‘Not me,’ Captain Blake replied. ‘The report is.’
‘In California?’ Garcia asked. ‘In June? It’s about seventy-three degrees outside.’
The captain saw a sparkle light up in Hunter’s eyes. He looked over at his partner.
Garcia knew that look well enough. He gave Hunter a shrug. ‘I’m a sucker for a mystery, you know that.’
Without saying a word, Captain Blake stood up and left the UVC Unit’s office.
She didn’t collect the files.
Three
Seconds after Captain Blake had left their office, Hunter called the Chief Medical Examiner for the LA County – Dr. Carolyn Hove. At the time of the call, Dr. Hove was just about to start a new post-mortem examination, but she explained that she would be free to talk in about an hour’s time, so straight after lunch, Hunter and Garcia took a quick trip to the Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner in North Mission Road.
After making their way up the lavish steps that led to the main entrance of the impressive old hospital-turned-morgue, they entered the lobby and approached the reception counter. The attendant, a kind-faced, African American woman in her mid-fifties, greeted them with a very well-rehearsed, courteous smile.
‘Good afternoon, Detectives.’
‘Good afternoon, Sandra,’ Hunter and Garcia replied at the same time, both of them returning the smile.
Sandra had been with the Department of Medical Examiner for over thirteen years.
‘How are you doing today?’ Hunter asked.
‘I’m OK, thank you.’
Hunter knew that the question wouldn’t be returned. None of the department receptionists ever asked anyone entering the morgue howtheywere doing, regardless of who they were.
‘Here to see Dr. Hove?’ Sandra asked, already checking her computer screen.
‘That’s right,’ Hunter replied, quickly consulting his watch. ‘She told us that she’d probably be free around this time.’
Sandra gave both detectives a renewed smile. ‘Perfect timing. She just finished an autopsy about five minutes ago. I’ll buzz her for you.’
Hunter and Garcia waited while Sandra had a quick ten-second conversation on the phone.
‘Dr. Hove will meet you in Autopsy Theater Four,’ she said, as she instinctively indicated the double swinging doors to the right of the reception counter.
Hunter and Garcia thanked her, pushed through the doors and carried on down the long, squeaky-clean, white corridor. At the end of it, they turned right into a shorter corridor, where two empty gurneys were pushed up against the left wall.
Hunter pretended to be scratching his nose, but what he was really doing was cupping his hand over it, as the smell of those corridors got to him every time. It was like a smell with a hidden punch – and that hidden punch packed some serious power. Hunter didn’t mind it at first, many years ago, but the more he visited the morgue, the more he noticed it… and the more he noticed it, the more it bothered him because, no matter what, that smell could only be associated with one thing – death.
As they walked past the gurneys, they turned right again. Autopsy Theater Four was the first set of double doors on the right. Hunter pushed them open and he and Garcia stepped inside a room that was chilled to a few degrees below comfortable. This was a small autopsy theater when compared to theaters one, two and three, with only one stainless-steel examination table that sprang out of a long counter that ran along the east wall. On the ceiling, directly above the examination table, there was a large,circular, surgical light, which was already turned on, bathing the room in warm brightness. The west wall was completely made of cold metal storage crypts, which looked more like large filing cabinets with bulky handles than anything else. The interesting fact was that the strong smell from the corridors was a little less intrusive inside the autopsy theater.
Tall and slim, with penetrating green eyes and in her traditional long, white lab overcoat, Dr. Hove stood at the other side of the empty examination table. Her long chestnut hair was rolled up into a simple bun at the top of her head.
‘Robert, Carlos.’ She greeted each detective with a subtle nod. ‘I’m guessing you’re here about the file I sent Barbara early today, right? Male victim, found up in the Sierra Pelona Mountains?’
‘You knew that Captain Blake would come to us with that file, didn’t you, Doc?’ Garcia asked, a quirky smile on his lips.
Dr. Hove replied with an eyebrow-lift. ‘I admit that this victim doesn’t exactly fall under the category of ultra-violent crimes, but it’s certainly a very intriguing case, and I know that the two of you like “intriguing”, so yes, I was pretty sure that Barbara would take the file to you first.’
‘Well,’ Garcia said, as he and Hunter approached the autopsy table. ‘The COD was definitely something different.’
‘Yes, it was,’ Dr. Hove agreed. ‘That and a few minor details that just didn’t sit right, you know?’
‘Really?’ Hunter asked. ‘Like what else?’
