BOOK EXCERPT

     It was mid-morning at the department of health morgue.  Three men were standing beside a stainless steel gurney with grooves and a narrow gutter around it with a drip hole in the corner for body fluids to drain into a bucket resting on the floor.  On it reposed a corpse.

     The men were;

A.  The medical examiner.

B.  An A.D.A. Investigator specializing in death by suspicious circumstances and...

C.  The Deputy Chief of Police for Albu.

     The Medical Examiner, cum se Coroner was chewing a mouthful of donut and sipping from his coffee cup.  He had apparently not read the memo, 'Thou shalt not speak with thy mouth full of food.'  Food bits were projectiled from time-to-time.  The A.D.A. and Deputy Chief both had a grimace on their faces.

     This guy was pretty ripe when they brought him in."  munch-munch-munch.  "So we cleaned him up several times with the formaldehyde solution - did a general exam."  munch-munch-munch.  "...and chilled him to keep pending I.D."  munch-munch-munch.  Donut gone, brushed his hands off on his white lab coat.  A.D.A. and Deputy Chief exchanged glances of minor relief.

     "So - - - - since he's already D.O.A. and John Doe,  there's no rush on the prints.  Couple of weeks go by..."  slurp.  "...we find out he's one of yours Jackie."  He looks nonchalantly at his clip-board chart.  Frowns and purses his lips.  "Alvin Proctor James."

     Jack Garcia frowned.  Lips grimly presed together, he nodded his head and shrugged.  "Yeah - he's one of ours.  Heee ....  he took off early one Sunday.  Didn't radio in.  Left his cruiser in a mall all locked up nice and neat and a long way from the area he was supposed to be patrolling."

     He looked at the A.D.A.  "You got anything to add Bob?"

     Bob furrowed his forehead and puckered for a moment.  "He was under a closed indictment for a sealed file investigation.  He entered a plea under conditions that are sealed and confidential.  I can't get it.  The only one who could order it opened would be God and he would have to have a note from his superior."

     "He was last seen getting into a van with four men and that's it until right now."  "No suspects."  pause  "Nothing."  pause  "Guess someone has contacted his parents.  He lived alone in a bare bones apartment.  Girl friend packed up her things and split saying adios and good riddance."  "Anyway, parents have made mortuary arrangements for when you release the cadaver."

     Jack looked at the M.E.,  "Cause of death?"

     M.E. shrugged, "Not sure.  Like I said - he was pretty decomposed when we got 'em.  Couple of things for sure though.  He was beaten to a pulp.  Prob'ly stomped, kicked, bashed with a blunt instrument - likely a baseball bat, pipe, pick-axe handle, hell  -  who knows?"  shrugged.  "...OR  -  he might have bled to death."

     Jack and Bob looked at him startled.  "HUH?!"  The M.E. pulled up the sheet to look at the lower torso.  "Whoever beat him up also cut off his tallywhacker while he was still alive."  He smiled - M.E. humor.  Bob threw up.