“SSA Carr is in the process of setting up a task force,” she informed Dr. Robinson with far too much zeal. “You’ll have additional support and our John Doe will move to the top of your caseload.”
Dr. Robinson looked over the rim of his glasses at Mira. “I am aware of the procedures, young lady. A word of advice, ifyou hope to advance in this field, grow some tact—or at least fake it better. None of your superiors want to see their special agentssmilingfeet away from a dead body.” He gestured to the perimeter with tens of cameras pointed directly at us.
The coroner nodded to me, to which I nodded back, before walking off.
Mira was still frowning as we got into the car minutes later. At least she kept her mouth shut until we were out of earshot of everyone. Perhaps she was learning, after all.
“Who does he think he is, speaking to me like that?”
“A very experienced coroner who’s been doing this job longer than you’ve been alive?” I shot back at her, turning the engine over.
“Of course, you would take his side.”
Before I put the car into Reverse, I turned to her. “Whatever bug is currently up your ass, take a laxative and shit it out. I do not have the time, the energy, or the patience to deal with you right now. In case you haven’t noticed,” I pointed out the windshield, “this isn’tfun. This isn’tgood. You have no idea just how complicated our lives have gotten, and I don’t just mean our work lives. You better make up with your ex because you’re going to need the free babysitting. You’ll be lucky if you get to see your kids in the coming weeks. Whatever is happening up here is just getting started.”
“You can’t possibly know that.”
“These bodies werestaged, Mira. They were not killed and dumped, victims of opportunity. These murders arespecific. You need to get your head out of your ass long enough to realize that instead of worrying about being the second lead on a serial case. And if you eventhinkabout naming this guy, I will personally see to it that you are reassigned elsewhere. Do you understand me?”
She grimaced, but nodded.
I sat forward, put my seatbelt on, and then reversed out of the parking spot. We were silent for nearly ten minutes before she spoke again.
“You’ve been different the past couple of weeks. I don’t know what’s going on, if it has to do with that Phoebe-woman who called, but I?—”
I slammed on the brakes, the car screeching to a halt. The car behind us blared their horn and then drove around. I ignored it and turned towards Mira again. “What the fuck did you just say?”
“Look, maybe I’m out of line, but you told me that partners always need to communicate. That we aren’t a team unless we can rely on each other and I?—”
“I don’t care about that. What did you say about the woman who called?”
Her blonde eyebrows drew down. “That you’ve been different since you started seeing her. At least, I assume you’re seeing her.”
“Her name,” I said through gritted teeth. “What did you call her?”
Another car blared their horn and sped around us. Still, I did not move the car to the side of the road.
“Phoebe?” Mira questioned. “I think that’s her name. She was telling me who called when you came back into your office.”
Phoebe. Her name was Phoebe.
Holy fucking shit.
I finally had a name for my little owl. Yet, I felt no victory for this information. Because she hadn’t given it to me. She’d given it toMira.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Holly
Jesse and Romanwere finally coming to realize just how dire their situation was. It had taken me killing John in front of them to understand. The first three days they were in denial, despite Wyatt’s and John’s warnings. Neither’s cell was close enough for them to see Andy floating by, his body still in his tomb of beer. While I knew cleanup would be a bitch, I had sworn to Wyatt that he would no longer have to eat a banana daily if he closed the holes between his cell and Andy’s. I never said I would remove Andy’s body so Wyatt didn’t have to see his once-friend’s body floating.
Now that John was gone, I had an extra cell. Hannah was next on my list. She didn’t live in Atelihai Valley anymore, but north towards Sitka. John’s cell hadn’t taken more than a power washing to clean.
I never brought my phone into the bunker. Even though Jason assured me that it could not be traced, I did not want to risk it. One small mess up and years of planning went down the drain. But it bothered me that I couldn’t be readily available if Master Mal called or texted me.
I was very aware of the irony. While we’d never used traditional labels, he was, by all intents and purposes, myboyfriend. In that regard, he was my first. I’d never dated in high school, and certainly not after my attack or the years I’d spent in the asylum. I’d been ondates, though they hadn’t exactly ended well. One even ended with a dead body.
I liked that I still had ‘firsts’ that I was able to give Master Mal.
