Title- Dry Bones
Author- garretelliotand jtbwriter
Disclaimer- Believe me if we'd bought them, the whole world would know it.
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"Each of these skeleton's are intact, but it doesn't look like any of the victims were killed here." Wren noted, as Jordan got up off her knees and wiped her hands of dirt.
"You're right, and the one by the manhole actually still has connective tissue on the joints. See?"
Wren followed her gaze to the second body found, laid out carefully on a tarp next to four inches of dirt. Normally most of the limbs would had detached from the skeletal frame, but because of the looseness of the soil, a few sheaths of muscle and ligament still held the bones together.
Suddenly Wren saw something, and it made her stomach turn.
"Jordan, look at the hand, what's that under the fingers?"
The ME walked over to the remains, then taking her gloved finger, gently lifted the whole hand.
Underneath the calcified bones, there was some plant matter, staining the fragmented breastbone it rested on.
"Looks like greenery, leaves and petals, is that what's inside her rib cage?" Jordan questioned, then blanched as she saw the wilted flower inside the deteriorating bones.
"A rose, a yellow rose. I think." She hazarded, then fetched a ground cloth to slide under the remains. Calling over the coroner's assistants, she supervised the loading of the remains and then rode back to the morgue in Wren's car.
As they got up to the lab, something struck Wren about the plant matter being found on both skeletons.
"Great, a serial killer who understands the meaning of flowers." Wren groaned aloud, exiting the elevator ahead of her friend.
"The what?" Jordan spat back, then instantly apologized. "I'm sorry, Wren. That was uncalled for."
"It's okay, Jordan, you've got one hundred and one reasons to get upset with this." Wren calmed her down.
"Thanks, buddy." Jordan laughed after a moment, realizing how ridiculous she sounded. "It's just that serial killers, hell, any killer who puts a mark or symbol of their work on someone scares the hell out of me. Like showing off, they'd kill their own mother for the attention."
"And probably have, Jordan. What I know is, the day you don't feel anger about the stuff we face is the day you need to go plant daisies or run for public office." Wren answered, then paused and said, "I was only kidding about the planting daisies part."
As both women laughed, Wren, keyed in the measurements of the victims skulls. Then moved to the table to help Jordan with the newest victim.
"What did you mean the language of flowers?" Jordan asked several minutes later.
"Huh?" Wren looked up suddenly. "Sorry, I was concentrating, what did you say?"
"You said the killer understood the language of flowers." Jordan prompted.
"Oh yeah, different flowers mean different things. You know red roses are sent as a sign of love, right?" Jordan nodded. "Well, yellow roses mean goodbye."
"So he has some weird affection for these women. Twisted." Jordan said.
"Very." Wren agreed and they went back to work
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A/N- Please R&R, we love the little review alert in our in box.