The Bone Bed

deal?”
    “Am I to infer you mentioned your theory about the cat getting hold of onions?” I label a rack of blood tubes that I may not need.
    “Yeah.”
    “Well, that certainly explains why they’re treating it like a big deal.” I lower a respirator particulate mask over my nose and mouth. “Eating onions or garlic can be toxic for dogs and cats, and most pet owners know that.”
    “Shit, it’s like talking to Darth Vader.” Marino stares at my mask. “Maybe you should wear that to court and see what happens.”
    “I’m sure if Bryce wasn’t overwhelmed and beside himself before you got involved, he is now.”
    “When’s he not overwhelmed and beside himself about something?” Marino continues in his same grumpy tone, but he doesn’t dislike Bryce nearly as much as he pretends.
    It seems to be one of the favorite sports at the CFC for the two of them to go at each other unmercifully, and five minutes later they’re drinking coffee together or eating lunch, and at least once a month Marino is over at Bryce and Ethan’s house for dinner or a cookout.
    “He probably hasn’t seen the news Ron just mentioned or is even aware of it.” I unzip the first pouch. “Which is why we didn’t know about it, either.” I unzip the second one.

fourteen
    INSIDE BLACK PLASTIC SHE’S PITIFULLY WIZENED, HER long white wet hair plastered over her leathery face. Her frail body seems to disappear inside a long gray skirt, a dark blouse that’s either purple or burgundy, and a navy blue jacket with tarnished metal buttons. All of the clothing seems at least four sizes too big.
    “What news are you talking about?” Marino pulls down his surgical mask.
    “Apparently, video footage of my examining the leatherback and recovering the body is everywhere.” I spread open the pouches and smell moldy old flesh. “Let’s get photos in situ of the way she’s bound. I’m going to need to remove the ligature around her ankles if I’m going to PERK her.”
    “A double fisherman’s knot. And this is the backup knot. The knots on each rope are exactly the same,” Marino observes.
    He begins photographing the severed lengths of yellow nylon rope wrapped and knotted around the dead woman’s ankles and neck.
    “Which is exactly what it sounds like,” he says. “You tie your primary knot, this one here, basically a double overhand knot. Then, for good measure, one of these.”
    He points a blue-gloved finger to show me.
    “A backup, just to make sure everything’s secure,” he adds. “So what someone did was wrap two separate ropes around her ankles and neck, and tied two knots on each, leaving the longer ends to be tied to the dog crate and boat fender, and it will be interesting to see what those knots are. I’m betting they’re the same.”
    He looks up at the clock and shakes his head.
    “You’re asking for it, Doc.”
    “Is there any particular reason to choose these types of knot, in your opinion?” I lock a new blade in a scalpel handle.
    “No logical one. Usually a double overhand’s what you use to join two separate fishing lines or if you’re attaching two different ropes to each other, which isn’t the case here. So there’s no good reason, except it’s probably what someone’s used to. You’re going to be late as hell, and this ain’t a hair appointment.”
    “What someone’s used to could tell us what sort of person is responsible.”
    “I think we’ve already figured whoever dumped her did it from a boat,” he says. “I mean, she wasn’t pushed out of a plane or a chopper.”
    “I don’t know what she was pushed out of.”
    Moving clothing out of the way, I make a small incision in the upper-right abdomen.
    “A fisherman, someone into boating,” Marino says, as I insert a thermometer into the liver to get the core body temperature. “Someone who knows about ropes and knots. You don’t just tie knots like this by accident.”
    Picking up a surgical knife from a cart, I cut through the yellow rope tightly looped three times around her ankles, and I tape the ends, labeling them, so I know which segment was attached to what. I measure the length and width of the rope, careful not to disturb the knots.
    “Marks around her ankles are very superficial abrasions,” I note. “No furrows or contusions, barely anything at all made by the ligature. Her neck will probably be the same, but we’ll save that for later.”
    “She was tied up long after she was dead.” He takes