Chapter 20
20
Cora drove behind Jeremy to the site. Typically, her mind would have completely shifted into work mode when approaching a death scene. But her lips and other parts of her body tingled, and the interruption of what they were doing had left her rattled.
Jeremy. A detective I have to work with. A relationship with someone I see professionally isn’t wise. But what if it’s more?
Before she could wrap her head around the situation, she pulled next to his SUV outside a run-down trailer. There were lights on from the deputies, who had set up lamps to illuminate the area. And from the expressions on their faces and with their hands over their noses, she knew this would be unpleasant.
She climbed out, moved to the back of her small SUV, and opened the hatch. By the time she had stepped into the pants of the PPE, Jeremy had jogged over.
“Hey, babe… uh… Cora… damn… Dr. Wadsworth…” He shook his head and mumbled, “Sorry. I didn’t mean to?—”
“It’s okay, Jeremy. Being on a first-name basis is still very professional under the circumstances.” Seeing the relieved expression on his face, she added, “But maybe call a halt on the babe salutation.”
He grinned, then walked over to talk to one of the detectives outside the trailer door. She pulled on her full PPE suit. With the arrival of several more vehicles, she observed Pete offering her a chin lift as he walked over to Jeremy. She looked to the side, glad to see Carl standing outside his vehicle and suiting up.
She leaned in and picked up her mask, assuming that what was inside would need odor control as they performed their jobs. She held it up and inclined her head toward the mask, alerting Carl that he would also need his.
As she moved through the overgrown grass toward the trailer, Jeremy broke from the small cluster of officers, his strides purposeful as he met her on the uneven walkway leading to the door.
“Neighbors complained of the smell and realized they hadn’t seen the occupant for a while. They didn’t want to go in, saying they didn’t know what they would find. According to them, the resident was quiet but usually had a string of men going in and out, and has often appeared under the influence of either alcohol or drugs.”
Cora glanced past him at the two detectives stationed outside, their pale faces and tight grips on their radios revealing more than words ever could. “Did anyone go in yet?” she asked, her voice steady.
Jeremy nodded grimly. “The deputies had flashlights, but from what they could see, there’s only one body. Decomposition has already set in.”
Her lips pressed into a thin line as she absorbed the information. “And you got called because…?”
“There are enough drugs in there to classify her as a dealer. Not just a user.”
She nodded. “Carl and I will go in. If you don’t have a proper mask, then use this.” She dug into the bag in her hands and found a jar of menthol. “Slather it under your nose. Don’t worry about your appearance. Believe me, you’ll be glad to have it. The menthol scent will help while you’re inside.”
He nodded his thanks, and as she started to turn for the door, he said, “Cora, I’m sorry.”
She stopped and looked over her shoulder at him, her brow furrowed. He had already opened the jar and was sticking his finger in the goo when his eyes met hers.
“I’m sorry for the way the evening ended. This wasn’t what I wanted.”
She shrugged and shook her head. “It’s the downside to the careers we have. We’ll figure out how to navigate it if you’re sure that’s what you want to do. Tonight, we both got called out. Most of the time, we probably won’t be called out simultaneously.”
Her words were pragmatic, but even she could hear the thread of vulnerability woven into them. She hadn’t realized how much the evening had meant to her until it had been interrupted. The flicker of disappointment burned brighter than she liked to admit.
Jeremy’s hand brushed her arm briefly, a touch so fleeting she almost doubted it had happened. His expression was raw, unguarded. “I’m sure, Cora. I wouldn’t be with you if I wasn’t sure.”
She nodded, a small smile curving her lips. He opened his mouth, then shut it as he smeared the goo under his nose. Lifting his gaze again, he said, “God, this sucks.”
She chuckled, and then he stepped closer.
“I want to keep exploring whatever we’ve got,” he said, his expression serious.
She opened her mouth to acknowledge and agree with what he said, but as Carl approached, she simply nodded and quickly added, “Same.”
Looking at her technician, she asked, “Ready?”
“As ready as I’ll ever be.”
She didn’t acknowledge his attempt at a joke, considering his words were true for both of them. Walking to the trailer, she nodded at one of the deputies who leaned over to open the dented metal door for her. She walked up the few rickety metal steps and entered. Temporary lights had been set up in the main room, illuminating the space.
With her mobile dictating device attached to her mask, she began to speak. “The trailer opens into the living area, filled with trash, paper sacks of unknown contents, and what appears to be drug paraphernalia on the coffee table. Detectives Pickett and Bolton will investigate and catalog the contents.”
She looked to the left and sucked in a breath through her mouth, knowing that even with the mask, it would not keep out all of the odor of death and decomposition. “The sink is full of unwashed dishes. The counterspace is covered in trash, food remnants, and more drug paraphernalia. Same for the small two-seat table. The house appears dirty, and as we go down the hall, the bathroom is straight ahead, and the bedroom is to the left.”
Looking over her shoulder, she called, “We need the lights back here.” She waited as a deputy brought in another temporary light. The poor man immediately gagged and dropped the light as he stepped back into the hall.
Cora grimaced, shaking her head. She knew it was hard for those not used to decomposed bodies, but her job couldn’t proceed until the space was appropriately illuminated. Carl walked over and straightened the light pole, focusing the light into the room. She moved to the bed and looked down. Carl began taking photos of the body, and while it might seem ridiculous to some, she leaned over to certify that the person was dead. “Time, Carl?”
“It’s 11:13 p.m.”
“Time of death is 11:13 p.m.,” she said after giving the day’s date. She continued her on-site evaluation, dictating as she noted everything she could see with the body and the area around the bed.
She heard a noise and looked up as Jeremy stood in the doorway. His complexion was almost as green as the deputies standing outside, but she knew that slathering the menthol salve under his nostrils would help. “Carl brought a special bag for the remains,” she said. “Do not send in any volunteer EMTs. If no one else is available, I’ll call for backup from the hospital.”
While she wanted to save any volunteer rescue personnel from having to deal with bagging a partially decomposed body, she also needed someone who knew what they were doing. She could lose vital evidence if the body was not handled properly.
“Anything yet?” Jeremy asked.
“Female,” she replied succinctly.
Jeremy nodded and moved away from the door to speak to Pete.
“We’re going to need more light in here,” she said. “Jeremy? Have the deputies use the same salve underneath their noses that I gave to you. I don’t want them passing out or throwing up while trying to bring lights into the bedroom.”
Jeremy relayed her instructions to Pete, and she trusted he would deal with her instructions explicitly.
She looked back down at the woman’s remains for a moment and sighed. She bent closer and whispered, “I don’t know how you died or what you became addicted to while searching for some kind of comfort in your life. But I will treat you respectfully and do everything possible to discover what happened. And you’ll finally be able to rest in peace.”
She stood, and a movement at the door caused her to look up sharply. Jeremy had walked into the room, and their gazes locked. There was an expression on his face she couldn’t describe. She knew that to some people, speaking to the deceased made no sense, especially for a doctor who knew the body couldn’t hear her. But it comforted Cora, so she’d stopped caring what others might think.
More noise indicated the trailer was filling, and a bright light was being brought down the hall. She turned away from Jeremy—he had his own investigation to perform on the contents of the trailer and the drugs found. He stepped away from the door, and she breathed a sigh of relief when she recognized the two paramedics who entered the room with a body bag.
Judy, a new technician from the morgue, walked in behind the paramedics. The room was crowded, but everyone worked efficiently. The paramedics worked in tandem, following her instructions. Carl and Judy continued to take photographs of the room after her body was taken out.
“Judy, continue to process before you come back. As soon as you have everything logged in, you can go home and finish tomorrow… well, later today,” she amended, realizing it was after midnight. “Carl, you can do the same.”
“What about you?” Carl asked.
“I’ll get the basic exam going when we get her to the morgue, then I’ll go home also. After a few hours of sleep, I’ll return to the morgue to continue.”
She followed the paramedics out of the bedroom, through the tiny living space, and toward the ambulance. Once the body bag was on the gurney, she said, “I think Marcus is on duty, and he can log in everything once you get her to the morgue.” She couldn’t shake their hands, but she moved closer. “Thank you. I appreciate your professionalism.”
The two men smiled, then nodded before climbing inside the ambulance. It backed around the sheriff’s vehicles and headed down the road. She moved to the back of her car and pulled off her mask, gulping deeply. A putrid odor lingered, but the night air provided a welcome relief.
“Hey.”
She jerked at the close voice but recognized it immediately. Turning, she curved her lips. “Hey.”
Jeremy started to reach for her hand but stopped, his hand falling back to his side. They were both wearing gloves, and touching anyone until they had showered seemed wrong.
“You’ll be stuck here for a while,” she said. She expected his nod, but she still felt disappointed when it came. Considering what they had been doing when they were called in, spending their evening performing an autopsy and a drug investigation wasn’t what she’d hoped for.
“You starting the autopsy tonight?”
She nodded, and his expression also gave no surprise. “It sucks, but yes. I don’t know how long I’ll be gone. It should only be a couple of hours tonight. Just to get some samples.”
He jerked his head back toward the trailer. “This may take longer. We’ll search thoroughly and talk to the neighbors.”
She continued to nod. “Okay. I’ll see you?—”
“When can I see you?—”
They spoke at the same time and chuckled despite their gruesome surroundings. “Call or text,” she said.
“I will. You do the same.”
An awkwardness filled her as she looked at the others milling around. All she wanted to do was pull him close and kiss him goodbye like she would have if they were home. “So… um… I’ll see you later?” Her words came out as a question, making her feel vulnerable.
Jeremy stepped closer. His hair was mussed on the top, and the menthol salve was still gooped on his upper lip. The scruff on his jaw was heavier and darker than usual. His shirt had wrinkled in the front where her hands had clutched it in her fists. And he looked scrumptious. As her gaze cataloged his appearance, he neared until she suddenly looked up, and he was towering over her.
“Now,” he whispered, “I’ll say that I loved this evening. And I can’t believe you’re ending your birthday this way.”
She blinked, having completely forgotten it had been her birthday. “It’s okay.” Seeing his eyes widen in incredulity, she nodded. “Really, it is. I started by myself, which was fine. But you joined my little celebration. Then you brought some friends into my evening. And then… well, the kiss was the best present of all.”
His top teeth bit into his bottom lip as he attempted to stifle a smile. “Then I’m looking forward to many more gifts.”
“Me, too.” She smiled and then sighed. “I have to go. See you later, Jeremy.”
“Babe? That’s a promise.”
With that, she smiled again and climbed into her vehicle. Heading down the lane, she watched him in her rearview mirror. He never took his eyes off her until she turned the corner.