Page 75 of Girl Between

They were both silent for a beat, then George finally asked the question he’d been dancing around. “If you’re not here to pursue things with her, does that mean I can?”

Jake’s jaw muscles ticked his true feelings, but all he said was, “It’s a free country, isn’t it?”

George’s phone rang, interrupting whatever he’d been about to say. “Really? Shit. On my way.” He hung up the phone and put the truck in gear.

“What’s wrong?” Jake asked.

“Dana’s at the morgue.”

71

“Saints and Sinnerswas a few days ago,” Dr. Landry offered when Dana posed the question about the corpse’s peculiar outfit.

“That’s right,” Dr. Cruz recalled. “That could explain the costume.”

“Not necessarily,” Landry argued. “Folks like their artistic freedom around here.”

“True,” Dr. Cruz added, flipping her thick braids over her shoulder. Today, she had bright purple tinsel woven into her intricate burgundy braids. “But two Casquette Girls, and now a saint? I’d say we’ve got a festival killer on our hands.”

“Festival killer!” Landry scoffed. “Now Lena, don’t you think that’s a tad bit premature considering we have 130 festivals a year? We’re talking about two, maybe three bodies. There’s no need to get ahead of ourselves and start a panic.”

Dana spoke up. “Actually, I think Dr. Cruz might be onto something. And they’re not bodies, Dr. Landry. They’re victims. People, who have someone out there missing them. I find it helps to remember that when performing examinations.”

Dana’s comment had rendered both doctors silent.

Dr. Cruz hadn’t mentioned Dr. Landry would be at the morguewhen Dana called her this morning. If she had, Dana might’ve chosen another time to visit. The bushy-eyebrowed old doctor gave her the creeps. Though avoiding him on that basis alone would be hypocritical considering she’d been calledwitch doctormost of her career.

Dana was doing her best to ignore the skin-crawling sensation the volunteer coroner gave her. Choosing to blame stereotyping and Hollywood villain casting for her unease, she focused on why she’d come here.

Besides, sleep had done her wonders. She was in a better headspace today. There was nothing to distract her focus from lending her expertise. It was the least she could do for George and the NOPD after her unprofessionalism at the crime scene yesterday.

Dr. Cruz’s dark eyes sparkled. “What do you see?”

Dana let her keen gaze travel over the ravaged corpse one more time. She still couldn’t deny the victim’s uncanny resemblance to Claire, but she was clear-headed enough to know it was nothing more than an eerie similarity.

This time, Dana was able to survey the carnage with logic and proficiency.

The remains of the long-sleeved white dress had been carefully cut away, revealing the emaciated body of a long-time drug user. Dana pointed to the dark purple track marks on the woman’s arms and stomach. “These are probably why she chose to wear a dress with full coverage despite the heat this time of year.”

“Tox-screen confirmed at least three different opioids,” Dr. Cruz concurred. “Including Isoflurane and Polonium 210.”

Dana swore under her breath. “That’s a rare combo. But perfect to perform live autopsies if you need to test organ function.”

Lena swallowed audibly. “Liveautopsies?”

Dana nodded as she ran a gloved finger delicately over the deep blue pattern of hardened veins. “Our Jane Doe was a habitual drug user. But she hid it, probably why the killer found the need to label her,” she said, pointing to the dress that had been laid out on the adjacent exam table along with the plastic halo headband.

LIAR, LIAR.The crimson words had darkened to a shade of charred brick, but they still stuck out like a beacon to Dana. There was pure rage in that message.

Further examination revealed the letters had been carved through the dress into the woman’s abdomen antemortem. The same was true of the butcher twine that had been used to crudely stitch the woman’s mouth closed. The lacerations in the skin around her lips told the tale of her struggle.

This woman’s death had been anything but swift. She’d suffered immensely.

No one deserved that.

“What was she lying about?” Dr. Cruz pressed.

“That’s the question,” Dana replied. “My guess, our killer thought she was going to be like the other two girls, ripe for harvesting. But upon further examination, he realized he’d made a mistake. He’d taken someone he couldn’t use.”