Read Online She Felt No Pain by Lou Allin - Free Book Online

his skin was weathered from outdoor living. He wore faded, ripped jeans, a plain sweatshirt with one sleeve rolled up and scuffed runners. Lying on a comfortable bed of bracken, he had one hand over his head in an almost demure posture as if to shield himself from sun. Her eyebrow lifted as she scanned the area, creating a mental grid. “Make haste slowly,” Ben had advised, quoting her the Latin like the good Catholic boy he’d been at fifteen when he’d nearly entered the priesthood. “What you do often can’t be undone.” She was not the coroner, but merely here to secure the scene, whatever Boone might decide about an autopsy.
    At first sight, it seemed like a slam dunk. Near the body was a classic collection of drug paraphernalia, a clear bag with white-powder residue, spoon, plastic lighter, a water bottle and a faded plastic pencil case stamped “007” with the original Sean Connery in action mode with his Walther PPK. What a strange collectible for a loner. His hairy arms wore an embroidery of needle marks. Lab tests would probably reveal an overdose. Was this the man Bill had said he hadn’t seen recently? Or the panhandler? And speaking of Bill, where was he?
    The equipment was a HIV/AIDS minefield. It would have to be carefully removed. Nearby was a rolled-up sleeping bag and a small backpack, both of which looked new. She blinked as a tiger lily lifted its orange Turks head to a shaft of sun, before a cloud shadowed the path. Then came the pad of heavy feet and heavier breathing.
    “Christ on a cupcake, are you trying to kill an old man, making me haul butt up here? Why not just put a gun to my head?” a gruff voice with a hint of humour asked. It was Boone, his stomach surrounded by suspenders and broken-down brogues on his feet. His teeth clamped an empty corn-cob pipe in homage to his former addiction. A battered leather doctor’s bag dropped onto the ground. He rooted through it and snapped on a pair of latex gloves.
    Holly turned to Frank and introduced them. “Thanks for your cooperation, Mr. Jones. You and your family can leave now. We have your contact numbers if any questions arise. It was a sad introduction to the island for you.”
    Frank gave a quick nod. “Glad I could help. Almost went into police work myself, but the wife would have divorced me. It’s duller but safer being a math teacher.”
    “Good luck up at Cowichan. There’s a record-breaking Sitka Spruce just off the road near Harris Creek. It’s on the tourist maps.”
    As Frank jogged off, Holly took a log for a seat and watched Boone do his job. Easier on the eyes and nose than an autopsy but not half as interesting.
    He gave a series of hmms as he completed a mental checklist. “No blood, no apparent wounds. Eyes are getting cloudy. Rigor’s just set in, and liver mortis indicates this is where he died,” he said, having moved the body and loosened the clothes to check underneath. “A bit of bruising on his knuckles. Right hand. Might not mean anything.”
    Judging by the rubber tube, he’d been injecting his left arm, so that fit. Was he the one who gave Bill a punch? “Squatters have been camping under the bridge. I talked to one earlier about a panhandling situation,” Holly commented.
    Then he rotated the head and peered into the mouth. “Looks like he’s been living outside, no frequent showers, shaves, or shampoos, but he’s had some dental work in the distant past. Silver fillings, nothing fancy. A few teeth missing. Fights. Falls. Poor nutrition. Gum disease. To be expected.” He took a temperature and nodded to himself. “Cool back here in the woods. I’d say he died sometime last night, if the rigor isn’t lying. We’re lucky the damn bears didn’t get to him, nice chunk of steak like that.”
    “An overdose? With all of that gear, it seems obvious.” She swept a hand over the scene.
    “Sometimes the most evident answer is the real one. Don’t look for no zebra in a herd of horses.” He