Well, thanks for letting me know, said Ren. Thats very sad.
Back there he was probably more angry with himself than he was with you, said Ruddock.
I dont give a fuuuck who hes angry with as long as he keeps it out of my face. But, Jesus Christ, how hard can it be, guys? Feel Angry at X = Get Angry at X. Leave Y the fuck out of it.
Wiley completely disregarded what Clyde Brimmer had to say, said Ren. Do you think there could be anything else going on there?
You mean could Gil be involved in something? said Ruddock. Absolutely not.
Ren nodded. OK I had to ask. You can vouch for him.
Of course I can, said Ruddock.
First flash of anger... or as close to anger as a man like Ruddock might get.
Are you ready to go? said Ruddock.
Sure, said Ren. Lets do it.
Two hours later, following a consultation with the Medical Examiner, with Shannon Fuller, and on studying a cell phone photo provided by Clyde Brimmer, a Marion County judge issued an exhumation order for the body of Aaron Fuller.
23
Shannon Fuller sat in her living room, the same three words on a loop running through her head: rest in peace. It had been short-lived for Aaron, and here she was again, in a fresh hell. She couldnt imagine who would want to hurt him. Maybe something happened at the dance a fight, or maybe it was just an accident. Aaron was a sweet boy. She couldnt imagine anyone wanting to deliberately hurt him.
But then, she figured most mothers would think the same way. She had a sudden thought that turned her stomach most children know their abusers. She pushed the thought away, but a whole stream of names came into her head the names of people who knew her, who knew Aaron.
She stood up and walked down the hallway to Seths door. She knocked.
Enter! he said.
She walked in, but stopped, hovering in the doorway. She looked at his sweet face. She didnt want to say anything.
Theyre taking my baby out of the ground, Seth... She started to cry.
What? he said. What? He stood up.
There was a bruise on Aarons back, said Shannon. He may have been injured before he drowned. Or... maybe he was drowned... deliberately.
Seth started to shake. What?
Shannon nodded, sobbed harder. Seth went to her, put his arms around her. Oh my God, he said. Who would do that?
I dont know, she sobbed. I dont know.
Why do they think that? said Seth.
Clyde... Clyde saw the bruise when he was embalming him. Apparently, a bruise wont always show up right away, so thats why the Medical Examiner didnt see it. Shes going to do another autopsy.
But why didnt Clyde say anything to us? said Seth.
Would you say that to a grieving family? said Shannon. She pulled back from him. Youre shaking, she said. Youre white as a sheet. Sit down.
Dont worry about me, said Seth. Youre the one... He trailed off, struggled to catch his breath.
Shannon gripped his arms, and guided him to the bed, sat him down. Are you OK? she said.
I... dont know why someone would do that to Aaron, he said. He was only a boy, only a little boy.
Seth fell sideways on the bed, clutching his chest.
Seth! said Shannon. Seth! Oh my God.
Sweat poured down his face. Shannon ran into the living room, came back with a brown paper bag. She sat him up, held the bag to his mouth.
Breathe, sweetheart, breathe, said Shannon. Come on, deep breaths.
Seth did as she said, and before long, his breathing was back under control.
Thank God, said Shannon. Thank God. Was it just the shock?
She looked into his eyes, and saw fear.
Shannon frowned. Is there something else, Seth?
No...
Youre making me nervous, sweetheart, said Shannon. Im sorry.
No, said Seth. No I swear to God. Im just... freaked out. I... He shrugged. I mean, I was here that night too. I was so close, and... I couldnt help.
Shannon looked at him. Seth, I know you werent here that night.
Seth went very still.
I was here alone, said Shannon. I was drinking. I drank a lot, and I was worried about how drunk I was and I went to your room to let you know to watch out for me. I opened your door. Your room was empty. Your bed was cold.
Seth still didnt move. I...
Where were you that night? said Shannon.
Seth stared away from her. Why didnt you say anything before?
It didnt matter where you were, said Shannon. Until now.
24
Ruddock and Ren met in the parking lot of the MEs office in Salem on Thursday morning.
Shannon looked at him. Seth, I know you werent here that night.
Seth went very still.
I was here alone, said Shannon. I was drinking. I drank a lot, and I was worried about how drunk I was and I went to your room to let you know to watch out for me. I opened your door. Your room was empty. Your bed was cold.
Seth still didnt move. I...
Where were you that night? said Shannon.
Seth stared away from her. Why didnt you say anything before?
It didnt matter where you were, said Shannon. Until now.
24
Ruddock and Ren met in the parking lot of the MEs office in Salem on Thursday morning.
A heads-up, said Ruddock as they walked toward the building, call the ME Beckman. Her name is Lois Beckman, but shes our youngest ever ME and she looks a lot younger than her years. So shes trying to prove herself, which I think is why she prefers the last name, but also she can come across as a little abrasive or defensive. And considering why were here...
But she should know that she didnt do anything wildly irregular here, said Ren. Its not standard practice to resect the back, unless they suspect abuse, and no one had any reason to here.
Knowing Beckman, she wont see it that way.
Well, if a drunken barfly was the one drawing attention to the flaws in my work, I might be feeling a little defensive too.
Ruddock laughed, but there was a hint of surprise in it.
Am I actually funny or do people just laugh because theyre expecting Clarice Starling? Im intense too, people. No screaming lambs, but lots of fucking voices.
Lois Beckman came down to the lobby to greet Ren and Ruddock. She was very short and very pretty, with a dont-mess-with-me walk. She had thick blonde hair to her shoulders, and warm brown eyes with long dark lashes. Her smile had a sweet earnestness.
I see why you have to work harder to get people past your youth and beauty.
Nice to meet you, said Ren.
You too, said Beckman.
Southern accent too! Could you be any cuter?
Hi, Pete, said Beckman. This is a first for me autopsying an embalmed body.
Well, its not a common thing, said Ren. And the circumstances here are most unusual. I mean this boy was found dead, floating in a lake. The logical
The logical thing in my line of work, as it is in yours, is not to make assumptions, said Beckman. I know that.
Im screwing this up already. I know, said Ren, but... why would you have resected the back tissue?
Beckman gave a concessionary nod.
Phew.
Were just finishing getting set up, said Beckman, if youd like to take a seat. The water sample from Lake Verny was delivered earlier by your crime scene tech, and Ive prepared the slides from the sphenoid sinus fluid. Ive also had my assistant prepare lung tissue samples, taken at the original autopsy. This is all going to come down to diatoms. When a person goes into the water alive, obviously, theyre taking in water. Whether its fresh water or salt water, it contains diatoms these microscopic algae. They circulate around the body and settle in the organs. Diatoms vary across different bodies of water you can tell this just by looking at a sample under a microscope: the diatoms are different shapes, colors and sizes, depending on where the waters been taken from its not as hardcore as a fingerprint, but you can definitely determine if the victim was drowned in the same body of water he was found in.
And what about the bruising? said Ruddock.
Well, Ive seen that before in cases where a victim has been held under water, like with a knee in their back, said Beckman. Im not sure how someone could use a knee to hold someone under a lake how exactly would that work? Though, I do know to keep an open mind on these things. She paused. OK, sit tight. Ill have someone come get you when were ready.
Twenty minutes later, Ren and Ruddock were suited up for the autopsy. Ren went into the morgue ahead of him.
The fucking smell!!!
Beware the embalming fluid, said Beckman, looking up at them.
Jesus Christ, said Ren, stopping short. That is caustic.
Itll get better, said Beckman. Thank the Lord for our ventilation system.
Very earnest Lord-thanking. You really mean it.
Ren was about to walk on, but stayed rooted to the spot as soon as her gaze went to the stainless steel table ten feet from her, where the body of Aaron Fuller was laid out, eerily preserved in some gray and ghoulish version of who he once was.
Rens stomach flipped.
Thank God your mother doesnt have to see this.
Ruddock had walked up beside Ren and stopped at exactly the same point. She turned to him, knowing that the look in his eyes mirrored her own. They both let out a breath.
I hate these masks.
Beckman was looking at them with compassion in her eyes. She nodded at her assistant across the table. Lets turn him over.
Slowly, they turned Aarons body on to his stomach. They all gasped. There, exactly as Clyde Brimmer had described, exactly as his photo had shown, was an area of darkened skin between the shoulder blades.
Ren and Ruddock locked eyes.
There it is, said Beckman.
Oh, God.
Beckman drew the scalpel down the back, opening up a deep cut from the lower neck to the buttocks.
This will reveal any occult bruising, she said. She made three more cuts, parallel to the first.
Rens stomach spasmed.
You can see here that there is blood deep in the tissue, consistent with an injury, or with force having been applied between the shoulder blades. Its impossible to tell from what, but it could be something like a knee, if he was being held under water.
Holy. Fuck.
Could the bruise just be a separate thing? said Ren. Like, could it have happened hours before he died? Maybe he fell against something, it was an accident... the embalmer said that it takes ten to twelve hours for a bruise to appear on the skin.
Beckman nodded. All I can say for definite is that it happened around the time of death, while the victim was still alive.
They were silent as Beckman made cuts into the arms and legs. Im checking here again for occult bruising. She looked up at them when she was finished. Im not seeing anything here, but I think youve got what youre looking for.