Murder in Misery (Spook Squad) - By Ashley K. Broome Page 0,55

Coming in early the last few mornings, even earlier since the Barrs and Elaine had been murdered, trying to find some sort of lead they could grab hold of and stop any other people from getting killed. All she wanted to do was drop into her bed and sleep through the night. Hell, she’d love to sleep past the crack of dawn and not rush to slurp down her coffee.

“You are a very smart man Leeroy.” Matt yawned into his hand. “And I plan to follow your example and head home.”

Keegan couldn’t help the bright smile when Leeroy’s eyes widened in shock from Matt’s statement. It wasn’t every day a homicide cop was friendly to any one in the Spook Squad but it seemed things were slowly changing. Keegan doubted that any of them would actually mind the change in the morning.

Time was not wasted when morning broke. Keegan and Matt stood outside the doctor’s office that Elaine worked as an ultra sound tech for. The office had yet to open but by the hours posted on the door seven o’clock was only a few minutes away.

Matt kicked the toe of his shoe against the brick building, knocking caked mud off of his shoe. “Do you think they’ll actually know anything about her or do you think it will be like the people who thought they knew the Barr’s? The information they did give wasn’t really all that helpful.”

Keegan shrugged and pulled her coat tighter. “Maybe it was our questions that weren’t right. But at a doctor’s office this size and the amount of employees someone was bound to have heard or spread some gossip around the place. For all we know Elaine could have met her fiancé here.”

“Look at you, all positive and shit.” Matt chuckled as he mirrored Keegan’s stance.

“Places like this always give up some kind of information.” Keegan tucked her hands deeper in her pockets. “It’s like a grown up version of high school.”

Matt stood up straighter, unfolded his arms and plucked his badge from his belt. “Well I hope you are right Morne, it looks like the Calvary has arrived.”

A woman and a man walked bundled up in coats towards the door eyeing the detectives wearily. It took a few moments for Keegan to introduce them and it to dawn on the two employees why there were there waiting for them.

“You’re here about Elaine, aren’t you?” The woman’s voice was soft and she sounded exhausted as she unlocked the door ushered everyone in behind her and reset the alarm.

“That’s right Miss,” Matt prompted her for her name standing awkwardly by a children’s play station.

“My name is Olivia and that is Jesse. Everyone else will make it in by eight.”

“Do you mind if we talk to you while you’re opening up and hopefully get out of your hair?” Keegan rubbed her hands together and let out a relieved sigh when Jesse turned the thermostat so the heater would kick on faster.

“Sure,” Olivia nodded as she unwound the scarf around her neck letting loose a mane of long blonde hair. She led the detectives through the waiting area and into the nook that was used for reception. Both Olivia and Jesse went straight to work; pulling patient files and setting them in the correct bins and checking the answering service. Keegan and Matt decided with a quick look who they would speak with. Keegan would speak with Olivia while Matt spoke with Jesse.

Keegan pulled a rolling chair around a desk and sat down in it next to Olivia. “Did you know Elaine well?”

“She was my co-worker and sometimes we would hang out with each other side of work but I didn’t know she was a supernatural.” Olivia answered. “Not that it would really matter but I can understand why she didn’t disclose that working in a doctor’s office. Patients really can be jerks about that stuff. Jesse gets it because he’s gay and Elaine would have gotten trouble because she was a supernatural. You ask me she was good at her job and that’s what truly matters in a health facility.”

Keegan couldn’t agree with Olivia more. It didn’t matter that you were different. All that really mattered was that you did your job the best that you could. “So did she ever talk about having problems with anyone? Was she stressed out about something the last few days before her death?”

Olivia set the file in her hands down with a mournful sigh. Keegan watched as the warm