Disclaimer: See Chapter 1

Chapter 13—Virtopsy

Alexx Woods sat at her desk in the morgue, her laptop at the ready. She had cleared space for this one appointment.

Finally the screen clicked on. "Good morning, Dr. Singletary."

"Dr. Alexx Woods. I've heard good things about you. Thanks for agreeing to this video conference. After we exhumed the bodies of the Johannsen family, I made virtopsies of all of the three victims, Steven, Joshua Michael, and Elizabeth. Since they were embalmed in 1986 and technology was different, you're aware that evidence will be limited."

"Of course."

"Even with the embalming process, there has been some decomp on all three. With the virtopsy technology, I did, however, find some things that were very interesting. I'll show you each body in the order that I found the most evidence. Click on the right hand side of your screen."

A green hologram appeared in front of her as she clicked the button.

"This is the scanned virtopsy of Joshua Michael, age ten. Now as you know, he was found in his bedroom closet. The preliminary report said that he died of smoke inhalation. From what I could find on his lung tissue, that appears to be true. But I did notice something on his right upper arm. Take a look at the biceps brachii and the surrounding tissue."

Alexx nodded. "Compacted scarring. And the tendons of the supraspinatus look like they've been pulled directly upward."

"Right. In the shape of a hand. This suggests somebody had grabbed him and yanked him upward pretty hard. It had to be someone who was either mad or, in this case, in a panic. I'm amending the report with this."

"Dr. Singletary, can we get a handprint off that bruising?"

"Our lab has already done that. Click on the next icon on your screen."

Alexx clicked on the icon. Another green hologram lit up the air, this time of a handprint.

"Here's the handprint our M.E. was able to lift from Joshua Michael's arm. Of course no fingerprints, but this was clearly premortem. Must have shown up after the boy was prepped for the funeral."

"Hmm. Had to be a large male."

"Not Steven Johannsen. Though Steven was about six foot three, his hand span wasn't that large. He had long, slender hands. This hand span was about five inches."

"Right. And besides, the M.E. who did the initial autopsies concluded that Steven and Elizabeth had both died before Joshua Michael."

"Dr. Singletary, why don't we take a look at Steven and Elizabeth?"

"Sure. Not as much to go on with them."

Alexx watched as the next hologram appeared in front of her.

"This is Steven Johannsen. The preliminary report shows that he died from breathing the superheated air. The scarring on the lung tissue confirms that. He was dead before the flames touched him. They found the body near the back of the living room, opposite from the chimney. But take a look at the back of his skull."

The M.E. walked up to the green image and tilted her head. "Subarachnoid hematoma. A small one at that."

"So small that apparently nobody noticed it the first time. Fresh blunt-forced trauma. Happened just minutes before he died. Small enough to get past the preliminary, but enough to cause him to be incapacitated. His brain bled out perimortem."

"And a similar handprint on his distal left arm. But if you click on your icon, you'll notice that this hand is of a different width."

Alexx clicked on the icon and studied the handprint that rotated in front of her. "Definitely too big to be Adelaide Johannsen, and not the same size as the one on Joshua Michael."

Dr. Singletary nodded to Alexx from the video screen. "Two other people were in that fire."

"I just wondered how, even back then, all this got missed."

"The bodies were prepared for the funeral as quickly as possible. Also, it says in the report that the fire investigation was ordered stopped."

"Does it say why?"

The bespectacled doctor shook his head. "Nobody could give me a good answer on that. We're looking into all that as we speak. Now Dr. Woods, I should let you know that the local news media is working to get the news out to see whether anyone remembers anything. Would you like me to call Lieutenant Caine about our findings?"

"That's okay, Dr. Singletary. I'll let him know. Thank you."

Horatio held Yelina's hand as they walked down the shiny halls of the rehabilitation center.

"So we're looking for the library. Ah, here it is."

Mrs. Johannsen sat at her wheelchair and typed gingerly at the computer. She was dressed neatly in her hat and long sleeves, just as always. She seemed fascinated by the different screens that popped up.

"Mrs. Johannsen" Horatio said, still holding Yelina's hand. "So it's true what Yelina said. You've discovered the Internet."

At the sound of his comforting voice, the lady looked up and turned her wheelchair toward them. She then motioned to the monitor.

Yelina studied the screen. "I see you've been following the news."

She nodded confidently as she took out her pad and pen.

I can see it in your eyes. The two of you have become closer.

Yelina looked down and smiled.

At first I could see that the two of you avoided one another, though you were clearly in love. Please don't be like me. I hid for 23 years. I allowed myself to be lonely. I now know in my heart that I wouldn't let go of something that was clearly gone. Please don't hide from one another. You deserve each other.

Before either one of them could answer, Mrs. Johannsen slowly turned and clicked on the task bar on the monitor. Another screen came to life.

Horatio nodded. "That's right. The Minnesota Delegation will be in town."

Do you think they've forgotten about me?

Horatio's blue eyes glanced from the screen to her hopeful brown eyes. "No, Mrs. Johannsen. I'm willing to bet they not only remember you, but they still love you just as much as when Steven won the election."

I wonder whether I could visit with them. Whether they would even remember me.

Horatio now pulled a chair closer to her. "Mrs. Johannsen, would you like me to speak with Cal? Maybe he can arrange something."

Deliberately she put her finger to her throat. "Yes. Thank…you."

He smiled. "You're welcome."

She put her hand to her throat again. "I…can…talk…in…complete…sentences…now."

"Congratulations" Yelina said.

Horatio was about to say something when his cell phone chirped. He looked at the caller ID and recognized it as the Twin Cities Crime Lab. "Caine." He put one finger up and stepped out into the hallway.

Both Yelina and Mrs. Johannsen watched as the Lieutenant stood outside the doorway, his head down.

"So, it looks like you're really making a new life" Yelina observed. "Speech therapy, physical therapy, and now the Internet. Congratulations."

The lady put her hand to her throat again. "I…had…a…beautiful…voice" she said in her strained whisper.

Yelina looked at her sympathetically. "You still do."

She took a sip from the water that she kept next to her wheelchair and put her hand on her throat again. "I…used…to…read…to…the…school…children."

"I know. Would you believe I read some of those books to Ray Jr. when he was little?"

"We…are…not…that…different…Yelina."

Horatio suddenly came in, glancing urgently at his phone and then at the ladies. Yelina and Mrs. Johannsen knew something had happened.

"What is it?" Yelina wanted to know.

"That was Dr. Singletary at the Twin Cities Crime Lab. The media put out that the Johannsen case was reopened."

"Right."

He nodded with some confidence. "He got a call from the cold case unit half an hour ago. Somebody wants to confess."