Chapter 4
ARCHER
“Hi.” Minka strides determinedly ahead of me and stops in front of a tall reception desk inside a clinic in the city. “My name is Minka Mayet. I’m here to see Doctor Kurbonov.”
“Of course.” The receptionist is young and bubbly. Barely out of high school, I’m certain, and seemingly happy to iron salon-style curls into her shoulder-length hair even on a Monday morning.
While Minka crowds the girl, I study the floor-to-ceiling glass walls. The expensive tile flooring and the flawless finish of a water fountain that probably cost someone their entire inheritance.
“Oh… oh dear.” The girl’s cheerful voice dims. “I’m so sorry, Ms. Mayet, but it doesn’t appear you have an appointment.”
“Doctor Mayet. Chief Medical Examiner, actually. And I don’t need an appointment.” She reaches over the desk and points at something I’m too far away to see. “Doctor Kurbonov is expecting me, so all you need to do is tell her I’m here.”
“I-I’m sorry, but I can’t-”
“You’re new.” Minka straightens her posture and exhales a barely tolerant sigh. “You’re young, and it’s clear we have not had dealings in the past. But Doctor Kurbonov and I have an extensive history, and I assure you, she asked me to come.”
“But she’s with a-a patient right now. I can’t just—”
“My husband and I are leaving the city in an hour, and I didn’t administer my Factor last night because I know Doctor Kurbonov prefers to see me toward the end of my last cycle. I’ll wait for her current appointment to finish, but then I—”
“Doctor Mayet?” A woman in her fifties, maybe even her sixties, stops in the doorway wearing a knee-length skirt, an ivory-colored blouse, a crisp white coat, and dark brown hair pulled back in a severe low bun that makes sharp cheekbones stand out in contrast. She has the potential to appear scary.
Formidable. But she smiles for Minka kinda how Steve smiles for her.
How Justin does it. It’s a parental gleam of tolerance that extends only so far.
They entertain Minka’s bullshit… until they don’t.
Then the hammer comes down.
Kurbonov steps out of the doorway as, behind her, her last patient crosses the glistening lobby and leaves, then she nods for her receptionist. “I’ll squeeze this one in.
My twelve o’clock called me directly to say they’re running late, so I’ll slip Doctor Mayet in while I have a window, then I’ll shuffle the rest.”
“O-of course, Doctor Kurbonov.” The poor girl’s cheeks flame bright red, but she drops her gaze and tap-tap-taps at her computer keyboard. “I’m so sorry to be a bother, Chief Medical Examiner Mayet.”
“You needn’t apologize,” Kurbonov cuts in, drawing her steely gray gaze across to Minka. “We don’t typically entertain walk-ins, do we?”
Untroubled, Minka snags my hand and starts across the gleaming tile, a too-smug grin playing across her face, and an immature ‘ha! I win’ glitter in her eyes.
“I told you to call my office,” Kurbonov grumbles, striding ahead of us and moving through a long, narrow hall. Passing door after door, the clip-clip-clip of her heels echoes from wall to wall until, finally, she opens a door, stands back, and gestures us in.
Her eyes flicker to mine. Her chin comes down in greeting. Then we’re moving again, into a room at least two hundred square feet across, made all the more opulent when, unobstructed and just half a block away, Central Park spreads out, providing a jungle-like view inside a city made of concrete.
“It’s comforting to see nothing has changed for you, Chief.
You still lack social skills.” Kurbonov comes around her desk and lowers elegantly into a tall-backed leather chair.
“I’ve seen you both on the news, which makes introductions redundant.
You’re Detective Malone.” She offers her hand and a smile. “Minka Mayet’s husband.”
“I am. And to ensure it stuck, I made her marry me twice.” I release her hand and pull out a chair for Minka to sit in. Then I take the other. “Had I known prior to about an hour ago that she intended to come here, I would’ve called ahead and found a slot in your schedule.”
“Aw, well…” Kurbonov brushes the tails of her coat down and settles into her seat.
“You insist on smoothing the way, Detective, but perhaps you’re not aware I’ve known your lovely wife since she was brand new.
” Casting not-so-friendly eyes across to Minka, she flattens her lips.
“You leave an impression everywhere you go, Chief, whether you’re three years old, or…
” She checks the dainty watch on her left wrist, like that could somehow help her count the years. “Turning thirty in a few months.”
Minka’s nose twists with unhappiness. “Thirty sounds really serious.”
“Yes, well, it turns out sixty is even more shocking, especially when I could swear the last three decades have flown by like,” she snaps her fingers. “That. Now, how can I help you?”
“You told me to come see you.” Minka latches onto my hand, pulling it into her lap like it helps her hide the gentle vibration of her nerves. “On the phone last week, you literally said—”
“To call my office, because I’d like to do a full workup.”
“Okay, well…” Minka gestures with her free hand. “I’m here now, so let’s get it done. Archer and I are flying out this afternoon, which means now was the only time I could squeeze this in.”
“Then I suppose it’s fortunate my calendar was flexible today.
I assume you’ve had blood drawn and sent to the lab already?
I require CBC, CMP, kidney and liver function, electrolytes, and factor levels.
I also want inhibitor testing, ultrasounds to check for joint damage, and an MRI, since I saw that thing on the news last year and suspect a severe shoulder injury.
” Picking up a pen and flashing a pleasant smile, Kurbonov stares expectantly at her patient.
“I’m certain you didn’t crash my office, harass my assistant, and not even have the good manners to bring the results you knew I would need first? ”
Womp womp.
Of course she didn’t!
“Well, I uh…” Minka gulps. “No, I…” She grits her teeth and studies our joined hands.
“I did not do… any of that. Yet. But that’s because I wasn’t expecting to be in New York today.
In fact, I didn’t know until Saturday, and then we were flying Sunday.
Now it’s Monday, and we’re heading home just as soon as you and I are done. ”
“Lucky you, we’re done already.” Kurbonov’s eyes dance with torment. “Since you brought me nothing to work with.”
“And here I thought her upcoming thirtieth birthday would make for a more organized woman.”
Horrified, Minka swings her wounded gaze around, then her hand slams against my thigh with a noisy slap. “Whose side are you on?”
“The side that wants you around for your hundredth birthday.” I bring my focus back to Kurbonov and offer her a consolatory smile.
“Perhaps you could order all the tests, and I’ll ensure she gets them done once we’re back in Copeland?
Once you’ve assessed the results, you could let us know if there’s anything we should be concerned about? ”
“Indeed.” She pushes up from her chair and crosses the room, stopping beside a fancy black glass plate built into the floor.
Tapping it with her toe, she has numbers flash to life on the small screen near the top.
“Step on the scales, Chief. I’ll document your weight, then blood pressure, and after that, we’ll discuss your diet and sleeping habits.
If you’re a good girl, I might even have a pack of stickers tucked away somewhere in the back of my drawer. ”
Grunting, Minka rises to her feet and stomps across the room.
“I have no clue why you’ve taken such a poor attitude, Doctor Kurbonov.
” Moving onto the scales, she scowls as the numbers surge and make her appear, at least for a second, to be fifty pounds heavier than she actually is.
“The hematologist I remember from my youth was much kinder.”
“Mmhm.” Kurbonov waits for Minka’s weight to settle, for the digits to flicker in confirmation, then she turns on her heels and strides back to her desk.
“Ironically, the little girl I remember from your youth didn’t harass my staff or ignore appointment etiquette, either.
So I suppose some things have changed after all.
” She snatches up a blood pressure cuff and opens it wide.
“How much coffee have you consumed today?”
Too much. Always too much.
Afull hour after barging our way into Doctor Kurbonov’s office, we exit again, a stack of paperwork haphazardly folded and stuffed under Minka’s arm and a shit ton of appointments that need to be scheduled.
I’ll take care of those.
“You wanna get lunch before we leave?” Happier now that this is over, Minka flashes a beautiful smile as we cross the lobby and move through the automatic doors leading outside.
“There’s this place not so far from here that does burritos better than anywhere else.
” She brings her focus to the curb and nods to the patiently waiting Harrison.
“You want a burrito, Theodore? They’re really good. ”
“Uhh…” His eyes flare wide with panic, but before he can answer, Minka’s phone chirps and draws her attention down.
I snatch the paperwork from under her arm before we lose it all to a rogue gust of wind.
Pulling the device from her back pocket and answering on the fly, she leads us along the street, away from Harrison’s car.
“Doctor Raquel? Hey. You…” She falls silent for a beat, listening to whatever her lab tech tells her.
Then, “That’s so annoying. I’m hopping on a plane soon.
We’ll be back in the city late this afternoon, Copeland time.
Aubree and I will be back in the office tomorrow. ”
She silences again and listens, turning a corner as the scent of burritos permeates the air.
Then she takes my hand and drags me into a tiny, hole-in-the-wall restaurant that could only comfortably seat five adults at a time.
And yet, about twenty-five adults pack themselves in like sardines and wait in line for their turn to be served.
“Boss?” Harrison hovers by the door, his eyes scanning inside and out. “Where do you want me?”
“You can stand out there. It’s hot as hell in here, and I’ve got her back. If you wanna wait by the car, you can. We won’t be long. Then maybe call Micah and let him know we’re headed to the airstrip. We can meet Tim and Aubree there.”
“Okay.” And yet, he doesn’t back up. He lingers long enough to make me curious, then his face warms.
“What?”
“Tell the boss lady I don’t like the super spicy sauce, but add extra pico, please.”
“Don’t stress about the dumb computers,” Minka grumbles. “I’ve got someone coming in tomorrow to give us a complete overhaul. A few days of disruption will be worth the next ten years of tech we’ll never have to complain about.”
Uneasy, Harrison clears his throat and backs up through the doorway. “Ya know what? Don’t worry about the pico.”
“I’ll catch you tomorrow. Bye.” Killing her call and lowering the phone, Minka drags me forward in the quickly moving line.
She licks her lips and studies the busy shop with wide eyes, standing on her toes and peering past the taller people in front, then she drops back to flat feet and wraps her arms around mine, snuggling into my side like she so rarely does.
“I feel like I have life completely under control today.”
“Yeah?” Your office is about to be overrun by deadly ballerinas, your much-needed hematology appointment was a bust, Felix is acting like you stole something from him, and Cordoza is dying. “How so?”
“I’m standing inside my favorite burrito place at a reasonable hour, I ate breakfast, I’m about to be way less stressed at work because our computers won’t die mid-unsaved-report, I have no open, active investigations to rush home to, I had shower sex, and I don’t have a stomach-ache anymore.
” She presses a smiling kiss to the ball of my shoulder and exhales a happy sigh. “I have my penguin back.”
“Next! What can I getcha?”
“Hi,” Minka tugs me forward and shoots off an order for three different burritos. The third, with mild sauce and extra pico. “This is a good day.”