I have the phots from before the wounds were closed up, if youd like to see them, Pritchard commented.

Is there anything in them that would warrant us looking at them? Jack asked.

Not really. Theres just visual evidence that Webbers throat was cut much worse than Mrs. Ramirezs.

How much worse? Rachel asked.

Well, if you take a look at the wound across Mrs. Ramirezs throat, it looks almost harmless at first glance. This tells me the killer may have accidentally stabbed her in the stomach because the cut to the neck is so clean and direct. He did his business and left the scene. With Mr. Webber, though, it almost looked as if the killer may have been trying to saw his head off. It was quite brutal; you can even see that with the wounds closed up.

It was true. Even with Pritchards top-notch work, it was clear to see that there were at least four distinct cut marks, none of which were as seamless and as neat as the one that had taken Marias life. To do such brutal work in the parking lot of a specialists office in broad daylight…it must have taken some courage. That, or the killer had simply been that desperate to get the murder done.

I dont see full Y-incisions on either of them, Rachel said. Can I assume a full autopsy was not done on either of them?

Thats correct. At the risk of sounding heartless, I thought it was quite apparent what killed them. Also, the family of Mr. Webber said not to bother. I got no word at all from any relatives of Mrs. Ramirez.

Rachel almost asked to see the pictures Pritchard had indicated but didnt think she needed to. Even the closed wounds told the story pretty well. Rachel assumed one of two things had happened. Either the killer had just lost track of himself, slipping into some sort of fugue state when he killed Webber, or the killer had something personal against Webber which accounted for the brutal way in which hed been killed.

It was nothing solid, but it at least gave them something more to go on.

Thank you, Mr. Pritchard, she said. She looked to Jack and raised an eyebrow, asking: You got anything else?

Jack shook his head as Rachel took one last look at the bodies. Two people stabbed, the icing on the cake being slits across the throat. Both bodies killed in the parking lots of medical centers. There had to be a reason, a link to it all. She did her best to come up with something as she and Jack left the coroners office, but there was nothing that stood out. She assumed Bruce Webbers bad liver might somehow be the key that