The Dark Web Murders

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

Tuesday, 21st August. Late morning 

Sheehan, with Stewart just a step behind, entered the mortuary. Jones was weighing some organs at a nearby steel table, while Campbell was busy taking photographs of McStravick's internal organs. He looked up in time to see Sheehan's expression of distaste."You should be used to this by now, Jim," the doctor said, before bowing gallantly to Stewart. "And how are you this fine morning,Sergeant?" 

Stewart smiled a greeting to both doctors and said, "I'm very well,Doctor, but—" She nodded towards the gaping, Y-shaped incision Campbell had been photographing. "—I would have been happy enough not to have seen that." 

"You're still relatively new to this, Denise, but just for your information, there's a great deal of detail on the human body, detail that can be easily overlooked by even the most competent of professionals." He paused and looked at her over the top of his spectacles. "Well, maybe not me." He beamed at Jim and went on, "These details must be photographed because they can prove essential in determining cause of death. And, of course, the photographs will be used later in court to offer members of the jury full details of any injuries to the organs without exposing them to too much gore." 

Stewart's wrinkling nose betrayed the fact that she wasn't enamoured by the word 'gore'. 

"For this reason," Campbell went on, "medical examiners need the highest possible quality photographs of every inch of skin. In fact, we start photographing and X-raying even before we touch the body." 

"You seem to be taking excessive care with this one, Dick," Sheehan said. "Any reason for that?"

 "Excuse me, Chief Inspector." Campbell gave Sheehan a faux-glare. "I take great care with all my work." He looked back at the corpse. "However,yes, I suppose I am giving this one a little extra attention." 

"And you're doing that because?" 

"There's been a change in the MO." 

"This victim's head has been beaten to a pulp instead of the single blunt force trauma that killed the others?" Sheehan said. 

Campbell stepped back and waved a hand at the body. "Please," he said caustically, "tell us more." 

Sheehan pretended to study the body. "Mmmm! Do I detect indicators that the victim was sedated before death?" 

Campbell stepped forward quickly, surprised, and studied the body."Where do you see that?" 

"Experience, Dick. What were you saying about the extra attention?" 

Campbell gave him a sideways look and a frown before continuing,"Well, if the MO has changed, we can't afford to make assumptions. Yes,the brutality of the head trauma would have been more than enough to cause death, but we have to double check. I just want to ensure that nothing other than the vicious blows to the head have contributed to the cause of death." 

"What exactly are you looking for?"

 "I'm trying to make sure there was no poison involved, for example.We're looking for needle marks or other minor trauma that might lead us in a different direction." 

"Okay. So you haven't found anything other than the Hypnovel?" 

Campbell's head shot up again, really puzzled this time. "For heaven's sake, Jim. Have you gone all clairvoyant or what?" He noticed Stewart stifling a grin. "All right. What's going on here?" 

 Stewart glanced at Sheehan, smiling. "You should tell him, Chief." 

Campbell glared at his friend. "Well?" 

Sheehan grinned and said, "Our killer is writing blogs about his murders on the Dark Web. Stewart here discovered them. We've actually seen a detailed description of how this particular murder was carried out even though we didn't know where the body was. Stewart downloaded the blog just before we left the station. The others haven't seen it yet." 

"Good heavens," Campbell exclaimed. "That's really weird." He glanced up with a grin. "I think Bob Williams will be disappointed. He was hoping there'd be enough subtle differences in the MO to make this a copycat killing. I think he really wanted this one." 

"I'll chat with him later. I'm afraid the blog makes it clear that this was just the next one on our killer's list." 

Campbell nodded. "You're right. Same perp, I'd say. Nothing new. Drugged and battered. That's it, as far as I can see." 

"No tiny forensics of any kind?" 

"Nothing. Your killer obviously wears some kind of protective gear." 

Sheehan nodded. "Yeah! He said that in the blog." He looked at his watch. "Nothing new on any of the others?" 

"No. Forensics haven't got back to me with a DNA report on the hair or the piece of elastic. I'll let you know as soon as I hear." 

"Okay, Dick. Thanks. We'll go on. Talk again soon."