Page 111 of Eternal Obsession

“I thought we had the suspect, but now I’m not so sure. He’s been in lock-up back at the station, so his alibi is solid,” Ingrid said.

Ellison stared at the stone structure. “Truly remarkable.”

Ingrid followed his gaze. “Is it true that they still don’t know how they got those larger stones to lie on top of the others?”

“Lintels. Yep, still a mystery,” Ellison said.

“I’m ready.” Ingrid took the examination gloves Ellison offered, handing him her flashlight before pulling the gloves onto each hand. They both huddled over the body, barely protected from the rain by the umbrella held by the nervous young police officer at their side. Her colleagues worked quickly, assembling a tent to shield the victim, desperate to preserve any evidence before the scene could shift.

Ingrid eased back the plastic covering placed over the corpse.

They jolted back.

“Bloody hell!” Ellison dropped the flashlight. “Ingrid, this is⁠—”

“Yes, I recognize her. But how the hell did she get back here?” Ingrid glanced at the left side of the girl’s neck.

“Well, she didn’t bloody walk here!” Ellison snapped.

Ingrid looked around for the police officer who had tried to warn her. “Why did they bring her back here?”

“How and who?” Ellison fumbled for the dropped flashlight.

They silently absorbed what they were seeing. The sheer improbability of it. Yet, there lay Gillian. Her body recently discovered, processed and examined back at the lab. Resting in the morgue no more.

“Not a twin, I take it,” Ingrid whispered, riveted. “Autopsy scars.”

“There’s my work.” Ellison blinked in disbelief.

This felt like the beginning of a nightmare—but it was real, raw, and unfolding before their eyes with stomach-turning clarity.

Throat tight, her voice strained to say, “These are sick minds.”

“Shameful.” Ellison ran his gloved fingers over the girl’s face.

“Who placed her in the mortuary fridge?”

“That’ll be me,” Ellison said. “So far, I’m seeing no indication of further injury.”

“What motivates someone to do this?”

“Good luck with that one.”

“She’s positioned identically to when we found her before. Where are the bloody guards? How did they not see this.” Ingrid searched the horizon. “Heads will roll.”

“We’ll have to work fast before the elements compromise our evidence.”

“Let’s hope forensics gets something this time.” Ingrid frowned. “My men had strict orders: Do not leave your post. Do not take your eyes off the stones.”

“This is a first for me.”

“They literally missed a crime in real time?” Ingrid snapped.

“And someone snatching a body from my morgue.” He looked pained. “At least we have cameras.”

“What a mess.” Ingrid studied the female and surveyed the surrounding area. “As soon as forensics have worked their magic, we’ll get her straight back to the morgue.” Ingrid removed her gloves. “I’m hoping your second postmortem will give us something. I’ll have our cars fingerprinted, and then we’re going to have a good look at your mortuary.”

Ellison wiped the rain off his glasses. “The good news is we’re back down to two bodies. The bad news . . .”