wasn’t going to do it, darling.” She brushed her fingers across his cheek while gazing into his blue eyes. “I just said I was
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