“Close? No way. I’m on the money.”
“I can’t help but think there’s another person linked to everyone else involved in the case, but finding out who it is… is going to be difficult.”
“You mean you want to believe it’s the person the big guy Buck told you about.”
“We can’t rule it out.” Katie drove onto the main road heading back to Pine Valley to visit the morgue and see what Dr. Dean had to say.
“Can we go through a drive-thru? I’m hungry,” said McGaven.
“We’ll see,” Katie joked. “You might want to eatafterwe leave the morgue and not before.”
McGaven made a face and sighed. “Affirmative.”
TWENTY-ONE
Wednesday 1345 hours
The detectives arrived at the medical examiner’s office, which as usual, wasn’t their favorite part of the job. McGaven had the most difficulty, but had accepted it as crucial in investigating their cases and had worked through his struggles.
Katie wondered if Dr. Dean was doing better. The doctor had acted differently than usual the last time they had come to the morgue. He had been curt and dismissive, which wasn’t his usual demeanor. Dean was a colorful character, known for his Hawaiian shirts and casual attire, and his tireless work with detectives on many cases.
Katie and McGaven walked through the main doors, into the clinical and sterile atmosphere. There was nowhere to escape the strong disinfectant, which always connected your brain to the fact that it was related to dead bodies. The tile floor was extra shiny, making the overhead fluorescent lighting down the long hallway more noticeable. It seemed to be exceptionally quiet today. Usually you could hear voices conversing or doors opening, the sound of a gurney being pushed. Katie slowed herpace and looked at McGaven. He wore the same confused expression she imagined she did.
“Let’s go to the usual examination room,” she said quietly. She felt a little creep factor but tried to brush it off—the mind goes there when you know you’re surrounded by the dead.
The detectives walked farther down the hallway and stopped at a room where the swinging doors were wide open. There were two gurneys inside—both had a sheet covering the body.
Katie waited at the entrance. It wasn’t long before they heard a door closing and the sound of footsteps across the room.
Dr. Dean appeared and greeted the detectives with the usual smile. “My favorite detectives. Hello.”
“Hi, Dr. Dean,” said Katie.
McGaven nodded. He was clearly maintaining his composure for the unveiling of the bodies.
The doctor’s attire matched his bright, bubbly personality. He had on a bright-red Hawaiian shirt with large flowers, khaki shorts, and sandals. He also wore a white lab coat that had thin red streaks of blood on it along with some spatter.
Dean moved into the exam room. “I do meet with other detectives, but you two always seem to bring me the most interesting cases.”
“Where is everyone?” asked Katie.
“It’s a slow body day and we’re down a few employees. We don’t know yet if their positions will be filled anytime soon,” he said sadly. “Budgets.”
“Sorry to hear that,” she said.
“You and me both.”
The detectives moved closer to the gurneys. Katie could see a hand that wasn’t quite covered.
“Okay,” said Dean, pulling the sheet off the first body as if he were a magician. It was a bit over the top, but the horroreffect set in.
Katie glanced at her partner and his focus was on something else on the wall and not the body. He seemed to be easing his vision into it.
Dean went to the counter where two file folders were waiting. He picked up the first one. “Okay,” he said. “My reports and photos have been sent to both of you and to John.” He paused as if he had to study the results again or wanted to make sure he had all the information correct. “We have the first victim found at the police-fire construction site who has been identified as Ian Griffin, fifty-two-year-old male, Caucasian, fairly good health. There are signs of bones showing early osteoporosis and he would have been battling arthritis pain.”
“That’s Meredith Collins’s brother, the one who reported her and her daughter missing.” Katie wanted to reiterate to her partner.
McGaven nodded.
