Black Swan by Chris Knopf Page B
Authors: Chris Knopf
situation here," I said, "If you want to help, stay out of the way."
Chris Knopf 75
    "What sort of situation? Who the fuck are you anyway?" he said.
    I saw Christian Fey move in between me and Track, but didn't hear what he said. But Track moved back, his hands aloft in a sign of capitulation, which was all I cared about at that point.
    A few moments later, another flashlight came erratically down the path from the front of the hotel. I caught the glint of steel from the lights shot in the newcomer's direction.
    "Please stand clear of the area," said a woman's voice.
    I held my ground as the others fell away, including Anika, who let go of my arm with a light sweep of her fingers.
    "You, too, sir," said the statie, her hand supported comfortably on the top of her holster.
    "I could describe the scene if you want," I said.
    "You police?" she said.
    "No. Mechanical engineer. And former defendant in a murder case. You learn some things."
    She held her flashlight in my face for a moment, then moved it toward the ground. I did the same. She was a small, slender-waisted woman with longish dark hair that fell in pin curls to her shoulders. Dwarfed next to Amanda's five eight, she looked either misplaced or completely comfortable in her statie uniformâit was hard to see in that erratic light. Her face was serious, a good cop face, and her posture assured.
    "Okay, go ahead."
    I did my best, adding detail as it came to me, occasionally asking Anika to chime in. The others just stood around and listened, everyone but Grace, who Christian Fey held to his chest with both arms and rocked from side to side. Amanda came down the path, after seeing the light from the cruiser.
    "Sam?" she said, moving to my side and taking the part of my arm recently vacated by Anika. Her grip tightened as
76 BLACK SWAN
she heard the account I was giving the cop, whose name plate read JENNIFER POOLE. She wrote briskly in a little case book pulled out of the back pocket of her slacks, her flashlight held under her arm.
    She was clearly rattled, but to her credit, acted like she wasn't.
    "So no one's touched the body since it was discovered," she said.
    "Grace hugged him," said Anika.
    "And Christian Fey tried to release him from the noose. Both understandable reactions," I said.
    Trooper Poole took a cell phone out of a holster and walked away from the gathering to make a call.
    "We have no coroner on the island," she said when she came back, looking at me darkly. "And minimum forensics. Plus the ferry just stopped service due to the weather. I called the closest CSI team, which is at the state barracks in Riverhead. The coast guard can get them out here, but it'll take a while, since they have to sail over to Orient Point from Connecticut."
    "Are we talking hours?" I asked.
    "We are."
    "Seems pretty grim to just leave him there," I said.
    "They said I could take him down as long as I cleared that part of the scene."
    "Do you know how to do that?" I asked.
    She looked at me, sizing me up.
    "Mostly," she said.
    "You have a digital camera?" I asked.
    "I do."
    "At least we can record everything," I said. At my request, Anika retrieved a tape measure and a box of surgical gloves Axel used in the hotel kitchen. I took the box and pulled out a pair for me and handed another to Trooper Poole.
Chris Knopf 77
    "Before we do that, leave me alone with him for a few minutes," she said. She put on the gloves and went in the booth, then closed the door. Ten minutes later she emerged with a
Chris Knopf 75
    "What sort of situation? Who the fuck are you anyway?" he said.
    I saw Christian Fey move in between me and Track, but didn't hear what he said. But Track moved back, his hands aloft in a sign of capitulation, which was all I cared about at that point.
    A few moments later, another flashlight came erratically down the path from the front of the hotel. I caught the glint of steel from the lights shot in the newcomer's direction.
    "Please stand clear of the area," said a woman's voice.
    I held my ground as the others fell away, including Anika, who let go of my arm with a light sweep of her fingers.
    "You, too, sir," said the statie, her hand supported comfortably on the top of her holster.
    "I could describe the scene if you want," I said.
    "You police?" she said.
    "No. Mechanical engineer. And former defendant in a murder case. You learn some things."
    She held her flashlight in my face for a moment, then moved it toward the ground. I did the same. She was a small, slender-waisted woman with longish dark hair that fell in pin curls to her shoulders. Dwarfed next to Amanda's five eight, she looked either misplaced or completely comfortable in her statie uniformâit was hard to see in that erratic light. Her face was serious, a good cop face, and her posture assured.
    "Okay, go ahead."
    I did my best, adding detail as it came to me, occasionally asking Anika to chime in. The others just stood around and listened, everyone but Grace, who Christian Fey held to his chest with both arms and rocked from side to side. Amanda came down the path, after seeing the light from the cruiser.
    "Sam?" she said, moving to my side and taking the part of my arm recently vacated by Anika. Her grip tightened as
76 BLACK SWAN
she heard the account I was giving the cop, whose name plate read JENNIFER POOLE. She wrote briskly in a little case book pulled out of the back pocket of her slacks, her flashlight held under her arm.
    She was clearly rattled, but to her credit, acted like she wasn't.
    "So no one's touched the body since it was discovered," she said.
    "Grace hugged him," said Anika.
    "And Christian Fey tried to release him from the noose. Both understandable reactions," I said.
    Trooper Poole took a cell phone out of a holster and walked away from the gathering to make a call.
    "We have no coroner on the island," she said when she came back, looking at me darkly. "And minimum forensics. Plus the ferry just stopped service due to the weather. I called the closest CSI team, which is at the state barracks in Riverhead. The coast guard can get them out here, but it'll take a while, since they have to sail over to Orient Point from Connecticut."
    "Are we talking hours?" I asked.
    "We are."
    "Seems pretty grim to just leave him there," I said.
    "They said I could take him down as long as I cleared that part of the scene."
    "Do you know how to do that?" I asked.
    She looked at me, sizing me up.
    "Mostly," she said.
    "You have a digital camera?" I asked.
    "I do."
    "At least we can record everything," I said. At my request, Anika retrieved a tape measure and a box of surgical gloves Axel used in the hotel kitchen. I took the box and pulled out a pair for me and handed another to Trooper Poole.
Chris Knopf 77
    "Before we do that, leave me alone with him for a few minutes," she said. She put on the gloves and went in the booth, then closed the door. Ten minutes later she emerged with a
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