death looks like somebody was in a big hurry. I wouldn’t count on finding any clever clues in this one.’
Dana nodded but also made a mental note to call the state medical board on Johnson. Enough was enough with this asshole already. There was no way in hell he should be allowed to continue operating in the slipshod manner he did. It just wasn’t fair to the victims or their families. ‘Great,’ Dana said, trying to keep the sarcasm out of her voice but not quite accomplishing the feat. ‘I really hate to bother you any further, Dr Johnson, but is there be any way at all that I could also get a list of all the people who’ve worked here in the past three years? Including cleaning staff and maintenance workers? I’ll need their names, addresses and Social Security numbers. Also, any background information you might have on file would be extremely helpful. I want to find out if anyone who’s worked here – either now or in the past – might have had a reason to attach the photograph of my brother to Christian Manhoff’s body.’
Johnson waved a thin arm in the air, showcasing thick veins that pulsed like fat blue snakes in the back of his skeletal left hand. ‘I’ll have Nancy Lawson in human resources compile a list for you,’ he said. ‘You can pick it up from the receptionist at the front desk tomorrow morning.’
Johnson paused. ‘Will there be anything else you require of me, Agent Whitestone? As always, I’m at your complete and utter disposal.’
Dana shook her head, annoyed by Johnson’s flippant tone but knowing there wasn’t anything she could do about it right now. ‘Nope,’ she said in a clipped tone that matched the coroner’s perfectly. ‘That should just about cover it for the time being. Thank you so much for your help, Doctor. I really appreciate it. And I’ll let you know if and when I need something else from you, so please keep that in mind. Is your cellphone number still the same?’
Johnson worked his lips into a dull, gray smile, his worn-down teeth set into a crooked pink gum-line like concrete tombstones in an unkempt graveyard. ‘Sure is, Agent Whitestone. As a matter of fact, I even have you programmed into my contacts list. How about that for a nice surprise? Always happy to get a call from you.’
Just then, as if on cue, Gary Templeton’s own cellphone rang in his pocket. The Cleveland cop dug it out and placed the receiver to his ear. After a moment or two, he turned down the corners of his mouth.
Templeton flipped shut his cellphone and put it back into his pocket. ‘I’ve got to run, Dana,’ he said, shaking his head and checking his watch. ‘There’s been an armed robbery over at the Fifth Third Bank on Ontario Avenue. A squad car is coming to pick me up now. Chief says it’s an all-hands-on-deck type of thing. Will you be OK getting on with this on your own? I’ll call you tomorrow morning and touch base with you to see what you’ve found out.’
Dana smiled; enjoying the feeling of knowing someone was watching her back. The same feeling she’d had while she’d been working with Jeremy Brown. ‘Absolutely, Gary,’ she said, making yet another mental note, this time to call Bill Krugman down in Washington, DC, and check up on his wife’s medical condition just as soon as she got back to her car. She needed to hear the Director’s voice right now, to know that he and Marie were OK. Because along with Templeton, the Krugmans were just about the only people Dana had left in her life any more, and she needed to guard them with all the zeal of a mama bear protecting her cubs. ‘I’ll talk with you tomorrow morning. Don’t worry about me. I’ll be just fine.’
Templeton nodded and said his goodbyes to Johnson. Dana smiled again as she watched him walked away. Still, had she’d known then just how far off the mark she’d been with her statement about being just fine, she never would’ve left the coroner’s office alone in the first place.
Then again, if hopes and wishes were loaves and fishes, she’d never go hungry again.
CHAPTER 16
Out in the lobby of the coroner’s office, Dana asked the woman seated behind the front desk where she might find Nancy Lawson, the human-resources person Johnson had said could compile a list of employees for her.
It was