Hidden Hero (Baytown Heroes #11)

Chapter 1

1

SIX MONTHS AGO

Jeremy Pickett stepped cautiously into the dilapidated trailer, disgust causing his nose to wrinkle from the smell of trash, moldy food, the stench of urine, and the layer of grime that covered almost every surface. His partner, Pete Bolton, stood in the doorway, his expression similar as he clamped his hand over his mouth and nose. Looking over his shoulder, Jeremy chuckled. “Yeah, it’s enough to really turn your stomach, isn’t it?”

“Jesus, how can anybody live like this?” Pete asked.

Jeremy didn’t answer the rhetorical question. He and his partner knew exactly how someone could live like that. When an addiction took over so that the next hit of heroin was all someone could think about, their living conditions no longer mattered. He’d learned that during his earlier years working with the state police.

The pair of detectives made a formidable sight. Both were big men, fit and muscular. Protective body armor covered their chests, and their duty belts held their firearms, radios, tasers, flashlights, sprays, and handcuffs.

As detectives with the Eastern Shore Drug Task Force, which served the two Virginia counties, the two were called in due to the amount of drugs the initial investigating deputies found inside the home after a neighbor called.

The silence of the room was shattered by the sharp, clipped voice coming from behind Pete. “What are you doing in here without shoe protectors?”

Jeremy turned, scanning for the source, but couldn’t see anyone at first. Pete jerked slightly and stepped aside, revealing a petite figure clad head to toe in personal protective equipment.

Her entire form was enveloped in white coveralls zipped snugly to her chin, a hood tied around her head, and a PPE mask obscuring the lower half of her face. The only visible features were her large, striking brown eyes behind dark-framed glasses, giving her a stern, owlish appearance.

“Are you from the medical examiner’s office?” Jeremy asked. He didn’t recognize her and was unaccustomed to being greeted with such an attitude.

“Yes,” she replied curtly, her voice muffled slightly by the mask. “I was told the body was found inside.”

“That’s what the deputy said. We just got here.”

“Then you should know to follow procedure. Anything you do inside could contaminate the evidence.”

Jeremy and Pete prided themselves on following protocol, and the clipped manner of speaking from the ME technician irritated him. He snorted and shook his head. “We’re used to working with Dr. Ameen. We haven’t done anything except step inside, and I’m sure when Dr. Ameen gets here, it’ll be fine.”

Her eyes narrowed slightly. “Then you know, this is my crime scene now. Once I’m finished, I’ll give you full rein to look around.”

“Look, lady, I don’t know who?—”

“That would be Dr. Wadsworth to you.”

He blinked, taken aback by the interruption. “Doctor? I didn’t realize Dr. Ameen now had other medical doctors on his team.”

“I replaced Dr. Ameen. I’m the new medical examiner. And you are?”

He pulled his badge off his belt and held it toward her. “Detective Jeremy Pickett. This is my partner, Detective Peter Bolton.”

“Well, Detectives Pickett and Bolton, this is now my crime scene. Once I’ve declared the occupant deceased, I’ll start collecting the pertinent evidence with my team. When you slip on the foot protectors and gloves, it will be fine to look around as long as you don’t hinder my investigation.”

Without waiting for a response, she brushed past Pete and strode toward the small room at the back of the trailer, her movements brisk and efficient.

Jeremy stared at her retreating form, but she didn’t spare him another glance. Pete coughed, unsuccessfully hiding a chuckle behind his hand. Jeremy turned his narrow-eyed gaze on his partner, who shrugged innocently.

The two detectives left the trailer, stepping to the side as another full PPE-covered team member from the medical examiner’s office approached. Jeremy recognized Carl and offered a chin lift. After a few minutes, Carl came to the door and called for the EMTs to bring the gurney and body bag.

“Man, you must have pissed off the gods of bosses to get her.” Jeremy laughed.

Carl shook his head. “No, no… she’s nice. You know, efficient and really knows what she’s doing.”

“Being efficient and being nice are two different things,” Jeremy continued, the amusement clear in his tone.

“I’m telling you,” Carl retorted, shaking his head. “She’s good.”

“Well, then it seems like you got a dragon lady for a boss,” Jeremy shot back with a grin. Instead of eliciting the chuckle he expected, Carl’s eyes widened as a slight throat clearing was heard directly behind him. Carl shifted slightly to the side, exposing that Dr. Wadsworth had approached again.

Jeremy could still only see her eyes, but it was easy to note that she had lifted a brow.

“Yes, the dragon lady is now the boss,” she said, each word punctuated. “Carl, show them the photographs you’ve taken, and we’ll go ahead and remove the body. I’ll still be here processing evidence along with Carl. I hope the detectives can deal with the smoke that will undoubtedly be coming from my nostrils. It’s so hard for dragons to contain the fire.”

Jeremy opened his mouth, but no words came out. For a moment, he almost thought she was joking, but her tone still held a bite, and her eyes—sharp and unrelenting—betrayed no trace of humor.

He closed his mouth, deciding against a retort, and watched as she turned back toward the trailer. Pete finally let out the laugh he’d been holding in, clapping Jeremy on the shoulder.

“Well,” Pete said, grinning. “I think the dragon lady just scorched you.”

Jeremy muttered something under his breath, but his gaze lingered on Dr. Wadsworth as she disappeared back into the trailer. Dragon lady or not, there was something about her he couldn’t quite shake.

Carl pulled out several pairs of foot protectors and handed them to Jeremy and Pete. He glanced to the side, then looked down at the detectives still standing outside. Shrugging as he pulled his mask down, he mouthed, “ That was uncool, guys. ”

“Me?” Pete’s eyes bugged. “Don’t throw me in with this guy!” He nudged Jeremy with his shoulder.

“Damn,” Jeremy muttered on a sigh. He slipped the foot protectors over his boots and re-entered the dwelling. He and Pete worked in the small space for the next hour alongside Carl and Dr. Wadsworth. He had to admit she was efficient, but she kept her instructions to Carl succinct. When she spoke to the detectives, she never looked at him but instead directed her comments to Pete.

When they finished processing the house, he and Pete moved outside and pulled off the foot protectors before walking to one of the deputies. “Keep this area cordoned off and secure.”

“Will do,” the deputy agreed.

Pete had settled behind the wheel of their SUV when Jeremy halted and turned around as Dr. Wadsworth approached. She slipped the hood of her coveralls back, exposing her glossy, dark hair pulled into a neat bun.

Jeremy blinked as she removed her mask, revealing features far younger than he had imagined. Her smooth complexion, lightly flushed cheeks, and full lips gave her an air of freshness, though those lips hadn’t so much as twitched into a smile since they’d met. But it was her eyes that arrested him—large, dark, and intelligent, framed by delicate lashes and dark-framed glasses. They seemed to hold a quiet, unflinching authority, and Jeremy couldn’t decide whether it unsettled or intrigued him.

It wasn’t often that he failed to make a decent first impression, and the thought gnawed at him. Deciding to turn things around, he drew on his most reliable weapon: charm. He stepped forward, extending a hand with a practiced, engaging smile.

“I’m sorry we got off on the wrong foot,” he said, his tone warm and easy.

She hesitated, her gaze flicking to his hand as though deciding whether to accept the gesture. Finally, she slipped her ungloved hand into his for a quick shake. Her hand was small, her skin soft against his, and he instinctively adjusted his grip to be careful not to overwhelm her.

“Yes, we did,” she replied coolly, withdrawing her hand with a quickness that suggested she wasn’t interested in prolonging the contact. Then arching a brow in a way that somehow felt like a challenge, she added, “It seemed to be firmly planted in your mouth, but I’d guess that’s not unusual for you.”

Jeremy barked a laugh, but it died quickly when she maintained her serious expression, her piercing gaze unwavering.

“I apologize, Dr. Wadsworth,” he said, his tone shifting to something closer to genuine. “Ill-placed humor.”

When she didn’t respond, he tried again, determination flickering in his eyes. “I’d like to welcome you to the Eastern Shore.”

Her head inclined slightly in a gesture more formal than warm. “Thank you. You’ll have the autopsy and lab results as soon as I can get them to you.”

Before he could say anything further, she turned on her heel and walked toward a nearby county vehicle. Jeremy watched as she removed her PPE with practiced efficiency and slid into the passenger seat beside Carl. She didn’t look back as the vehicle pulled onto the road, disappearing down the tree-lined lane.

With a sigh, Jeremy climbed into the passenger seat of the SUV. Pete shot him a grin, his amusement barely contained.

“You losing your touch?” Pete asked, shifting the SUV into gear.

Jeremy snorted, running a hand over his jaw. “I swear my goal is now to make that woman smile. Nobody should be that uptight.”

Pete chuckled, his eyes flicking to his partner. “Maybe it’s just you that makes her uptight.”

Jeremy groaned, but a grin tugged at his lips. “Face it, man. She works on dead bodies all day long. All the more reason for her to loosen up and have some fun.”

Pete shrugged, navigating the SUV down the bumpy drive. “Maybe she’s just a serious person. You ever think about that?”

“Maybe,” Jeremy muttered, though his mind wasn’t convinced.

As he looked back toward the house, his thoughts kept drifting back to the mysterious Dr. Wadsworth. Her no-nonsense demeanor intrigued him, her wit sharper than he’d expected. A grin spread across his face as a new thought struck him.

“I’ll get her to smile,” he said, more to himself than Pete. “Sooner or later, she’ll crack.”

Pete shook his head, laughing. “Good luck with that, buddy. You might need it.”

Jeremy leaned back, still smiling. For reasons he couldn’t entirely explain, he looked forward to their next encounter—and the challenge it promised.