Boneyard by Michelle Gagnon Read Free Book Online Page B

post-mortem.”
    “But they’re not animal related?”
    He shook his head. “Decidedly not. These were administered by a sharp blade of some sort. There were also similar marks here—” he pointed to the sternum “—and here,” he finished, noting an indentation of the pelvic girdle.
    “A knife?”
    He tilted his head to the side. “Probably. Difficult to say for certain.”
    “And how long was he out there?”
    Dr. Stuart shrugged. “If we knew exactly where he had fallen, we could take soil samples, try to determine the level of volatile fatty acids present. But if these bones were removed from the original site by animals…”
    Monica glanced sideways at Kelly. “I think we might have some idea where he was dumped.”
    Kelly nodded. “I’ll send a tech out to gather soil samples.”
    “Fantastic.” Dr. Stuart perked up, excited. “If the lab finds evidence of decomposition in the surrounding soil, I could possible narrow the time of death to days.”
    “And if you don’t find that?”
    “Unfortunately, in the wild, at this time of year, we’re looking at a range of anywhere from twelve days to a few months. Any longer, I believe we would have seen more of an environmental impact on the bones.”
    “No hair or fibers?”
    “I’m afraid he was too far along in the decomposition process.” Dr. Stuart paused and glanced back down at the body.
    “Anything else?” Kelly pressed, watching his face.
    Dr. Stuart slowly shook his head from side to side. “No, it’s just…it’s a shame, to be missing the arm from this sample. Not to mention the other remains…examining them together would be helpful. Without having something to compare to, it’s difficult to say if there is any relationship between the victims.”
    “I’ll speak to someone in Massachusetts, see what we can arrange. Maybe I can get them to let you examine the bodies tomorrow.”
    He looked up anxiously. “Perhaps this time I could travel by car?”
    Kelly grinned. “It’ll take a lot longer than a chopper ride, but I suppose we can manage that. Would you like a lift back tonight?”
    “I have a few more tests to run, if you don’t mind.” He checked his watch.
    “I can hang out. My kid’s on a camping trip, so I’ve got nothing on my plate other than pizza and a hot bath,” Monica said. “Maybe the professor can give me a crash course on this bone stuff.”
    A look of mild panic crossed Dr. Stuart’s face again; he nervously ran a hand through his hair, shoving the lock back. It immediately fell forward again across his eyes. “Um, I suppose—”
    “That’s settled, then. See you both tomorrow.” Kelly nodded at them and gathered up her purse.
    As Kelly left, she heard Monica say, “So you specialize in bones, huh?” She smiled to herself. At last a few members of the task force seemed to be getting along.
    The kid flicked his cigarette into the gutter and exhaled a long stream of smoke from his nose. He stood just inside the circle of light cast by a lamp mounted above the club door. The rest of the street was pitch-black. Inside, the drag show was finishing up, and the DJ was getting ready to take over, same as every other Wednesday night. Northampton was a college town, one of the few places where bars and clubs stayed open late. It was sixty miles southeast of the Vermont border, far enough from home that he never worried about anyone recognizing him. It would be difficult to explain himself if he did encounter someone he knew; Northampton was famous above all else for its thriving gay scene, a Gomorrah nestled in the heart of Massachusetts.
    His truck was parked across the street, a few doors down from the club. From his vantage point he had a clear view of the entrance, where a velvet rope stood watch forlornly. This late in the season Club Metro would only be half-full, there was no need to keep anyone waiting outside. Aside from the boy, there was no one else around. A couple emerged, arms intertwined,