The Abortionist's Daughter Read Online Free PDF Page A

Frowning, she smoothed back Diana’s thick curls and examined her head, turning it this way and that. She palpated the area around the bruise. She lifted Diana’s eyelids and shined a tiny light in her eyes. She rolled Diana to one side and examined her back, then rolled her back again and gently straightened her arms by her sides and brought the sheet up over her head.
    “You’re right, we’re going to need a full autopsy,” she said. “What time did you find her?” she asked Frank.
    “Eight-thirty.”
    “In the pool?”
    Frank nodded.
    “And you dragged her out?”
    Frank nodded again.
    “Wish you hadn’t done that,” Ernie murmured.
    “And when did anyone last see her?” asked Piper.
    “I did,” said Frank.
    “What time?”
    “Five, five-thirty.”
    “Well, we definitely need an autopsy,” Piper declared. “I can’t tell a damn thing here except she hit her head and drowned. Let’s get her over to the morgue,” she said, snapping off her gloves. “I’ll call John, and we’ll get started.”
    “Tonight?” said Frank.
    “No reason to wait,” said Piper.
    Meanwhile Huck was over by the sliding doors, inspecting the doorjambs. “Did you say the door was unlocked?”
    “The lock’s broken,” said Frank. “She was supposed to call someone.”
    “You leave all your doors unlocked?” asked Ernie.
    “No, we don’t, detective. I just told you. This one was broken.”
    Huck bent to inspect the lock. “Broken indeed. Nice ficus,” he said, glancing around. “Hard to keep alive, aren’t they?”
    “I don’t take care of the plants,” said Frank.
    “Must be the moisture in here,” Huck remarked. He knelt down to examine something.
    “What is it?” asked Ernie.
    “Broken glass,” Huck said. Frank watched as Huck slipped on a pair of gloves and picked up the glass and placed it in a Ziploc bag and sealed it. He watched him put the bag in his pocket. He saw the two men exchange glances and suddenly put things together. They thought it was him! But of course! You always suspect the husband! He should have thought of that by now.
    As though Ernie had read his mind, he now approached Frank’s side. “Listen, Frank,” he said in a low voice, “do you have somewhere to go tonight?”
    “Why’s that?”
    “It’s just that we have to treat this as a crime scene,” said Ernie, “and we need to preserve things.”
    “I’m not going to tamper with anything,” said Frank, “if that’s what you’re saying.”
    “I’m not saying that,” said Ernie. “But we’ve got to follow procedure. And I think you know that your staying here could cause problems later on.”
    “You mean when you want to name me as a suspect?”
    “I’m not saying that.”
    “Good. Because I’m not leaving. I’m waiting here for my daughter.”
    “Where is your daughter, by the way?” Huck asked.
    “She’s on her way over here,” said Frank. “I called her. She should be here.” He looked at his watch again.
    “Doesn’t she have a cell?” asked Ernie.
    It hadn’t even occurred to him to call her cell. There was a phone on the wall by the door, and he picked it up and dialed Megan’s number. There was no answer.
    “She drives a yellow Bug, doesn’t she?” asked Huck.
    “Why?” said Frank.
    “I think I saw her on her way over here,” Huck replied. “She was having trouble with her defroster. I’ll call Dispatch.” He left the room. Frank was left standing there alone with Ernie, who glanced at him and then jingled the change in his pocket.
    “Look, Frank,” he finally said. “I’m very sorry about this.”
    Frank wasn’t yet ready to start receiving sympathies. He cleared his throat and asked where Ernie’s older daughter was these days.
    “Up north,” said Ernie.
    “Is she still playing soccer?”
    “No. How about Megan?”
    Frank shook his head, and Ernie gave a sigh. “They were all going to get soccer scholarships,” he said. “Remember those days?”
    Frank managed