Page 89 of Forever Gone

“Understood.”

“The three women were killed by penetrating wounds to the torso. Karen sustained four wounds. Ruth had three. Linda appears to have two, though I’ll confirm once I complete the internal examination.”

“Same weapon?” Kelly asked.

“Possibly,” Blethan said. “The wound dimensions are close, but the tongue injuries give me the stronger comparison.”

Selena leaned forward. “You can tell that from the tissue?”

“I can tell the kind of blade involved. Whether it was the exact same knife in all three attacks is another matter.”

Kelly set her pen against the page. “How can you be sure about the type?”

Blethan pushed away from the desk and moved toward a filing cabinet. His limp became more noticeable over the few steps. He opened the top drawer, searched through a set of envelopes, and returned with three enlarged photographs.

He placed them side by side.

Selena had seen worse in person. The clinical detail still made her stomach tighten. Each image showed the severed end of a tongue under bright examination lighting, the tissue cleaned sufficiently to reveal the cut margins.

Blethan pointed to a sequence of shallow, repeating ridges.

“There. And there.”

Kelly bent closer without touching the photographs. “Those marks are from serrations?”

“Aye. Parallel scalloping, spaced almost identically in all three. A kitchen knife can be serrated, but these teeth are broader and more aggressive. The smooth portion begins the cut. The serrated section tears as the blade is drawn through and withdrawn.”

“Designed to do maximum damage when pulled out,” Selena said.

“Precisely. Combat knives are built for penetration, grip, and damage. Some hunting and survival knives use similar features, so I wouldn’t restrict your search to military issue.”

“We could be looking for a soldier,” Selena said.

“Or someone who has an obsession with such things. Collectors. Hunters. Survivalists. People who buy frightening objects because they enjoy owning them. Don’t narrow the search by sex.”

Kelly said, “Could the same blade have caused the chest wounds?”

“It could. The wound lengths and one partially abraded margin are consistent with it. Soft tissue doesn’t give me a serial number. I can say the same type of knife was likely used for the stabbing and the mutilation.”

“Were the tongues removed before or after death?” Selena asked.

“After the fatal wounds, but while circulation remained. Very shortly before death or immediately after. The distinction may not be possible to make with certainty.”

Kelly wrote that down. “Any sign the victims were restrained?”

“Karen had defensive wounds. Ruth did as well. Linda’s wrists show no ligature marks. Nothing suggests prolonged captivity.”

“So, the killer approaches, attacks quickly, then takes the time to remove the tongue,” Selena said.

Blethan nodded. “The first violence is hurried. The mutilation is controlled.”

The difference mattered.

Rage brought the killer through the door. Purpose kept the knife in the killer’s hand afterward.

Selena sat back. “Okay. Three victims, all of similar ages, all killed and mutilated with the same or a similar combat knife. All three went to Elmsview High School.”

Kelly stopped writing.