She nods in the direction of the autopsy suite. “In with Dr. Chen. We’re just about to get started on a case.”
“Cool. Tell him I was here.” I hold out the coffee, and she points me to one of the desktops.
“Leave it there and I’ll make sure he says thank you.”
I laugh, despite the tightness of her lips. “What are you? His mom?”
If anything, she gets even more prissy. “As far as I can tell, that boy was raised by wolves.”
Laughing, I leave her to her sour mood. She and Ezra seem to carry most of the shifts in the morgue. Except for the night we busted him praying, they seem to get along, but today her vibe makes me think Ezra has pissed off more than just me.
The day turns into a typical Monday. A pregnant woman rolls into the ER, far enough along that she damn near delivers in the lobby. Fortunately, the baby is only a couple days fromhis due date and comes out raging. Always a good sign. My main job in that scenario is crowd control. That and making sure the mother’s male companion hasn’t left his car somewhere illegal in his rush to get to her side.
Toward the end of the shift, Zach decides he needs a walk and leaves me in charge of the desk. I log into the computer and check my Gmail. There’s another message from Mo.
Been slow in here today, they say,and I’ve checked every resource I have access to. Whoever your blond woman was, she didn’t leave any trace of herself. Are you sure she was local?
“Fuck.” I rake a hand through my hair, wondering what our next steps should be.
Based on Ezra’s description of maybe forest and possible mud, yes.
They respond that it’d be a lot easier if we had a name, which makes me laugh. “Don’t need a master’s in library science to figure that one out.” I thank them again and promise to send along any additional information that comes my way.
Do, they say.Now I’m curious.
“Me too,” I mutter.
My shift is almost over and Zach should have been back already. I give his hospital-issue phone a call, with no response. “Great. He probably had a heart attack in a bathroom.”
“Do you need me to go look for someone?”
The suddenness makes me jump. It’s Ezra, who has somehow snuck up on me. His puffy coat is splattered with rain and his hair is down and tucked behind his ears.
“Uh, no.” I’m the one who should go look, although I can’t technically leave the desk empty. “What are you—”
Wordlessly, he sets a small pink and white box on the desk. “Cupcake Royale?” I grin. How could I not? “Did you get me a cupcake?”
He shrugs, color rising in his cheeks. This close, he smells less like cigarettes and more like that sugary lollipop that’s stuck between his lips. “You brought me the nectar of the gods this morning. Thank you.” His voice gets husky. “And I’m sorry I was an asshole.”
I bite back a knee-jerk,Who are you and what have you done with Ezra?and simply say, “No worries. That prayer thing takes a lot out of you.”
Tucking a strand of hair more securely behind his ear, he huffs a laugh. “You’re not wrong.”
We’re grinning at each other like a couple of dorks when Zach gets back. He’s followed soon by Tolliver, our night shift guy. Ezra takes a step away from the desk, but before he leaves entirely, he gives me a long look. “Dinner?”
“It’ll take me half an hour or so to sign out. Where should I meet you?”
“Pizza okay?”
“Sure.”
He names an unfussy pizza place about a block north of the hospital.
“Save me a seat,” I say, and he takes off.
I skate through the rest of my shift, leaving Zach to do the heavy lifting. Seniority sucks sometimes. Wishing I had a pair of jeans to change into—even scrub pants would be better than these fashion disasters—I take my cupcake and leave work behind.
Ezra’s got us a table at Palermo’s. There aren’t many other customers, though there’s a steady stream of food delivery service drivers coming in and out. Ezra’s ordered himself a soda but I go for a beer. It’s been a long day.
