Had the victim fallen from her bicycle, her body wouldn’t be ten feet from it. A bicycle can’t throw you like a horse, and even if it could, what I’m seeing doesn’t add up. Why is her helmet so far from where the bicycle went down? Even if her chin strap wasn’t fastened, that still wouldn’t explain it. How did she hit her head so hard as to be killed almost instantly, it seems. I also can’t imagine that she died in the position she’s in with her arms up, her legs wide, her knees and elbows barely bent as if she’s in the middle of a jumping jack.

“You ready to take a look at her?” Barclay asks, and what I’d really like is for the overbearing new investigator to leave me alone with my thoughts for a moment.

“And it goes without saying that you didn’t disturb the body. You didn’t move it.” I click my pen closed and ask in the way of a coda.

“I said I didn’t. I checked her vitals, and it sure seems like she’s been dead for a while.”

“Her vitals? Where?”

“Her wrist. I’m pretty sure it was her right one. I picked it up to check for a pulse, and her arm was stiff. That was it. That was all I did. Like I keep telling everybody I didn’t move her,” he says, and I wonder who everybody is.

I suppose Marino could constitute a crowd all by himself when he’s after someone.

“When the squad got here did you tell them you were sure she’d been dead for a while?”

“I gave them my opinion. I said she was already stiff, and yeah she was warm because you could fry a freakin’ egg out here.”

“One thing you really should keep in mind, Investigator Barclay, is it’s important not to be the origin of unsubstantiated opinions.” As a parting gesture I offer him a piece of my mind, a free moment of mentoring that he’s certain not to appreciate.

“No matter how well intended your opinions may be,” I add in a quiet voice that means business, “be very careful before you speak. I don’t care what you’re told or what you see. I don’t care what you’re absolutely certain you believe. Think twice. Think three or four times.”

“I have a right to my opinion—” he starts in, and I cut him off.

“Not if it has to do with science, medicine or some other area that’s not your expertise. I advise that you report your observations but don’t interpret or make decisions based on them.” I don’t take my eyes off him. “Because loose talk and misinformation are fodder for lawyers.”

“I’m just telling you she’s stiff and therefore been dead awhile …”