Collins smiled as if she hadn’t expected the compliment. “Thanks.”
Vera considered Seth Parson. She was still waiting on callbacks from the New Orleans Police Department and the one brother Eric had located an address and phone number for. If Vera could reach the brother, he might be able to shed some light on the relationship between Seth and Alicia.
“I confirmed that the knife found under Alicia Wilton has a blade the right width and length for the inflicted wounds on all three victims. It also fits the missing slot in the knife block found in the kitchen. Alicia sustained a laceration to the left breast from the knife. It appears the injury was made when it was pushed under her body.”
“Or when she fell and it was under her,” Bent countered.
Collins tilted her head one way then the other as if the point was debatable. “That’s possible, but more likely if she had fallen, the injury would have been deeper, perhaps lethal.”
Vera was no medical examiner, so she didn’t argue one way or the other.
Collins zipped up the bag and closed the drawer, then moved on to the next one. Vera and Bent stood on one side, Collins on the other. She lowered the zipper, revealing the still-unidentified female.
“She has the same tattoo on her hip.” Collins indicated the left hip, where the initials LP were displayed amid the two hearts.
“Larry Parson.” Vera looked to Bent. “He’s the brother Eric located for me.”
“We need to find this Larry Parson.” Bent withdrew his cell and prepared to send a text. “I’ll have Hastings follow up with the sheriff in his county of record.”
“I called,” Vera told him, “but I haven’t had a callback yet.”
“Who is Eric?” Collins looked to Vera for the answer.
“A colleague from my time in Memphis PD. Finding people and information is kind of his specialty.”
Collins lifted an eyebrow at the news. But it was the tilt of one corner of her mouth that warned she suspected there was far more to know about Eric.
None of her business.
Collins moved on to the wounds on the unidentified female’s body. The stab wounds were from the same knife or type and size knife as the others. As Vera and Bent had concluded, the one wound nicked the carotid artery.
“I did find some genetic material under the nail of this victim’s long finger on the left hand. I’ve already sent it forward for testing. That may give you something to help with identifying your killer once you’ve found him.”
Or her.Unless the genetic material was just part of the sex play that may have taken place during the party. That possibility couldn’t be ruled out, in Vera’s opinion. “Did you find scratch marks on any of the other victims?”
Collins smiled, recognizing where she was headed with the question. “Not unless it was on Wilton and it was dissolved given his extended period in the hot tub. As for this victim”—she indicated the female—“she has no other injuries or distinguishing marks other than what we’ve discussed.”
In other words, nothing new. Well, except the material under the nail and confirmation that she likely came to the Wilton residence with Seth Parson. Unless his brother was loitering around town somewhere. Which could toss another suspect into the killer pool. Because one thing was reasonably certain: The dead folks in these three drawers had not done the killing.
Vera mentally added Larry Parson to her suspect list.
Lastly they surrounded Thomas Wilton’s stainless steel drawer. Now that he was out of the water and lying in that open body bag, the deteriorated condition of his corpse was painfully obvious.
“The time in the hot tub played havoc with his epidermis.”
No kidding. There were areas where the skin was red and swollen. Others where it was peeling and sloughing off. But it was one or more of the knife wounds that had killed him. The rest occurred postmortem. Lucky for him.
“He has two stab wounds in the region of the thoracic spine below a phoenix tattoo that extends across the width of the area. Numerous defensive wounds on both arms as well as significant damage to the right hand, where I suspect he grasped the knife blade. Two additional stab wounds to the upper torso near the sternum, one of which was fatal. A perfect strike between two ribs,” Collins explained. “The blade no doubt slid directly into the heart with this one.” She indicated the puckered wound in his chest. “His blood alcohol level was low. I would guess he’d had perhaps one drink.”
“I’m sure the hot tub took care of any potential genetic evidence that didn’t belong to Wilton.” Bent knew the answer just as Vera did, but it was his job to confirm.
“Absolutely. Your forensics team found nothing else near any of the victims that might help?”
“Nothing so far.”
Vera recognized that unless they got damned lucky, any hope of solving this puzzle anytime soon lay with the sole survivor ... or with one of the names on Vera’s suspect list. The scene and the bodies just weren’t giving them a whole lot.
“By the way,” Collins said, drawing Vera’s attention back to her, although the woman was clearly addressing Bent, “that reporter, Nolan Baker, showed up at my house this morning. I’m sure he’s well aware there is nothing I can share with him.”
