lid from the container
when Tom returned. His expression was sour.
'Don't bother. Dan doesn't want us to touch the body for the time
being. Apparently Alex Irving wants to look at it in situ!
'What for?' I could understand why the profiler had wanted to
view the first victim's body in the cabin, but this one was laid out in
a coffin. I couldn't see what he hoped to learn from it that he
couldn't get from photographs.
'Who knows?' Frustrated, Tom blew out a breath. 'Hicks and
Irving in one morning. Lord, this is shaping up to be one hell of a
day. And you didn't hear me say that, Kyle.'
The morgue assistant smiled. 'No, sir. Anything else I can do?'
'Not right now. I'll give you a call when Irving gets here. I'm
assured he won't be long.'
But we should have known that Irving wasn't the type to worry
over keeping anyone waiting. Half an hour, then an hour, went by,
and still he hadn't graced us with his presence. Tom and I occupied
ourselves in rinsing and drying the remains from the cabin that had
been left in detergent overnight. It was nearly two hours before the
profiler sauntered into the autopsy suite without knocking. He was
wearing an expensive suede jacket over a plain black shirt, his beard
little more than a dark shading on the well-fleshed cheeks and
softening jaw line.
A girl was with him, pretty and no older than nineteen or twenty.
She hung close behind him, as though for protection.
He bestowed an insincere smile upon us. 'Dr Lieberman, Dr . . .'
He made do with a vague nod in my direction. T expect Dan
Gardner told you I was coming.'
Tom didn't return the smile. 'Yes, he did. He also said you'd be
here soon.'
Irving raised his hands in mock surrender, giving what I imagine
he thought was a disarming grin. 'Mea culpa. I was about to prerecord
a TV interview when Gardner phoned, and it ran late. You
know how these things are.'
Tom's face said he knew very well. He looked pointedly at the
girl. 'And this is. . . ?'
Irving put a proprietorial hand on the girl's shoulder. 'This is, ah,
Stacie. One of my students. She's writing a dissertation on my work.'
'That must be fascinating,'Tom said.'But I'm afraid she'll have to
wait outside.'
The profiler waved a hand, airily dismissing the notion. 'That's
OK. I've warned her what to expect.'
'Even so, I'll have to insist.'
The smile became set as Irving locked gazes with Tom. 'I told her
she could come with me.'
'Then you shouldn't have. This is a morgue, not a lecture theatre.
I'm sorry,'Tom added more gently to the girl.
Irving stared at him for a moment, then gave the girl a regretful
smile. 'Looks like I've been overruled, Stacie.You'll have to wait back
at the car.'
She hurried out, head bowed with embarrassment. I felt sorry for
her, but Irving should have known better than to bring her without
first asking Tom. The profiler's smile vanished as soon as the door had
closed behind her.
'She's one of my best students. If I'd thought she might embarrass
me I wouldn't have brought her along.'
'I'm sure you wouldn't, but that wasn't your decision to make.'
Tom's tone ended the discussion. 'David, would you mind bringing
Kyle to the radiology suite, please? I'll show Dr Irving where the
changing room is.'
'That won't be necessary. I've no intention of touching anything.'
The profiler's manner had ice on it now.
'Maybe not, but we're pernickety about things like that. Besides,
I'd hate you to get your jacket stained.'
Irving glanced down at his expensive suede jacket. 'Oh. Well,
perhaps you're right.'
Tom gave me a quick smile as I went out. By the time I'd found
Kyle he and Irving were already in the radiography room, standing
in silence on opposite sides of the aluminium box containing the
casket.
Irving had put on a lab coat over his clothes. He wore a pained
expression, massaging either side of his nose with a gloved thumb
and forefinger as Kyle and I began to lift the container's lid.
'I hope this
when Tom returned. His expression was sour.
'Don't bother. Dan doesn't want us to touch the body for the time
being. Apparently Alex Irving wants to look at it in situ!
'What for?' I could understand why the profiler had wanted to
view the first victim's body in the cabin, but this one was laid out in
a coffin. I couldn't see what he hoped to learn from it that he
couldn't get from photographs.
'Who knows?' Frustrated, Tom blew out a breath. 'Hicks and
Irving in one morning. Lord, this is shaping up to be one hell of a
day. And you didn't hear me say that, Kyle.'
The morgue assistant smiled. 'No, sir. Anything else I can do?'
'Not right now. I'll give you a call when Irving gets here. I'm
assured he won't be long.'
But we should have known that Irving wasn't the type to worry
over keeping anyone waiting. Half an hour, then an hour, went by,
and still he hadn't graced us with his presence. Tom and I occupied
ourselves in rinsing and drying the remains from the cabin that had
been left in detergent overnight. It was nearly two hours before the
profiler sauntered into the autopsy suite without knocking. He was
wearing an expensive suede jacket over a plain black shirt, his beard
little more than a dark shading on the well-fleshed cheeks and
softening jaw line.
A girl was with him, pretty and no older than nineteen or twenty.
She hung close behind him, as though for protection.
He bestowed an insincere smile upon us. 'Dr Lieberman, Dr . . .'
He made do with a vague nod in my direction. T expect Dan
Gardner told you I was coming.'
Tom didn't return the smile. 'Yes, he did. He also said you'd be
here soon.'
Irving raised his hands in mock surrender, giving what I imagine
he thought was a disarming grin. 'Mea culpa. I was about to prerecord
a TV interview when Gardner phoned, and it ran late. You
know how these things are.'
Tom's face said he knew very well. He looked pointedly at the
girl. 'And this is. . . ?'
Irving put a proprietorial hand on the girl's shoulder. 'This is, ah,
Stacie. One of my students. She's writing a dissertation on my work.'
'That must be fascinating,'Tom said.'But I'm afraid she'll have to
wait outside.'
The profiler waved a hand, airily dismissing the notion. 'That's
OK. I've warned her what to expect.'
'Even so, I'll have to insist.'
The smile became set as Irving locked gazes with Tom. 'I told her
she could come with me.'
'Then you shouldn't have. This is a morgue, not a lecture theatre.
I'm sorry,'Tom added more gently to the girl.
Irving stared at him for a moment, then gave the girl a regretful
smile. 'Looks like I've been overruled, Stacie.You'll have to wait back
at the car.'
She hurried out, head bowed with embarrassment. I felt sorry for
her, but Irving should have known better than to bring her without
first asking Tom. The profiler's smile vanished as soon as the door had
closed behind her.
'She's one of my best students. If I'd thought she might embarrass
me I wouldn't have brought her along.'
'I'm sure you wouldn't, but that wasn't your decision to make.'
Tom's tone ended the discussion. 'David, would you mind bringing
Kyle to the radiology suite, please? I'll show Dr Irving where the
changing room is.'
'That won't be necessary. I've no intention of touching anything.'
The profiler's manner had ice on it now.
'Maybe not, but we're pernickety about things like that. Besides,
I'd hate you to get your jacket stained.'
Irving glanced down at his expensive suede jacket. 'Oh. Well,
perhaps you're right.'
Tom gave me a quick smile as I went out. By the time I'd found
Kyle he and Irving were already in the radiography room, standing
in silence on opposite sides of the aluminium box containing the
casket.
Irving had put on a lab coat over his clothes. He wore a pained
expression, massaging either side of his nose with a gloved thumb
and forefinger as Kyle and I began to lift the container's lid.
'I hope this
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