IS THAT A TRUNCHEON IN YOUR POCKET?

The body .... that was what Cassie and I decided to concentrate on ... the body.

'So what do we know about it?' Cassie finished her meal and sat back.

'Well', I replied, 'we know that it is female, we know that it is tall and athletic, we know that it was wearing black...'

'We also know that it was hideously mutilated', Cassie cut in, 'No facial features, no hands, no feet ... looks like whover killed her knew what they were doing. Unless DNA records exist or someone comes forward with a missing person then it's going to be a toughie to figure out who Ms X is.'

'So what do we do ...?'

'Got an ex in the Met' Cassie replied, 'gorgeous guy, great ... and I mean GREAT body however when it came down to it he was a little ... how do I put it ...? On the small side.'

'Oh ... I see what you mean,' I flashed a smile at her.

'Such a shame, it didn't even touch the sides, I think it was a by-product of way too many steroids pumping some muscles but shrinking others ... I told him to ditch them or ditch me, so he hit the gym and I hit the road ....'

'Men!'

'Well', Cass let the waiter pour her another glass, 'he still sends me texts, so I thought that he would be a good starting point, I know he's quite high in CID now. Perhaps if I suggest some meaningless, one off sex I could get the 911 on this one.....'

'Cass you are terrible, don't put out for me, that's asking way too much!'

'Hon', Cass replied 'I ain't gonna put out, no way, I'm just going to lead this horse to water but there's no way I'm gonna let him drink .... mind you it would be soooo tempting if only he was more like a horse'

'You mean ...?' I smiled

'Yep', she laughed, 'hung like one!'

'Now, onto Trudie', Cassie started to fish around in her bag as she spoke.

'Yes, what about Trudie ... is it her body? Surely, we must have got something wrong there ...?'

'Oh yes', replied Cassie finally pulling a print out from her bag.

She placed it on the table in front of me it was a fuzzy image of Trudie Hewitt.

'Same size, same clothes ... same bloody brooch'

I looked at the picture ... Cass was right.

'However', continued Cassie, 'not same body ... this picture of Ms Hewitt was taken in New York at the exact same time that Tomas was getting stabbed by a stiletto.'

'So is someone trying to frame her ....?'

'Yes', Cassie simply said, 'it appears that someone is trying to frame her trying to victimise you ... what the hell is that all about?'