read from my notes: Well-developed, well-nourished mid-adolescent female of Eastern descent. Multiple stab wounds, shock from voluminous loss of blood-she was drained.'
'How?'
'Gravity, probably. Tipped over so that it flowed through the throat wound.'
Like a butchered animal, thought Daniel. One hand tightened around the receiver. The other scrawled hastily as the pathologist continued to recite his findings:
'The ear pierces were old. Inside the hole was some blackening, which turned out to be steel oxide on the specto-graph-non-gold wire, which means the earrings themselves probably weren't gold and they may have been removed recently.'
'Could the wire have been gold-plated?'
'Possibly, or gold paint. Let me continue. There were no defense cuts or ligature marks, so she didn't resist and she wasn't tied up. Which would indicate lack of consciousness during the actual cutting, but there was no evidence of head trauma. However, I did find two fresh needle marks on the arms and the gas chromatography came up with opiates. Heroin. Not enough to kill her unless she had an idiopathic sensitivity, but enough to sedate her.'
'Was she cut up before or after sedation?'
'From the lack of resistance, I'd say after. For her sake, I hope so.'
'Anesthesia,' said Daniel. 'Considerate of the bastard, eh?'
'Any sign that she was an addict?'
'On the contrary: The organs were clean, mucosa clear. No other marks besides the two fresh ones. All in all, a healthy young lady.'
'What about sexual assault?'
'The whole damned thing was a sexual assault,' said Levi. 'You saw the genitalia. If you mean was there semen, no visible patches, but the region was too torn up for a complete analysis. The tests we ran were negative. Let's see what else? oh, yes, the wounds were caused by more than~ one instrument. At least two, maybe more.'
'What kinds of instruments?'
'Knives. Very sharp. One with a curved blade, the other larger, straight-edged. The larger one was used on the throat. One strong slash from left to right, so we're probably dealing with a right-handed person, which doesn't help you much.'
'Any similarity to the Gray Man homicides?'
'None whatsoever. Gray Man used a serrated blade, relatively dull-we hypothesized a kitchen knife, remember? Whoever did this used something finely honed.'
'Like a razor?'
'Razor sharp but definitely larger than your standard safety blade.'
'What about a straight razor?'
Levi's pause implied contemplation.
'From my inspection of the wound,' he said, 'I'd say the big one's larger than your average straight razor. There was little or no sawing-the initial cut went right through. Though I suppose it could be one of those old- fashioned heavy ones the barbers used to shave people with.'
'What about the curved one?'
'Short-bladed. First thing I thought of was a curved scalpel, but I checked all of mine against the wounds and none of them fit. Which doesn't mean there isn't some kind of surgical knife that would. But it could just as easily be something else: wood-carver's tool, linoleum cutter, even a ohe-of-a-kind-anyone can buy a knife, shape it, and sharpen it. I took wound casts. If you bring me a weapon I can tell you if it fits.'
'I'll keep that in mind. What about the sheet?'
'We're not finished with it but it looks like standard domestic issue so I doubt you'll get anywhere pursuing that line of inquiry. Same for the soap and shampoo she was washed with. Neka Sheva Green.'
'What do you make of the fact that she was washed?'
'Someone was trying to get rid of physical evidence. And did a damned good job of it-so far we've come up with no fibers except for those from the sheet, no foreign secretions or residue other than a few grains of garden- variety silica sand. It took a lot of care to get her that clean.'
'I was thinking more in terms of psychology,' said Daniel. 'A symbolic gesture. Washing away guilt.'
'Lady Macbeth?' said Levi doubtfully. 'I suppose any-thing's possible when you're dealing with twisted minds.'
'You see this as the work of a madman?'
'Not a drooling, raving lunatic-too much planning and precision for that. But twisted, nonetheless. A sadistic psychopath.'
'Any ideas about the ethnicity of the girl?'
'Eastern is as far as I'll go. I checked for clitorectomy but there was too much tissue damage to tell. Not that it's the marker it used to be-many of the Arabs have stopped circumcising their women. The only ones you can count on to do it routinely are the Bedouins, and this one's no Bedouin.'
'Why do you say that?'
