Page 23 of The Bone Code
Brian captured stills as I worked. And assisted in collecting samples for possible DNA and radioisotope testing. He also finished sifting through the muck and bagging every item that came from the container. As I was completing my notes on AF21-986, he made a stealth run to the food trucks. I’m not sure what we ate.
After dinner, I repeated the process for the younger victim.
I noticed the time as we were rolling the gurneys from the elevator back into the morgue cooler: 10:29 p.m.
And the fact that Ryan had called. More than once. No voice mail.
Anne was still awake when I got to the IOP beach house, sipping a chardonnay while viewing an old episode ofBoneson an iPad she’d plugged into a portable charger. By candlelight.
“Hey, girlfriend. Join me.” Patting the sofa. “I’m watching the one where they find a body squashed behind the gym bleachers.”
“That’s the last thing I want to see.”
“Right.” Then, tapping the bricklike object tethered to her tablet, “Pretty cool, eh? My Zeus portable jump starter and USB charger.”
“You bought that?” Stunned that such a thing remained available for purchase.
“No. TT reminded me it was here.”
“Doesn’t this house have a backup generator?”
“It does. I sort of forgot to schedule a gas fill-up. They’re coming tomorrow. Can I make you a snack?”
“I already ate.”
“What?”
“Maybe chili.”
“Was today just too ghastly?”
I shrugged.
“Might help to talk about it.”
“I just want to shower and turn in.”
“Why don’t you do your toilette while I make us some nice chamomile tea?” Anne, undeterred. “It will help you relax.”
“OK.” Resolved not to discuss my day. “Tea sounds nice.”
The shower was quick. And tepid at best. Ten minutes later, I was back in the living room, smelling and feeling considerably better.
My resolve lasted about five minutes.
“Two girls. My gut says one was around fifteen, the other closer to twenty. Each killed with a single shot to the back of the head.”
“Crapsticks.”
“Big ones.” Sipping my herbal brew. “How did you boil the water?”
“Put the kettle on the grill.”
“Genius.”
“Do you still see a link to your Canada case?”
“One of the Montreal victims was in her thirties, the other was around nine or ten. Here they were both in their teens.”
