Read Online Buried (Detective Ellie MacIntosh) by Kate Watterson - Free Book Online
Authors: Kate Watterson
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Tell me about it.”
That was the entire problem. She didn’t want to tell anyone. “I’m having trouble just thinking about it—much less wanting to tell you. Can we approach this another way?”
“We can approach it however you wish to handle it, Ellie, but at the end of the day, I think what you are looking for requires some fairly brutal honesty. Am I wrong?”
She wasn’t. Damn her.
Ellie took a moment and then turned around. “I have never understood how you went to school to just learn how to ask questions and not give answers.”
“But yet you are here. And if we are making judgments, I suppose I could say I have never understood how you demand truths from people without ever offering them yourself.” Dr. Lukens cocked her head. “How does that work? One-sided honesty? Come on, Detective. How can you possibly want my frank opinion when you refuse to give me more than just a vague scenario? It isn’t fair. You would never put up with it. So, if you came here with a purpose, can you tell me what it is? There is one, right?”
That was a good question. Ellie stared at a painting on the wall. It was far too generic for her tastes, but then again, she certainly was not an interior decorator and once upon a time, Dr. Lukens had given her the piece of art that once hung there. “Fine, I will give you more details, but not everything.”
“That’s generous, considering you came here . I’m not asking for everything, just enough so that I can help.”
“This is confidential.”
“You know that is not an issue.”
True. Ellie still had to weigh her words before she just sat back down. “A grave was found on my grandfather’s property. He called me. I went. Of course I would.”
Georgia waited and then said, “Okay, that’s shocking, I admit. How did you feel about it?”
She held up her hand. “No, don’t do that. I’m not here to talk about how I felt about it.”
“I’m starting to get that impression, but you might want to reevaluate down the line. All right, I’ll restate. Of course you would agree to go. What did you find?”
This was the hard part. She leveled her gaze. “I couldn’t tell how old the skeleton might be. I just got the impression maybe he did know.”
“Your grandfather knew the person?”
“I never said that. I said he just wasn’t.… surprised enough in my opinion.”
“Surprised enough? In your opinion .”
It was always aggravating when someone assumed that tone, but because Ellie had been involved in a double homicide recently, it could be Lukens was sensitive to the subject. Ellie said evenly, “Look, police officers are just human beings, but we do have the dubious honor of being lied to more often than most. So, yes. In my somewhat expert opinion.”
“No.” Lukens exhaled, her smile a small twitch. “I think my profession can claim the dubious honor of being lied to the most. But I don’t think that’s the issue here. You got the impression he lied to you. I am not sure yet of the significance of the skeleton, but I do know already how you feel about his reaction. Did you tell him you thought he was not being truthful?”
“My grandfather?” Ellie looked at her incredulously. “Never. That is like a Catholic accusing the pope of lying to his face. If there is a one percent chance I’m wrong … well, let’s just leave it there, shall we? I refuse to take a gamble on insulting him, even if it is that one percent.”
Georgia nodded, her expression thoughtful. “Fine with me. Let’s leave him out of this and address your fears.”
“I don’t have fears.”
“Then congratulations, you are the only person on this planet without them, Detective MacIntosh.”
That had come off all wrong. She readjusted the answer. “I meant the reason I am here isn’t because of personal anxiety except to the extent that I needed to talk to someone about how to handle this. He isn’t young and I don’t want to upset him even more.”
Georgia
That was the entire problem. She didn’t want to tell anyone. “I’m having trouble just thinking about it—much less wanting to tell you. Can we approach this another way?”
“We can approach it however you wish to handle it, Ellie, but at the end of the day, I think what you are looking for requires some fairly brutal honesty. Am I wrong?”
She wasn’t. Damn her.
Ellie took a moment and then turned around. “I have never understood how you went to school to just learn how to ask questions and not give answers.”
“But yet you are here. And if we are making judgments, I suppose I could say I have never understood how you demand truths from people without ever offering them yourself.” Dr. Lukens cocked her head. “How does that work? One-sided honesty? Come on, Detective. How can you possibly want my frank opinion when you refuse to give me more than just a vague scenario? It isn’t fair. You would never put up with it. So, if you came here with a purpose, can you tell me what it is? There is one, right?”
That was a good question. Ellie stared at a painting on the wall. It was far too generic for her tastes, but then again, she certainly was not an interior decorator and once upon a time, Dr. Lukens had given her the piece of art that once hung there. “Fine, I will give you more details, but not everything.”
“That’s generous, considering you came here . I’m not asking for everything, just enough so that I can help.”
“This is confidential.”
“You know that is not an issue.”
True. Ellie still had to weigh her words before she just sat back down. “A grave was found on my grandfather’s property. He called me. I went. Of course I would.”
Georgia waited and then said, “Okay, that’s shocking, I admit. How did you feel about it?”
She held up her hand. “No, don’t do that. I’m not here to talk about how I felt about it.”
“I’m starting to get that impression, but you might want to reevaluate down the line. All right, I’ll restate. Of course you would agree to go. What did you find?”
This was the hard part. She leveled her gaze. “I couldn’t tell how old the skeleton might be. I just got the impression maybe he did know.”
“Your grandfather knew the person?”
“I never said that. I said he just wasn’t.… surprised enough in my opinion.”
“Surprised enough? In your opinion .”
It was always aggravating when someone assumed that tone, but because Ellie had been involved in a double homicide recently, it could be Lukens was sensitive to the subject. Ellie said evenly, “Look, police officers are just human beings, but we do have the dubious honor of being lied to more often than most. So, yes. In my somewhat expert opinion.”
“No.” Lukens exhaled, her smile a small twitch. “I think my profession can claim the dubious honor of being lied to the most. But I don’t think that’s the issue here. You got the impression he lied to you. I am not sure yet of the significance of the skeleton, but I do know already how you feel about his reaction. Did you tell him you thought he was not being truthful?”
“My grandfather?” Ellie looked at her incredulously. “Never. That is like a Catholic accusing the pope of lying to his face. If there is a one percent chance I’m wrong … well, let’s just leave it there, shall we? I refuse to take a gamble on insulting him, even if it is that one percent.”
Georgia nodded, her expression thoughtful. “Fine with me. Let’s leave him out of this and address your fears.”
“I don’t have fears.”
“Then congratulations, you are the only person on this planet without them, Detective MacIntosh.”
That had come off all wrong. She readjusted the answer. “I meant the reason I am here isn’t because of personal anxiety except to the extent that I needed to talk to someone about how to handle this. He isn’t young and I don’t want to upset him even more.”
Georgia
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