Time of Death

TIME OF DEATH GISELLE NORWOOD SERIES BOOK 1 AUDREY WALKER CONTENTS Stay in touch with Audrey Prequels for FREE! Download now Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Chapter 21 Chapter 22 Chapter 23 Chapter 24 Chapter 25 Chapter 26 Chapter 27 Chapter 28 Chapter 29 Chapter 30 Chapter 31 Chapter 32 Chapter 33 Chapter 34 Chapter 35 Chapter 36 Chapter 37 Chapter 38 Chapter 39 Chapter 40 Chapter 41 Chapter 42 Chapter 43 Chapter 44 Chapter 45 Chapter 46 Chapter 47 Chapter 48 Chapter 49 Chapter 50 Chapter 51 Leave a review on Amazon Kindle Stay in touch with Audrey Also by Audrey Walker COPYRIGHT Copyright © 2023 by Audrey Walker All rights reserved No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review. This book is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locations is purely coincidental. The characters are all productions of the author’s imagination. STAY IN TOUCH WITH AUDREY Click here to join Audrey’s Newsletter and receive promotions, free giveaways and exclusive chapter releases. Also follow me on my Facebook Page and on Instagram: Facebook Instagram Amazon PREQUELS FOR FREE! DOWNLOAD NOW Deadly Touch (FREE Prequel Short Story - Robin Matthews) Academy Assassin (FREE Prequel Short Story - Shelby Griffin Series) Secrets Behind Doors (FREE Prequel Short Story - Shelby Griffin Series) He is Payne (FREE Prequel Short Story - Alex Payne Series) Robin Matthews Series (Psychological Detective Mystery Thriller) Alex Payne Series (FBI Action Thriller) Mark Fropp Series (CIA Action Thriller) Shelby Griffin Series (Female Detective Mystery Thriller) Sarah Brown Series (Female Detective Mystery Thriller) 1 Most people do all they can to avoid thinking about death. Giselle Norwood, on the other hand, chose death as her life's work. She studied it, analyzed it, memorized its patterns, and strove to understand it. For Dr. Norwood, the Chief Medical Examiner of the District of Columbia, death was more than an obsession: it was a constant torment. On this early April Tuesday morning, the sole Hispanic forensic pathologist of the nation’s capital felt the weight of the world pressing on her shoulders. She had hardly slept the night before, and as she drove east on Constitution Avenue, she felt as though a chasm might open in the blacktop in front of her and swallow her up. Two bizarre murders in less than six weeks had the city on edge. The police had no suspects, but they were sure of one thing: the murderer would kill again. Giselle was startled by the sound of her cell phone ringing through her car speakers. She studied the display on her dashboard nervously. It showed the call was from an unknown number with a D.C. area code. She let it ring a couple of times before picking up cautiously. “Hello?” "Dr. Norwood?" It was a male voice that sounded vaguely familiar, but Giselle couldn't place it. "Speaking," she replied stiffly. "This is Frank Weber." A pause. "From the mayor's office. We've spoken before." "Yes, of course," Giselle said. She had spoken with Mr. Weber, the mayor's spokesperson, a half-dozen times. None of the conversations had been cordial. "How can I help you, Mr. Weber?" "I imagine by now you've heard about the third victim?" Giselle's heart did a somersault. “Third victim?” “I guess you haven’t heard. The police have found a body in Pleasant Plains. Same circumstances as the other two victims.” “I’ll check with my office right away,” Giselle said feeling her cheeks grow warm. The one day she runs a little late in the morning, this had to happen. “Who informed your office?” It was an impertinent question, but Giselle never did learn to play politics. “Never mind that. Please be aware that Mayor Taylor is following the situation closely." “Of course.” Poor Marjorie Taylor. A string of dead women in her city was kryptonite to her political future, Giselle thought. Frank Weber's voice lowered a half-octave. He slowed his speech. "The latest victim's name is Evelyn Tate. She was a young attorney and an aide to Senator Lloyd Blackburn.” No wonder the mayor was so concerned. “I see,” Giselle managed to utter. “The mayor already spoke with Senator Blackburn this morning. I don't think I have to explain how distraught he is over the young lady's untimely death." Giselle had been driving on autopilot for the last few blocks and was glad to see she was approaching the glass-plated building housing her office. She eased off the gas pedal to turn into the underground parking garage on School Street S.W. "Was the victim's family notified?" Giselle asked. "Not yet.” "You called the senator before notifying the victim’s family." "Not quite. The chief of police notified the senator, after which the senator called the mayor. This is Washington, D.C." Whatever that was supposed to mean. At that point, the mayor’s spokesperson broke into his canned speech. He gave a boiler plate sermon on how delicate the situation was and how the city was prepared to dedicate all its resources to support her investigation. "I know my job," Giselle said. "I'm not making myself clear, Doctor Norwood," Frank Weber said. "This case is unlike any you've ever encountered." Weber seemed to struggle a moment to maintain his composure. "I spoke to the director of the FBI a short while ago. He's assigned a special agent to the case who will be coming up from Quantico later this morning. You will cooperate with him. You’ll brief him and inform him of every detail of this case and the previous two homicides. We expect your full cooperation." Giselle resented Weber's