Part 27 (2/2)
I could tell by the look Detective Davis gave Jakes that he didn't approve of my presence.
”We got a young man named Ben Tillman,” Davis said. ”He was an actor.”
”Is he the same type as the others?” Jakes asked.
”Yup.” Finally Davis couldn't contain himself. ”Why is she here?”
”If the deceased is connected to soap operas, Alex will know,” Jakes told him.
Davis grudgingly looked at me. ”h.e.l.lo, Ms. Peterson.”
”Detective.”
”He's in here.”
David led us into the house, into a high-ceilinged living room that had wooden beams. The young man was hanging by the neck from one of the beams.
”Can we cut him down?” a man from the crime lab asked.
”Give me a minute,” Jakes said. ”Alex? Why don't you wait outside?”
”I-I'm fine,” I said. ”You asked me to come.” I didn't want him to think I was weak.
”Okay,” he said.
He surveyed the room, taking it all in, and walked around a bit, hardly looking at the body. Me, I couldn't take my eyes off the poor man. His eyes were closed, his swollen tongue protruded from his mouth, but there was no blood.
Jakes now looked around, searching for something or someone in particular. ”Doc?”
An older man wearing a white coat came forward. I guessed he was the medical examiner.
”What's wrong with this picture?” Jakes asked, looking up at the dead man.
”You mean the tongue?”
”Am I right that if he hanged himself, his neck would have broken? There'd be no reason for the tongue to be out like that.”
”You're right,” the doctor said. ”That's a high beam. If he'd done this himself, his neck would've broken. The tongue hanging out is an indication that he suffocated.”
”If he hanged himself,” I asked, ”where's the chair or stool he would've had to stand on?”
”She's right,” Jakes said. ”Whatever he climbed on to get up there would still be around.”
The floor beneath him was bare.
”Murder,” Jakes said. ”Nice call, Alex.”
I felt queasy but proud.
”I'll know more after I cut him down,” the ME said.
”What are you waiting for?” Jakes asked.
The ME turned to his men and said, ”Cut him down!”
Jakes came over to me. ”Do you know him?” he asked.
”It's hard to say with his tongue protruding like that,” I said. ”He certainly resembles Jackson and the others. What are the differences from the other cases?”
”If this is his home . . . ,” he said, looking over at Davis, who nodded, ”then he was killed where he lives. None of the others were.”
He meant none of the other actors. Henri was killed at home.
”I see.”
”Do you want to wait outside?”
”No,” I said, ”I'd like to get a closer look at him, and then I'll step outside.”
”Okay.”
I watched as it took three men to cut the young man down, but eventually they had him lying on the floor. I moved closer. His tongue was still disfiguring his face, making it hard to see what he truly looked like. I was about to bend over when a voice called out sharply, ”What is she doing here?”
I turned my head and saw Jakes's boss standing in the doorway, looking furious.
”Captain Carpenter-” Jakes started.
”Officer,” she snapped at a nearby uniformed cop, ”please escort Ms. Peterson from the premises.”
”Yes, Captain.”
”And I mean behind the crime scene tape!”
”Yes, si-uh, Captain.”
”Now wait a minute,” Jakes said. ”This is my crime scene-”
”That may be true, Detective,” the captain said, ”but I believe I still outrank you.”
I was escorted away without her ever speaking directly to me and without my being able to say anything to Jakes.
Chapter 51.
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