Page 46 of Fire and Bones

“I’ll work on my costuming.”

“They died at the end of the movie.”

Ryan ignored that.

“Lordy chile, I hear the song of Dixie calling me home.”

“That’s the worst southern accent I’ve ever heard.”

“I surely do thank you, ma’am.” Thick as syrup on grits.

“Stop,” I said.

“Oui, Madame.”

I closed my eyes and drew a deep breath, hating that I was about to disappoint him again.

“I’ve got bad news.”

Five hundred miles to the north, I sensed Ryan stiffen.

“Thacker has asked me to attend the postmortems for the Foggy Bottom fire victims.”

“Why does she need you?”

“There’s no possibility of visual IDs. And trauma analysis could be complicated.”

“Why you?”

“She’s heard I’m a superstar?”

Ryan didn’t laugh at my joke.

“When?”

“The autopsies will begin Tuesday morning.”

“Four of them.” Flat.

“Yes.”

“You’ve agreed?”

“I have.”

Ryan is affable by nature, his ignition for annoyance or offense less sensitive than mine. That said, I could sense that I’d triggered it.

“You’re telling me not to come,” he said.

“I’m sorry.”

Ryan’s breathing shifted and started going hard through his nose. I pictured his lips compressing, the skin around them turning white.

For at least ten seconds, there was no other sound on the line. Just that breathing.

I broke the tense silence.

“It’s not what I want. I feel terrible.”