Things have been chaotic in my world, but isn't Life fantastic?
Health and Love to you all!
Chapter 3: Truth, Goodness and Beauty. Wishing for a girl like you.
Woody came into the autopsy room looking for Kate. The lifeless body of Susan Byrne was lying on a slab. The sewed Y incision on her chest indicated that her autopsy had already been performed. It was disturbing how her nudity didn't bother anyone. Not Kate, not him, and obviously not her. Her beautiful body was exposed to all their eyes.
She was beautiful on a different level. Her skin and flesh remained as when they had had life, but there was an ethereal quietness to her that made her look fragile and at the same time unbreakable… almost marmoreal.
She had been alive, and more than that, she had brought another human creature into the world
She had given birth a baby… a girl.
It should have been amazing to give life…
They had to find her baby… alive.
The gorgeous nudity of this eerie-stone woman took his thoughts to the same person every time he had that kind of reflection, to Jordan. But his Jordan was very much alive; he was a true witness of that.
And he intended to keep her that way, alive and happy.
And healthy, even against her own will.
And beautiful to him.
And naked, as much as he could. Her silky skin and the warm sensations were his higher expectations.
It was pretty clear that in his state of mind, even death had become truth and goodness.
Woody came nearer to Susan's remains while Kate grabbed a file from the desk that was behind them and opened it.
"Skin and oropharynx condition indicate a severe case of anaphylaxis, maybe caused from drug or food poisoning." She showed him the nasty hives that were on her once beautiful-white-skin. "Respiratory and cardiac arrest may have been taken place before she died. Obstruction of the respiratory system and subsequent choking are the cause of death." Then she showed him Susan's swollen tongue and continued. "But she was drugged before, we found traces of Rohypnol."
"The roofie?" Woody asked, not as if he didn't know but as an affirmation of what he knew.
"Yeah, 'date rape drug'." Confirmed Kate, lifting her eyes from the paper she was reading and meeting his eyes. "We found just the main enzyme of phase one metabolism in her liver. Since Flunitrazepam has a long half-life of eighteen to twenty six hours, I think that she was drugged and then immediately induced to anaphylaxis. She wasn't able to metabolize the drug a step further because she died right away. We haven't found another drug or remains of food that may indicate the cause of the anaphylaxis, except and maybe if she was allergic to penicillin. There is evidence of amoxicillin in the blood."
"So, what I have to look for is if she was ill and taking antibiotics, specifically penicillin, or if she was allergic to it. And if the latter was her case, who could have known that and have a motive to kill her. Am I right?"
He was thinking that the killer had the assurance of the ultimate phase of the murder without implicating a gun or any other kind of object that could compromise the outcome. It was a cold blood murder.
"Yes, I would say so" Replied Kate, closing the file and considering her work done.
"And maybe the motive would have to do with the kidnapping of her baby… Have you found anything on the samples the CSU people collected?" Woody didn't guess that Kate was done with this exchange, as he needed someone to discuss it with. He was so used to Jordan that it was really hard to keep from doing it, even with Kate.
She on he other hand, knew that Woody expected her to solve his cases as he had with Jordan, and she had fought it so much, loosing every time… She considered that it was better to join the team than to fight them. So, she played with their rules. The morgue rules. She was feeling a part of them after all. She had even shared a plane crash with them. What else could she do? She sighed. "Well, we may be able to establish who her father is trough DNA analysis by comparing the fecal and urine samples of the dipper they collected, if we had something to compare. We could establish if she was healthy or sick… I don't know, we'll have to deal with your assumptions about the victim's murder and the baby's kidnapping."
"The father of the baby is still unknown, but neighbors and the babysitter said she wasn't having any kind of problems with anybody. An exemplary single-mom, no man was visiting her and her baby was adorable and never cried." He was thinking, "the most solid lead is about her baby's kidnapping. Maybe I'll have to seek for under law adoption or in the worst of cases, organ trafficking…" this had turned out to be a nasty case. "Somehow, she had to have known the one who did it to her; there were no signs of struggle… if she was drugged maybe we can find some remnants of it on glasses, maybe even fingerprints, if we're lucky…" He'll make sure that this bastard wouldn't get away from justice. "We have to move fast, the baby's life is threatened until we know why she was kidnapped".
Woody was still on a brain storm talking with Kate about Susan Byrne's murder when Nigel and Bug came into the autopsy room, chatting, as always. Woody abruptly interrupted his deliberation and greeted his friends with a cheery glance.
"Hey!" He said to them.
The discussion they were having had seemed to come to an end as Bug's attention was changed to his detective-friend. "Hey Woody! Did you find something that was to your liking?"
The light in his eyes told everybody in the room that he had indeed found something really extraordinary, for whatever it was that Bug was asking about. It seemed that he was the only one acquainted with Woody's joyful stance.
"Oh, yes! Amazing! Just the one I was looking for! I tell you buddy, this time I'm gonna get it. I have everything prepared."
Nigel was wondering what this pair was talking about. Woody's sparkling eyes had him intrigued and hurt. Why wasn't he informed about anything these days? "What? What is it, mate?"
"Oh, no Nigel. Last time somebody told you something like this, you were spreading the fact around, it turned out to be a disaster. And I want it to be 'perfect'." He was thoughtful for an instant, "on a better thinking, I may have to thank you for that… anyway, you'll know tomorrow." The happy detective headed to where Bug was standing and both friends performed their hands salute, "Wish me luck!" Woody said at the end.
Bug just smiled, lifting his thumbs up to him.
"I'll be in touch with you, Kate. Keep me informed of anything you find. I have ten more people working on finding the baby. Her picture is on the news by now. So, as I told you, we have to move fast." Although he was struggling to sound professional and serious, his excited manners didn't fool Kate.
"Sure thing merry detective" she said, sarcastic and impersonating Bug's thumbs-up to him. Woody's happy mood didn't change a bit for this; he faked a laugh while he pointed his index finger to her and simulated gun fire. In the next second, he was outside.
"What was all that about?" Nigel wasn't going to let it go, and for whatever it took, he would have an answer from Bug.
"Oh no, Nige. You heard Woody. You'll know tomorrow."
But Nigel insisted, he was beginning to feel worried as he wasn't used to being left out of any kind of news their friends and not so friends had around where he lived. "What do you want Bug?"
Bug's posture wasn't moved a bit by the gossip compulsion of his friend, "Nothing".
Now, Nigel was desperate, some people had gambling compulsions, others had problems with drugs or alcohol. His was knowledge, all kinds, especially knowledge of what was going on in everybody's lives. "Listen to my offer… a full week of paperwork."
Kate observed their debate with a mixture of amusement and annoyance.
"Double or nothing, starting right away." Bug guessed that his friend wouldn't find time to ruin anybody's life with all the work he would be doing in that period of time, so, it was pretty harmless to tell him.
"You must be kidding!" Nigel was utterly lost. His compulsion had lost him.
"I tell you, Nige, it's worth it." It was almost a waste of words trying to convince him, he had made up his mind already.
"Done!" He yelled, as if this was the last chance Bug was giving to him.
"I have a witness!" Bug finally granted and signaled Kate in order to make their deal perfectly legal. He made a pause, just to exacerbate, a little more, his friend; he was having so much fun with him. "Ok… I was asking if he had found a ring. I recommended him the place I bought Lily's… he's gonna propose tonight."