CHAPTER 7
AUTOPSY JAMES MATTHEW HORTON
"Pretty obvious, isn't it?" Peter asked Garrett Macy.
"Yeah. This is as cut-and-dried as it gets."
Peter started to speak, as per procedure, into a mic hooked up to a camcorder. "Subject is a white male, about 40 years old, in reasonably good health. The subject has three bullet wounds, two to the abdomen, one to the back of the head. Exit wounds in the abdomen and head. The brain shows signs of contrecoup lacerations, indicating a blow to the back of the head prior to being shot. Wounds are consistent with small caliber bullets, possibly 9 millimeter."
"In the opinion of this examiner, the subject was shot twice in the abdomen, then struck on the back of the head, and then given the fatal shot execution style to the back of the head."
Peter looked up. "Looks like someone didn't want Jamie to tell what he had to say, did they?"
Garrett nodded. "Anything back from ballistics yet?"
Peter said, "No. But it looks like a 9 millimeter shell we recovered."
Max Cavanaugh woke in his bed at Boston General Hospital expecting to see the bedpan nurse...instead he got a very pleasant vision, clutching at his right hand...
"JORDAN!"
Jordan looked at her father tearfully, but still smiling. "Dad....how are you feeling?"
Max shrugged - or would've if he hadn't been hooked up to a load of tubes and catheters. "Not too bad, considering. Where's Woody?"
"He's still working on the case, over at HQ. Did anyone tell you what happened to Jamie?"
Max darkened. "Yeah...did they tell you what happened?"
"Just that you'd been shot, and Jamie did it."
"Jordan...it was an accident. He'd come over to talk with me. Said he'd heard about the wedding and wanted to attend. He said he had some kind of fancy present for you. Didn't say what it was...I told him, the Boston PD is looking for him, because of the Malden case. He asked if he could come over Saturday night. I told him, he'd better stay away from everyone, do us all a favor, he's nothing but trouble. That's when he pulled the gun out. I tried taking it from him...and you see what happened. But don't worry....I'll be at that wedding to give you away if I have to crawl there."
"Dad, it's alright. You just work on recovering first. I can always postpone the wedding. I've waited this long, a few more weeks won't matter."
Max smiled. "You won't need a few more weeks. I'll be there."
Jordan looked even more worried for a second.
Max looked at her puzzled. "What?"
Jordan finally steeled up her nerve and asked. "Dad....do you know who killed Mom?"
Max frowned. "Jesus Christ, Jordan....why do you think I know any more than you do?"
Jordan's cell phone rang. She answered. Woody was on the other end. "Yes?....I see. I'll be right down."
Jordan spoke to her dad. "I gotta go now. We may have a big lead here." She kissed her dad. Before she left, she hesitated as if she wanted to say something else, then turned and left.
Max lay there a long time, wondering. He thought, Like I said, the truth doesn't always set you free....
AUTOPSY JAMES MATTHEW HORTON
"Pretty obvious, isn't it?" Peter asked Garrett Macy.
"Yeah. This is as cut-and-dried as it gets."
Peter started to speak, as per procedure, into a mic hooked up to a camcorder. "Subject is a white male, about 40 years old, in reasonably good health. The subject has three bullet wounds, two to the abdomen, one to the back of the head. Exit wounds in the abdomen and head. The brain shows signs of contrecoup lacerations, indicating a blow to the back of the head prior to being shot. Wounds are consistent with small caliber bullets, possibly 9 millimeter."
"In the opinion of this examiner, the subject was shot twice in the abdomen, then struck on the back of the head, and then given the fatal shot execution style to the back of the head."
Peter looked up. "Looks like someone didn't want Jamie to tell what he had to say, did they?"
Garrett nodded. "Anything back from ballistics yet?"
Peter said, "No. But it looks like a 9 millimeter shell we recovered."
Max Cavanaugh woke in his bed at Boston General Hospital expecting to see the bedpan nurse...instead he got a very pleasant vision, clutching at his right hand...
"JORDAN!"
Jordan looked at her father tearfully, but still smiling. "Dad....how are you feeling?"
Max shrugged - or would've if he hadn't been hooked up to a load of tubes and catheters. "Not too bad, considering. Where's Woody?"
"He's still working on the case, over at HQ. Did anyone tell you what happened to Jamie?"
Max darkened. "Yeah...did they tell you what happened?"
"Just that you'd been shot, and Jamie did it."
"Jordan...it was an accident. He'd come over to talk with me. Said he'd heard about the wedding and wanted to attend. He said he had some kind of fancy present for you. Didn't say what it was...I told him, the Boston PD is looking for him, because of the Malden case. He asked if he could come over Saturday night. I told him, he'd better stay away from everyone, do us all a favor, he's nothing but trouble. That's when he pulled the gun out. I tried taking it from him...and you see what happened. But don't worry....I'll be at that wedding to give you away if I have to crawl there."
"Dad, it's alright. You just work on recovering first. I can always postpone the wedding. I've waited this long, a few more weeks won't matter."
Max smiled. "You won't need a few more weeks. I'll be there."
Jordan looked even more worried for a second.
Max looked at her puzzled. "What?"
Jordan finally steeled up her nerve and asked. "Dad....do you know who killed Mom?"
Max frowned. "Jesus Christ, Jordan....why do you think I know any more than you do?"
Jordan's cell phone rang. She answered. Woody was on the other end. "Yes?....I see. I'll be right down."
Jordan spoke to her dad. "I gotta go now. We may have a big lead here." She kissed her dad. Before she left, she hesitated as if she wanted to say something else, then turned and left.
Max lay there a long time, wondering. He thought, Like I said, the truth doesn't always set you free....