Shadow Team

By R. J. Wehner

The building super had not seen his beautiful tenant in several days. She had promised they would have dinner one day soon. Strange that he hadnt heard from her. He hadnt even seen her cat prowling the building. Something had to be wrong. He unlocked her apartment door and shouted her name. No answer. Suddenly, her cat streaked out of the bedroom like an orange ball of fire. At that moment, the super had an eerie premonition of pure evil.

Detective Amanda Adams and Jody Jones of the Albuquerque CSI Department would soon find themselves involved in a baffling string of serial murders that were occurring nationwide. The killers trademark? The bodies of his voluptuous female victims were all found nude except for a single blood red high heel shoe.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Jul 13, 2005
• ISBN: 9781463497651

R. J. Wehner

R.J. Wehner is a retired U.S. Army Nurse Corp Colonel living in San Antonio, Texas.  He is an Anesthetist  (CRNA) and combined with his  over 30 years of Anesthesia and Pain Management experiences  he is also an author, a wood worker, a farrier, a fisherman, a hunter and a horseman.  A Vietnam veteran, R.J. has traveled the world with the Army and self and has had a variety of experiences in the operating room, in trauma centers and combat arenas.  He currently is providing a Pain Management clinic for several doctors in San Antonio, Texas.  R.J. enjoys his semi-retirement working in his clinic, fishing, wood working and playing with his wonderful grandchildren, Tristan, Courtney, Tyler.

Book preview

This book is a work of fiction. People, places, events, and situations are the product of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or historical events, is purely coincidental.

© 2005 R.J. WEHNER . All Rights Reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

First published by AuthorHouse 07/05/05

ISBN: 1-4208-6117-4 (sc)

ISBN: 9781463497651 (ebk)

Printed in the United States of America

Bloomington, Indiana

CONTENTS

Acknowledgments:

About the Author

Dedicated to my wife

Acknowledgments:

My many, many thanks

To Mary Ellen Jacobs, Chair, Department of English, Palo Alto College, San Antonio, Texas for her encouragement to complete this novel and her invaluable assistance in the final product.

To Detective Ron Womack, Criminal Investigations Division, Comal County Sheriff’s Office, New Braunfels, Texas for his suggestions and advice in the process of the book.

They found the body in the bedroom. Her throat had been cut. She was lying on her back nude except for a red high heel shoe on the left foot. The landlord, who had been the victim’s friend for several years, hadn’t seen the woman in a few days and had come to check on her. When she didn’t answer the door, he used his master key to open her apartment. He thought she might be too sick to answer the door. He called out her name but no answer. Still calling out her name, he searched every room. When he entered her bedroom and saw her on the bed, he dialed 911.

Her name was Mary Learner. She was 38 and lived alone except for her cat Duke. According to the super, Mary worked at the local hospital as the day supervisor for the Psychiatric Department. The landlord took Duke and left the apartment after the police arrived. He said he was too shaken to talk but that he would be in his apartment down the hall.

The first responding officer was Jody Smith, a large, muscular young cop. This was his first on the scene murder case. He felt he could call it murder although no one from the Albuquerque Homicide or CSI departments had arrived yet to officially proclaim that fact. Jody had wanted to be a police officer ever since he could remember. As a small boy he would watch cops and robbers shows and play the cop who would catch the crooks. He always got his man. But getting into the Albuquerque Police Academy was not as easy. A Native American who lived on the reservation just outside of Albuquerque, Jody was not the typical Indian because he stood six feet four and weighted 240 pounds. He was a full blood Comanche – or so his mother told him. He always thought there might be some mix in him. It was not an easy task to join the group of men and women called THE MAN. Jody had applied many times to the police academy but was repeatedly rejected. He always suspected it was because of where he came from. He was able to attend the University of New Mexico because of his heritage and because it was in his hometown. His mother wanted to keep him close by. After graduating from UNM with a degree in criminology and forensics, Jody was finally accepted at the police academy where he graduated at the head of his class.

Jody was careful not to touch or move anything in the apartment as he walked around the room. His forensic education taught him to observe first then act. He could not be part of the forensic force until he had completed his first year as a police officer doing duty on the street. He had a hard time dealing with fact when he learned the department was short of qualified forensic personnel. The Forensic Department formed a tight, self contained group who were not happy about outsiders cutting in on their turf. They had solved many cases in the last four years, especially since the advent of DNA testing. The best means now, besides finger prints, was matching DNA.

Jody stared at the body for a few minutes and noticed that there was blood not only around the throat wound but also a splatter pattern over Mary Learner’s chest, abdomen and legs. Although there were only one or two drops on her arms and hands, there was blood on the bedding and the walls. All four walls had a pattern as if the blood were sprayed. Just one thin line of blood like a string.

He carefully observed the room taking care to walk next to the wall and not to touch any item. He found Mary’s clothes. They appeared to have been cut and torn off. The clothes were lying on the far side of the bed near the wall. Her name tag was still on the clothes. The room appeared neat. Too neat. Nothing seemed to be out of place except the clothes and, of course, the body. Mary was lying on top of the bed with her arms and legs spread out. It appeared that the legs had been bound to the bottom of the bed frame but later cut loose. There was an indentation around each ankle. She had large round breast that hung down on both sides of her chest. Jody saw there was a circle of something, a solution perhaps, around each nipple.

Jody was examining the rest of the room when the forensic team and the homicide detectives arrived. The lead detective immediately notice Jody looking around and did not like outsiders doing his job. He brusquely ordered Jody to secure the area outside the building and check with the neighbors to see if anyone had heard anything. The lead detective looked at the body and remarked to his partner, This poor bitch sure was laid out nice, huh? Look at those tits! Joe, the other detective, glanced at him then exclaimed, Hay! look at her groin area! What’s that stuff?

Looks like someone creamed on her," the lead detective said.

Just then the coroner’s office team arrived and began to look over the body. They placed a thermometer in her liver to help tell the time of death and began a general inspection. There was minimal mottling on the lower part of the body as if there were little or no blood left in the body. The forensic team began scanning the room once the coroner’s team had completed their exam. Time of death was about 72 hours ago. The usual routine was followed as with any murder. The forensic photographer took many pictures, and every item was bagged, tagged and taken to the lab for intense exam.

The lead forensic tech for this case was Amanda Adams. Mandy, as she was called or sometimes AA, had been with the team just over two years. She was still considered the new person and had to endure the jokes that accompany being new. After two years, Mandy felt that they should forget all the nonsense and let her do her job. However, she was still under observation and was told what to do and how to do it. She needed to solve a big case of her own to be accepted as on of the guys! She had deliberately asked for this case and hoped to solve it quickly and be on her own. For now, though, she had to answer to her supervisor Don Jenkins. If only she could solve this murder quickly!

Amanda was 30 years old and had gone through a nasty divorce about six years earlier. She wanted to be on her own and left alone. But, being totally female and looking it, she had to fend off many a hand. Mandy stood five feet seven inches in her stocking feet and weighed 120 pounds. She kept her flaming red hair cropped short. Afflicted with the redhead’s quick temper if provoked, she usually managed to keep it in check.

Amanda observed the body of Mary Learner from various angles as she shot photos of her. She noted the blood around the wound and the unusual pattern of the blood on the chest and legs. There were only a few drops on the arms and hands. She took pictures of the breast and the circle of solution around each nipple. Mandy took samples of the solution on each breast. She next took pictures of the walls and the thin line of blood across each wall. Much like a string, she thought to herself. The crime scene seemed strange as if a ritual of some sort had been carried out. She collected samples of the blood from each wall and was careful to keep the specimens separate and labeled correctly as to which sample belong to which wall. She also collected samples of blood and the other solutions on the body. Around the groin area and the mons, Mandy found a large amount of clear solution that appeared to disappear into the vaginal area.

What do you make of this crime scene? Don asked.

Well… Mandy hesitated, It’s hard to say. Look how odd the blood pattern is. Blood is around the throat the way you would expect, but it’s not running down her chest in a downward pattern the way you think. It looks almost like her throat was cut and then she was half way cleaned up and then the killer thought better of it and just splashed the blood back on her. What do you see Don? You’re the big boss.

Hmm… much the same. You know I think there was another MO like this a few months back. I think I remember reading about it in one of the monthly update bulletins we get. We’ll have to check the computer when we get back to the lab.

They both eyed the room again. Why is the room still neat and the bed and body and walls bloody? Mandy murmured to herself. Don looked at her oddly. Sorry, I was just thinking aloud, Mandy apologized.

Don lifted the left breast with his gloved hand and looked at the chest wall under it. These are heavy, he said. They real, you think? Don asked.

Stop playing with the body! Just leave them alone unless you’re looking something, Mandy retorted angrily. If her breasts weren’t real they wouldn’t fall that far to the side. She added.

For your information, missy, Don barked at Mandy, I was checking to see if there were any marks on the side of her chest. You know like she was grabbed and the force left an imprint. Don’t accuse me of things I don’t do. We each have ways of coping with death and the scenes we see otherwise we’d go crazy.

I know, Don. Sorry I snapped at you.

One of the detectives interrupted Don and Mandy. There’s a street cop out here who’s canvassed the building and area around here. The one who was first here this morning. You want to talk with him?

Sure, Mandy said. Ask him to come in. Jody strode into the room and once again looked around. He could see that the forensic team was finishing up and would soon be heading back to the lab. What have you found out from the rest of the building, officer? Mandy inquired.

Jody pulled out his notebook. No one really heard or saw anything. Generally this is a quiet, respectable place. Everyone was shocked to hear that Mary was dead. I didn’t tell anyone how she died in case the detectives or your office wanted to keep that part quiet. However, her friend, the super did see her. He might tell. You need any help here?

Mandy had heard around the office that a new cop was educated and ready to join the forensic group but had to complete his first year as a street cop. Seemed a waste to her. She hated that year also before she could join the forensic group. No, I think we have everything here for now. But…. Mandy paused. Tell me what you see here. You’re the one trying to get into the forensic office, right?

How’d you know? I’ve been trying for almost a year now and will have my street time done in two more months. Jody quickly scanned the room one more time then began. What I see at this scene is that the girl was cut somewhere else and then brought back here or possibly her throat cut in the bathroom and then she was placed on the bed. The flow of blood just doesn’t fit with the wound.

Mandy chimed in, The bathroom was clean, however. We didn’t find blood anywhere but here on the victim and walls. I did notice that the blood did not seem to flow like it should but….. Mandy suddenly blurted out. You want to help with this case? I think I can get the captain to let you have a leave from your street duty to work with me on this case.

You bet I do! Jody almost yelled.

The detectives were just finishing up their work and were about to leave. You want to let us know what you found so far, Amanda? The older detective asked.

I think the coroner has the time death approximately 72 yours before which matches what the landlord said. He said that he had seen or heard from her for two or three days which was unusual, Mandy replied.

Officer, what did you find out? The detective asked as he turned to look at Jody.

No one saw or heard anything, Jody remarked. I don’t think they were lying but….. you never now. This is a quiet neighborhood.

Did any of the residents of the building work with the victim? Asked the detective.

Jody glanced at his notebook. No. Except for the landlord who was her friend, I don’t think any of the other people knew her that well. Only to say hi in the hall.

The detectives took notes of their own and left the room. Mandy, too, gathered her things to leave then spotted Jody, come down to the station tomorrow. I hope the captain will let you leave by then to join our staff.

Thanks! Jody beamed.

Mandy had taken pictures of every place she found blood: the body,