*FIRST DRAFT* The Cover of Darkness (DCI Morgan Chester Series)

Chapter Eleven

Lunchtime approached when the team returned to the precinct. Dakota had food delivered as they arrived. Cardboard pizza boxes and clear plastic cups littered two of the desks in their office. Morgan wanted to eat before she went to visit their trusty pathologist Simon Miller. He was a timid older gentleman with a heart of gold. When Morgan first joined the team, she would spend time with Simon and enjoy the solitude with pleasant conversation.

"So, what have we got so far?" Morgan asked after she swallowed her mouthful of the American Hot pizza.

"Rowan's taking a statement from the boyfriend and brought him pizza." Cole chuckled. Morgan glared at him playfully.

"Girlfriend was kidnapped by the people who wanted to adopt their baby. Turns out they had other plans for the baby." Dakota replied picking off the mushrooms from her pizza slice in disgust.

"What about the brothel?" Morgan aimed the question at Cole.

"All clean. Seemed distraught about Yolanda being murdered. I did find out that she was meeting one of the bouncers. Planned a little romantic trip away." He replied.

"He could have killed her and that's his cover up." Dakota stated. Cole rolled his eyes.

"He was with Anton on another job all night, they found out about Yolanda as soon as they got back." He countered with a smirk that caused Dakota to scowl. "How about you Chester, find anything interesting?"

"Layla was too exhausted to question, but she is adamant it was a male. I'm going back later to get more questions." She confirmed and wiped her mouth. Her office phone shrilled, and Simon's extension flashed. Morgan answered it quickly before she got up. "Autopsy is done, catch you guys in a bit." Morgan chirped as she placed three slices of pizza and jalapeño deep-fried bites on a plastic plate.

"I don't know how she can eat before going down there?" Cole muttered in wonder and amusement.

"Why don't you ask her when she comes back?" Dakota sniggered. The scared look on Cole's face gave her the answer. "Thought just as much."

The autopsy room was in the basement of the building and further down the hall from Hallie's office. Her door was tightly shut, and Morgan could hear the extreme typing as she walked past. She knocked three times on the autopsy door and Simon called for her to come in.

Simon leant over Yolanda's body and pulled up the cover to her chest. He looked up when he felt Morgan come closer and a smile played on his thin lips. She placed the plate on his desk closer to the door and ventured over to him.

"What you got for me?" She examined the girl's face carefully. Her skin was pale and lips blue. The right side of her face had dented inwards and one eye sunk.

"Time of death looking between 2 and 3 am."

"Impact from the fall was the cause of death?" Morgan quizzed.

"Actually, it was cardiac arrest. My guess is that she went into shock after being stabbed but died just before she hit the ground."

"She was still alive when she was pushed?"

"Thrown, not pushed." He corrected her and Morgan's eyebrows creased. "There are fingerprint marks on her torso and left arm, indicating she was lifted roughly and then thrown."

"Layla's injuries were not this extent." Morgan muttered.

"She was incredibly lucky. This young woman snapped her neck on impact. My guess is that she hit something as she landed."

"She must have hit one of the tables below, there was one close to her." Morgan realized.

"There was no sign of a sexual assault either."

"Layla said she crept up behind the attacker and hit him."

"A male would have easily assaulted them before killing." Simon suggested.

"Not unless he was interrupted." Morgan confirmed. "Can we be sure it was a male?"

"Going by the fingerprints on her body and the stab wounds, I am certain it is male."

"Stab wounds confirm this?" Morgan raised her eyebrows.

"See this wound right here?" Simon indicated to the deep cut on the girl's collar bone. Morgan nodded. "It takes extreme force to pierce the bone, no female could do this and then throw both girls over."

"Did you uncover any DNA?"

"Very little, the samples I collected have been sent to Hallie. She's demanded your presence." He chuckled.

"Thank you, Simon, you've been a big help."

"Anytime Morgan and thank you for the food." He smiled as she left.

Morgan closed the door carefully behind her and ventured down to Hallie's office. She knocked and waited. The door swung open and Hallie was drinking an iced coffee through a straw. She mentioned for Morgan to come in.

"I see Simon passed my message on perfectly." Hallie spoke as she sat down at her desk. Morgan chuckled and rolled a chair next to her.

"Only because he may be a little scared of you." She mocked. "Anything interesting?"

"The market CCTV was corrupted. But I did manage to download one from a food stall in the lower market where the girls were found." She pulled up the footage. Morgan was impressed it was somewhat clear.

"It'll just show the girls landing after being thrown." Morgan muttered and run her hands through her hair as she leaned back in the chair.

"They were thrown?" Hallie gasped.

"Simon just confirmed it. That table..." Morgan paused and pointed to the screen. "Was where Yolanda landed and snapped her neck."

Hallie shivered at the thought. "Oh, sweet biscuits. So that would be shown on here."

"Let us play it and see what we can find. I can take over if it is too much for you." Morgan suggested and Hallie cocked her eyebrow at her.

"No way, I know how clumsy you are Chester. You just sit there and stay away from my baby." Hallie warned as she clicked play.

They watched closely at the CCTV at the time of death Simon had given Morgan. There was no sound to indicate the attack. Hallie jumped when Yolanda's body fell. It did not land on the table as Morgan predicted. The body hit one of the stone displays and rolled onto the cobbled floor. Bile rose in Hallie's throat, and she pursed her lips. Layla's body was next, Morgan held her breath as she watched her body plummet to the cobbled floor meters away from Yolanda. Morgan asked Hallie to keep going. An hour after the girls landed, Layla's body started to move, she was calling Morgan.

"Wait stop and go back." Morgan ordered and Hallie complied. A figure appeared behind Layla and quickly darted deeper into the market. "That person is coming from where the container was."

"Should I go back further? Maybe we could see them entering?" Hallie asked and Morgan nodded. She rewound the footage towards the early evening when the Market would be closing. They watched the crowd of shoppers starts to disperse. They never saw anyone come on camera until the girl's attack.

"Bollocks, they must have entered when it was still busy and waited." Morgan cursed.

"I can try to pull facial recognition from the CCTV?" Hallie offered.

"This is why you're my favourite." Morgan smirked and Hallie beamed with pride as she typed on her keyboard.

"Before you ask, I'm waiting on the DNA from the hospital and Simon to finish. I couldn't find anything interesting on Yolanda's belongings either." Hallie muttered in defeat. She hated waiting.

"Would they be ready for the next briefing?" Hallie turned to her with a raised eyebrow and smirk.

"You underestimate meChester."