Read Online The Ginseng Conspiracy (A Kay Driscoll Mystery) by Susan Bernhardt - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Susan Bernhardt
Tags: cozy mystery
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while Carstairs stayed with us.
“Carstairs, get this area secured right away,” Murphy said, returning. “The forensic team will be here soon.”
Ten minutes later, the ambulance arrived with two white-jacketed attendants. Dr. Anders, the county coroner, who I worked with at the free clinic, stepped out of his Mercedes-Benz CLS wearing a lab coat over his suit. He must have been at work when he received the call. He looked tired. Dr. Anders pulled on latex gloves, glanced at his watch, and knelt down next to the body. I watched him as he examined the professor. He turned over the body with the help of one of the attendants. After a brief examination, he stood up, took off the gloves, and went over and talked to the police officers putting the crime scene tape up. I heard him say the words, “accidental drowning.” While the crime photographer took pictures, Dr. Anders looked up at me and came over as I was looking at the body.
“Kay, you found the body?
“My friends and I discovered the professor lying in the water. We were on a walk,” I said, looking into his steely gray eyes.
Dr. Anders shook his head. “Terrible accident.”
“Accident? Are you sure?” I asked.
“That's what it looks like to me,” he said, gesturing at the scene by the river.
I shrugged my shoulders.
“I did a preliminary exam. It looks like Professor Walters slipped on the rocks near the water, fell, and hit his head, which would explain the contusions on his scalp. He must have landed, unconscious, face down in the water and drowned. His body got caught up on the rocks or the current would have carried him downstream. Of course, Kay, I'll be doing an autopsy to confirm the exact cause and manner of death.” Good, I thought. The toxicology report would show the drugs in the professor's body that were used to knock him out cold in the vacant store.
“Dr. Anders, I noticed the discoloration on the professor's body. Look, you can see the reddish-blue discoloration of livor mortis on the body which occurs, I believe, around ten hours after death, meaning he would have been walking around here in the middle of the night,” I said. “There aren't any lights in this area. It doesn't make sense he would be down here by the water at that time.”
Couldn't Dr. Anders figure out this wasn't an accidental death? Did I need to spell it out for him?
“Kay, I don't have any idea what he was doing here. All I can do is determine if there is, in fact, water present in his airway and stomach and if the lungs are swollen up. If these signs are present, then his death is due to drowning, which is what I am expecting to see. If anything else, like blood in the lungs or a spasm in the larynx shows up, we may have a different story.”
He sure seemed terse and matter of fact. I walked back to Deirdre and Elizabeth standing a few yards away. Deputy Chief Bill Murphy came over and said, “Ladies, I'm going down to the police station soon. Please meet me there in thirty minutes to give your statements.” He turned to Dr. Anders and said, “Michael, Detective Ron Carstairs will be available to you if you need any assistance here.”
Ron Carstairs turned to Bill Murphy and asked, “What about searching the area?” My ears perked up.
“Sure, we will,” Murphy replied.
Yeah, you bet. I'm sure he didn't mean it at all.
“We’d better head over to the police station, then,” Elizabeth said.
What kind of statement was I going to make to Bill Murphy? Was Carstairs involved, too? Bill Murphy had sounded casual about doing a search. Was all of police department involved? Should I speak to Dr. Anders before we left about what I saw in the vacant store? I trusted him. I knew if any evidence still existed, it may not last for long. I decided to keep quiet, not wanting to take the chance that Bill Murphy might overhear what I said. Perhaps later.
As we left to go to the police station, the photographer packed up his cameras, and the paramedics
“Carstairs, get this area secured right away,” Murphy said, returning. “The forensic team will be here soon.”
Ten minutes later, the ambulance arrived with two white-jacketed attendants. Dr. Anders, the county coroner, who I worked with at the free clinic, stepped out of his Mercedes-Benz CLS wearing a lab coat over his suit. He must have been at work when he received the call. He looked tired. Dr. Anders pulled on latex gloves, glanced at his watch, and knelt down next to the body. I watched him as he examined the professor. He turned over the body with the help of one of the attendants. After a brief examination, he stood up, took off the gloves, and went over and talked to the police officers putting the crime scene tape up. I heard him say the words, “accidental drowning.” While the crime photographer took pictures, Dr. Anders looked up at me and came over as I was looking at the body.
“Kay, you found the body?
“My friends and I discovered the professor lying in the water. We were on a walk,” I said, looking into his steely gray eyes.
Dr. Anders shook his head. “Terrible accident.”
“Accident? Are you sure?” I asked.
“That's what it looks like to me,” he said, gesturing at the scene by the river.
I shrugged my shoulders.
“I did a preliminary exam. It looks like Professor Walters slipped on the rocks near the water, fell, and hit his head, which would explain the contusions on his scalp. He must have landed, unconscious, face down in the water and drowned. His body got caught up on the rocks or the current would have carried him downstream. Of course, Kay, I'll be doing an autopsy to confirm the exact cause and manner of death.” Good, I thought. The toxicology report would show the drugs in the professor's body that were used to knock him out cold in the vacant store.
“Dr. Anders, I noticed the discoloration on the professor's body. Look, you can see the reddish-blue discoloration of livor mortis on the body which occurs, I believe, around ten hours after death, meaning he would have been walking around here in the middle of the night,” I said. “There aren't any lights in this area. It doesn't make sense he would be down here by the water at that time.”
Couldn't Dr. Anders figure out this wasn't an accidental death? Did I need to spell it out for him?
“Kay, I don't have any idea what he was doing here. All I can do is determine if there is, in fact, water present in his airway and stomach and if the lungs are swollen up. If these signs are present, then his death is due to drowning, which is what I am expecting to see. If anything else, like blood in the lungs or a spasm in the larynx shows up, we may have a different story.”
He sure seemed terse and matter of fact. I walked back to Deirdre and Elizabeth standing a few yards away. Deputy Chief Bill Murphy came over and said, “Ladies, I'm going down to the police station soon. Please meet me there in thirty minutes to give your statements.” He turned to Dr. Anders and said, “Michael, Detective Ron Carstairs will be available to you if you need any assistance here.”
Ron Carstairs turned to Bill Murphy and asked, “What about searching the area?” My ears perked up.
“Sure, we will,” Murphy replied.
Yeah, you bet. I'm sure he didn't mean it at all.
“We’d better head over to the police station, then,” Elizabeth said.
What kind of statement was I going to make to Bill Murphy? Was Carstairs involved, too? Bill Murphy had sounded casual about doing a search. Was all of police department involved? Should I speak to Dr. Anders before we left about what I saw in the vacant store? I trusted him. I knew if any evidence still existed, it may not last for long. I decided to keep quiet, not wanting to take the chance that Bill Murphy might overhear what I said. Perhaps later.
As we left to go to the police station, the photographer packed up his cameras, and the paramedics
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