“It’s Fitz.”
“Thanks for that. I do have caller ID on this thing. What’s up?”
“We’re opening the park back up. Crime Scene got exactly squat, no trace, no worthwhile prints, no ID or clothes. She may well have flown there and landed on those steps.”
Taylor laughed. “That’s about the best logic I’ve heard today. What’s Sam up to?”
“She wrapped things up about an hour ago. She said she’s sending over the autopsy report. Everything’s square with Loughley too.”
“Hmm. Did you call him?”
“Nope, she did it all by her pretty little self. Why?”
“Nothing, just curious. We’re not getting too much over here either, other than the distinct impression Shelby Kincaid has a secret lover. We’re on our way. You need anything while I’m out?”
“If you get by Jack’s BBQ, you could grab me some pulled pork, buns and a Bud,” he said hopefully.
“Mmm, sounds good. Skipping the beer, though. Sorry.” She clicked off her phone and snapped it back onto her waistband.
“Okay, Marcus, let’s grab some food and go back to the office.”
Taylor took a last drag on her cigarette and flicked it away into the bushes. Saw a figure over Marcus’s shoulder. Chief Graber was standing by Carmichael Towers. He wasn’t smiling. Taylor turned her back and they started walking back to their car.
Taylor’s cell phone rang again as she touched the handle to the driver’s side door. “Yes?”
“Hey T, it’s Fitz again. You’re gonna have to skip that Q. How about meeting me at the sidewalk behind the River Stages.”
Taylor rolled her neck to the left with a loud pop. “What’s so interesting behind the stage, Fitz?”
“How’s about another dead girl?”
Her heart sank.
“Oh, no. We’re on our way. Give us five minutes.” She clicked off, looked over at Marcus, who was lounging with his arms across the top of the car, watching the coeds.
“Get in, slugger. We’ve got us another body.”
Twelve
Taylor and Marcus drove back downtown in silence. Riverside Park was only a few blocks from police headquarters. The body had conveniently washed up in their backyard. They parked and walked toward the popular summer concert venue. Fitz waved cheerily at them.
“Come on down and meet our next contestant.” He led them down to the river.
Taylor shook her head and smoothed a stray hair behind her ear. As they neared the water, she saw the tarp over a lump on the riverbank. Marcus stayed a few feet behind her.
“Okay, Fitz, what do you have?”
He pointed unnecessarily at the lump. “Well, there we have another dead girl. Boat passin’ by saw something in the weeds, came by for a closer look. She was facedown, they used a grappling hook to turn her over, called 911.”
“Who got here first?”
“Who else? Officer Wills. Happened to be on Second Avenue when the call came, he was here within a minute.”
“Good, good. At least we know he didn’t screw anything up.”
Marcus was shifting from the ball of one foot to another like a small child who needed to go to the bathroom. Taylor caught the movement.
“Okay, Marcus?”
“Yes, ma’am. Though two girls in two days is a little creepy for me.”
“Yes, it is. But that’s what you get when you work homicide. Let’s go take a look, shall we?”
They made their way to the water’s edge. Taylor leaned in and pulled the tarp back from the body, grimacing at the smell. She hated floaters.
A young woman’s ruined face stared back at her. “Damn,” she said softly. She pulled the tarp the rest of the way back, careful not to disturb anything lying beneath it. The girl was naked, bloated with the build up of gases that had brought her to the surface. There were five distinct stab wounds on her torso. At least it would be a little simpler to determine what killed this one.
She started to replace the tarp when she heard Sam a few yards away.
“Go ahead and leave it off, Taylor. I need to take a look.” She tripped on some unidentifiable piece of trash and cursed under her breath as she fell into Marcus. He grabbed on for dear life to the first available appendage. It happened to be her left breast. She barked a laugh and gave him a smile that only deepened his blush.
“God, Sam, I’m so sorry.”
“That’s okay, cookie. Nice catch.” She winked and he recovered nicely, giving her a charming smile back.
“Hey, T. You’re keeping me a little busy, ya know?”