Page 79 of Charmed Forces
When I heard footsteps in the corridor, I quickly exited the database and locked the screen, hurrying over to the doorway and grabbing a leaflet I pretended to peruse during my wait.
“Thanks, Dr. Shaw,” Maddox was saying as they walked towards me, “I appreciate you taking me through the procedure so patiently.”
“Anytime. It’s nice to see other professionals take an interest in your work,” said Dr. Shaw. “I have some textbooks you might find useful if you want to brush up on your anatomical knowledge.”
“I might take you up on that,” said Maddox, clapping him on the arm in a friendly manner. “We’ll walk ourselves out.” He bundled me in front of him and gave me a firm push towards the exit. I stepped around him and asked, “When’s Detective Wayne’s autopsy scheduled for?”
“I don’t think I have a Detective Wayne on the schedule,” said Dr Shaw, frowning.
“Perhaps you’ve already conducted his?” I nearly addedand it’s not in the system yet, before I remembered I wasn’t supposed to know that.
“No, I haven’t seen anyone by that name.”
“What about your...”
“Let’s go,” said Maddox, moving me forwards.
“But...”
“Should I expect a body?” Dr. Shaw called after us.
“None that I know of,” said Maddox.
“Hey,” I said, trying to escape around Maddox and head back to Dr. Shaw but Maddox kept a firm grip on my arm as he urged us forwards. When we made it through the locked door and it closed with a click behind us, I shook him off. “What was all that about?” I asked, visibly irritated.
“I could ask you the same thing! You’re not supposed to be down here. You’re lucky I saved your ass!”
“You didn’t seem too keen to throw me out earlier.”
“I was in the middle of something. I didn’t want to deal with whatever you were doing.”
“I was looking for info on the autopsies.”
“Obviously.”
“So, if it was nothing to you, why’d you stop me from asking Dr. Shaw about a body I’m interested in?”
“Talking of bodies I’m interested in…” said Maddox with a sexy spark in his eye.
“Turn that off,” I said, punching his arm. “I’m wise to this. You cannot distract me.”
“Oh, okay, like that’s it,” said Maddox, folding his arms. “Yet it’s okay for you to flirt when you want something.”
“Blame it on the mores of society,” I said.
“Stay out of the autopsy suite,” said Maddox. “Oh, look, there’s my partner. Gotta go.”
“You can’t see anyone... hey! What did you mean when you wonderedwhen I’d show up?Maddox!” I called as Maddox shot past me and sprinted up the stairs. I hurried after him, just in time to see him race across the lobby and out the main doors. I knew there was no point trying to follow him. For one thing, he could be fast when he wanted to; and besides, I already had three quarters of the information I was looking for. None of the three deceased drank the coffee and none had dubious blood panels.
Even though it was useful information, I was still wrestling with a lot of unanswered questions. Where were the coffee cups? Who took them before they could be entered as evidence? Why were there two cups, not three, for the detectives on duty? Although the more I thought about it, the more it seemed like Detective Desmond was probably sleeping. But where was Detective Wayne? And why was Maddox being so evasive? Now I thought about it, he hadn’t even asked which autopsies I was trying to get information about. Perhaps he didn’t want to know. Although… he hadn’t asked about Daniel either. That was weird.
As I stepped out of the building and watched Maddox and his partner drive away in their black SUV, I had a sneaking suspicion Maddox knew more about what was going on than he was willing to share. That just meant I’d have to extract it out of him somehow.
As I was contemplating the various methods to do that, Alice called, her voice panicked. “My neighbors just phoned and said there are three squad cars outside my house and the police officers just broke the lock on my front door.”
“What?” I gasped.
“She thought we were all dead! She was so relieved when I answered. Do you know what’s going on?”