[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
daylight was fading quickly, and Patrick was sore and tired as well as hungry. The evidence team
took measurements, soil samples, photos, and whatever else, and loaded the body onto the back of
an ATV.
What Patrick wouldn't have given not to have to walk out of this place. He sighed, stretched, and
stood up straight again, looking meaningfully up at the sky. Well? Think we'd better get going?"
They did. Jack's path had taken them in a wide circle, so although they had been walking for most
of the day, it was only a forty-minute hike or so back to their starting point. Patrick practically fell
into the backseat of the truck, leaning his head back against the rest tiredly. Robot climbed in beside
him and rested her chin on his knee.
"Hell of a day, Jack commented. There was no trace of amusement in his voice.
They stopped by the rec center just long enough to drop off the borrowed equipment, and then
Jack took them back home. Patrick was looking forward to a long, hot shower and a good night's
sleep.
Then he saw Brad's car in the driveway and thought of something even better.
Jack and Julian took the dog inside while Patrick wandered over to Brad, who was leaning against
the hood of his car. Hey, Wilde Thing, he smiled, knowing he sounded as exhausted as he felt.
Been here long?"
Brad shook his head, reaching for his arms and pulling him into a lazy embrace. Ten minutes or
so. News travels fast in this town. Are you okay?"
Patrick didn't know how to answer that. Sure, he'd seen dead bodies before. It wasn't exactly his
favorite part of the job he loved, but he dealt with it because he needed to. He just wasn't used to
seeing them on vacation in tiny little close-knit backwater communities in Alberta. Not really."
"Is there anything I can do?"
Patrick leaned his head against Brad's shoulder. What had he ever done to deserve this? I thought
you'd never ask, he sighed. Let me go get changed. Then maybe you can take me home?"
Brad ruffled his fingers through Patrick's hair. Patrick tried not to lean into the touch, but he
needed it too much to resist for long. You're sure that's what you want?"
Patrick was frighteningly sure. He just needed two minutes to take off his gun. I'm sure. Are you
coming in? I just want a new pair of jeans. He looked down at himself, noting how far up the mud
went. And maybe a shower."
"You can shower at my place, Brad invited. Just... hurry, would you?"
Patrick did.
[Back to Table of Contents]
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
Chapter Fourteen
Jack leaned back against the cold bench, hands between his knees. Beside him, Patrick crunched
loudly into an apple. Jack thought about glaring, but if he did, there was a chance his gaze would
slip right past Patrick and onto Julian, who was decked out in scrubs and a lab coat, not to mention
hovering over the table with the body on it.
Patrick was eating. In the coroner's lab. That was beyond wrong and well into disgusting."
After spending the night at Brad's, Patrick had joined them early this morning for breakfast to
catch up on the proceedings. He looked like shit. They all did, really; Jack couldn't remember the
last time he'd actually shaved, and his face itched. Patrick seemed to be regretting their long hike of
the day before. Julian had been fine, until Roxanne had called halfway through breakfast.
Julian had not been pleased when Roxanne reminded him that Dr. Dan Matheson, the local
coroner, was in fact on vacation in the Bahamas with his wife. ("I hope you get a sunburn, you
smug bastard, Julian had muttered under his breath.) An autopsy was not something that could
wait, not when it could lead them to Hallie.
It didn't take a genius to figure out that Julian wasn't happy about being asked to do the autopsy,
even though he hadn't complained.
"This is the record of an autopsy conducted September thirteenth, 2008. Julian's voice echoed in
the sterile room. Patrick crunched another bite of apple. Subject is a Jane Doe, mid-thirties to
early forties. Dental records have been submitted to the Doe Network as well as the RCMP, and
DNA is being run through local databases."
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]