Chapter 29

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

Cam glanced up at the clock on the wall, his foot tapping an impatient rhythm on the tiled floor. Hilary Swanson's autopsy was scheduled for this morning, and he was champing at the bit to figure out if this was in any way tied to the open cases they had. He likely wasn't finished yet, but maybe Doc Seidel had some information that might help them, and he wanted to get a jump start.

Cam slid into the cruiser and headed toward the medical examiner's office. Inside, he was directed down the stark gray hallway that smelled of disinfectant and death. A metal door brought him to a halt, and he glanced through the window. Doc was bent over the exam table, his attention fixed on the human remains in front of him.

Cam gave a soft triple knock, then quietly pushed the door open. The doctor sat at his desk in the corner, attention trained on the computer in front of him, and Cam waited patiently until the doctor pushed from the chair and jerked his chin in acknowledgment. "McCoy."

Cam glanced across the metal table at Dr. Seidel. "Official cause of death?"

"Severe blood loss." Dr. Seidel gestured toward the young woman on the table.

"Blood loss?" Cam's brows drew together. "I don't remember seeing any wounds."

"No wounds." Doc Seidel shook his head. "I found elevated levels of HCG in her system. Hilary was pregnant at or around the time of her death."

Cam jerked back at the news. "Where's…?"

The doctor made a face. "That, I can't answer. She experienced severe hemorrhaging, which ultimately led to exsanguination. She could have miscarried, or she could have experienced the heavy blood loss after giving birth."

Cam squirmed a little, deeply uncomfortable. "So we don't know if it was intentional?"

"From what I can tell, there was no other trauma. Aside from a few minor scratches and minor dehydration, she appeared to healthy."

That was disturbing on multiple levels. Where was the baby? And how far along was Hilary when she'd died? "Is there any way to tell how far along she was?"

"My guess would be in her second trimester, although I can't be certain. The pregnancy was never recorded in her medical history. In fact, she had a birth control implant installed just a few months prior to her abduction. So, it either failed or was removed."

"Did you find anything else? Any DNA?"

Dr. Seidel shook his head. "No hair or fibers, no skin cells under her nails. There's a faint impression around her throat, but it wasn't a contributing factor to her death."

He gestured to a light abrasion that ringed the woman's neck. "The wound doesn't appear to be consistent with damage from a rope, and I didn't find any fibers. It looks more like she wore a choker of some sort."

Christ, that was revolting. "You think he gets off on it?"

He lifted one shoulder. "I'm not a psychologist, but I would say yes. More than likely he gets off on the power aspect, having the women completely at his mercy."

Cam grimaced. "Anything else?"

"Bleach." The doctor shook his head. "Just like the others, there's evidence of sexual assault but no bodily fluids. He scrubbed her down afterward to obliterate any evidence."

The man was practiced at this, which didn't bode well. It also meant he'd done extensive research before killing these women, or he'd been doing it long before the first victim had been found.

At least it answered one question, though—the murders appeared to be connected, despite the different manners of death. While Jayla had been asphyxiated, Hilary had died of what appeared to be natural causes. The Sheriff's Department had never leaked the full details of the women's deaths, so the general populace had no idea that he'd used bleach to obliterate any evidence.

"Thanks for your time, doc. Send me a copy of the report when you get a chance, and let me know if you find anything else."

The doctor nodded his assent, and Cam headed out of the medical examiner's office, thoughts swirling through his mind. How was the man choosing his victims? How did he know they didn't have family, no boyfriends, or roommates?

He could only assume that meant he knew the women, at least in passing. The killer probably watched them, studied their every move for days if not weeks before approaching them.

This case was becoming more disturbing by the moment. Had Hilary miscarried early in her pregnancy, or had she given birth? There was no sign of a baby at the scene, so it was possible that whoever had abducted Hilary had done something with the child.

It was possible the person had kept the child, but it was just as likely that the pregnancy had come as a surprise to them. Maybe she'd given birth and the perpetrator had given the baby away. Cam made a mental note to check with local agencies to see if an infant had recently turned up anonymously.

His stomach twisted as he pulled away from the ME's office. They needed to find the women's abductor, and fast, before Lindsey became the next victim.