A Novel Murder - Episode 2

An examination of the victim's body

The medical examiner who show up to the scene was young enough to be my son, but he did a good job. He showed us how the victim apparently bled to death from the laceration to his scalp. Bob and I snapped blue latex gloves on, and proceeded to search the body. Bob stood behind me and shined a flashlight where I was searching. The victim’s clothes were stained and messy, and his hair and the scruff on his face indicated that he hadn’t shaved or bathed recently.

I pulled a wallet from the victim’s back pocket. It contained a driver’s license - Stephen T., aged 28. I handed the license to Bob. “Out of state I.D.” The wallet had no cash in it and one expired debit card.

I got to my feet and gave the examiner room to work. Bob and I stood back and took in the scene: dead body, filthy apartment. “Seems like Stephen was down on his luck,” Bobby said.

“Starving artist?”

“Or a tortured one.” Bobby shined his flashlight on the victim’s arm, revealing old scars from injections, and what looked like a fresh one. Bobby pulled out his cell phone from his coat pocket and took a picture of the victim’s ID. “When I get back from my appointment I’ll run him for priors.”

I kneeled back down to check the victim’s other pockets. The right front pocket contained a set with three keys - one appeared to be a house key, the other a car key, and the third a mailbox key.

I pulled a wad of folded envelopes from his left front pocket, what looked to be past due bills from a credit card company. Tucked between them was a handwritten note. I unfolded the paper, read it, then handed it to Bob.

“Looks like we might have something here.”