Bone Wires by Michael Shean

Bone Wires: Chapter 2

Bone Wires by Michael Shean

Published by Curiosity Quills

All Rights Reserved. 

It took a while to get a bus to the scene of the crime. The protests going on down at Seattle Center had blocked up traffic coming out of the south side of the New City, forcing the coroner team that Martin and his boys had called for to take scenic route. Meanwhile, Carter and Gray cased the scene.

As best as either man could tell, the murder had in fact taken place there. There had been a bloody wound on the back of Anderson’s skull that looked like the result of blunt force trauma; there were no drag marks that matched the body, and the way it had been posed suggested that he’d been dropped right in front of the deli’s back door. It was possible that the victim had still been alive when whatever had been done to him took place.

Gray had gotten the field investigation kit from the back of the Vectra and went over the body. The wound down Anderson’s back had been cleanly cauterized, as if some kind of heat-based tool had been used to lay him open. The state of the surrounding organ tissue and muscle seemed to support this. While Carter checked the body Gray swept the alley for clues, but nothing stood out; they’d have to wait for the lab team’s analysis for anything further there.

As Gray hunched over a pile of garbage, scanning it with his own palm-light, Carter spoke up. “Got this guy’s wallet,” Carter called to him. “Gray, come over and look at this.”

Gray stood and turned toward the body; Carter was still crouched, peering over the corpse. In his massive black coat he looked a bit like the Reaper come to check His handiwork. In one hand was the dark leather flap of a wallet. “I’m here,” Gray said as he walked over. “What’s up?”

“Here’s the vic’s wallet,” he said, holding it up for Gray to take. “Bag it.”

Gray rifled through it a moment. There was a company identification card which confirmed Anderson’s name and a Queen Anne address. The radio tag on one corner was what Martin and his streeters had picked up for the initial ID. There was no cashcard, but a Helios Gymnasium Centers membership card rode along with a luminous green slab of thin plastic that proclaimed itself a ‘Pass to Paradise’ for the Autumn Heights Gentleman’s Club. The address was down by Sea-Tac. A number had been scrawled across the back of the holographically-augmented card, the name ‘Angie’ written over that. Wrapping up the contents of the wallet were two snaptabs of Medriazine-Beta for immediate contraception.

“Looks like the vic liked to have a good time,” Gray said. “No cashcard, though. Strange.”

A snort from the other man. “Why bring a cashcard when you’ve got this?” Gray looked on as Carter held up a fist-sized wad of green plastic bills banded with an elastic band. American cash notes, big ones if the grim face of President Hunley staring out from the outermost layer was any indication.

“Shit,” Gray said, brows leaping toward his hairline. “You could choke a horse with that. Are they all thousand-dollar bills?”

“As nearly as I can tell,” Carter replied, getting to his feet. He weighed the knot of cash in his hand thoughtfully. “Though we’ll have Evidence go over it when we get back. Nothing else on the body that I could find. Here, bag this up too.”

He tossed the wad to Gray, who caught it in one gloved hand. “Roger that,” said Gray, though he eyed the knot of cash a moment. Something didn’t seem right.

Carter smiled as he watched him. “Something wrong?”

“Yeah,” muttered Gray, testing the weight again. “Feels too heavy. Something’s wrapped up inside maybe.”