The Autopsy

By Bridgid

John had dropped Miss Peeg off in the ER before making his way to the surgical theater for the autopsy on the man who she’d allegedly shot. He met Siobhan outside of the morgue and she advised him that the pathologist was just about ready to begin. They walked into the room together and John felt that cold sweat that he got every time he was put in this position. It wasn’t the sight of the post mortem that got him as much as the smells and sounds that accompanied the procedure.

John and Siobhan stood back as it began. The pathologist, a young doctor with a Kiwi accent, spoke as he proceeded.

"The body is that of about a forty year old male. John Doe. The body measures five foot eleven in length and is approximately 90 kilos. The body is cool, rigor mortis was partially developed and livor mortis is present and posteriorly fixed."

The officers stood by as things went on. Cuts were made, bones were drilled and sawed until everything was opened, weighed and documented. The sound of the saw that the pathologist used to open the skull went through John like warmed skate blades through ice and Siobhan didn’t fare much better. She closed her eyes and swallowed hard with each gory sound and she covered her face when the strange sick sweet smell of the open body cavity filled the room.

The doctor continued his evaluation with…

"Cause of death appears to be that of a single GSW to the neck approximately two inches from the base of the skull. There is no gunpowder or soot surrounding the wound. The wound track was from left to right and slightly upward severing the carotid artery then lodging into the skull. One slug recovered."

The sound of the slug being dropped into a metal emesis basis made John jump. He closed his eyes and tracked the trajectory of the shot in his mind and it made his eyes open with a snap.

"Siobhan, are you thinking what I’m thinking?"

"Yeah, that shot didn’t come from the direction where Miss Peeg was."

"Not unless it was a magic bullet."

Stepping forward, John asked the doctor if he could see the bullet. He nodded and held up the basin.

Though forensics would have to prove it, the slug appeared to John to be that of a nine millimeter. The gun Miss Peeg held was a thirty eight caliber police special.

"Thank you doctor, sorry to interrupt."

"No worries officer," The doc replied. "We all have our jobs to do."

"Yes." John replied. "And ours will be to find out who shot this man. "

Siobhan had her arms crossed over her chest. "So, should we go tell Miss Peeg that she did not kill this man?"

John nodded "You betcha, but I have a lot of questions to ask. Who the hell is this man and who the hell shot him?"