The Black Dahlia by Hutton, Barbara

January 15th 1947, local police had arrived to the nightmarish scene, hardly believing it was possible as they stared down at the porcelain lifeless body of Elizabeth Short. Her limp arms raised above her head; her torso precisely sliced through and her lower half of her body and legs erotically laid out some 30 cm away. This young woman had suffered at the hands of some evil that police and investigators had never come across; some deranged individual or group who had savoured every last minute of this young woman's deadly humiliation. It was not only her mutilated naked body that disturbed officers so, but the savagely cut 'Glasgow Kiss' smile that had been carved from ear to ear and across her beautiful face. Her right breast cut from her body; police were disturbingly baffled that not one drop of blood evidenced the scene. This was not the place she died; her blood had been carefully and meticulously drained and her remains vigorously cleaned and scrubbed before she was discarded without emotion. Elizabeth was meant to be found and above all, the evil perpetrator meant her to be posed in those total and utter humiliating circumstances. Her handbag and one red shoe were found in a dustbin nearby. Elizabeth Short was a 23-year-old stunning beauty who had dreams of becoming the next major Hollywood star. She was famous now; but not the way she had ever intended...And the question has remained for decades now...Who killed the Black Dahlia?