“I don’t remember much except it was gorgeous.”
I brought the fresh drink to my nose and closed my eyes as the soft tendrils of smoke worked their magic. Snippets of those camping trips came and went. Pumping water from the well. Building sandcastles on the beach with my father. Hiking endless trails. Climbing trees.
Mournfully, I added, “It was a long time ago.” A time of childhood innocence before the cruel world hooked its claws intomy heart and shredded me alive. “The spike. You were asking a question.”
Kobe paused a moment as though recovering his thoughts. “Right. The spike.” He traced the tips of his fingers along his bottom lip as he squinted into the middle distance. “How much space is there between a person’s ribs?”
I frowned. I wasn’t sure what I had expected Kobe to ask, but that wasn’t it. “The intercostal spaces vary from person to person. Why?”
“Approximately how much?”
“Maybe somewhere between ten and twenty millimeters on average. If you want a textbook answer, I would have to look it up. Why?” I asked again.
“Correct me if I’m wrong, but impaling someone between the ribs would require extreme precision and substantial force, right?”
“I wouldn’t say substantial. There are three layers of intercostal muscles. External, internal, and the innermost. They all aid in breathing. Breaking through them with a sharp or pointed object like your flower spike wouldn’t be all that difficult. There would be resistance, but with moderate force, it would slide through easily enough.”
“Provided the ribs weren’t hit.”
“Correct.”
“According to your report, you didn’t find any failed attempts.”
“No.”
“What are the chances of that?”
“I’m not sure I understand. The man was already dead. We discussed the ease with which the subject could probe the victim’s body to determine their location.”
“Okay, but let’s say someone has zero knowledge of human anatomy. What are the chances they bypass the ribs on the first try by simply feeling for the correct location?”
I saw where he was going. Navid’s colleagues were doctors, nurses, med students, and professors in a similar field. All of them would have a base knowledge of human anatomy. The only exception would be the ER patients he purportedly upset. Having that level of familiarity with human anatomy eliminated all but a select pool of suspects.
“First try, and with no hesitation? Slim, I suppose. Especially with something easily breakable like a plastic flower spike. It wouldn’t take much resistance to snap the shaft if they didn’t have the correct angle.”
Kobe grinned. “I thought so.”
I examined the pride on the detective’s face. His honey-brown eyes glimmered amber in the candlelight. Tiny flames burned within, drawing me under his spell. Kobe’s scruff wasn’t as dense as the other day, but he still sported a five o’clock shadow. It was alluring and tempting.
When his knee met mine again under the table, I blinked, breaking his hypnotic pull. Clearing my throat, I shifted without thinking, drawing away and deciding too late that maybe, perhaps, I should have left my leg there.
Again, the blazing inferno dimmed. Kobe glanced at his drink. He wet his lips and seemed uncomfortable.
Before he could shut down, I asked, “How does that information help you?”
“It doesn’t. Not really. Navid works in the medical field. It could be anyone.” A pause. “I was making conversation.”
A yawning space opened with the confession. We’d run out of case-related things to discuss, and the real reason for Kobe’s drink invitation sat like a hot pink elephant on the table between us. I’d shut him down twice, and I suspected Kobe was about to give up.
I still didn’t know what to do. The shredded remains of my heart barely functioned and were a horrible guide.
Our second drinks vanished. Kobe pushed his empty glass aside in a way that conveyed finality. “I imagine your babysitter is expecting you home soon.”
“I didn’t give her a time frame. She’ll fall asleep on the couch if I’m too late.”
No response.
Kobe drew patterns on the tabletop before curling his fingers near his mouth and resting his chin in an upturned palm. I imagined he wanted to ask where I stood or what was happening, but his confidence seemed to have waned.
