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“Others?”
“Abraham isn’t the only one who’s died around here since the storm.”
“You want an autopsy on every one of them?”
“Yep.”
“Some of them were buried already.”
“Dig them up.”
“Grace—”
“Do it, Doc.”
I only hoped they were still there.
* * *
I headed straight for Claire’s office. She needed to know what we were up against. Too bad I didn’t.
On a typical day there would be several constituents sitting in the waiting area, vying for a moment of her time. Today there weren’t any, which should have struck me as strange, but I was on a mission.
“Grace!” Claire’s assistant, Joyce Flaherty, jumped between me and the office door. “She’s in a meeting.”
“Not anymore.” I moved to the right. So did Joyce.
I narrowed my eyes, trying to decide if I could take her. Probably not. Joyce was at least six feet tall and built like the lumberjack her father had been. Though her hair was as dark as the day she’d been born, most estimates put her between prehistoric and antique.
She’d been a high school phys ed teacher before she’d become assistant to the mayor, Claire’s father. Joyce had mothered both Claire and me for most of our lives, and she wasn’t about to start taking shit off of either one of us now.
“It’s an emergency.” I moved to the left.
So did Joyce. “Can’t it wait?”
“What is it about ‘emergency’ that you don’t understand?”
“Do you really want to be sarcastic with me, Grace?” she said with deceptive gentleness.
I gulped. “No, ma’am.”
“I didn’t think so. Now sit down and wait until Claire’s done.”
I turned away. Joyce went to her desk; I turned back and opened the office door. Then I shut it again. I should have caught a cl
ue when I noticed that all the shades on the outer windows were drawn.
“Told you so,” Joyce murmured with gleeful satisfaction.
“My eyes.” I shaded them with my palm. “I’ve been struck blind.”
“Karma.” Joyce began to hit the keys on her computer in a rat-a-tat-tat rhythm that only made my brand-new headache worse.
The door to Claire’s office opened. She scowled as she buttoned her blouse and motioned me inside.
“You missed one.” I pointed to a gaping hole in the center of her chest, which revealed she’d forgotten to put on her bra. Or maybe she’d just lost it.
I used one finger to lift the lacy white garment from under the visitor’s chair. Claire snatched it out of my hand and shoved it into a drawer.
