‘We need to know who owns that vehicle too,’ says Philip, tapping the end of the marker pen against the glass beside action three on the murder-board action list. ‘That’s got to be a priority, and if they’re—’
‘Shit, this is all wrong,’ says Lizzie. There’s concern in her voice and a troubled expression on her face.
‘What is?’ asks Moira, leaning across the table and trying to see what Lizzie is looking at.
‘These photos.’ Lizzie taps her finger on the iPad screen, enlarging the close-up picture of the young woman in the pool. ‘This crime scene, it makes absolutely no sense.’
14
LIZZIE
‘It makes no sense,’ Lizzie says again, louder this time. Her voice is more urgent. Her tone is assertive, work-like; it’s one she’s not used since retirement and it feels alien inside her own mouth. But if Philip is determined they have to investigate this murder then she needs the others to take notice. This is important.
Moira’s already giving her attention. Now Philip and Rick stop talking and look at her.
‘What is it? Tell me,’ says Philip.
In his expression, Lizzie sees that look she’s not seen from him in a long time – professional respect and the need for her input. She used to get such a kick out of them working together – brainstorming ideas, analysing evidence, tracking investigation pathways. But now, ever since he was forced into retirement, it’s the last thing she’s wanted. Still, she does as he asks.
‘From what I can see, I think this woman was shot. There’s not much damage, so they probably used something low calibre, but by zooming in I can get a look at the blood pattern and the rough shape of the wound. It doesn’t look consistent with stabbing.’
Philip frowns. ‘So why’s that—’
‘If you’re going to mug someone, you don’t usually shoot them before you grab the money, do you?’ says Moira. ‘Especially if they might fall into a swimming pool and you can’t swim.’
‘True that,’ says Rick. ‘You’d get a hold of the money, the bag, and then fire to stop them fighting back.’
‘Exactly, but that’s not the story this scene is telling,’ says Lizzie.
Moira leans forward. ‘What is it showing you?’
‘Well, you mentioned the blood trail a minute ago, leading along the path?’ Lizzie flicks through the pictures on the iPad to find the photo of the blood splatter on the patio stones. ‘This shows that the victim didn’t die immediately but was able to move towards the pool after she was shot.’
‘Couldn’t the killer have pushed or thrown her into the pool, rather than her going that way herself?’ Moira asks.
Lizzie bites her lip as she considers the question. ‘It’s possible, but unlikely.’ She gestures to the blood trail on the stones. ‘See the drip pattern here, it’s consistent from point A – here by the edge of the stone – to point B – at the pool edge – which tells me nothing, or no one, was inhibiting the splatter as she moved. If someone had pushed her, I’d expect some deviation. And if they’d carried or dragged her, the pattern wouldn’t have been so uniform – it’s hard not to interrupt flow, especially from a chest wound, if you’re manhandling a full-size adult.’
‘But if she was dying, why did she willingly go in the pool?’ asks Moira. ‘Surely she’d know that’d be risky?’
‘If she knew her killer, could be she knew they couldn’t swim and she thought she’d be safe in the water,’ says Rick.
‘Possibly,’ says Lizzie. ‘Although the bullet entry is in her chest, and that makes you think heart, it could have missed. With a small-calibre weapon the damage would have been bad but limited. It’s possible the wound wasn’t fatal, although of course she wouldn’t necessarily have known that, and neither might the killer. As I said, it looks like a low-calibre gun and, although it’s hard to be sure from just a picture, I’d say the shot wounded her badly, but didn’t kill her.’