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men jabbed her with the hard toe of his boot. Nothing. But the bundle at her side squirmed and started to bawl, the thin thready cry of a newborn calf, but not nearly so valuable.
The man picked it up with one giant paw and tossed it back into the flames.
A righteous hunt, his father had called it, satisfaction lining his weathered face.
A sacred mission.
The one thing the boy knew for sure was the hard gratification in his groin. The pleasure he'd gotten from the whole night. The urgency to do it again.
Chapter 3
A small crowd had gathered at the open doors of the kitchen outbuilding at Pine Grove by the time Gage returned. Officer Pruitt held open the wide doors to allow the waning light in. The box-shaped main room was steamy with the ovens' heat, and the air was redolent with the odor of grease and herbs.
Gage elbowed his way through the group of men gawking at the wet body of Nell Carver. Town statutes required an inquest committee to determine the cause of death.
Another Pasquotank County physician had arrived from Elizabeth City to assist Williams. Along with the local veterinarian and barber and other prominent community members, they made up the eight-member inquest committee.
However private Gage might've preferred the autopsy be conducted, he had no choice in the matter.
Nell lay on a makeshift table with her feet pointing toward the wide entrance. An empty basin and another of water, along with cleaning cloths and several rows of instruments, lay behind her head.
Gage ordered Pruitt to push the crowd back, not liking so many men gathered luridly around Nell's body, but before he could act, the coroner's men quickly stripped Nell of all her clothing. A communal gasp rose from the men staring from the doorway. Had none of them ever gazed upon the naked bodies of their own wives? Gage wondered, indignant on Nell's behalf.
He used his large body to block the view as much as possible. "Go on home, now," he ordered, his voice quiet but commanding. "Let the coroner's jury do their duty. You'll hear the news soon enough."
When no one moved, he glowered at them and raised his voice to a shout, wishing he'd thought to bring along another patrolman. "Get on, now. Show some respect for the dead."
Reluctantly, one by one, the crowd dispersed.
Without speaking, Gage found a discarded table cloth, folded it in half, and draped it over Nell's hips for modesty. He left her breasts exposed for the scalpel incision. He felt more shaken than he'd expected at the prurient interest of so many men in poor Nell's broken body.
Williams' round face flushed and he cleared his throat before continuing. "I'm looking for bruising or injuries on the outside of the body." He looked around the room, but the other men shook their heads.
Finally Alan Freeman, the local barber, spoke up. "Don't that look like some puffiness there on her temple?"
Williams poked a finger against the spot Freeman indicated. "Can't say for sure." He then pressed a finger into her left breast to compare. The tissue bounced back under the released pressure. "Looks the same to me."
Gage gritted his teeth and looked away. From the floor he picked up Nell's discarded clothing, the deep red of her discarded gown heavy and slick with the river's slime. The pockets were empty except for a lace-edged handkerchief and a bit of paper, a torn edge, he thought. No cloak, hat, or gloves, but otherwise all of her clothing was accounted for.
Had she left the house without a coat then? On such a cold night? He'd have to ask her parents if the missing items were hanging at Pine Grove.
He'd just picked up an undergarment when the doctor's grunt of satisfaction caused him to turn back to the examination table. "What is it?"
"There are bruises on her neck."
Strangulation, Gage thought.
"Pressure to both sides of her neck." Williams shrugged, peering at the area. "I can't say it caused her death though."
Gage leaned over to see the bruises. "It
The man picked it up with one giant paw and tossed it back into the flames.
A righteous hunt, his father had called it, satisfaction lining his weathered face.
A sacred mission.
The one thing the boy knew for sure was the hard gratification in his groin. The pleasure he'd gotten from the whole night. The urgency to do it again.
Chapter 3
A small crowd had gathered at the open doors of the kitchen outbuilding at Pine Grove by the time Gage returned. Officer Pruitt held open the wide doors to allow the waning light in. The box-shaped main room was steamy with the ovens' heat, and the air was redolent with the odor of grease and herbs.
Gage elbowed his way through the group of men gawking at the wet body of Nell Carver. Town statutes required an inquest committee to determine the cause of death.
Another Pasquotank County physician had arrived from Elizabeth City to assist Williams. Along with the local veterinarian and barber and other prominent community members, they made up the eight-member inquest committee.
However private Gage might've preferred the autopsy be conducted, he had no choice in the matter.
Nell lay on a makeshift table with her feet pointing toward the wide entrance. An empty basin and another of water, along with cleaning cloths and several rows of instruments, lay behind her head.
Gage ordered Pruitt to push the crowd back, not liking so many men gathered luridly around Nell's body, but before he could act, the coroner's men quickly stripped Nell of all her clothing. A communal gasp rose from the men staring from the doorway. Had none of them ever gazed upon the naked bodies of their own wives? Gage wondered, indignant on Nell's behalf.
He used his large body to block the view as much as possible. "Go on home, now," he ordered, his voice quiet but commanding. "Let the coroner's jury do their duty. You'll hear the news soon enough."
When no one moved, he glowered at them and raised his voice to a shout, wishing he'd thought to bring along another patrolman. "Get on, now. Show some respect for the dead."
Reluctantly, one by one, the crowd dispersed.
Without speaking, Gage found a discarded table cloth, folded it in half, and draped it over Nell's hips for modesty. He left her breasts exposed for the scalpel incision. He felt more shaken than he'd expected at the prurient interest of so many men in poor Nell's broken body.
Williams' round face flushed and he cleared his throat before continuing. "I'm looking for bruising or injuries on the outside of the body." He looked around the room, but the other men shook their heads.
Finally Alan Freeman, the local barber, spoke up. "Don't that look like some puffiness there on her temple?"
Williams poked a finger against the spot Freeman indicated. "Can't say for sure." He then pressed a finger into her left breast to compare. The tissue bounced back under the released pressure. "Looks the same to me."
Gage gritted his teeth and looked away. From the floor he picked up Nell's discarded clothing, the deep red of her discarded gown heavy and slick with the river's slime. The pockets were empty except for a lace-edged handkerchief and a bit of paper, a torn edge, he thought. No cloak, hat, or gloves, but otherwise all of her clothing was accounted for.
Had she left the house without a coat then? On such a cold night? He'd have to ask her parents if the missing items were hanging at Pine Grove.
He'd just picked up an undergarment when the doctor's grunt of satisfaction caused him to turn back to the examination table. "What is it?"
"There are bruises on her neck."
Strangulation, Gage thought.
"Pressure to both sides of her neck." Williams shrugged, peering at the area. "I can't say it caused her death though."
Gage leaned over to see the bruises. "It
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