“I was more or less aware,” Jack admitted. “My wife mentioned Dr. Nichols’s interest in investigating the case. I have to admit, I found the idea of using genetic genealogy as a forensic aid an intriguing notion, especially with the remarkable geometric ballooning of the ancestral DNA databases. My sense is that for some homicide cases, it could have significant merit.”
“Dr. Nichols certainly thought it did,” Carl said. “She showed me some impressive family trees she’d helped to create for the Kera Jacobsen case to find the father of the fetus. Did you see them, by chance?”
“No, I didn’t see them,” Jack said. “Dr. Nichols was working under the supervision of my wife on that case, and I wasn’t involved. But I did do several cases with her yesterday. I was impressed with her as a prosector, but I found her not to be the easiest person to work with.”
“That’s a kind way to put it,” Carl said. “As I told your wife, Dr. Nichols was not a team player and was often antisocial. That said, she apparently related well with your wife, well enough that your wife confided she was having surgery soon. Is she having her surgery here in our medical center?”
“She is,” Jack said. After a quick glance at his desk clock, he added: “In fact, she’s probably on her way to Admitting as we speak, which is the reason she asked me to call you in her stead.”
“I thought that might be the case,” Carl said. “I hope it all goes well although I’m sure it will. And thank you for calling.” Then he abruptly hung up before Jack had a chance to respond.
Jack pulled the handset away from his face to look at it as if it would explain the sudden termination of the call. As he replayed the conversation in his mind, he had the odd feeling that he had been interrogated but couldn’t figure out why or about what. He shrugged, then slowly lowered the handset toward its base, letting it drop for the last fraction of an inch, causing a finalizing kerplunk.
Taking out his mobile phone, Jack placed a call to Laurie. She had told him not to bother, to concentrate on holding down the fort at the OCME, and that she would be perfectly fine, but he couldn’t resist. She picked up quickly, as if she already had the phone in her hand. “Are you on your way to the hospital or still at home?” Jack asked after mutual hellos were exchanged.
“I’m in an Uber at the moment,” Laurie said. Her voice wasupbeat. He wondered if it was a true reflection of her feelings or if it was for his benefit. “I should be there in a half hour, traffic permitting.”
“I wanted to give you a follow-up on the Nichols situation,” Jack said.
“Thank you,” she said. “What a shock! What a tragedy.”
“I couldn’t agree more,” Jack said. “When Bart Arnold first told me about it, I was flabbergasted. But I wanted to let you know I have everything under control. I’ll be doing the autopsy, and I’ve already called Dr. Henderson like you requested.”
“Thank you, dear,” Laurie said. “I’m sorry to dump this on you, but Bart wasn’t able to get George Fontworth right away, which was the reason he called me. Anyway, I think you’re better suited to deal with this than George for a number of reasons. I suppose Dr. Henderson was shocked as well.”
“He already knew about it,” he said. “The police had contacted him or Vernon Pierce. Anyway, he already knew.”
“Good,” Laurie said. “That made it easier for you. They must be at wit’s end over at the medical center. This is two overdoses within a week. That’s not good PR, to say the very least.”
“He again offered to do the autopsy over there,” Jack said. “I told him it had to be done here at the OCME by law.”
“I think that’s just pressure coming from the top,” Laurie said. “I’m glad you again set them straight on that issue.”
“More important, how are you holding up?” Jack said. “I know we talked about it last night, but I felt guilty leaving you on your own this morning.”
“I’m perfectly fine,” she said. “Trust me! I’ve adjusted to this need for surgery. I knew it was coming at some point, so I’ll be glad to get it out of the way. Obviously, the whole situation is more difficult for you than it is for me. I’m absolutely convinced it is better for you and for the OCME that you are there and working. I’m going to be fine.”
“I could meet you at Admitting if you’d like,” he suggested.
“It’s not necessary, Jack,” Laurie said with a hint of exasperation in her voice. “How many times do I have to tell you, I’ll be fine? As I understand it, I’ll be going directly from Admitting to Pre-op. I won’t be sent to a room until I’m released from the post-anesthesia unit after the surgery is over. You concentrate on handling this situation with poor Dr. Nichols.”
“Okay, okay,” Jack said. The last thing he wanted to do was make things more difficult for Laurie. “I will take care of the autopsy, and then I’ll see you in your room after your surgery. Any idea of what room you’ll be in?”
“I’ve been assigned to 838 in the Kimmel Pavilion unless something unforeseen happens,” she said. “I’ll see you there. I love you.”
“I love you, too,” Jack said.
For a few minutes he sat in his office. Both calls left him feeling mildly uneasy without knowing exactly why. Slapping the surface of his desk with both palms, he stood, stretched, and walked out into the hallway. On his way down to the elevator his mind switched from musing about his phone calls to the task at hand: doing the autopsy on Aria Nichols. He couldn’t help but wonder what it was going to be like dissecting someone with whom he had worked just the day before. There was no doubt it would be unsettling on some level and made more complicated by the negative feelings he’d had about the woman’s personality.
CHAPTER 36
May 11th
11:15A.M.
After the phone conversation with Dr. Jack Stapleton, Carl felt better than he had for almost a month. Figuratively speaking, it seemed as if the clouds were beginning to part to allow at least a tiny ray of sunshine to penetrate through what had been a dark, threatening, overcast sky. The nightmare had started less than a month ago, when Kera turned what he’d hoped to be a pleasant evening into a disaster by informing him that she was pregnant. And not only was she pregnant, but she was happy about being so.
Initially Carl couldn’t believe it and thought Kera was joking. Although she had expressed a distaste for condoms, it had been his understanding that she was very careful about her cycle, which she insisted was as regular as clockwork. On several occasions she’d informed him when it might not be a good time to get together, and he’d understood and respected her judgment by rescheduling their trysts. The fact that there hadn’t been a warning on the evening in questionhe had to believe wasn’t totally a mistake on her part but rather something she’d half planned.
