Chapter 1"Sure"

Nick nodded seriously, his attention focused on what the Officer in charge of the crime scene was saying his eyebrows kitted together in concentration. Trying intently to pick up anything that would be relevant to the job ahead. Even though he and Sara had just arrived 5 minutes previously she was already crouched over the body her sharp mind analysing everything the evidence was already telling her about the circumstances surrounding this death.

"Those are the two boys that called in."

The officer said pointing over his shoulder where they where nervously leaning against a patrol car taking to another officer.

"Apparently on their way back from a party both intoxicated but the divers not over the limit, so I'll be letting them go after getting their statements. Neither of them disturbed the site but it looks like she 'ant been there very long."

Nick nodded politely saying his thanks as he picked up his field kit and walked over to the body.

"So we taking this as the dumpsite," Sara said in a light voice quickly bagging a fibre sample as Nick crouched down next to her.

"Most likely," he said staring at the female lying face down in front of him. "There where no reported incidents, seems the roads fairly busy but who knows. You got this," Nick said with a little nod towards the body.

"Yeah"came the reply with Sara evening looking up from getting her camera ready.

Nick stood up stiffly and started scouting the area around. Sara however clicked away stopping to zoom in on a bloody matted area of hair. Once satisfied she moved on putting her camera down to search her pockets, sighing when she came up with nothing but fluff.

"Find anything," she inquired when Nick returned.

"Nada, nothing areas clean. Only got a partial foot print areas all been scuffed up, men's size 10 doubt it's the killers though it matches the boy's who found her. There where some drag marks between here and the road so I'm thinking she was killed else where."There was a slight pause while he left Sara think over that information "you wanna turn her now?"

"Sure" "Nick you see that?"

"What's that bruising around her neck?" Soft yellow bruising a darker blue and purple in the higher pressure points could be seen creeping round from the front but their extent could not clearly be seen due to the position of the neck.

"Yeah,"

"Well,"he said grabbing her shoulders "you'll be able to see it better if we flip her" on Sara's nod they both gently griped and turned.

"What you make of that?" Smiling having his own opinion but wanting to listen to her version first.

"The bruises are concordant with those received by strangling. The two ones here, most likely caused by the thumbs over lapping and pressing into the windpipe. The different levels of bruising show she was strangled two handily, like so." Her voice was monotone almost like from a textbook, she demonstrated crossing her hands in front of her.

Nick frowned before replying "So she's being strangled, cause of death?"

"I don't think so. There's also a violent single blow to the back of the head, see here" twisting the head slightly pointing it out so Nick could see.

"The autopsy will tell for sure but I'm thinking it was the blow that did it."

"So" Nick said in slight confusion "she's being strangled but then let go to be killed by a blow to the head. That's doesn't fit, the attackers got her where he wants already why let go. He must have been distracted by something. Maybe she was too much to handle literally, he had to let go and grab what ever he had to hit her from behind as she tried to get away."

"I did find lots of skin material under her finger nails, which where torn. She defiantly fought back." Sara considered this for a moment and then grinned. "She may have had two attackers. One from the front and one from behind." Nick opened his mouth but Sara stopped him before he could interrupt. "The strangler was struggling so some one felt they need to intervene from behind. Hay don't give me that look, we have to take into account any possible scenarios. Anything that helps us get one step closer to the killer's identity."

Nick just stood up grinning. "Let's just finish up and get back to the lab."