Before Another Dies Read Online Free Page B

served as our local seat of government. The lot was more crowded than when I had left. Just as Floyd had said, an ambulance had been allowed into the lot. A white van was parked to one side. Two men, both smoking, leaned against the Ford and looked bored. The county emblem was on the side of the van as was the word CORONER.
    â€œWow,” Floyd said. “This is amazing.”
    â€œI want you to mind your p’s and q’s,” I said. “Let’s try and remember that someone has died.”
    â€œYes, ma’am,” Floyd said. His eyes were wide. It never ceases to amaze me what people find interesting.
    I glanced over the scene. The Gremlin was still where I found it and even from twenty feet away I could see the lifeless driver.
    â€œThis is so cool,” Floyd said. “Maybe I should be a cop.”
    â€œIs there anything you don’t want to be?”
    â€œYeah, a butcher. I don’t want to be a butcher. Too much blood and guts.”
    â€œBut you think being a police officer . . . never mind. I’m sure you’ll settle on a career someday—maybe several careers.”
    â€œYou’re back,” a familiar voice said. My stomach went soft. I ignored it and smiled.
    â€œDetective West, this is Floyd Grecian, my new aide. Floyd, this is Detective Judson West.”
    â€œIt’s a pleasure to meet you.” Floyd extended his hand. West took it.
    â€œMr. Grecian,” West said with a nod. He turned to me. “I didn’t expect to see you back so soon.”
    â€œFloyd’s curiosity was swelling. What’s with the ambulance?”
    â€œRoutine. We need someone to pronounce our victim dead, even if it’s obvious.”
    â€œAh. I hadn’t thought of that,” I said.
    â€œCouldn’t the coroner have done that?” Floyd asked.
    West shook his head. “The position of coroner is an elected office in this county. He’s an administrator, not a medical professional. The coroner’s office hires medical examiners to do autopsies. Sometimes they come to the scene and declare the deceased . . . well, deceased. In this case it was quicker to call in the paramedics.”
    â€œOh,” Floyd said. “So the guys by the van aren’t coroners?”
    â€œNo, they work for the coroner. When we tell them it’s okay, they’ll take the body and turn it over to a medical examiner for autopsy. Then we’ll have the car towed to the county forensics lab.”
    â€œForensics?” I said. There was something he wasn’t saying.
    West looked at me, his expression set like concrete. “I was going to come and see you as soon as we had the body moved. You should know—our victim was murdered.”
    That chilled me. It was unsettling enough to find someone dead, but to find a murder victim. Old emotions that I kept chained in the dungeon of my mind broke free. “How—”
    â€œThe only details I can give you must stay with you. This is an active investigation. I want to control how information is released. Understood?” I said I understood. West shifted his eyes from me to Floyd.
    â€œWhat?” He looked at West, then me, then West again.
    I sighed. “He wants to know if you can keep your mouth shut, Floyd. No talking to the media, no talking to friends, no talking to anyone until Detective West says it’s okay. Got it?”
    â€œYeah sure. I understand.”
    â€œI’ll release a statement this morning. The media can do what they want with it.” He looked back at the car. “I found bruising on his jaw. The bruises are consistent with fingers. It looks like someone broke the man’s neck.”
    â€œWow!” Floyd said again.
    â€œYou can tell that from some bruises on his jaw?”
    â€œI can’t be dogmatic about it. That’s for the medical examiner, but a closer look at the head and neck has convinced me.”
    I didn’t ask what he