Currently at 43,085 down from 55,479 with the same plot and eight completely new scenes, plus rewriting of course.
The count intrinsically doesn't matter. It's generally the sort of thing beginners obsess over. How long does an X need to be? And the answer is: as long as it needs to be. Simple.
But if you're trying to ratchet up the pacing, it's certainly a good indicator when you have about 12,400 fewer words and a whole lot more plot going on.
I'm going to show the post-body discovery scene to a few people, including a couple of lawyers and see what they think. Then look hard at the middle for any sagging.
But big picture, I think progress is going swimmingly--despite it being the height of speaking season.
