Page 40 of Dead Serious Case 5 Madame Vivienne
“Not much. Time of death was around ten p.m. Shop’s located down a side alley with little to no foot traffic, especiallyat that time of night. No real witnesses to speak of. We canvassed the immediate area and put up flyers asking for people to come forward but so far nothing. Viv died from a single stab wound to the heart, severed her aortic artery. She was dead within minutes. Weirdly enough, no defensive wounds, which, as you know, would indicate she probably knew her killer and didn’t see the attack coming.”
“Was she drugged?”
“Tox screen came back clear. No drugs, just alcohol, but the amount was low enough that it’s very unlikely she was unconscious. Especially given her obvious tolerance for booze.”
“Still not a hundred percent though. She could have been asleep.”
“In the middle of the floor?” Maddie shakes her head. “There weren’t any bloodstains anywhere other than where she was found. Nothing in her bed or on the sofa. But…”
“But?” I prompt as her thoughts trail off.
“But, again, this is another part that gets a bit weird. Everything indicates she was murdered where she fell; however, the pool of blood she was lying in was relatively small. During her post-mortem, a small puncture wound was discovered.”
“You think someone took some of her blood?” I reply.
She nods. “I don’t think I want to know what that sick fuck plans to do with it.”
Unfortunately, knowing witchcraft was involved and dark magic at that, I can only conclude that whatever the killer is planning on using Viv’s blood for, it won’t be good. I’m going to have to speak to Harrison as soon as possible.
“And the markings on her body?” I ask, seeing Maddie watching me.
“Covered the fingers, hands, arms, collar bone, neck, and lower jaw. They–” She hesitates.
“What?”
“I don’t know if you’ve actually seen the post-mortem reports or photos.”
“Only a quick glance just now,” I reply. “Byrnes kept me locked out of everything.” I pick up the folder and open it again. “Why?”
“The killer stitched her mouth together.” Maddie swallows, looking a little sick. “Used thin red cord. I don’t know yet if that is significant or if it was just what was handy, but the killer took his time. Those symbols were painted on the skin using a type of ink we haven’t been able to identify yet, and would have taken hours.”
“Viv lived alone, she didn’t have many friends, and like you said, the shop is tucked away down an alley. It was late at night. All the killer had to do was lower the shutters at the shop front and he could have remained undetected until dawn, giving him all the time he needed to complete the symbols,” I muse.
Considering what I know about the bookshop that Maddie doesn’t, I would have expected the ghosts to have seen something. But the hex bags Harrison found and destroyed apparently would have kept them away, giving the killer time to complete his grisly work, which means he undoubtedly knew about the spirits in the bookshop.
Maddie drains her beer and sets the bottle down. “My guess is that everything was carefully chosen and deliberate. The red cord has to mean something, as does the type of ink he or she used. We haven’t been able to identify the symbols. I was going to ask around the local Wiccan shops and see if anyone who’s into the pagan lifestyle recognise them. I mean, it’s not like witchcraft is real or anything, but the killer obviously thinks so. The whole crime scene, the way her body was marked and staged, the blood, the knife used to kill her. It all seems very ritualistic and then you add in the fact that she ran an occult bookstore. Maybe that was how she crossed the killer’s path.Maybe they were a customer. When we searched the shop, I looked for receipts, account books, or customer records, but couldn’t find anything. I’ve put in a request to the company for her credit card machine to see if we can get the last six months of sales receipts, but nothing’s come back yet.”
“It’s a good place to start.” I nod. “I think we can agree that the murder was somehow tied to occult beliefs,” I say carefully.
I know damn well it’s tied to the occult, but it’s not like I can say to Maddie,Oh, by the way, witchcraft is real and someone wanted to keep Viv’s ghost from talking. I’m still trying to wrap my head around it. At least, that’s Harrison’s working theory on the spell that was used, which would account for her sealed mouth and the symbols. Although we won’t know for definite until we can identify the language.
“I’ll keep digging for the sales receipts and customers and maybe talk to the local pagan groups and shops. Perhaps someone will recognise the symbols because we can’t find anything online,” Maddie mutters.
“Why don’t you concentrate on the sales receipts? Don’t worry about asking around about the symbols. I’ve got it covered.”
“That Harrison I’ve met a couple of times at your place. He owns an occult shop, doesn’t he?” Maddie says suddenly.
“A small Wiccan store, yes,” I agree. “He doesn’t recognise the language, but he’s looking into it. He has ties to the community and has access to information we don’t.”
“Not to sound like a bitch, I know he’s mates with Tristan, but have you definitely excluded him from the suspect list?”
“Not definitively, no,” I’m forced to admit. I lie enough to Maddie already. “But I’m ninety-nine percent sure it wasn’t him.”
I hate having to say it out loud, and I’m glad it’s to Maddie and not Tris or, god forbid, Sam. I genuinely don’t believeHarrison hurt Viv, I feel it right down to my gut, but I’ve seen too many things on the job. No matter how jaded I’ve become, people still can surprise me. Not often, but it does happen. I’d be remiss if I didn’t at least entertain the possibility of Harrison being the killer, however unlikely it is.
“Okay.” Maddie nods. “I’ll see if I can track down any customers, but we probably shouldn’t discuss the case at all when we’re at the Yard. Byrnes has eyes and ears everywhere. He may not have been here long and he may be a colossal wanker, but he seems to have burrowed in like a tick. He’s managed to get all the other arseholes in the department on his team, which is why my hands have been so tied. Loyalties are shifting and things aren’t looking good.” She stares at me and even though I can see the anger and frustration in her eyes, beneath it all is concern. “I don’t know about you, Danny, but this was not what I signed up for.”
“Hopefully, it’s only short term. Give it some time and I’m sure things will settle back to normal,” I say, but I’m honestly not sure I believe the words coming from my own mouth.