Beckert nodded. “There are people who’d gladly leap to that conclusion, so we’ll stick to the word ‘club’ rather than ‘nightstick’ in any press statements.”
Thrasher continued. “Interestingly, the injuries show a remarkable similarity in the number and placement of the blows to the two bodies.”
Kline looked puzzled. “Similarity?”
“In my experience as an emergency room physician and as a pathologist, I’ve examined hundreds of victims of assaults. Such injuries tend to be of a more random nature—random in placement and in force.”
Torres looked as puzzled as Kline. “What are you getting at?”
“These blows were not delivered in the heat of passion characteristic of assaults in general. Their similar distribution on each body, the similar force with which they were delivered, and their similar number—twenty-one distinct contusions on Tooker, twenty-two on Jordan—are consistent with a methodical approach.”
“Designed to achieve what?”
“That’s what you gentlemen are paid to figure out. I merely observe and report.”
Kline asked if he’d noted any other oddities.
“Well, naturally the burn marks on the feet. They’re consistent with the application of a custom-made branding iron—like a hobbyist’s wood-burning instrument. An unusual element in itself, even without the additional peculiarity.”
“What peculiarity?”
“The burned-in letters have perfectly sharp borders.”
“Meaning what?”
“During the application of the red-hot iron the feet remained perfectly motionless.”
Torres spoke up. “I saw ligature marks on the ankles, meaning they were tied together. Also, one of the assailants could have been holding them down. Wouldn’t that account for it?”
“Not completely. The application of the hot iron to a sensitive area of the foot would have produced a spasm, creating observable blurring at the border of the impression.”
“So that means what? That they were unconscious?”
“Almost certainly. Yet none of the cranial injuries appear to be sufficient to cause loss of consciousness.”
“So they were drugged?”
“Yes. To the point of zero physical sensation. Something to think about.”
Beckert nodded thoughtfully. “When you think about that—the difficulties that would pose, the possible motives—what comes to mind?”
“That question moves beyond medical facts into the area of criminal hypothesizing—your specialty, not mine. I wish you the best of luck.” He picked up his briefcase and headed for the door. “My office will forward you the initial autopsy report later this afternoon. The simple opiate screens were negative, by the way. Alcohol screens were above the legal limit for driving, but hardly consistent with anesthesia. Full tox screens will be available in another day or two.”
After Thrasher’s parting comment the mayor spoke up. “What the hell was he getting at—that business about the beating they got not being normal?”
The sheriff was the first to respond. “He implied it was done with a high degree of plannin’ and purpose.”
“What kinda purpose?”
“Sounded a little like he didn’t know, and a lot like he didn’t want to say.”
Beckert addressed the table in general. “Our ME has a habit of making dramatic entrances, stirring the pot, and dashing off. We’ll stick to his professional observations, evaluate them in the light of all the other evidence, and form our own conclusions.” He turned to Torres. “Let’s take a look at what you discovered at the crime scene.”
Torres tapped a couple of computer keys, resuming his description of the evidence photos as they appeared. “These are the ropes that were used to tie the victims to the crossbars of the jungle gym. We preserved the knots and the rope-end cuts for eventual matching if we can find the source.”
“How come you saved the knots?” Shucker asked.
“They would have been handled the most, so they’d be most likely to have retained abraded skin cells.” He went on to the next photo. “We found these tire tracks approaching the jungle gym structure and stopping in front of it . . . and we found these similar tracks on one of the trails in the adjacent woods. The forensics team—”
Kline interrupted. “Have you determined the type of vehicle?”
“We believe it was a full-size UTV, something like a Kawasaki Mule. Forensics is looking to match the tread pattern and width to a specific model and year. Actually, we had a piece of luck with those tires. They dropped some compacted soil on the ground near the swing set, soil that had been trapped in the tread grooves. And it doesn’t appear to be native to that part of the park.”
Gurney smiled. “Nice, Mark. A possible link to the primary crime scene.”
The mayor looked bewildered. “What primary crime scene?”
“The location where Jordan and Tooker were drugged, stripped, beaten, and branded,” explained Gurney. “Because that earlier site would be where most of the violence took place, it would be the most promising site for recovering physical evidence.” He turned to Torres. “If I were you, I’d have that tread soil analyzed. There may be something distinctive about it.”
