The Jumper (SF Mystery)

The Jumper 09: Found and Lost

Two months later, Gilbert Stevens turned up. They needed to look at DNA before they could be sure. When his name came up, the coroner saw the alert, and called Jeff.

Stevens' naked body had been found in a hunting cabin near Muir Woods, tied to a bed. He had apparently died of dehydration. DNA at the scene, and indentations on the bed, told investigators that a woman had been present. Fingerprints in the bathroom matched one Rachel Cortez, a prostitute in San Francisco.

Furious he had missed out on Stevens, Jeff's manner changed, when he read the coroner's report. Stevens had died of dehydration, but he had apparently lain under a heavy weight for several days before he died. When asked about the indentations on the bed, the coroner replied that yes, if a woman who had been coupling with him had died, she would have accounted for the weight on him, and that would have fit with the marks. The bruising on his body was consistent with someone lying on top of him, without moving, for several days before his death.

"But Jeff, what happened to the woman?"

"I don't know, doc, but thanks," Jeff said, as he went out.

"I almost have it," he said to himself. An alert went out for the prostitute.

"This has to be the one," he said to himself. At first, he was sure this was another link in the money chain. Someone had killed Stevens to cover up the link between him and whoever arranged for the killing of Mr. Crane.

And yet, his gut was telling him he was still missing the biggest piece. Something about that scene niggled at his mind. Why would the woman die with him, and why wasn't her body still there? If someone killed both of them, why remove her body and not his? The coroner had indicated she had lain there for several days. If she were alive . . .

His eyes opened wide, and he pulled out a sheet of paper. After scribbling some notes, he called the coroner back.

"Well, no," he said, "There is only evidence that she was lying on him for a few days—like four or so at the most."

Damn, thought Jeff, disappointed. "Okay, doc, thanks."

"A coma would do it, though. She probably wasn't dead, at least, not while she was on top of him; I can be pretty sure of that. Still, I can't see any reason why a woman would go into a coma during sex. Anything that would be that serious would likely kill her immediately."

Exasperated, Jeff said, "Then where's the body?"

He got back a chuckle. "You find it, Jeff, and I'll tell you how she died. The rest of it's your problem, but good luck with it." He paused, and said, "You know, Jeff, that figure of three or four days?"

"Yeah."

"I don't know if it has any relevance, but bruising only happens when a person is alive."

"I don't—"

"She could have lain there much longer, if she was still there when he expired."

That was it! Somehow. "So, she could have been there as much as a week?"

"I don't see why not. There's no evidence either way, though."

Jeff thanked him and hung up.

He looked at his notes. Someone had come up with a new way of killing people, but who? And why would it put the killer in a coma?

He pulled up everything the department had on the prostitute. If she were still alive, the answer would lie with her. Rachel Cortez had been arrested just once for solicitation, a year before. Vice knew who she was, but they mostly let her alone. She was one of the loners, not attached to a pimp. From the notes, she was not on drugs.

The only picture he had of her was a mug shot. It wasn't complimentary, but she still came across as a looker. Well, she would have to, in order to make it in that profession, he thought. Still, her eyes seemed to look through the camera at him, in a way that made his heart skip a beat. Jeff shook his head, to clear it. She looked like someone he'd like to date. What a waste, but I'll bet she's a pricey one.

There were notes in her file about where she worked, but they did not have any luck in turning her up, and no one in that area had seen her recently.

Patiently, he continued to hunt for her. He left her picture on his desktop, and ignored the ribbing.

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