“Hey, my friend,” Jack said softly as he gave Lou’s right shoulder a bit of a shake and a squeeze. “Sorry to wake you, but you need to get yourself home and get some real sleep.”
Lou awakened with a jolt and reached for his gun by reflex. Quickly recognizing Jack, he immediately relaxed and sank back into the chair. “Out of the question,” he managed. “I need to have some answers on a potentially volatile case before I turn in. I’m afraid there’s been another police shooting, and I’d like to head off a potential clamor if at all possible.”
“All right, what’s the story in a nutshell?” Jack asked as he backed up a couple of steps and sat down on the arm of the other overstuffed chair, keeping his eyes glued to Lou.
“Any of you guys want coffee?” Vinnie called out from where he was standing by the kitchenette.
Both Jack and Lou raised their hands.
“Coming up!” Vinnie said.
Lou cleared his throat. “The Emergency Service Unit was tasked to go out last night and apprehend a particular bad guy who was a convicted felon and now wanted for murder. It was around midnight.”
Vinnie came by with two mugs of fresh coffee and handed one to Jack and one to Lou. Vinnie knew Lou well from assisting in just about all of Jack’s autopsies that Lou had observed over the years.
“When ESU arrived in multiple vehicles, the target just happened to be getting into his girlfriend’s car as the passenger. The moment they saw all the police cars, they took off, instigating a wild chase. Apparently by accident, or so we believe, the girlfriend ended up making a wrong turn into a dead-end street. When the police pulled up behind blocking them, the perp opened fire resulting in an exchange that quickly terminated with the perp dead from a mortal shot through the front of the chest.”
“What about the girlfriend?”
“She was miraculously spared.”
“So what’s the problem?”
“The ESU lieutenant thinks the perp shot himself, which would be a gift if it can be proved so that thePostand theDaily Newscan’t add to their claim the NYPD always uses excessive force. You get the story.”
“Fair enough,” Jack said. “Okay, but I have to warn you: It might be a long case if multiple bullets are involved because each one will have to be dealt with. I don’t mind doing the autopsy but are you sure you want to hang around? Each bullet will have to be individually traced, not just the fatal one.”
“I assumed as much,” Lou said. “I wasn’t born yesterday.”
“What’s the name?”
“Anderson Stevens.”
Jack stepped back over in front of Nala while sipping his coffee and asked to see Stevens’s folder. After she handed it to him, he slipped out the contents to find the medicolegal investigator’s report, which he quickly scanned. He was pleased to see it was done by Bruce Berman, whom he considered one of the night shift’s particularly thorough MLIs. When he was finished, he glanced up at Nala.
“Is it all right that I take this case?”
“Of course,” Nala said. “You got it.” None of the junior MEs on call ever denied Jack when he offered to do an autopsy, especially one like this that was undoubtedly going to be lengthy and might prove to be politically problematic.
“Front and center, Vinnie!” Jack called out to the mortuary tech who had just settled into the empty easy chair with theNew York Daily Newsopen to the sports section. “Let’s get this Stevens case underway and done before our detective friend collapses from sheer exhaustion.”
“Oh, come on!” Vinnie loudly complained without lowering hispaper. “Be reasonable. It’s not even seven thirty yet. We’re officially not supposed to start autopsies until eight. I want to have my coffee.”
Jack glanced at Lou, who silently mouthed,It’s okay,while he motioned as if toasting with his coffee mug, suggesting he was content enjoying it.
Recognizing that Vinnie had a point, Jack redirected his attention back to Nala while taking a sip from his own mug. “While I’m being stymied, what else do you have for me?”
“Unfortunately another chiropractic-neck-adjustment death came in yesterday late afternoon. I know that is one of your particular interests. Do you want it as well? As you say, the Stevens case might drag on for some time.”
“I want it,” Jack said without hesitation. He’d had several such cases in the past where so-called high-velocity, low-amplitude neck manipulations had resulted in death, even of an infant. The cause was usually damage to the vertebral arteries supplying the back part of the brain, particularly the brain stem and cerebellum. He felt strongly that it was an issue the OCME had an obligation to make sure the public was aware of so people knew the risks. As he took the folder from Nala, the phone on the corner of her desk rang. Since it was a rare occurrence, she answered after the first ring.
Jack was about to pull out the MLI report from this new autopsy folder and get the details of the chiropractic case when Nala surprised him by extending the phone over the desk, saying it was the OCME operator looking for him.
Surprised at getting a personal call when he wasn’t yet supposed to be on duty, Jack took the phone. After identifying himself, the OCME operator asked him if he was willing to take a call from a doctor in Essex Falls, New York.
“Where in God’s name is Essex Falls?” Jack questioned. He’d never heard of the place.
“I haven’t the slightest idea,” the operator confessed. “But the caller insists he is a friend of yours.”
