Monday Mourning

LaManche crossed to the gurney. I followed.

Grasping the tissue firmly, LaManche rolled the woman’s upper lip upward. The inner surface appeared normal.

When LaManche pulled Parent’s lower lip downward, I could see tiny horizontal lacerations marring the smooth purple flesh. Each corresponded to the position of a lower incisor.

Using thumb and forefinger, the pathologist spread Parent’s left eyelids. Then her right. Both eyes showed petechia, pinpoint red dots and blotching of the sclera and conjunctiva.

“Asphyxia,” I said, terrible images filling my thoughts.

I pictured this woman alone in her bed. Her safe place. Her refuge. A silhouette looming in the darkness. Fingers wrapping her throat. Oxygen hunger. Heart-pounding terror.

“Petechial hemorrhage can be caused by many things, Temperance. Its presence indicates little more than capillary rupture.”

“Resulting from sudden increase in vascular congestion in the head,” I said.

“Yes,” LaManche said.

“As in strangulation,” I said.

“Petechiae can occur due to coughing, sneezing, vomiting, straining at stool, laboring in childbirth—”

“I doubt this woman was having a baby.”

LaManche continued speaking as he probed Parent’s throat with a gloved finger.

“—foreign object obstruction, gagging, swelling of the airway linings.”

“Are you seeing indications of any of those?”

LaManche raised his eyes to mine.

“I have barely begun my external exam.”

“She could have been smothered.”

“There are no scratches, no broken nails, no signs of violence or of a defensive struggle.

“She could have been smothered in her sleep. With a pillow.” I was verbalizing thoughts as they were forming in my head. “A pillow would leave no marks. A pillow would explain the feathers in her mouth and the cuts on her lip.”

“Coarse petechiae aren’t uncommon in corpses found prone with the head at a level lower than the rest of the body.”

“The lividity on her back and shoulders suggests she died face up.

LaManche straightened. “Detective Ryan promised scene photos this afternoon.”

For a moment our gazes locked. Then I lowered my mask and told LaManche the story of Mrs. Parent.

The sad old eyes held mine. Then, “I appreciate your bringing the victim’s involvement with you to my attention. I will take extra care in performing my internal examination.”

The statement was unnecessary. I knew LaManche would be as meticulous with Mrs.