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 You loved it.
 Jealous?
 Not today, anyway. But, I can try again later.
 Smart ass.
 You know, I get that a lot.
Danny resisted, but he so wanted to slap her ass. One, to shut her up, and two,
because he would just like to spank Ronnie Chase.
Goodnight Sweetheart 46 Emery LaRue
He had a feeling the little detective may like that. He promised to find out one
day very soon.
Goodnight Sweetheart 47 Emery LaRue
Chapter Five
 Come on in, Ronnie, Becky said from her place at the scrub sink.  I was just
finishing up.
 Do you have time to talk about this case?
 You bet. Who s your friend?
 Detective Monroe, this is the incredible Becky Campbell. She shook his hand.
 She s also Joe s wife.
 Everyone knows that, Ronnie. Becky smiled.  Let s go into the next room and I
can take you step by step on what little I do know. It will be easier if I show you the
body.
They each put on scrubs, masks and latex gloves. Ronnie listened intently,
hoping to catch anything that would help them track this guy. The body of poor Vicky
was her only chance at this point in time.
 Vicky Harper had no idea what was going to happen to her. There were no
signs of a struggle at all, other than a few fibers under her nails. My guess would be the
perp wore a wool coat, and she may have tried to break his hold by clutching the arms.
Danny and Ronnie both stood silently, waiting until the end of Becky s
presentation. Becky removed the sheet, and worked her way down from head to toe.
 No head or facial wounds. There was some bruising to the back of the throat,
but that s not uncommon really. Many johns tend to be rough with oral sex. No hair or
fibers of any kind were found. Her mouth was clean. I even scraped her teeth. The
bruising around her neck shows her manner of death. The perp slowly applied pressure
until her wind was cut off. This took tremendous strength. It s actually not an easy
Goodnight Sweetheart 48 Emery LaRue
thing, to strangle a person to death, especially when they are alert. The color on her
throat indicates the pressure was there and increased over a time span of minutes. No
wounds, inside or out to the chest or abdomen. However, while examining her vagina
for semen, I found fresh marks indicating her last client was not your average man.
There was no trauma. Rape was not the crime. A condom was used. No other marks on
her legs or any other part of her body.
 So, basically, he had sex with her, then killed her, and then had the mind to
clean up any evidence that may be likely. Ronnie stated it as fact, not a question.
 I wish I had more for you, Ronnie. There is just nothing on her body that I can
find.
 Thanks, Becky. She turned to Danny.  I have never felt so helpless.
He nodded, understanding her desire to seek justice for this woman. Not to
mention, for Danny, he hated the thought that if this guy wasn t caught, it may be
Ronnie on the table next. That thought caused something inside him to sit up and take
notice. Over his dead body. Danny would watch her every second if he had to.
 All we can do now is head back to the station house and read the files again and
again, he said, putting away his notebook.  Something is there. We re just not seeing
it.
Nodding, she hugged Becky and led the way out of the autopsy room. Danny
hurried her out the front door, hoping to avoid the lusty Jennifer.
Ronnie remained quiet and deep in thought, so he opted to drive. She handed
him the keys, climbed inside and laid her head back against the seat. It was odd, just
one homicide victim, but she knew she had to work it like it had been a hundred. In her
gut, she knew there would be more. Someone out there was making a statement. She
shivered thinking of what Vicky must have gone through.
 You okay, Ronnie?
 Yes, I just don t know how to proceed.
Danny didn t either. It looked like they would have to wait for victim number
two, but there was no way in hell he would say that to her.
Goodnight Sweetheart 49 Emery LaRue
As they made their way back to the station and to their desks, Ronnie noticed
Brody s desk was empty. Frowning, she left Danny to the case file and walked into Joe s
office.
 Where is, Brody?
 He is taking a few weeks of paid leave. He was due and I thought it was a good
idea. Joe shrugged.  He didn t like it, but I hoped it would help to fix any family
issues.
 That was a good idea. I ve been worried.
 I was worried too, Ronnie, for you. Right now, Brody can t be trusted to act.
 Okay. I didn t get anything from the hotel and neither did Danny. Becky took
us on a step by step of the body. Nothing there either.
 What s your plan now? [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]