Her eyes widened the more he spoke. She sputtered before pressing a button on what looked like an old-fashioned intercom system, while stating, “An Agent Severo Ambrose is here to see you, Sheriff Tormd.”
This… Had she just made him sit there without informing anyone that he was here?!
His eyes narrowed on her. “For your job's sake, you better hope this wasn’t your first attempt at informing your boss that I had arrived.”
She gasped. “What?!”
“Be a bigot on your own time, lady,” Severo scoffed before ignoring her as he walked deeper into the building while she protested.
Luckily, beyond the front reception was an open layout of desks scattered around, as well as offices clearly marked. He spotted the Sheriff's door just seconds before it opened.
Severo was likely easy to spot, considering he was an outsider. The two men who exited came right to him. One was probably in his fifties, while the other was in his thirties.
“Agent Ambrose?” the older man asked.
Based on the Sheriff's badge he was wearing, this had to be Sheriff Donold Tormd. Which made the plain clothed man the detective.
“Yes.” Severo nodded.
The older man smiled. “Sheriff Donold Tormd. And this is Detective Grately Liane, the one in charge of investigating your case.” He beckoned him to follow. “Come, we were expecting you. We figured you had experienced some traffic when you didn’t show.”
Severo couldn’t help but ask, “Did you? Because your secretary just made me waste thirty minutes sitting out front.”
“She what…?” The Sheriff stumbled and peered back at him, looking baffled.
“I would suggest hiring someone who wants to help all citizens, instead of just the human ones.”
“I apologize, and promise to look into that,” the older man said firmly, brows pulled. The Sheriff sounded genuinely apologetic.
They settled in the Sheriff’s private office—door closed. The Sheriff sat behind his desk while the detective remained standing to the right of him. Severo took a chair across from the two. It looked as old-fashioned as the rest of the building.
“So,” Detective Liane started. “What can I do for you?”
“The file you submitted was incomplete. I need a copy of the autopsy report, crime scene photos, investigation notes, and pretty much all information dealing with Leal Craft. None of it was included. I basically have Seri North's background, and what crime she is being accused of, but not the how, why, or even proof of her guilt.”
“Isn’t your job just to bring her in?” Detective Liane drawled. “Also, why drive all the way here when you could have just emailed us?”
The detective sounded way too full of himself for someone who had fucked up.
“Detective…” Sheriff Tormd huffed. “Why did you send an incomplete file?”
Liane shrugged. “The system must have glitched.”
“You would be wrong about my job, Detective. While yes, I will be the one to track down and bring Seri in. It is also my job to make sure the CEB has all the information needed so Seri North gets a fair trial. I can’t do that if I don’t hand in all the pertinent information on the case. And as for why I drove down here instead of sending an email outlining your screw up… What would be the point when I need to examine the body myself?”
He would admit that was part of his job that he could have done without and missed the time when he didn’t have to do it. Forensic Pathologist had just been a job he’d seen in movies and shows until about fifty years ago, when Cyrus specifically had the thought that it would be a good idea for the agents to see what they were getting themselves into with each perpetrator. The man had convinced the head of his family, and tada…suddenly all the field agents who dealt with murderers had a shit ton of classes to take that had them cutting into way too many questionable things.
While no, he didn’t have to do a full run through, Severo did have to do an initial body check, so he could briefly review the accuracy of the original reports they were given, before the body was shipped to the nearest CEB morgue for a full re-examination.
Severo frowned, when the detective, who had been blustering at being called a screw up, went silent at the mention of the body. “Is somethingelsewrong?”
“I’m afraid that is not possible.” The Sheriff grimaced.
Severo narrowed his eyes at the two. “What isn’t possible?”
“There is no body,” the detective admitted, not meeting his eyes.
“What do you meanthere’s no body?”
