Strong Alibi by K.C. Turner (story reading txt) 📗

She was amazing. I wish I were more like her. I’m afraid I took after my dad being analytical, suspicious, and logical. Or shall I say, boring?”

Grabbing her by the small of her back his strong hands wrapped around her waist. “You are far from boring, Elizabeth Strong.” He pulled her a little closer. “And at least you know which parent’s character traits you’ve inherited. The jury’s still out on me.”

Cupping his cheek with the palm of her hand, she gently swiped his full bottom lip. “I imagine you’re a lot like your mom, Angel Martinez.” Or rather she hoped.

Chapter 7

Martinez woke to the sound of his phone vibrating against the coffee table. He was just able to reach it without disturbing Elizabeth who was nestled under the throw blanket and half on top of him. They had fallen asleep comfortably on the sofa. The time on his phone read 6:57 am. Clearing his throat as quietly as he could, he answered. “Martinez.”

“Martinez, it’s Lacy. Chief wants you down at the public boat launch. We’ve gotta live one.”

“Shit.”

“Don’t kill the messenger, alright? There are already a couple cruisers down there. Coroner should be there not long after you arrive.”

“Sorry, Lacy. Not really how I wanted to start my weekend. Gimme twenty?” Upon confirmation, he placed the phone back on the table.

Elizabeth looked up at him with sleepy eyes from her comfortable pillow made from his pec. “Who was that?”

He kissed her forehead and held her close. “Can we just run away? Somewhere far from here?”

Nestling her face in his chest, she moaned. Then she threw the blanket on the back of the couch and made herself get up from the warmth of his body. She stood in front of him as he gazed at her tenderly. “Let me make you some coffee to take with you,” she said before turning from him and heading to the kitchen.

He quickly rose from his overnight makeshift bed and began gathering his things. “Liz, I really appreciate it, but I don’t have time. I have to get into town. They found a body down by the docks.”

She looked at him and curiously raised her eyebrows. “Well, I guess they’re not going anywhere are they?”

Amused he said, “Okay, can I take a to-go cup?”

She smiled. “Of course.”

Martinez drove into town sipping his coffee along the way. Coming close to downtown, he turned left onto Shelby Street and drove two blocks to the boat docks. Next door, a cargo ship was pouring salt onto a mound getting ready for the winter season to come. One cruiser was blocking the entrance to the parking lot and backed up to allow Martinez entry. He pulled around and parked next to the other two cruisers and a truck from the fire department. It was early and already humid, the smell of fish staining the heavy air.

Officer Lucas walked up to meet Martinez at the edge of the embankment. “Good morning, Detective.”

Looking over Lucas’ shoulder he responded, “Morning, Lucas. What do we got so far?”

Lucas shook his head and scratched behind his ear. “Well, Duval is talking to the jogger over there who found the body and called it in.” He pointed over to Officer Duval and a young lady in running clothes sitting on the park bench overlooking the lake. “And the fire department just got here. Two guys suited up and they’re pulling her out now. So far, it looks like a female anyway. Coroner should be on the way.”

Before Martinez could ask anything else, they heard a vehicle pulling in. The coroner’s van backed up to the sidewalk close to them and parked. Dr. Wexler, a petite fellow, hopped out of the passenger side of the van. Sweat beads were already forming on the top of his bald head, which was surrounded by a half moon of graying, brown hair. His assistant left the drivers seat and joined him behind the van, opening the back doors to retrieve the gurney.

The firefighters lifted the body up onto the dock and laid it on its back. Dr. Wexler and Martinez walked down the wooden strip to the corpse, his assistant following behind with the gurney. “How have you been, Dr. Wexler?” asked Martinez.

His voice matched his small size. “Much better than our cadaver, I’m afraid. You’re looking well, Detective.”

Martinez picked up on the sarcasm. He was disheveled and he was well aware of it. He hadn’t shaven in a week and he had been wearing the same clothes for the past two days. “I thank you for your dishonesty, Doctor.”

As they reached the body, the firefighters stood to greet them. “Here you go fellas. She appears to have risen up just under the dock. Looks like her sundress got caught on the mollusks underneath. Good thing, otherwise the current could have washed her straight through the channel.”

“Hey, Sizemore, thanks for doing our dirty work again.” Martinez winked.

“No problem, man. We all know real men do dirty work.”

Shaking his head he grinned. “And all this time I thought they carried guns.”

Kenneth Sizemore was a big man with an even bigger heart. “Hey, you’ll be at the spaghetti dinner next week, right?” he asked speaking of the fundraiser for his wife who was just diagnosed with breast cancer.

“Of course! I bought an extra ticket. Bringing a friend.”

Walking back up the dock, Sizemore grinned and pointed at Martinez as if to say, ‘You the man!’

Kneeling over the corpse, the two men placed latex gloves on their hands and Dr. Wexler began his examination. “Female in her mid to late 20’s. Epidermis is wrinkled with pronounced discolorations; blanching and bloating appear to be underway.” He gently pulled the drenched hair from her face and turned her chin towards him. “Initial estimations of cause of death point to drowning, however, there is an approximate three inch laceration from the frontal bone to the temporal bone indicating a possible point of impact caused by blunt force trauma.”

The gut