Detective Purcell, Jessie began, hoping to appeal to his professionalism by using his title. Can you please reach out and ask him to come back? Wed like to talk to him before he leaves.

Unable to think of a reason not to, he nodded and pulled out his radio. While they waited, Jessie again caught sight of the woman in the CSU jacket.

Whats your name? she asked the woman, who looked to be in her late twenties.

Jan Thomas, she said.

Did you pull prints and swab?

Jan nodded.

What can you tell us?

My supervisor is headed back to the lab to test. But preliminary signs werent promising. No obvious fingerprints. DNA might be another story. But it looked like the perpetrator turned on the shower. Her clothes were soaking wet, at least the ones she had on. Hard to know if that was planned but were worried the water will make getting DNA tough.

The clothes she had on? Karen repeated.

She was topless except for a bra.

Did it look like she was sexually assaulted? Karen asked.

If you dont mind, Detective, Thomas said, Id rather leave that determination to the M.E.

Just then, an older man, likely in his sixties, walked in. He was wearing corduroy slacks, a denim shirt, and sneakers. His glasses were thick and he had thinning, brown hair. He didnt look happy to be there.

Whats the problem? he demanded.

Len, Purcell said, you might remember Detective Karen Bray. Shes at Hollywood station now. And this is Jessie Hunt, profiler extraordinaire. Theyre taking over primary on the case for HSS and they wanted to get your preliminary thoughts before you go to the morgue.

Len frowned, clearly irked that he was being asked for updates when he was so close to being out the door. He seemed about to say something to that effect when Jessie gave him her patented dont mess with me stare, the one shed developed when trying to talk down murderers. An impatient forensic bureaucrat in corduroy pants wasnt going to intimidate her. Apparently it worked, because he started listing information off.

This is all preliminary, mind you. I wont even have the first draft of the report until tomorrow. But her neck was broken. There were some defensive wounds but only bruising. No cuts or scratches, meaning itll be harder to get DNA. She had on a bra but was shirtless. Her top was found beside the bed over there in good shapenot ripped, no buttons popped off. She was wetbody and clothing, almost as if shed been intentionally hosed down. The guy who found her said there was still water on her skin. It hadnt had time to evaporate. She was really drenched. Im skeptical that well find anything usable.

Any sign of sexual assault? Karen asked.

Well do more comprehensive testing on that when we get back. But initial inspection suggests no.