PART ONE Chapter one

She saw him across the room and he caught her eye almost immediately. She smiled as she casually stirred her drink. She was playing it cool, but she noticed his stare right away. He was her type for sure as she continued to seductively watch him from her table. He was ruggedly handsome and she knew he noticed her seductively place the drink straw in her mouth and stroke it as she sucked the Jameson and water from the glass.

She changed her body position several times to show off her legs; she had leaned forward and hid the fact that she pulled her top down slightly to show off her cleavage. She continued to smile and tried to send all of the signals she could think of. She thought she had done just about everything except dance naked on the table top. If the place wasn't crowded, that was going to be her next move.

Finally he got up and she watched him slowly walk toward her carrying his empty glass. She assumed the glass was to use the excuse of getting a refill of his drink. He made no turns and headed straight for her.

"This is it," she thought to herself, "He is making his move." She was ready, he wouldn't have to work that hard.

Her heart was pounding and she was breathing erratically. The anticipation mounted and she met his glance with a smile. He asked if he could sit down and she said yes while indicating with a hand gesture for him to take the chair next to hers. Her excitement rose and her face was slightly flush but he had apparently missed that.

Her nervousness was kept hidden; she had practiced hiding her feelings for a long time. She was just trying to figure out at this moment whether she would jump him in the parking lot or wait till they were at someone's house. He bought her another drink and seemed to be impressed that she was drinking Jameson. She told him not to add the water this time, just get it on the rocks, she needed the extra courage. They sat for a while and he was getting more at ease about putting his arms around her.

The bar had closed and he was asking her about continuing their night cap at his place and she was about to answer when she heard the first ring. Then again and then another. The rings were mixed with a vibrating sound and gradually Lieutenant Kate Murphy was returning to the world of reality. Her eyes finally focused on the phone that rang on her nightstand and the illuminated screen told her it was three forty six in the morning.

Her contact list showed her it was her partner Detective Sean McCarthy on the other side of the phone. She answered and he apologized for calling at such a poor hour.

He said, "We got a new case, the patrol guys called it in. The body is in the alley behind the Lord's and Lady's Beauty salon, AKA the hair place. I am headed over that way."

Kate replied, "I will meet you there." She was slightly irritated that her "date" got interrupted even if it was just a dream. She felt like she had started watching a program and then fell asleep on the couch. She looked in on her teen daughter sleeping in the next room but she was resting quietly so Kate left her sleeping.

Kate met Sean at the site where the body was found and the photographer was there taking shots from all angles. Kate looked at Sean; part of her job was to mentor him and teach him the things he needed to look for. She wanted him to “see” things like a cop.

She had looked at the body for a few minutes before she asked, "What does the body tell you?"

He replied, "It is saying, I'm dead, you aren't getting much out of me."

She replied, "Cute. Now I will tell you what you need to see. First off, look at her clothes, check the label. That outfit cost more than you made last month. She has a nice new manicure and looks like a pedicure to match. Her legs are smooth and I am guessing the rest of her body is that way too. She's had more wax than the lanes of a bowling alley."

Sean asks, "So you don't think this case is related to the dead hookers we have seen over the last month?"

Kate replied, "Not on your life. This woman comes from money and it shows. Judging from her makeup, clothes and grooming she had an important date, or at least thought she did. A woman doesn't get waxed like that to go to the market. When the coroner gets here and starts examining the body, he is going to find some really classy underwear that she was expecting to be seen."

West Roxbury was one of the nicer parts of Boston and Kate suspected this woman lived in one of the big houses nearby. Kate lived nearby too but her condo wouldn't have been affordable on her police salary, but her divorce from her business owner ex gave her the means to make a life for her and her seventeen year old daughter.

Sean looked at his watch and noticed it was now five forty-five. He asked, "Are you hungry for breakfast? The Rox Diner will be open in fifteen minutes. We could sit and eat while the medical examiner takes a look at the body."

Kate agreed and she knew Sean still needed to be led a little when gathering facts. She didn't miss the streets and patrol duty. She wore more of a business suit now and the jacket hid her Glock 19 and the shoulder holster that housed it. They sat across from each other in one of the booths and watched the older lady walk over to take their order. Kate and Sean were well known at this diner and they were known to be cops even without their badges being on display pinned to their belt.

The diner had barely opened and the breakfast crowd had yet to flood the place with the noise it would soon have. Kate and Sean would be gone by that time. They got along well and Kate tried to give him advice about his failing marriage but even she knew it was likely no use. It was an occupational hazard to have a high divorce rate and Sean was on his way to being another statistic. She listened carefully and asked questions. She gave advice, in the vogue of, “This is what I would do,” but she didn’t encourage him one way or another. He was an adult and fully capable of making bad decisions without any help from her.

Early morning breakfast at the Rox was a common practice for them and this booth probably had their ass print permanently etched into the seats. Sean was always surprised by how much Kate ate and affectionately had told her she ate like a man. She worked out a lot and burned a lot of calories. They sat in their booth and Kate ate her egg and meat plate with all kinds of additional side dishes. The sun was barely coming up and the orange glow of sunrise showed through the windows, not yet high enough to be blocked by the canopies on the outside.

Sean asked, “How long will it take me to learn how to read a body like you do?”

Kate replied, “Probably never like I do. You have to develop your own vision and in time you will see things I miss. You just have to see details and know what they mean. A lot of that unfortunately is just experience. Look at everything and notice the victim’s clothes, shoes, jewelry and even how they part their hair. It all could mean something and experience will teach you what that is.”

Sean went into the police academy right out of high school but Kate had come from a four year stint with the marines and an eighteen month tour in Afghanistan. That explained her insane desire to get up and run at five thirty in the morning every day, she was just late on this day and would no doubt run after she left the Rox. She even ran in some questionable areas almost as if to challenge someone to attack her. There is no doubt any mugger dumb enough to do that would deeply regret his decision.

Kate had taught self defense classes to policemen and also some tailor made for civilians.. She was experienced in multiple martial arts and she could shoot the pupil of a mosquito at a hundred yards. She knew that Sean had the skills to be a good cop, he just needed to learn patience and let time teach him the things to look for.

When Kate left Sean she said, “I am going for a run and I will meet you at the station by eight o’clock and we can go to see the coroner together.”

Sean replied, “Okay, I am going by the house to change clothes and check on my kids.”

Kate drove to a park close to her condo to begin her run. The sun was too high in the sky for her taste but she managed to get the run in before going to shower and check on her daughter. Kate ran hard, like she did everything else, she gave one hundred percent. She would be out of breath when she finished and her face would almost be as red as her hair.

She went in to tell Megan it was time to get up and that was met with the typical teen disdain. Kate asked what she wanted for breakfast and the usual “Nothing” rang out. Kate said, “Okay, suit yourself, you have fifteen minutes to get ready for school. I have a case to work on so I need to get to the station.”

Megan replied, “I know about the case. I heard your cell this morning and I heard you leave. When are you going to get a real job?”

Kate replied, “This is a real job, a real important job.” Kate knew there was no use continuing with any response, it was obvious that Megan had already tuned her out.