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Authors: James M. Tabor
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end of a long stay.”
“Why didn’t she just leave?”
“Don’t you know, I suggested that very thing? But she’d been given a sizable grant. And signed a contract. If she had to withdraw for mental health reasons … Well, I don’t have to tell
you
. Poor thing. It would have ended her career.”
“It might have kept her alive.”
Merritt gave Hallie an odd look. “Did you have any more questions about this?” Her tone indicated that she hoped Hallie’s answer would be no.
“What was the drug?”
“We don’t know just yet. But—and it pains me to say this—it’s like Alice’s Restaurant here. You can get anything you want.”
“What did the medical examiner’s report say?”
“We haven’t seen one yet.”
“Isn’t that unusual?”
“Not really. The ME at Christchurch does the autopsy and sends his report to the New Zealand Police. They give it to State, and
they
send it through diplomatic channels to Washington. After all that, it might be routed back to NSF and, if the powers there see fit, shared with us worker bees.”
“Did the doctor do a tox screen?”
“No, we’re not equipped for that.”
“You said you found injection marks, as in plural?”
“On her thighs and both arms.”
“Were photographs taken of the body? The death scene?”
“No.”
That struck Hallie as odd, too. “Does everybody know you were the one who found Emily’s body?”
“No, just Graeter, Doc, and Fido. Details like that are all confidential.” She hesitated, then continued: “And honestly, Hallie, you wouldn’t either, if I hadn’t learned you were friends. If details start leaking before the muckety-mucks get their paperwork, I could wind up in very hot water.”
“I give you my word, nothing I heard leaves this room.”
Merritt smiled. “I knew the minute we met that I could trust you. Just a feeling you get about some people.”
That sounded like a closing statement to Hallie. She got up to go. “Thanks for taking time, Aggie. I appreciate—”
Merritt waved her down. “Whoa, hang on. All we’ve done is talk work. What about
you
? Married, have a family?”
“No husband, no kids.”
“There must be a Mr. Right, though. Beautiful girl like you.”
“As a matter of fact. We’ve been together about a year.”
“Making family plans yet?”
“Excuse me?”
“You know, family plans. Marriage, babies, all that.”
Merritt’s questions were mild in tone and accompanied by asincere-looking smile, but they felt strange to Hallie. They had known each other for only twenty minutes. And why would she care about Hallie’s family plans, of all things?
“We haven’t gotten there,” she said. Which was true, if you discounted her recent close call and the impasse with Bowman it had caused on the way to Dulles. Merritt didn’t need to hear any of that, but Hallie felt it would be discourteous to just walk out now without showing some personal interest in return.
“How about you, Aggie?”
“Married, you mean?” Long sigh. “Once. Not anymore.”
So, death or divorce, Hallie thought, either of which could bite if you reached too far. She nodded, waited to see if Merritt wanted to continue. She did.
“He came from a big family. And wanted a big family. We
—I—
couldn’t have children at all. He didn’t want to adopt. So he found a better breeder.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Oh, I’m over it long since. Seems like a dream now. Nightmare, actually.”
Are
you over it? Hallie wondered. Something in Merritt’s tone and expression suggested otherwise.
“You two tying the knot anytime soon?” Merritt asked.
Hallie had not heard that expression for a long time, but something in Merritt’s tone made it sound more like a hanging than marriage. She shrugged. “We both travel a lot and do dangerous work.”
“Can get addictive, though, right? That kind of work?”
Hallie had been thinking about that a good bit recently. Still, the question surprised her, coming
“Why didn’t she just leave?”
“Don’t you know, I suggested that very thing? But she’d been given a sizable grant. And signed a contract. If she had to withdraw for mental health reasons … Well, I don’t have to tell
you
. Poor thing. It would have ended her career.”
“It might have kept her alive.”
Merritt gave Hallie an odd look. “Did you have any more questions about this?” Her tone indicated that she hoped Hallie’s answer would be no.
“What was the drug?”
“We don’t know just yet. But—and it pains me to say this—it’s like Alice’s Restaurant here. You can get anything you want.”
“What did the medical examiner’s report say?”
“We haven’t seen one yet.”
“Isn’t that unusual?”
“Not really. The ME at Christchurch does the autopsy and sends his report to the New Zealand Police. They give it to State, and
they
send it through diplomatic channels to Washington. After all that, it might be routed back to NSF and, if the powers there see fit, shared with us worker bees.”
“Did the doctor do a tox screen?”
“No, we’re not equipped for that.”
“You said you found injection marks, as in plural?”
“On her thighs and both arms.”
“Were photographs taken of the body? The death scene?”
“No.”
That struck Hallie as odd, too. “Does everybody know you were the one who found Emily’s body?”
“No, just Graeter, Doc, and Fido. Details like that are all confidential.” She hesitated, then continued: “And honestly, Hallie, you wouldn’t either, if I hadn’t learned you were friends. If details start leaking before the muckety-mucks get their paperwork, I could wind up in very hot water.”
“I give you my word, nothing I heard leaves this room.”
Merritt smiled. “I knew the minute we met that I could trust you. Just a feeling you get about some people.”
That sounded like a closing statement to Hallie. She got up to go. “Thanks for taking time, Aggie. I appreciate—”
Merritt waved her down. “Whoa, hang on. All we’ve done is talk work. What about
you
? Married, have a family?”
“No husband, no kids.”
“There must be a Mr. Right, though. Beautiful girl like you.”
“As a matter of fact. We’ve been together about a year.”
“Making family plans yet?”
“Excuse me?”
“You know, family plans. Marriage, babies, all that.”
Merritt’s questions were mild in tone and accompanied by asincere-looking smile, but they felt strange to Hallie. They had known each other for only twenty minutes. And why would she care about Hallie’s family plans, of all things?
“We haven’t gotten there,” she said. Which was true, if you discounted her recent close call and the impasse with Bowman it had caused on the way to Dulles. Merritt didn’t need to hear any of that, but Hallie felt it would be discourteous to just walk out now without showing some personal interest in return.
“How about you, Aggie?”
“Married, you mean?” Long sigh. “Once. Not anymore.”
So, death or divorce, Hallie thought, either of which could bite if you reached too far. She nodded, waited to see if Merritt wanted to continue. She did.
“He came from a big family. And wanted a big family. We
—I—
couldn’t have children at all. He didn’t want to adopt. So he found a better breeder.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Oh, I’m over it long since. Seems like a dream now. Nightmare, actually.”
Are
you over it? Hallie wondered. Something in Merritt’s tone and expression suggested otherwise.
“You two tying the knot anytime soon?” Merritt asked.
Hallie had not heard that expression for a long time, but something in Merritt’s tone made it sound more like a hanging than marriage. She shrugged. “We both travel a lot and do dangerous work.”
“Can get addictive, though, right? That kind of work?”
Hallie had been thinking about that a good bit recently. Still, the question surprised her, coming
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