Particles of Murder (A Shadow of Death Romantic Suspense Series Book 1) Read Online Free Page B

that’s the difference between English programs and chemistry programs.
    “I’ll help if I can,” I say.
    He grins, his happiness so infectious that I feel like there’s a sunrise in my chest.
    “Thank you so, so much,” he says. He reaches forward as if to hug me, but then lets his arm fall back to his side. “I promise, I won’t get you in trouble. We can just ask her friends some questions, and if you see anything that might look like evidence, you can check it out. Does that sound good?”
    “It sounds easy enough,” I say.
    He continues to smile at me. This is either the best decision I’ve ever made or the worst one. Considering my history with making choices, it’s likely the latter.

    * * *
    S ome people think that when a person is stabbed several times, the body comes to the morgue as a mangled replica of who the person used to be. But once the blood is wiped off, it’s just a few slits in the body. The red inner flesh, revealed by the wounds, almost looks like red rose petals scattered over the body.
    Senator Holden’s body doesn’t have a few slits—it has over a dozen. I don’t have to be the medical examiner to see whoever stabbed him wasn’t very experienced with their weapon. At the opening of several of his wounds, the skin folds back like the killer struggled to pull the weapon back out and needed to wiggle it to yank it out.
    “The killer must have been stupid, but strong,” Tim says, flipping through his notes. “Which, honestly, I prefer over intelligent, but weak. Why are you down here?”
    “Since I wasn’t at the crime scene, I thought I’d come down to see if there’re any particulates in the wounds,” I say. “Any pieces of steel to prove it was a combat knife? Or silver to prove it was tableware?”
    “I’m thinking it was likely a combat knife,” he says. “The wounds are too big to consider anything else right now. Interesting enough, Senator Holden was in the Marines for four years, so this will either lead the detectives to a smaller suspect pool, considering the killer could be a Marine, or a much larger suspect pool because the killer could have taken one of his old knives.”
    I nod. “What about Victoria Glassman?”
    He glances up at me and I can feel the sharp disapproval in his gaze. “Her death is being ruled as undetermined.”
    “There wasn’t any sign that she died from cardiac arrest?” I ask.
    He shakes his head. “Her heart was fine. At least as far as I could tell. There was no sign of coronary thrombosis, no hypertrophy, or myocarditis.”
    “You’re just saying it’s undetermined?”
    “Stolz and Macmillan want it wrapped up as soon as possible,” he says. “They want me to focus on the senator’s case.”
    “You’re not bothered by that?”
    “I would be if there were any sign that there had been foul play for Glassman,” he says. “But there’s not.”
    “So you didn’t find anything ?” I ask.
    “Of course I found some things,” he says. “There are signs that she died by asphyxia—such as the cyanosis—blue skin—but there’s no petechial hemorrhage that would show an outside force caused it. It’s perfectly possible that she was smothered and the killer just happened to not leave any bruises on her, but—assuming the killer had enough mindset to clean up the crime scene after she was dead—I’d still find it hard to believe that someone could smother her without having to restrain her with enough force to cause bruising. Why am I even telling you all of this? The case is over. She likely choked on something or tried some drug that isn’t showing up in a toxicology screen. Now, for Senator Holden, we know how he died and his murderer is on the loose.”
    “So Glassman could have been killed with a pillow or some plastic wrap and that’s why there aren’t any clues?” I ask.
    “It’s possible,” he says. “But there would still be the question of why she didn’t struggle. And I would hope somebody would