X-MAN SCREENPLAY by BRIAN R. LUNDIN (ereader for comics txt) 📕

the body.

An X-ray is always taken of the entire body before we s start the procedure.
After taking the X-ray the doctor made a large and deep Y-incision, starting at the top of each shoulder and running down the front of the chest, meeting at the lower point of the breastbone and extending to the pubic bone and removed the organs, muscles and tissue samples, they were weighted and placed in a black bag and placed back into the cavity he next examined Peggy’s genitals.
There were signs of sexual abuse necrophilia, the vagina and the rectum were damaged but no sperm, perhaps he used a condom, and she has never had a child or been pregnant. In all strangulation cases death is caused by an increased hypoxic state in the brain. In manual strangulation cases this approach allows maximum exposure of the neck structure, which I will examine for fingertip bruises that could indicate if the attacker used one hand or both hands, I am also looking for linear fingernail scratches from the assailant or the victim when attempting to remove the attacker hands from the neck and we will check under the victim’s fingernails for any skin evidence. Strangulation can cause reflex cardiac arrest and sustained pressure can cause congestion and blueness of the tongue, pharynx and larynx. In examining the body as you can see there is a little blood coming from the incision, that’s because the pull of gravity is producing the only blood pressure at this point since there is no cardiac functionality. Most of your cases though are ligature strangulations, I used a laser on the neck to look for ligature marks, if none appear evident under normal light and I find hemorrhaging in the muscles of the neck, the hyoid bone and the thyroid and the cricoids cartilages that indicates they were fractured. Notice the subject face, there are signs of cyanosis and petechiae, which indicate the strangulation pressure was applied for more than twenty seconds, ligature marks is a vital part of the evidence, as it often reproduces the patterns and dimensions of the ligature itself, the type of ligature, i.e. rope, soft fabric, etc. If the killer takes the ligature and is subsequently arrested and the ligature is recovered on his person or in his home the ligature can be compared with the marks on the victim’s neck.

The doctor placed the scalpel back on the table and removed an electric saw. He switched on an overhead microphone and spoke in a soft voice.

I will use Stryker Saw named after the manufacturer of the tool to pry opens the chest cavity and saw through the ribs on the lateral side of the chest cavity to allow the sternum and attached ribs to be lifted as one chest plate. This is done so that the heart and lungs can be seen in what we call “in situ” or in complete and are not damaged during the opening.

Doctor Dixon carefully and expertly removed the additional internal organs; each was weighed and placed into a container containing a foggy liquid.

Well that’s it, my assistants will complete the examination of the organs and reconstruct the body, how you doing detective?

EVETTA
(weakly)
Ok!

DOCTOR
Let’s go to my office, I’ve got just what you need you are looking a little pale.
INT. DOCTOR’S OFFICE
Doctor Dixon directed Evetta and Ringo to two oversized cushioned chairs while he went to an ornate wooden cabinet and removed a bottle of Remy Martin Brandy and three crystal glasses; he placed the glasses on the desk and poured a hefty shot in each.

DOCTOR
Down the hatch.

We all gulped down the strong drink and Ringo and the doctor laughed as Evetta coughed.

RINGO
What was the cause of death?

DOCTOR
She died from massive internal bleeding from the multiple stab wounds that severed her aorta and left lung, she was dead before he placed the stocking around her neck, we’ve got the DNA results back on Peggy’s boyfriend, no matches on any of the murders, but we found that Peggy was about eight weeks pregnant and the fetus’s DNA matched her boyfriend.

EVETTA
Shit! Well that’s another charge against this monster.

There was a knock at the door and an ASSISTANT stuck his head through.
ASSISTANT
Excuse me doctor, but Peggy Smith’s husband in on five-four, he’s calling from Detroit to find out about his wife.

Doctor Dixon nodded and the assistant closed the door.
DOCTOR
Excuse me.
The doctor patiently spent twenty minutes explaining what had happened to the man’s wife, but he left out the gory details, he also told the husband that the body could be released in a week. He hung up, took a nail file from the drawer and began cleaning his nails. After a minute of going through the ritual he placed the file back into the drawer and rubbed his thin, narrow face.
DOCTOR
It’s tough enough telling a relative about a natural death, doubly hard when it’s a murder victim.

EVETTA
Nice job, you have.

DOCTOR
Sometimes it sucks!
EVETTA
Cynthia White is one of his victim’s maybe we can get a DNA match.

DOCTOR
My techs are taking vaginal swaps as we speak. Who knows what he’ll do next, if it’s not him we’ve got a serious copycat.


One of the technicians knocked on the door and entered.
TECHNICIAN
We’re ready to close her up doctor and there was sperm.

DOCTOR
Want to watch?
EVETTA

No thanks; two hours with a corpse is enough for me.

Ringo and Evetta left, usually they would go to lunch, but not today.

INT. SPECIAL CRIMES BUREA-AFTERNOON

When Ringo and Evetta returned to their office all of the detectives were crowded around the television, REVEREND CLARENCE WILSON was being interviewed by a black female reporter.
IRENE MAUTESA
Reverend Wilson, I understand that members of your congregation are planning on starting a community watch, can you comment please?

The reverend was a tall, heavy set man in his late fifties with brilliant white teeth and his church The First Church of Deliverance located at 43rd South Wabash Avenue had a congregation of over two thousand and spoke in a measured tone.
REVEREND CLARENCE WILSON
Yes we are members of my church and other concerned members of the community are outraged over the rapes and murders of our young black women. This cowardly monster don’t have the guts to deal with men, he prefer helpless women.

VOICE (VO)
Street justice is what he needs and if we catch that asshole won’t need no cops.
REVEREND CLARENCE WILSON
I believe in the criminal justice system but either the police are incompetent or don’t care, either way it’s time for us, the black community to protect ourselves.

IRENE MAUTESA
I also understand that you have had meetings with the mayor and the Chief of Police, what are they saying?

REVEREND CLARENCE WILSON

Same old song and dance that we are doing everything we can.

IRENE MAUTESA
Have you met with Lieutenant O’Shea, head of the Special Crimes Bureau?
REVEREND CLARENCE WILSON
I’ve called his office on ten occasions and I’m always told he’s unavailable.

Ringo and Evetta continued to his office when we were called into the lieutenant’s office. Lieutenant O’Shea was looking at the news show when we entered, his face was a bleak red and he paced around hi s desk.
INT. O’SHEA OFFICE-AFTERNOON
O’SHEA
(yelling)
Who does that black mutherfucker think he is?” the lieutenant yelled.

RINGO
We took a seat.

Why won’t you talk to him?

O’SHEA
Fuck him; I ain’t got to explain shit to him.

EVETTA
That might not be a good idea Reverend Wilson has a lot of clout in the community and downtown, matter of fact I hear the chief is a member of his church.

The lieutenant sat down and sweat beaded on his forehead,
O’SHEA
Where did you hear that?

EVETTA
That’s the word on the street.

O’SHEA
Listen I want you two to go see him and assure we’re doing the best we can, ok? Now bring me up to date, find out anything at the M.E.’s office?
RINGO
Well we found sperm in Cynthia White indicating she may have been raped just like the others, but we have to check that out, maybe we can get some DNA from that and Robin Honeywell was pregnant.

O’SHEA
Shit! What we know about Robin?

RINGO
Robin’s boyfriend alibi is solid, he worked a double the night she was killed and he and some other co-workers went to a promotion party at a private club and was there until 0900 Sunday, and his DNA matched the fetus.

EVETTA
Our legs checked out her ex-husband in Detroit, he and his children were visiting his mother in Cleveland and hadn’t talked or seen his ex in months, but he also said that she liked to walk around the house naked and he had warned her about that.
O’SHEA
I got a call from the FBI today and we told me that VICAP identified a 1999 victim in Gary who matches our guy’s profile, a young black whore named Rita Maxwell was found raped, strangled and there is another unsolved rape and homicide in Gary that same year of a high school girl.

EVETTA
Where was she found?

O’SHEA
In an abandon warehouse, a bloody X was on the wall.

RINGO
This guy has been busy.

O'Shea opened an envelope on his desk.


O’SHEA
Peggy Smith was twenty-five, lived at 4555 South King Drive, 2nd floor and worked at a bookstore on 51st Street. Cynthia White, twenty-three, lived at 4650 South Calumet Avenue first floor and worked as a barmaid at a Westside joint. Robin Honeywell, Maggie Williams, Peggy Smith and that broad who was raped in her garage and maybe a couple of black young broads in Gary. We’ve got to catch this asshole and quick, I don’t want this investigation ran on the front pages of the Tribune and Chicago Sun-Times. Get back to work.

Ringo and Evetta got in the car.

ESAU
Let’s take a ride to Louise Johnson place

INT. POLICE CAR-AFTERNOON

Evetta removed a folder from her briefcase and began to read.

EVETTA
Louise Johnson, twenty-five, single, owns the successful Black Ladies Boutique on east 47th Street, MBA from Indiana University, mother, college professor at Westwood University in River Oaks, father deceased. Next door neighbor heard noises coming from Louise garage and when he went to investigate he observed Louise lying on the floor struggling with a big man on top of her holding a large knife, her shorts and sweat shirt was on the floor and he noticed the man wearing a condom. A pair of panty hose was tied around her neck and a rag stuffed into her mouth. He yelled at the man and as he approached the man threaten him with the knife and ran out the garage and jump over the rear fence.

EXT. 4916 FORRESTVILLE AVENUE-EVENING

The block contained well-kept single-family homes. Louise house was brown brick with white trimming and was well hidden by tall oak pine trees and dense landscape, the nearest house was twenty-feet away. A decorative steel fence with a latched gate sat as a sentinel in front of the back yard, Evetta ranged the front doorbell and it was answered by an attractive, well-built woman.

EVETTA
Hi I’ am Detective Lunden and this Sergeant Ringo from the Chicago Police Department we’ll like to talk to you about the incident