Cut and Run(6)

“He said Crow had been slowing down the last few months, but that the old man never complained.”

Faith reached for her scalpel and made a Y-incision that began above his pectoral muscles and went straight down his abdomen. She peeled back the flesh, reached for bone cutters, and snapped the ends of the ribcage so she could lift it away. She unpacked the organs, weighed them, and set them aside.

She noticed his enlarged heart immediately, and when she removed it from the body and dissected it, she found several severely blocked arteries. The right ventricle was badly discolored, as if blood flow had suddenly been stopped. His lungs had several lesions, and by feeling around in his abdominal cavity, she discovered a hard mass behind his stomach. She removed the stomach to reveal a tumor on the pancreas that she’d bet a paycheck was cancerous. Jack Crow had been a dead man walking for some time.

“He would have been in terrible discomfort,” Faith said. “I’m surprised he didn’t get the prescription for painkillers filled.”

“Ledbetter said Crow passed out about six weeks ago, and he drove the old man to the doctor. The doctor wanted to run tests, but Crow refused.” Hayden drew in a slow, steady breath. “Crow knew time was running out, and he knew he had a conscience to clear.”

“Maybe,” Faith said.

She continued to examine and weigh the organs, and when she’d inspected them all, she repacked them into the body and sutured the Y-incision.

“His heart failed,” she said. “But clearly the torture, given his weakened state of health, triggered heart failure. I’m ruling this a homicide.” Homicide didn’t always mean murder, simply death at the hands of another human. Her ruling gave Hayden the green light to find the killer.

“Forensic technicians have pulled dozens of fingerprints from the trailer, but no telling who they belong to.” His intense gaze softened a fraction. “I appreciate you working this case into your schedule this afternoon. I’ll keep you posted.”

“Thanks. I’d like to know what happened.”

“Mr. David Ledbetter is here to view the body,” Nancy said. “He also wants to see you, Dr. McIntyre.”

“Legally there’s not a lot I can say to him about the state of the body because he’s not family, but I’ll speak with him,” Faith said. “Nancy, can you get Mr. Crow ready for a viewing?”

“Yes.”

“Captain, would you like to join me?” Faith asked.

“I would,” he said.

“Give me a moment to clean up and change.” She glanced up at the clock, knowing she was now officially late for a fundraiser. “I’ve got to get out of these scrubs. Give me fifteen minutes.”

“Sure.”

Faith left the autopsy room, tugging off her gloves and the gown covering her scrubs. She moved into the locker room, but when she reached for the combination lock to her locker, her hand paused and it took another attempt before she could align the tumblers. The lock clicked open, and, grabbing her towel and soap, she headed to the shower. She ducked under the hot spray, washed quickly, toweled off, and dressed in the dark slacks, white silk blouse, and heels she’d worn to work that morning. She unpinned her hair, ran a brush through it, letting the ends fall onto her shoulders, and slid on her jacket. Ten minutes later she joined Hayden in the hallway, and they walked together down to the interview room.

A slim man who looked to be in his early twenties rose as they entered. He wore dirty jeans, a faded blue T-shirt, and boots that looked almost as old as him. His hair was long and pulled back into a ponytail.

Faith extended her hand to him. “I’m Dr. Faith McIntyre.”

Ledbetter took Faith’s hand, gripping with a strength that belied long, thin fingers. “I only got a glimpse of Crow, but he looked pretty torn up.”

“I know you were rattled yesterday,” Hayden said. “Have you had a chance to think about who might have wanted to hurt Crow?”

Ledbetter shook his head. “He kept to himself and stayed away from trouble. He ain’t even had a patient in the last six months.”

“When is the last time he saw his children?”

“Macy’s been gone for years. I never met her. Dirk lives on the property, but I haven’t spoken to him in months. He and Crow don’t get along so well.”

“Do you know why?” Hayden asked.

“Dirk wanted his dad to sell the land and enjoy his life. Crow wouldn’t discuss it.”

“And you saw no one around the yard who was suspicious?” Hayden asked.

“No. No one’s been around in weeks.”

“You took Mr. Crow to the doctor a month and a half ago?” Faith asked.

“Yeah, he was in bad shape. I rushed him into town, and he let the doctor poke and prod but in the end wouldn’t let him do nothing.”

“He had unfilled prescriptions?” Faith asked.

“Yeah. He said bourbon would do the trick. We stopped at the liquor store and got a six-pack and two half gallons of premium bourbon. He also had me stop at the drugstore and get a couple of burner phones and tobacco. He loved his dip.”

“Two prepaid phones?” Hayden asked. “What did he want them for?”

“He didn’t say. Only cared that they had a GPS map and a video recorder.”