Work on the opening line to my current chapter is coming along in stages. I’ve written it several times and have cut as many words from it as I’ve written—that’s the way it goes some times.
One thing did cross my mind today though about whether or not it was ludicrous for my PI to suspect that the coroner in the case is incompetent. Lude is convinced that he's overlooked critical evidence in a murder case. But I ask you, would Quincy slack off and ignore the tiniest clue on a case? Would Patricia Cornwell’s Kay Scarpetta cut corners? And what about Dr. Albert Robbins of CSI Las Vegas? Would he give up in the middle of a critical investigation? No, of course not!
Okay, so these are fictitious characters, but what about in real life? Would a medical examiner be allowed to practice if they accused of negligence? I’d hope not, but then I found an article dated November 9, 2009, and published by KOMO News in Seattle, Washington of a case in Chehalis, Washington.
It appears that in one case, the coroner left the body of a man who died of a heart attack on the family’s driveway for the funeral home to pick up. Ack!
Two years ago, a 17 year old boy was hit and killed by train. Supposedly, the coroner’s deputies had secured the tracks/area in order to clean it up, but when a friend of the family arrived four hours later, she discovered that much of the body (parts) had been left behind on the tracks. I guess if the coroner in my manuscript over-looks a few suspicious bruises, it’ll be believable, huh? And, if I ever run out of ideas, all I have to do is look in the newspaper for my next plot.
Here’s the link if you want to read … the rest of the story. http://www.komonews.com/news/69634472.html
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