Page 78 of Tasting Fire
“It’s possible.”
“Then I want to know—”
“Jonah,” Emmy said, “it’s really better if you don’t ask any more questions right now. We’re not sure what we’re dealing with here and the less people in the know, the better.”
Jonah shot a hard look directly at Cash. “That include your sister?”
“Just doing a little legwork to make her job easier.”
“Yeah, right.” He sighed and rocked back in his chair. “I know how swatting usually works. The dumbshit who makes the call isn’t usually playing that game. They’re streaming—or watching—it. The only way to find them is to trace the number used to call 911.”
Shit. Maggie really was going to kill him when she found out he’d encouraged Jonah to finagle his way into the emergency hotline without her knowledge.
Take action now. Ask for forgiveness later.
“How long will something like this take?” Cash asked.
“Longer than you might expect,” Jonah said. “The call could’ve come from anywhere and most of these people are probably smart enough to bury their physical locations through voice-over IP numbers. I guess you want it ASAP.”
“The faster, the better.”
“Then get out of here and let me see what I can get for you.”
“Next stop, the morgue,” Cash said as they drove toward St. Elizabeth’s. “What are we looking for there, Em?”
“I… I’m not sure, but Jesse shouldn’t have been at high risk for post-op complications.” Her eyes were troubled. “I need to see his body.”
At the hospital, Emmy sweet-talked their way into some private time in the morgue.
When Cash rolled Jesse’s sheet-covered body from the locker, both he and Emmy just stood and stared down at it for several minutes.
“What we’re doing isn’t wrong,” she said as if trying to convince herself. “We can’t save him, but we can get justice for him.” Then she pulled back the sheet to reveal Jesse’s body. Rigor mortis was evident and his skin had taken on a cold, waxy appearance due to blood pooling in the dorsal cavity.
Still, Emmy smoothed her fingers over the kid’s cheek. “I doubt we’ll find anything,” she admitted as she began inspecting the body with an eagle eye. “He either really did die of a PPC or…”
“Or are you thinking someone helped him along?”
“I’m probably seeing something where nothing exists, but I need to know.” She withdrew a blood draw kit from her purse, but didn’t immediately unwrap it.
“It’s okay. We have to do this.” Cash took it from her and opened it. Then he gently adjusted the kid’s torso so she could do the stick and draw.
Emmy inserted the needle directly through Jesse’s chest and into his heart. When the syringe was filled, she withdrew it and smiled sadly down at the boy.
“Be free and at peace, Jesse,” she finally said.
“Rest easy, kid.” Cash drew the sheet back over Jesse’s face and slid the body back inside the locker. “Now what?” he asked Emmy.
“Will you cover for me so I can use a computer in the ER? I want to send this sample to the lab, but I need to borrow a patient name and get in the system to put in the orders.”
“You could get fired for all this.”
“A small sacrifice compared to Jesse’s.”
Dammit, Cash didn’t like this. But by the obstinate expression on Emmy’s face, nothing would talk her out of it.
“All you have to do is smile at anyone at the desk, lure them away, and chat with them to divert their attention.”
“Work fast, Em.”
