Hidden - Laura Griffin Page 0,10
working later?” she asked Matt.
“Have to stop by the job site, see if the tile guys finished.”
Matt was a contractor and spent most of his time renovating houses on the south side of town, where property values were soaring. He stayed busy, which was good, but he and Hannah never seemed to get a weekend off together.
Drew reached for another Cheerio. His intent little expression made Bailey’s heart squeeze, and she took a last gulp of coffee. She didn’t want to horn in on their limited family time.
“I’m heading out.” Bailey hopped down from the stool and put her mug in the sink. “I’ve got to write a follow-up today.” She planted a kiss on Drew’s pudgy cheek. He smelled like baby shampoo.
“If you go to the lake, be careful,” Hannah said, shifting into protective older-sister mode.
“Always am.”
“I’ll ask around about that detective. See if anyone remembers what that thing was about.”
“Don’t worry about it. I’ve got sources.” Bailey winked at her. “Whatever it is, I’ll track it down.”
* * *
* * *
JACOB ARRIVED EARLY, with a full cup of coffee and an empty stomach, braced for the second-worst aspect of his job. As he crossed the parking lot to the ME’s office, his phone buzzed and he pulled it from the pocket of his jeans.
“Where are you?” Kendra demanded.
“About to sign in. Why?”
“The post is wrapping up.”
“Our post?”
“Yeah, Jane Doe. Postmortem’s over, and his assistant is in there sewing her up.”
“Where’s Nielsen?”
“I don’t know.”
“Find out.”
Jacob entered the building and was met by a wall of cold air. They always kept this place freezing, even in the winter. Jacob peeled off his sunglasses and quickly signed in at the security desk, then grabbed his visitor’s badge and went straight to the wing that housed the medical examiner’s suite of offices. This wing was even colder and smelled of bleach and formaldehyde, a combination that always made him think of dissected bodies.
Jacob took a long swig of coffee and pitched the rest in a trash can as he made his way down the sterile white hallway. He passed a sheriff’s deputy, then turned a corner and spotted Kendra. Even though it was Sunday, she wore her typical dark pantsuit, with her Glock 23 holstered at her hip under the jacket. Her straight blond hair was pulled back in a ponytail.
“What the hell?” he asked.
“He decided to start early.” She rolled her eyes. “His assistant told me they got two traffic fatalities and a drug overdose in last night.”
“So, he’s done with her?”
“Yeah. Started at six.”
A man in blue scrubs stepped into the hallway, and Jacob recognized Nielsen’s wiry build.
“Doc, wait.”
The man turned around. The pathologist had a buzz haircut and rimless glasses. A file folder was tucked under his arm and in his hand was an unopened can of Red Bull.
Jacob approached him. “You got a minute?”
He checked his watch. “I’ve got four.”
“We’re working the Jane Doe from the lake,” Kendra said.
Nielsen nodded. “The water recovery. My preliminary report will be ready Tuesday morning.”
“What can you tell us now?” Jacob asked.
The doctor gave him a long look. Nielsen was short and lean, and probably in his late thirties, but the somber look in his blue eyes tacked on some years.
A young woman in green scrubs stepped from another doorway.
“A detective just called from Hays County,” she told Nielsen. “He’s asking about the tox screen from that boating accident.”
“It should be in by tomorrow. Hey, send me those files from the Jane Doe autopsy, would you?” He turned and gave Jacob and Kendra a brisk nod. “This way.”
He led them down another white hallway to a closed door. He opened it with a key code and ushered them into a small office with a wall of gray file cabinets and a black metal desk. No picture frames or clutter of any kind. The desk was bare except for a laptop computer and a mechanical pencil, and Jacob figured this guy was either type A or ex-military or both.
“Have a seat,” Nielsen said, gesturing to a pair of gray plastic chairs identical to the ones sprinkled throughout police headquarters.
Nielsen dropped the folder onto the desk and took a seat. On the wall behind him was a topographical map of central Texas. The Travis County ME got cases from the multiple jurisdictions—all of them growing, population-wise—which was probably one reason they were swamped today. As a deputy ME, Nielsen caught much of the workload.
The doctor checked his watch again, then popped open his