Page 121 of Evil Bones
“Take a load off.”
I dropped into one of two chairs facing his desk.
“What can I do you for?” he asked.
Gillman listened without interrupting as I told him about the series of animal and human displays and the man from the McDowell Nature Preserve with the oddly placed storage device.
“I’m not sure I have a good response for that, except… wow,” he said when I’d finished.
“Exactly. I’m wondering if there’s info your guys can tease from the drive that I missed just eyeballing it.”
“You said the man who had the device had been shot?”
“Yes.”
“Actually, I just heard about this. His death is being treated as a homicide?”
“A possible homicide.”
“Who’s on the case?” Gillman asked.
“Slidell.”
“Congrats.”
“Thanks.”
“Let’s see what you’ve got.” Gillman popped forward in his chair to hold out a hand.
“It’s been disinfected,” I said, placing the drive on his palm.
“Bless you for that.” The lifting of one corner of his mouth left me unsure if the comment was teasing or literally meant.
Slipping on horn-rimmed glasses, Gillman studied the object in his hand. Then he picked up the phone and spoke to someone in the IT section.
“Things move faster if the request originates here,” he said, replacing the receiver.
“That’s why I came to you,” I said.
“How did you get involved in all this?” Gillman asked, leaning back again and slowly swiveling his chair.
I’d just finished answering when a man appeared in the doorway, the nameKosterembroidered above the pocket of his lab coat. He had a strong-boned, deeply lined face and a head of platinum hair anchored by ebony roots. I guessed his height at five three, his age at midforties.
Gillman introduced the man as Orson Koster, a new hire in the IT section.
I rose and we shook hands, me smiling, Koster not.
Gillman handed Koster the thumb drive and explained what I wanted.
“There’s a long queue, so it may take a whi—”
“Could you do it now?” Gillman asked, not asking.
“On it.” Koster turned to exit the office.
“May I watch?” Hiding my surprise at the man’s brusqueness.
“Of course you may,” Gillman said, ignoring Koster’s frown.
