Dr. Greenfield pulled back the sheet and stepped back. Ten got his first glimpse of the head. He shut his eyes, waiting for his chest to burn. Thankfully, it did not.
“The deceased is male. He appears to be in his early to mid-thirties and in good health. At least he was until he lost his head. The cut which severed the head was clean, no hesitation marks. You can see there are no rough edges to the neck and no chopping marks to the vertebrae.” Greenfield rolled the head and pulled back the skin.
Ten’s chest and stomach started to burn again. He took a step back from the remains and tried not to panic. “I can hear you if you speak to me,” Ten said softly. The pain vanished, but the spirit did not speak. When Ten caught his breath, he turned back to the autopsy table. At least now he knew the sensations were coming from their murder victim.
“What can you tell us about cause of death?” Jude asked, as he slowly walked around the table, examining the remains from all angles.
“Well, that’s where things get interesting.” Greenfield stood the head on end, exposing the neck and throat. “The decapitation occurred post-mortem. See how the tissue appears yellow and dry? Also note there is no sign of swelling or inflammation.”
“Is it possible that being in the freezer for the last forty plus years caused the conditions you just described?” Ronan asked.
The doctor shook his head. “There are biological reactions that take place when a body is deceased. Wounds and tissue reactions are not prevented by the act of freezing, they are preserved.”
Ronan nibbled his bottom lip. “If the decapitation didn’t kill this person, do you have any idea what did? Poison, maybe?”
“I’m not sure. I’ve sent tissue samples to the lab with a rush on the results. Heavy metal screenings are part of every autopsy now, thanks to a grant from the state. I’ll be back in touch when I’ve received the results.” Dr. Greenfield glanced at his notes on the clipboard near the remains. “I have a forensic odontologist coming in this afternoon to take x-rays and measurements in an effort to identify this man.”
Ten breathed a sigh of relief. Hopefully the doctors could identify this man and get his remains back to his family.
“Last question,” Jude began. “Is there any way to tell what kind of instrument severed the head?”
“As I said earlier, a single stroke was used.” Greenfield turned the head so the neck could be seen from the side. “The cut was even all around. I believe the body was lying prone on an even surface. A strong and sharp instrument was used. Something like a sword or a heavy-duty meat cleaver. A bevel-edged cleaver would also explain why the vertebrae aren’t damaged or chipped.” Dr. Greenfield covered the remains and placed them back in the morgue drawer. “Without the rest of the body to examine, I won’t be able to give you a complete determination on cause or manner of death. Find me the rest of this man’s remains and I’ll be able to give you a clearer answer.”
“Thanks, Doc.” Ronan shook Greenfield’s hand. “We’ll be in touch.”
Ten nodded to the doctor and walked as fast as he could out of the morgue. He began to run when he reached the hallway. Bursting out into the cold March air, Ten breathed deeply. Hebent double and focused on keeping his eggs and bacon from making a reappearance.
“Ten! Are you okay?” Ronan asked, as he ran up behind his husband.
Ten straightened and nodded. “Yeah, I’m good.”
Ronan pulled Ten into a tight hug. “I’m sorry I brought you here.”
“I’m okay,” Ten said, pushing back. “It happened again when we were in the morgue. I told the spirit I could speak with them and my chest stopped hurting. That was it.”
“What about other spirits? Were you being mobbed by them?”
Ten shook his head. “I think that was the strangest thing about this trip. I didn’t hear a single peep from any other ghosts, but then again, there haven’t been any-”
Ronan set his hand over Ten’s mouth. “Donotjinx us.” He grinned
Ten had been about to say that the most likely reason for the morgue being empty of spirits was because there hadn’t been any murders committed in Salem recently. He understood completely why Ronan had wanted to shut him up.
“Who’s in the mood for tacos?” Jude asked, jogging up to Ten and Ronan. “Now that I’ve dropped the kids off at the pool, I’m ready to eat!” Jude patted his stomach.
Ronan snorted and started to laugh. “I fucking missed you and the ridiculous shit that comes out of your mouth.”
“Same pal. Now let’s find some grub!” Jude opened the Mustang door and held the seat back for Tennyson. When Jude was injured and out of work recovering, Ronan had changed. Hewasn’t as happy as he always was. Having Jude back was going to be good for Ronan. As for Ten, even though he hadn’t tossed his cookies, Ten was definitely in the mood for Mexican food.
There was always room for tacos!
5
Ronan
Ronan and Jude plowed through half a dozen tacos each and split a steak burrito. He’d made an attempt to steal some of Ten’s fajitas, but his husband was having none of it. While they’d eaten, Ronan mulled over Head Doe and what could have possibly led to his death.
Now, in the car and heading for North Shore Rehab, Maria Cullen’s temporary home, Ronan was ready to let his impressions fly. “I know we have to wait for the lab results on Head Doe’s tissue samples, but what the hell happened that this guy died andthenhad his head cut off?”
