Price of Life (Sue Thomas FBEye)

Intro

Red flashing lights. CSI were mapping the dark alley without success. Some low life had found the body between 2 and 3 am in a dumpster, called the police, but didn't stick around for the questioning. The investigators were looking at the body of a beautiful teenage girl.

"No sign of trauma, assault or injury. Nicely dress. Same M.O.," stated the head CSI agent. He turned toward the medical examiner. "She's all yours. I want a full tox screen."

"I will give it priority," replied the ME already knowing what he was going to find out.

It was the fifth body to turn up into a dumpster in this area of town in the last six month. That in itself wasn't unusual, you didn't walk after nightfall in that neighborhood if you knew what was good for you. What was unusual were the victims and how they died.

Back to the morgue, the ME stared at the body on the table. Young people don't belong here, he thought, wondering if he did himself.

He had started this job barely 6 months ago with Jane Doe #1 showing up less than a week later. He had not been able to determine the exact cause of death, speculating drug overdose, the tox screen showing a deadly cocktail of known and unknown chemical. Nothing else had made sense. He had called more experienced colleagues without luck. Nobody had been able to identify her either. He had tried to put her out of his mind but a couple weeks later Jane Doe #2 ended up on his table as well. Similar drug cocktail. The word "serial" only popped after Jane Doe #3. He dreaded the next hours, the answers that were not going to be there.

He turned on the recorder and took a flashlight. He looked at the eyes. Bloody and empty, like the others. He decided to start with the blood work. He took her arm, brushing his thumb against the soft skin. It felt...the texture felt wrong. He checked her eyes again, her pulse, her heart, nothing. He could have sworn—

A small tremor shook the body. He screamed.