Death on the St. Lawrence

by Agnès Ruiz

  “I’ve taken down Jessica’s testimony. She’s likely to be in a state of shock for a few days.”

  “That’s not true. I’m just fine!” the teen griped in annoyance. In that same moment, she pulled away from her aunt’s protective embrace.

  “No need to act tougher than necessary,” Pierre-André said.

  He was letting down his guard. A positive gesture and a relief to Rachel. They would be able to move forward in a more constructive manner. A thought she had before taking into account what the teenager might do.

  She had pulled out her phone in front of her father who yelled, “Who are you texting?”

  “What’s it to you? It’s none of your business!”

  Once again, Rachel jumped into the fray. A sick feeling began to spread inside her. A feeling that there was nothing more complicated than one’s own family.

  “You really shouldn’t talk about your gruesome discovery, Jess.”

  The young teen shrugged her shoulders, rewarding her with an angry look. Hostility out in the open.

  Lovely family reunion!

  Chapter 4

  Detective Toury arrived at the morgue with Jessica in tow. Sergeant Miller looked surprised. He said nothing though, just a simple thanks when Rachel handed him a coffee.

  “We made a stop along the way. A little boost to get us going. No harm in that.”

  The medical examiner had asked to speak with them as soon as they arrived. Not a talkative type, he greeted them half-heartedly. However, he didn’t hide his displeasure at seeing a teenager.

  “I didn’t know we had ‘bring your kid to work’ days!”

  “Me too, I’m so happy to see you, Raoul!” the detective replied. “So, shall we get started?”

  The forensic pathologist didn’t like being brushed aside. Rachel drank her coffee without offering any explanation. Put on the spot, Raoul Corpus gave in. He walked over to the corpse lying on the examination table. The body was still covered with a sheet. He was about to remove it when he saw the teen make a quick move. He wagged his finger at her and said sharply, “Miss, it’s forbidden to take pictures or videos. We’re in a morgue! Not an amusement park.”

  “My niece already knows that. Come on, Raoul! We’ve wasted enough time.”

  “So be it!”

  He put on his glasses, ready to challenge anyone who said or did anything inappropriate. He had walked onto center stage and was about to establish he was the master of his domain. The detective was used to this scene. Jeff often got really annoyed with it. Jessica was completely fascinated.

  Raoul Corpus uncovered the body in one graceful move. The torso had been sewn back up in the usual shape of a Y. The arms were spread apart. Jessica couldn’t take her eyes off the sight of the corpse, now superimposing it over the image on the St. Lawrence Riverbank.

  “Of course, it’s a homicide,” the pathologist commented. “Undoubtedly. A gunshot, straight to the head.

  “That would suggest an execution,” Jeff murmured.

  “The time spent in the water caused serious damage to our victim. Nonetheless, the distinct burn marks around the wound point in that direction. Furthermore, you can clearly see a separation of the subcutaneous tissue.”

  As he spoke, he pointed at the orifice with the tip of his pen.

  “Do we have any idea what type of bullet?” Rachel asked.

  “I’ll leave that to the ballistics experts. They’ll most likely reconstruct it on a computer.”

  Raoul Corpus grabbed the head on each side to lift it off the table.

  “As you can see, an explosion occurred in the cranium. This coincides with a close-range gunshot wound.

  Jessica recoiled at the nauseating sight. Her back bumped into a table with a tray of metal utensils. In her attempt to catch hold of the table, she knocked over the tray. The sound echoed loudly, spooking her even more.

  “I’m ... I’m sorry. I’ll pick them up.”

  “Don’t! You’ve already done enough,” Raoul Corpus barked at her.

  “Raoul, stop! I’ll take care of it.”

  The detective had pulled rank. Something she rarely did, particularly with the pathologist. But she had felt he was being too harsh. She could hear him grumbling as she pulled her niece aside for a chat. Several moments later, the young teen stormed out of the morgue, making it clear she wasn’t happy with the decision.

  “So, let’s continue,” the detective said as she returned to the center of the room.

  “Really! This isn’t a daycare center, Rachel! I’m not accustomed to this lack of professionalism on your part. What’s the idea behind this work style?”

  “It’s a family issue. Jessica was the one who discovered the body.”

  The detective resented feeling like she had to give an explanation. She had already gotten approval from her boss. Admittedly, her captain had balked at the unusual request. She had used her trump card, the support of Peggy Fitzgerald, the unit’s head psychologist, who believed it might help Jessica recover from the trauma of discovering the dead body.

  “Are there any other injuries? Any signs of torture before his death or something of that nature?”

  The pathologist shook his head as if to dispel words of reproach still sitting on the tip of his tongue. He let out a long sigh to cover up the gesture and then turned back to the victim.

  “Indeed. A gunshot wound to the leg. No doubt to make his knee buckle under. Before he died, of course,” he added. “It’s an extremely sensitive part of the body. Did you know that?”

  He winced to simulate a pain he didn’t at all feel. He turned to grab an enamel kidney-shaped pan and used tweezers to lift out a bullet he had extracted from the body.

  “It’s damaged. But at least it’s useable. Unlike what happened to his skull.”

  Jeff had begun to examine the piece of evidence. Raoul was watching him through glasses perched on the tip of his nose. He was frowning so much it seemed he was worried that Jeff would somehow damage the bullet.

  “Anything else?” Rachel asked.

  “Always to the point. I like that about you,” the pathologist said approvingly.

  He shook his head for a split second before getting back to his analysis.

  “The cuts and the broken arm are post-mortem. Considering the decomposition and other factors, I would say that the death occurred several days ago. A week at most.”

  “Would you be able to give us an approximate age?”

  “Between fifty and sixty years old. Height is five feet, eleven inches. His organs were in pretty good shape. Clearly someone who enjoyed the great outdoors. Someone who worked out to stay in shape. But in the end, what good did it do him?”

  “Might you be getting a little cynical, Raoul? I’m not accustomed to this type of comment on your part,” Rachel chided him.

  “Of course! I got carried away. It’s just that—never mind.”

  He had been about to tell her his dream of quitting his job. Buying a boat and exploring the world. Why this sudden desire to open up to other people? He who was such a quiet and reserved person. He who liked keeping his distance. Furthermore, Rachel, perceptive as always, was now watching him more carefully than ever. Her keen eyes seemed to be analyzing him. He needed to pull himself together.

  Chapter 5

  There was a sharp edge to the medical examiner’s voice.

  “I performed an X-ray procedure.”

  He turned to pull out some negatives and placed them onto his view box.

  “What’s this?” the detective pointed at the shoulder.

  “A replacement prosthesis. And yes, it has a number on it which will identify your victim. But that’s not my domain.”

  His tone remained curt. Clearly he was still processing the scene with Rachel’s niece. And his momentary lapse of reserve. What a baffling person, the detective mused. A thought that often crossed her mind. Oh well. More than a couple of times she had let him know that she was there for him if he ever needed to
talk. He had given her a disdainful look as if she’d lost her mind. Nevertheless, she held her ground. Only with time would people decide to change their ways, to break free of their old and sometimes harmful habits.

  “Anything else for us?”

  “In fact, there is. The man was wearing a signet ring.”

  He held out a pouch. Rachel drew closer to get a better look at its contents. There was an anchor on the ring. And the initials RB.

  “We’ll take all this to the lab. I’m sure Matthew will learn plenty from it.”

  The pathologist stated that he had nothing else to provide. He handed a file to them. Rachel and Jeff were not to utter another word. He was pushing them out of his morgue. Yet she thanked him and gave his hand a squeeze as a gesture that he could confide in her.

  Outside, Jessica jumped up at the sight of Sergeant Millet and Detective Toury.

  “Holy moly, Auntie! How do you deal with all that? It was a lot creepier than I’d imagined. And definitely not any cheerier over there.”

  She flung her arm towards the lobby filled with people milling around, some under arrest or filing complaints, and various officers going about their jobs.

  “Sorry, kid, but we’re not on the set of the Walking Dead. This is the real world.”

  Rachel glared at the Sergeant for his sarcastic reply.

  “It’s OK, Auntie. You don’t need to protect me. Besides, he’s right!”

  The detective wasn’t sure how to interpret this response. Should she follow up on it? She sensed her niece had rushed straight to the restroom after storming out of the morgue. Of course she wouldn’t ask her about it. Her face was no longer pale, so she had pulled herself together. Yet she couldn’t stop thinking that her niece was too young for all this.

  “Would you like to go home?” she finally said.

  “No!” her niece said angrily. “I want to stay. Please. Actually, I think it’s pretty cool.”

  She turned red when she looked at Rachel whose appearance had turned stiff, hands on hips. Her furrowed brow clearly indicating she didn’t approve of what Jessica had just said. In any case, that was how it seemed to her. She quickly tried to take it back.

  “No, not cool, that’s not what I meant. Auntie, you’re awesome! Can’t wait to tell my friends about it.”

  She’d only made it worse. Words flew out of her mouth before she had time to think. Jessica bit her tongue, realizing she seemed impulsive. Her attempt to smooth things over had bombed. Rachel interrupted her with a quick hand gesture, her harsh look and tone commanding full attention.

  “We made a deal, young lady! I let you follow some of my footsteps, but you have to keep it all con-fi-den-tial! Is that clear or do I need to spell it out?”

  Jessica grumbled that she wasn’t a kid and didn’t need that kind of scolding. Rachel replied that her attitude had made her wonder. The two seemed stuck in a deadlock. Jeff used work as a pretext to flee the tense situation between the aunt and her niece. The detective appeared to have no intention of backing down. She stood arms crossed, looking down at the young teen in the lobby.

  Jessica felt a tsunami of different emotions. Her face couldn’t hide a single one. Rachel could seem patient when it suited her. At the very worst, she would have to take Jessica home, and then it would all be over. Finally, the teen promised to be more open-minded. And definitely more discreet. She could tell her aunt meant business. It was time to lighten the heavy mood her careless attitude had caused.

  “So what’s next?” she asked in a sweeter tone of voice.

  “Jeff is busy figuring out the identity of the victim.”

  The detective explained how helpful it had been to find a serial number on the shoulder replacement. And then she showed her an enlarged photo.

  “The man was wearing a signet ring. With the initials RB. The two of us are going to take all this evidence to the lab. And also the bullet that was found in his leg.”

  They headed over to see her colleagues, and then she led her niece out of the building to go get a bite to eat. Jessica, swallowing a mouthful of dessert, prepared herself to speak.

  “I think I want to do what you do one day.”

  The detective raised her eyebrows in surprise. She wasn’t sure how to respond. On the one hand, she didn’t want her niece to view her job as utopic. An ideal world where the truly guilty get arrested in record time. On the other hand, she didn’t want to portray it as overly gloomy. For her, the job was a personal conviction to do good in the world. And to uphold justice.

  “We’ll see about that,” she murmured with a warm smile. “You’ll get a clearer picture of it with time.”

  “I’m so lucky. That I have you.”

  “Your father, too. That you have him, you know.”

  Jessica’s expression suddenly hardened. Rachel regretted having steered the conversation to the relationship with her father. It was better to avoid adding it into the mix. She switched the topic back to the investigation. They talked about the evidence in hand and Raoul’s autopsy report.

  “For the moment, this is all we have to go on.”

  Chapter 6

  They headed back to her office. As they approached the lobby, Jessica couldn’t contain her excitement about the case, which was on her mind almost all the time.

  “And his clothes? They weren’t typical. He was wearing a uniform. It was in really bad shape, but I could still tell what it was.”

  The detective nodded in approval, visibly pleased by her niece’s observation. They strolled past a vending machine.

  “Would you like a juice or something like that?”

  Jessica chose a soda and a candy bar. Rachel began pushing the buttons and got a coffee for herself. In her office, she offered her the armchair.

  “I’ll clear off the table. That way you can get started on your homework.”

  “Oh, no way! That’s not why I’m here.”

  “It’s part of our deal, otherwise you’re heading straight home to your dad!” the detective ordered.

  Jessica collapsed into the chair. She opened her backpack and pulled out her laptop. She dropped it noisily onto the floor to further illustrate her anger.

  “I’m right here if you need anything,” Rachel said in a cheerful tone.

  She sat down at her desk and delved into her work. Minutes later, she commented out loud while doing research on the Internet. Jessica jumped up ready for action.

  “What? You found something?”

  The teen’s eyes sparkled with anticipation. Rachel seemed in a daze. She frowned as if she were resurfacing from a long web search. She realized she’d totally forgotten about her niece’s presence!

  “Maybe. Our cadaver’s clothing is indicative of a uniform as you so wisely pointed out.”

  Jessica was flattered by her aunt’s remark. She grinned from ear to ear.

  “I’m happy to have helped,” she replied, hoping to appear humble.

  But her body language betrayed her. She practically skipped over to Rachel’s computer screen.

  “I typed in several key words related to maritime duties. And I think this profile might correspond to our case.”

  Jessica leaned forward to get a better look at the man’s features. She had an annoyed look on her face. The detective was growing impatient with her niece’s apparent lack of enthusiasm with what she’d shown her.

  “So, what do you think?”

  “Honestly ... it’s hard to say. He’s got such a big smile.”

  Obviously. He was still alive. Rachel refrained from saying these words, though they burned on the tip of her tongue.

  “No ... I don’t think it’s the same guy,” Jessica finally decided.

  “Take a better look. Focus on the evidence. Forget the swollen body, the multiple wounds—”

  “—How am I supposed to forget that? It was horrible. And his head! Gag. Disgusting! And the foul odor.”

  She then described the half-eaten eye sockets. She would have undoubtedly c
ontinued her commentary had the detective not interrupted her.

  Hearing the teen’s comments, Rachel was reluctant to move forward. She regretted having given in to her niece’s request. The girl had demonstrated how persuasive she could be, which reminded Rachel that she, too, could be that way when necessary.

  “How about we stop right here.”

  “What? Right when it’s getting super interesting?”

  “I’m not so sure. I get the impression I made an error in judgment—if you really want to know what I’m thinking. You’re too young ... for all this.”

  “What do you mean? I was the one who discovered the body. I have a right to know what happened.”

  Her voice had stung like a shot in the arm. Rachel crossed her arms and pivoted towards her niece to admonish her.

  “First of all, it wasn’t you, it was your dog that discovered the cadaver. Next, you have no rights in regard to the victim. Nor to the investigation. You have special privileges only because my captain granted them. Under strict supervision. Have I made myself clear, young lady?”

  “Yes, got it! That’s not what I meant to say.”

  Embarrassed, Jessica lost herself in a futile study of the floor tiles. Her fingers tapped out a piano tune on the edge of Rachel’s desk.

  “And your father wasn’t too excited about your being here,” the detective continued, convinced she had the upper hand on this round.

  Jessica babbled something about his not being too excited about anything. Rachel pretended not to hear her so she could avoid getting into the thick of it. Her own relationship with her brother was rocky enough. And possibly even worse between Jessica and her father.

  “Can I take another look at the photo of the guy in the morgue?”

  Rachel eagerly opened up her file. The look of disgust didn’t escape the police officer.