| FREEZER BURN EXCERPTS |
 |  |  |  |
(c) 2009 Gayle Carline. No part of this webpage may be used without the written permission of the copyright holder.
| Gayle |
| Carline |
A ring like no other she had ever seen. Diamond shaped, it stretched
between the knuckle and the first joint of the ring finger. The outer edge was a
vine of clear stones, cut in the shape of leaves, punctuated by large round jewels
at the corners. Inside, another layer of green, jeweled leaves overlapped the
outer row. At the center perched a remarkable stone, the size of a marble, with
the facets cut so that when she looked down, it resembled a rose.
"Wow," Benny said, behind her.
Peri jumped. "God, Benny, don't sneak up on me like that."
She saw his eyes fixed on the ring, moist and glowing with desire. "How
much do you think it's worth?"
Putting the hand and the gauze back into the bag, Peri stood up.
"I don't know," she said, "but it's time to call the cops."
between the knuckle and the first joint of the ring finger. The outer edge was a
vine of clear stones, cut in the shape of leaves, punctuated by large round jewels
at the corners. Inside, another layer of green, jeweled leaves overlapped the
outer row. At the center perched a remarkable stone, the size of a marble, with
the facets cut so that when she looked down, it resembled a rose.
"Wow," Benny said, behind her.
Peri jumped. "God, Benny, don't sneak up on me like that."
She saw his eyes fixed on the ring, moist and glowing with desire. "How
much do you think it's worth?"
Putting the hand and the gauze back into the bag, Peri stood up.
"I don't know," she said, "but it's time to call the cops."
Peri arrived at the Placentia Police Station by eleven thirty, in order to
stall her boyfriend sufficiently until she knew Benny would be receiving
visitors.
The sun already blazed, brightening the Placentia Civic Center
courtyard. Earthy bricks decorated the walkways in a complex pattern of
rectangles and diamonds, leading up to the large, arched fountain of
ocean blue tiles, outlined with smooth stones.
Peri paused to check her reflection in the dark glass of the door,
straightened her beige skirt and fluffed her Nordic blonde hair away from
her scalp. She stopped at the coffee pot to fill a cup, then went to Skip's
office. He held the receiver in one hand and waved her in with the other.
"Hey, Doll," he said when he had completed his phone call. "Is it time
to wake His Highness?"
"Aw, Skipper, be nice."
stall her boyfriend sufficiently until she knew Benny would be receiving
visitors.
The sun already blazed, brightening the Placentia Civic Center
courtyard. Earthy bricks decorated the walkways in a complex pattern of
rectangles and diamonds, leading up to the large, arched fountain of
ocean blue tiles, outlined with smooth stones.
Peri paused to check her reflection in the dark glass of the door,
straightened her beige skirt and fluffed her Nordic blonde hair away from
her scalp. She stopped at the coffee pot to fill a cup, then went to Skip's
office. He held the receiver in one hand and waved her in with the other.
"Hey, Doll," he said when he had completed his phone call. "Is it time
to wake His Highness?"
"Aw, Skipper, be nice."
The oleander bushes still lay flattened away from the building,
branches snapped and leaves torn. Peri took out her camera and
snapped several close-ups of the ground and the flora. Standing where
the body had been, she looked around the park grounds. The gentle roll
of green grass, interrupted by trees and picnic tables, made it a popular
place for families on the weekend, and young lovers all the time.
Peri imagined the killer, hitting Marnie in the head with something
hard. She'd seen the pictures and the molds of the impressions. They
had hit her hard on the forehead, then harder in the back of the skull. The
forehead dent looked rectangular, although the longer sides curved
inward, and the shorter sides were deeper. The wound in the back of the
head was deep but rounded, almost like a small shovel, or a tough
spatula.
Head trauma didn't usually result in instant death, so it was possible
this wasn't the crime scene. Maybe Marnie got hit somewhere else and
wandered here, collapsing in the bushes.
But why against the building? Peri called Blanche.
branches snapped and leaves torn. Peri took out her camera and
snapped several close-ups of the ground and the flora. Standing where
the body had been, she looked around the park grounds. The gentle roll
of green grass, interrupted by trees and picnic tables, made it a popular
place for families on the weekend, and young lovers all the time.
Peri imagined the killer, hitting Marnie in the head with something
hard. She'd seen the pictures and the molds of the impressions. They
had hit her hard on the forehead, then harder in the back of the skull. The
forehead dent looked rectangular, although the longer sides curved
inward, and the shorter sides were deeper. The wound in the back of the
head was deep but rounded, almost like a small shovel, or a tough
spatula.
Head trauma didn't usually result in instant death, so it was possible
this wasn't the crime scene. Maybe Marnie got hit somewhere else and
wandered here, collapsing in the bushes.
But why against the building? Peri called Blanche.
| Want to read more? BUY IT TODAY! |
