photographs and we got their names and duties.
After examining the pictures, I was frustrated. Referencing the number of subjects in the photos, I said to Leo, “It’s a big haystack.”
Leo looked at Bernstein. “We’ve got a crime analyst and a secretary. Any chance we could send them over and some of your staff could help them identify the people in the photos and their duties here?”
“Not a problem, as long as you both do me one favor.”
Leo smiled. “What’s that?”
“Send an email to your state senator about using tax incentives to save our studios. I won’t go down without a fight.”
Leo put out a big paw and shook the studio owner’s hand. “Consider it done.”
TEN
Leo and I picked up sandwiches and stopped at the coroner’s office on the way to meet Alex at R&I. I knew from the reports that a deputy coroner named Earl Mumford had done the autopsy on Carla Hodge, something that I mentioned to Leo as we entered the autopsy suite with Bernie.
“Just a warning, Mumford’s got a medical problem and there’s no cure for it.”
“What’s that?”
“He was born with asshole DNA.”
My big partner’s laughter echoed down the corridor. “I’ve seen that condition before, nothing pretty.”
Ten minutes later, we met with Earl Mumford in his office. He was short and rotund, with dark oily hair. Both his physical characteristics and personality brought Alex Hardy to mind.
“Don’t know why you’re here,” Mumford drawled, working on his teeth with a toothpick. He belched. “Everything’s in the report.”
I drew in a breath and released it slowly. “Anything out of the ordinary we should know about?”
“Like what?”
I glanced at Leo before looking back at the deputy coroner. “Is there anything you can tell us about Hodge’s injuries that might tell us something about our suspect?”
“I’m a scientist, not a cop. You want something more, go out and investigate.”
Leo must have seen me winding up to throw a roundhouse punch and took over. “Based on the way the victim fell on her right side and the angle of the blood spray, it looks to me like her assailant was left handed. What’s your take on that?”
“I’d say it’s possible, but I’d also say it’s speculative. There’s nothing definitive that I can state.”
“I can state something definitive. You’re a donkey’s anus without a brain.”
Of course, I was just fantasizing and I didn’t say it. I did say, “Tell me something. Why did you become a coroner?”
Mumford’s fleshy face contorted. I wasn’t sure if he was trying to smile, had gas, or it was just a physical reaction to me. “I enjoy dissecting people.”
I stood up and tugged on Bernie’s leash. “Why am I not surprised?”
I told Leo I wanted to stop by and see my friend Brie for a moment, so he agreed to take Bernie for a stroll. I found the deputy coroner in her office working on reports. She stood up and hugged me, saying, “What brings you to the house of the dead?”
After taking a seat across from her, I took a moment and told her about our case, how Earl Mumford was the deputy coroner that worked it.
Brie, who was bald from chemotherapy treatments for breast cancer, pushed her glasses up on top of her head and said, “Sorry about that. It sounds like your victim was unlucky, both in life and in death. Mumford personally put the i in idiot.”
I agreed with her, told her about our victim, and said, “Would you have the time to glance through the autopsy report and give me your opinion on whether or not our suspect could be left handed?” I explained about Leo’s theory.
“Not a problem.”
We went on for a minute, chatting about her boyfriend before Brie asked me about how things were going with Hud.
“We’re sort of on hold. I’m actually having dinner tonight with a veterinarian named Noah. He treated Bernie recently when he strained his leg.”
“A vet. Sounds interesting.”
I told her about Noah’s
After examining the pictures, I was frustrated. Referencing the number of subjects in the photos, I said to Leo, “It’s a big haystack.”
Leo looked at Bernstein. “We’ve got a crime analyst and a secretary. Any chance we could send them over and some of your staff could help them identify the people in the photos and their duties here?”
“Not a problem, as long as you both do me one favor.”
Leo smiled. “What’s that?”
“Send an email to your state senator about using tax incentives to save our studios. I won’t go down without a fight.”
Leo put out a big paw and shook the studio owner’s hand. “Consider it done.”
TEN
Leo and I picked up sandwiches and stopped at the coroner’s office on the way to meet Alex at R&I. I knew from the reports that a deputy coroner named Earl Mumford had done the autopsy on Carla Hodge, something that I mentioned to Leo as we entered the autopsy suite with Bernie.
“Just a warning, Mumford’s got a medical problem and there’s no cure for it.”
“What’s that?”
“He was born with asshole DNA.”
My big partner’s laughter echoed down the corridor. “I’ve seen that condition before, nothing pretty.”
Ten minutes later, we met with Earl Mumford in his office. He was short and rotund, with dark oily hair. Both his physical characteristics and personality brought Alex Hardy to mind.
“Don’t know why you’re here,” Mumford drawled, working on his teeth with a toothpick. He belched. “Everything’s in the report.”
I drew in a breath and released it slowly. “Anything out of the ordinary we should know about?”
“Like what?”
I glanced at Leo before looking back at the deputy coroner. “Is there anything you can tell us about Hodge’s injuries that might tell us something about our suspect?”
“I’m a scientist, not a cop. You want something more, go out and investigate.”
Leo must have seen me winding up to throw a roundhouse punch and took over. “Based on the way the victim fell on her right side and the angle of the blood spray, it looks to me like her assailant was left handed. What’s your take on that?”
“I’d say it’s possible, but I’d also say it’s speculative. There’s nothing definitive that I can state.”
“I can state something definitive. You’re a donkey’s anus without a brain.”
Of course, I was just fantasizing and I didn’t say it. I did say, “Tell me something. Why did you become a coroner?”
Mumford’s fleshy face contorted. I wasn’t sure if he was trying to smile, had gas, or it was just a physical reaction to me. “I enjoy dissecting people.”
I stood up and tugged on Bernie’s leash. “Why am I not surprised?”
I told Leo I wanted to stop by and see my friend Brie for a moment, so he agreed to take Bernie for a stroll. I found the deputy coroner in her office working on reports. She stood up and hugged me, saying, “What brings you to the house of the dead?”
After taking a seat across from her, I took a moment and told her about our case, how Earl Mumford was the deputy coroner that worked it.
Brie, who was bald from chemotherapy treatments for breast cancer, pushed her glasses up on top of her head and said, “Sorry about that. It sounds like your victim was unlucky, both in life and in death. Mumford personally put the i in idiot.”
I agreed with her, told her about our victim, and said, “Would you have the time to glance through the autopsy report and give me your opinion on whether or not our suspect could be left handed?” I explained about Leo’s theory.
“Not a problem.”
We went on for a minute, chatting about her boyfriend before Brie asked me about how things were going with Hud.
“We’re sort of on hold. I’m actually having dinner tonight with a veterinarian named Noah. He treated Bernie recently when he strained his leg.”
“A vet. Sounds interesting.”
I told her about Noah’s
Similar Books
