‘James. Hi. How’s it going?’
‘Ah, Sam. I thought I might be seeing your lot here sooner or later. Get fed up with cyberporn, did you?’
‘Couldn’t bear to spend any more of my life trolling around the rancid web. There’s a limit to how many freaks you can deal with in one lifetime. Although this might be turning into a joint exercise. So, what’s the story?’
‘Victim is a young woman who has recently undergone a C-section. Full-term or thereabouts. The wound was left open. Placenta and cord still partially adhering to the wall of the uterus. It’s a bit of a mess. You might like to wait until after the clean-up. Don’t want any more heaving around here. Contaminating the crime scene.’
‘I’m good. What do you think’s going on here?’
‘Well, the external incision is clean. Apart from the wildlife. Whoever did this probably considered completing the job and sewing her back up, but something went wrong. Can’t be sure, but it looks like the uterus ruptured during what might have been a natural birth. The incision is longitudinal so was probably done as an emergency to remove the child. I’ll be able to get a better picture back at the lab. The mess on her arm is probably the result of an attempt at transfusion, pulled out post-mortem. Death probably a result of hypovolemic shock. Judging from her colour, she bled out during the delivery.’
‘So, somebody fucked up a DIY Caesarean and buried the evidence? Any sign of the infant?’
‘Not as yet.’