lives have been turned upside down. I do appreciate your gesture for this personal service, but please indulge me. You can send me a complete copy of the medical examiner’s report, but for the moment, I just want to find out how Genevieve died.”
He thought about debating the issue further, but Judge Foster seemed rigid on his position. Rigid enough to get him off the hook.
“Your daughter’s cause of death was a massive stroke.” As soon as the words rolled off his tongue, Al wished he could retract them. They seemed so cold and without diplomacy. But was there really a tactful way to deliver this information?
Silence.
“Judge Foster?”
“I heard you, Detective. I’m just trying to understand how a healthy twenty-three-year-old woman died of a stroke.”
“It’s complicated. In fact, even the medical examiner is puzzled. Blood tests confirmed your daughter had several very potent prescription drugs in her system. Why, we don’t know. Two of these drugs have an effect on heart function and it’s possible that an erratic heartbeat formed a blood clot that traveled to her brain.”
“That is medically possible?”
“One of the drugs in your daughter’s blood can cause what they call fibrillation, where the heart flutters instead of pumping blood normally. This fluttering causes the blood to pool and form clots that can travel anywhere in your body.”
“What would motivate anyone to give her these drugs?”
“That’s the question we need to answer.”
“Tell me, Detective.” The judge hesitated for a few moments. “Was she…sexually assaulted?”
Al didn’t think his answer would give the judge much comfort, but this was the only piece of information that let Al breathe easy. “No, Judge. We found no evidence that Genevieve was sexually harmed in any way.”
“Thank you, Detective.”
Al didn’t want to push it, but the judge seemed like he was in a cooperative mood. “You can help us tremendously by answering a few questions.”
“Like what?”
“First off, was Genevieve taking any prescription medication?
“None. She didn’t even take vitamins.”
“Did she have any allergies that would require she keep an EPI pen handy?”
“Absolutely not. Other than a few sniffles in the fall during hay fever season, to the best of my knowledge, she wasn’t allergic to anything.”
“One last question, Judge. Did your daughter have any medical condition that required a doctor’s care?”
“She was healthy since the day she was born.”
“Thank you, Judge. That’s it for now. I’ll be sure to get you a complete copy of the autopsy report.”
“I have one more question, Detective Diaz. Unfortunately, I’m aware of what goes on during these gruesome autopsies. That’s why I was so dead set against it. What I want to know is this. Can we have an open casket at her wake, or will we never see her beautiful face again?”
Al knew exactly what he was asking: Did the ME fillet my daughter like a dead fish and crack her skull open like a coconut? Will she be presentable lying in that casket, or will she be a collection of body parts?
“When you see her, Judge, there will be no evidence that she ever even had a mosquito bite.”
“That’s what I wanted to hear.” The phone went silent again. “You deal with this sort of thing every day. And as a judge, I’ve seen my fair share of violent criminals and acts of brutality that make me question the civility of mankind. But no matter what you’re exposed to each and every day, nothing, I mean nothing can prepare you for a loss like this.” The judge’s voice was a little unsteady. “But how do you deal with not knowing? How do you sleep at night wondering what that monster did to our daughter? What she felt the last few minutes of her life. How do you go on when you try to imagine how much she suffered?”
Al searched his mind, but could not find one comforting word. All he could say was, “I’m really sorry, Judge Foster.
He thought about debating the issue further, but Judge Foster seemed rigid on his position. Rigid enough to get him off the hook.
“Your daughter’s cause of death was a massive stroke.” As soon as the words rolled off his tongue, Al wished he could retract them. They seemed so cold and without diplomacy. But was there really a tactful way to deliver this information?
Silence.
“Judge Foster?”
“I heard you, Detective. I’m just trying to understand how a healthy twenty-three-year-old woman died of a stroke.”
“It’s complicated. In fact, even the medical examiner is puzzled. Blood tests confirmed your daughter had several very potent prescription drugs in her system. Why, we don’t know. Two of these drugs have an effect on heart function and it’s possible that an erratic heartbeat formed a blood clot that traveled to her brain.”
“That is medically possible?”
“One of the drugs in your daughter’s blood can cause what they call fibrillation, where the heart flutters instead of pumping blood normally. This fluttering causes the blood to pool and form clots that can travel anywhere in your body.”
“What would motivate anyone to give her these drugs?”
“That’s the question we need to answer.”
“Tell me, Detective.” The judge hesitated for a few moments. “Was she…sexually assaulted?”
Al didn’t think his answer would give the judge much comfort, but this was the only piece of information that let Al breathe easy. “No, Judge. We found no evidence that Genevieve was sexually harmed in any way.”
“Thank you, Detective.”
Al didn’t want to push it, but the judge seemed like he was in a cooperative mood. “You can help us tremendously by answering a few questions.”
“Like what?”
“First off, was Genevieve taking any prescription medication?
“None. She didn’t even take vitamins.”
“Did she have any allergies that would require she keep an EPI pen handy?”
“Absolutely not. Other than a few sniffles in the fall during hay fever season, to the best of my knowledge, she wasn’t allergic to anything.”
“One last question, Judge. Did your daughter have any medical condition that required a doctor’s care?”
“She was healthy since the day she was born.”
“Thank you, Judge. That’s it for now. I’ll be sure to get you a complete copy of the autopsy report.”
“I have one more question, Detective Diaz. Unfortunately, I’m aware of what goes on during these gruesome autopsies. That’s why I was so dead set against it. What I want to know is this. Can we have an open casket at her wake, or will we never see her beautiful face again?”
Al knew exactly what he was asking: Did the ME fillet my daughter like a dead fish and crack her skull open like a coconut? Will she be presentable lying in that casket, or will she be a collection of body parts?
“When you see her, Judge, there will be no evidence that she ever even had a mosquito bite.”
“That’s what I wanted to hear.” The phone went silent again. “You deal with this sort of thing every day. And as a judge, I’ve seen my fair share of violent criminals and acts of brutality that make me question the civility of mankind. But no matter what you’re exposed to each and every day, nothing, I mean nothing can prepare you for a loss like this.” The judge’s voice was a little unsteady. “But how do you deal with not knowing? How do you sleep at night wondering what that monster did to our daughter? What she felt the last few minutes of her life. How do you go on when you try to imagine how much she suffered?”
Al searched his mind, but could not find one comforting word. All he could say was, “I’m really sorry, Judge Foster.
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