Page 8 of Deadly Sins: Lust
“Let’s go see if he’s there.”
Twenty minutes laterm Nick opened the door to his hotel room, his eyes wide, staring at us like were holograms, figments of his imagination that weren’t real. He looked rough, his face red and blotchy, his eyes worn, like he hadn’t slept.
“What are you two doing here?” he asked.
“We didn’t want you to be alone,” I said.
“We thought you might want to see a familiar face,” Maddie added. “Well, two familiar faces.”
Nick tipped his head down, wiping the moisture pooling inside his eyes. “I can’t believe it. I can’t believe you’re here.”
He threw his arms around both of us, and we all just stood for a moment, sandwiched in a melancholy embrace.
“What do you know so far?” Maddie asked.
“Not much yet,” he said. “Marissa was found by a woman, a female tourist staying in a hotel across the street. She was taking her dog out and saw something floating in the lagoon. She got closer, saw Marissa, and called the police. Marissa was already dead when they got there.”
“What else did they tell you?” I asked.
“Right now, they think it was an accident. They think she drowned because she’d been out drinking all night.”
“And you? What do you think?”
“There’s something more here. Something I don’t know. I’m sure of it. Before I leave here, I will find out what it is. I’m headed over to speak with the coroner.”
“Good,” I said. “We’re coming with you.”
CHAPTER 8
We found Victoria Bennett bent over Marissa’s body when we arrived, hovering a few inches from her face, inspecting her hair. She looked to be around my age, mid-forties, and was a ginger with a straight bob reminiscent of Mia Wallace inPulp Fiction. Every visible inch of her was freckled.
She glanced at the three of us and straightened. I glanced at Nick. His face was pale, his body stiff. He stood by the front door, staring across the room at his deceased wife.
Maddie approached Victoria.
I placed a hand on Nick’s shoulder. “You don’t have to do this right now. You don’t have to see her if you’re not ready. Let us handle it. We’ll tell you everything the coroner says.”
I expected him to refuse my offer, but he gave me a slight nod, pushed the door open, and went outside to get some air.
“What’s going on?” Victoria asked.
“He’s still processing everything. We’ll give him a few minutes, but I’m not sure he’s ready to see her yet.”
“But, I need to tell him—”
“Why don’t you tell us, and we’ll tell him.”
“That’s not the way it works.”
“We have his permission, and I’d like to make things as easy on him as possible. I hope you understand.”
She considered my request. “Maddie just told me she’s a medical examiner in Utah. I guess I could talk to you both, this one time.”
Maddie pressed her hands together like she was offering up a prayer. “Perfect. What have you discovered?”
“Little to suggest anything other than an accidental drowning.” Victoria looked at Maddie. “Haveyouever performed this kind of autopsy before?”
“Drowning?” Maddie asked. “Only once.”