"Will found her." Faith paused a moment, as if to draw out the information. "This isn't for public consumption, but she snapped her neck when she fell from a tree."
Sara frowned. "What was she doing in a tree?"
Will took over the story. "She was waiting for us to find her. Apparently, we didn't get there quickly enough."
"You have no way of knowing how long she was in the tree," Sara told him. "Time of death isn't an exact science."
"Her blood was warm," he returned, feeling that same darkness come as he thought about the hot liquid hitting the back of his neck.
"There are other reasons the blood might still be warm. If she was in a tree, then the leaves could've acted as an insulation from the cold. She could've been medicated by her abductor. Several pharmaceuticals can raise the body's core temperature and keep it high even after death."
He countered, "The blood hadn't had time to clot."
"Something as simple as a couple of aspirin could keep it from-coagulating."
Faith provided, "Jackie had a large bottle of aspirin by her bed. It was half empty."
Will was unconvinced, but Sara had moved on. She asked Faith, "Is Pete Hanson still the coroner for this region?"
"You know Pete?"
"He's a good ME. I did a couple of courses with him when I first got elected."
Will had forgotten that in small towns, the medical examiner's job was an elected position. He couldn't picture Sara's face on a yard sign.
Faith said, "We were actually about to head over there for the autopsy on the second victim."
Sara seemed to take on an air of uncertainty. "Today's my day off."
"Well," Faith began, again drawing out the moment. "I hope you enjoy your day." She said it as a parting shot, but didn't make a move to leave.
Will noticed that the hallway had gone quiet enough to hear the clacking of high heels on the tiles behind him. Amanda Wagner walked briskly toward them. She looked well-rested despite the fact that she had stayed out in the forest as late as Will. Her hair was in its usual unmoving helmet and her pantsuit was a muted dark purple.
As usual, she jumped right into the middle of things. "The bloody fingerprint on Jacquelyn Zabel's Florida driver's license belongs to our first victim. Are you still calling her Anna?" She didn't give them time to answer. "Is this grocery store abduction related to our case?"
Will told her, "It could be. The mother was abducted around five-thirty this morning. The kid, Felix, was found sleeping in his mother's car. We've got a sketchy description from him, but he's only six years old. The Atlanta Police are cooperating. As far as I know, they haven't asked for help."
"Who's on point?"
"Leo Donnelly."
"Worthless," Amanda grumbled. "We'll let him keep his case for the time being, but I want a very tight leash on him. Let Atlanta do the footwork and pay for the forensics, but if he starts to screw things up, yank him off."
Faith said, "He's not going to like that."
"Do I look like I give a damn?" She didn't wait for a response. "Our friends in Rockdale County apparently have some regrets about turning over their case," she informed them. "I've called a press conference outside in five minutes and I want you and Faith flanking me, looking reassuring as I explain to the public at large that their kidneys are safe from the hands of vicious organ harvesters." She held out her hand to Sara. "Dr. Linton, I suppose it's not a stretch to say we're meeting under better circumstances this time around."
Sara shook her hand. "For me, at least."
"It was a moving service. A fitting tribute to a great officer."
"Oh . . ." Sara's voice trailed off, confused. Tears welled into her eyes. "I didn't realize you were . . ." She cleared her throat, and tried to collect herself. "That day is still a blur for me."
Amanda gave her a close look of appraisal, and her tone was surprisingly soft when she asked, "How long has it been?"
"Three and a half years."
"I heard about what happened at Coastal." Amanda was still holding Sara's hand, and Will could see her give the woman a reassuring squeeze. "We take care of our own."
Sara wiped her eyes, glancing at Faith as if she felt foolish. "I was actually about to offer my services to your agents."
Will saw Faith's mouth open, then close just as quickly.
Amanda said, "Go on."
"I worked on the first victim—Anna. I didn't have the opportunity to do a full exam, but I had time with her. Pete Hanson is one of the finest medical examiners I've ever met, but if you want me to sit in on the autopsy of the second victim, I might be able to offer a perspective on the differences and similarities between the two."
Amanda didn't waste time thinking over the decision. "I'll take you up on that offer," she said. "Faith, Will, come with me. Dr. Linton, my agents will meet you at City Hall East in an hour." When no one moved, she clapped her hands. "Let's go." She was halfway down the hall before Faith and Will found it in themselves to follow.
Will walked behind Amanda, keeping his stride short so he wouldn't run her over. She walked fast for such a small woman, but his height always made him feel a bit like the Green Giant as he tried to keep a respectful distance. Looking down at the back of her head, he wondered whether their killer worked for a woman like Amanda. Will could see where a different kind of man might feel outright hatred instead of the mix of exasperation with a dash of burning desire to please that Will felt toward the older woman.
Faith put her hand on his arm, pulling him back. "Can you believe that?"
"Believe what?"
"Sara elbowing in on our autopsy."
"She had a point about seeing both victims."
"You saw both victims."
"I'm not a coroner."
"Neither is she," Faith shot back. "She's not even a real doctor. She's a pediatrician. And what the hell was Amanda talking about at Coastal?"
Will was curious about what had happened at Coastal State Prison, too, but mostly he wondered why Faith was so angry about it all.
Amanda called over her shoulder, "You're to take any and all help Sara Linton is willing to offer." She had obviously heard them whispering. "Her husband was one of the finest cops in this state, and I'd stake any investigation on Sara's medical skills."
Faith didn't bother hiding her curiosity. "What happened to him?"
"Line of duty," was all Amanda would say. "How are you doing after your tumble, Faith?"
Faith sounded unusually chipper. "Perfect."
"Doctor cleared you?"
She got even chippier. "One hundred percent."
"We're going to have a talk about that." Amanda waved the security guards away as they entered the lobby, telling Faith, "I've got a meeting after this with the mayor, but I'll expect you in my office by the end of the day."
"Yes, ma'am."
Will wondered if he was turning more stupid by the minute or if the women in his life were just getting more obtuse. Now was not the time to figure it out, though. He reached ahead of Amanda and opened the glass entrance door. There was a podium outside, a small carpet behind it for Amanda to stand on. Will took his usual spot to the side, safe in the knowledge that the cameras would capture his chest and maybe the knot in his tie as they went in for the tight focus on Amanda. Faith obviously knew she would not be as lucky, and she perfected a scowl as she stood behind her boss.