When the Storm Breaks Read Online Free

duty, and asked, “Where’s Garfield?”
    “Over there,” the cop said, pointing toward a heavyset patrolman by the victim’s body.
    “Officer Garfield?” Sean called out to him.
    “Yeah.”
    Sean approached him, ID in hand. “Detective Sean Richter. I’m with the Homicide Cold Cases Unit. I want to see if there might be some overlap with this murder and a couple of ongoing investigations.”
    “What makes you think there’s any connection? Forensics hasn’t even assessed the scene yet.”
    Obviously Garfield was feeling a little protective of his crime scene. But if the cases were linked, Sean’s claim would take precedence.
    “Similarities in the victim’s physical profile, cause of death, and a hunch,” Sean said. “If you’ll tell me what you know about this victim, I’ll get out of your hair and wait for the report to come out. I just wanted to see the crime scene myself.”
    Garfield raised his eyebrows. “Victim is in her mid-twenties, dark hair, slender build. No sign of sexual assault, but we’ll wait for the medical examiner to confirm. Cause of death looks to be multiple stab wounds to the abdomen.Her purse was found nearby, wallet inside. Credit cards, driver’s license, and eighteen dollars in cash. She has gold jewelry as well, so I’m thinking robbery wasn’t the motive.”
    “Do you recognize her from the streets? Does she have any kind of record?”
    “Nah, she’s not a working girl. The name on the ID comes back as a teacher at this school, Renata Mendes.”
    Sean processed the information. The victim’s physical profile fit with the other cases, all young Hispanic females. But not the teacher bit. The two other murdered women had been drug addicts who had sold their bodies to support crack or meth habits. “What kind of stab wounds?”
    “Big ones. Lots of blood.”
    “Any defensive wounds?”
    “Not so you can tell. Looks like the perp was a strong guy, and he probably surprised her.”
    That fit. “Who reported the murder?”
    “Now that’s the funny part. Seems there might be a witness. In fact, that’s what sent us up here in the first place.” He briefed Sean on the incident with the woman injured at the Suds ’n Studs club.
    “Were you able to speak to her?” Sean asked over the sudden squawking of Garfield’s radio.
    “Nah. She was out cold when I got there, but people on the scene confirmed what she said right after she was found.” Garfield reached up to silence the radio on his shoulder. “My gut says she saw something that scared her half to death. She’s in the ER right now.”
    “Thanks. I’ll take a look around, then get out of your way.”
    Sean turned away and went to the victim’s body, whereevidence technicians were just starting their work. They bustled around, testing equipment and setting up free-standing lights to illuminate the area for the video cameras.
    While the techs worked on the lighting, Sean borrowed a flashlight from one of the patrolmen and briefly reconnoitered the area around the victim. He crouched over a bent umbrella and a leather-wrapped canister of pepper spray, or maybe mace. Both objects had paint around them, waiting to be photographed and tagged as evidence.
    Sean made a mental note to check if the fingerprint analysis came up with anything that could connect the items to the victim. A little farther away, he found two more objects. Medium-heeled women’s shoes, sprawled a couple of feet apart, size 7. Glancing over at the victim, he saw sensible black flats on her feet.
    “OK, team, we’re ready to start,” one of the technicians shouted. The forensics team had the scene lit up like center stage at a Vegas show.
    Stepping closer to the victim, Sean examined the body objectively. He had seen death before, yet still he had to work to distance himself from the victim’s humanity and vulnerability.
    This one had brown eyes that were wide open. Her mouth was open as well, as if she had died crying out. Sean’s