Yeah, that doesn’t work for me.
Once we’ve finished the external exam, it’s time for the autopsy, and that is where we get our answer. April opens him up and finds inflammation in his esophagus and stomach, along with hemorrhaging in his stomach lining.
“Poison,” I say. “He was poisoned.”
Rory wakes up shortly after that, and while I can’t imagine she’d realize she’s in the room with an autopsied body, I still don’t want her there. With apologies to April, I leave the cleanup in her hands and take Rory. I’m halfway home when Dalton meets me.
“I rested,” he says in greeting. “I figured I’d come see if this little one was up.”
“She is, and your timing is perfect. We finished the autopsy, and I had an excuse to leave the cleanup to April.”
“You want me to grab lunch and meet you at home? Presuming you can eat after that.”
“I can always eat. Sure, I’ll see you there and give you the results.”
“Any hints?”
“Well, it wasn’t natural causes.”
He shakes his head. “Fuck.”
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
“Poison?” Dalton says as we eat lunch with Rory at the chalet.
“Yep.”
“What kind?”
I shrug. “There are a few possibilities. April will run tests, but it really only matters if he was poisoned by something we have access to here.”
“Because if so, then the killer could be one of us. Except we’re pretty sure it was Gretchen, right?” He lifts a dollop of mashed potato to Rory’s lips, and she nearly takes off the finger with it. “Ouch!”
“Don’t forget she has teeth now.”
He shakes his finger. “No kidding.” He gives her another piece… on a spoon. “If it’s Gretchen, though, how the hell is she poisoninganyoneup here?”
“She’d have brought it with her. Premeditated. Let’s say the three of them are on some sort of mission. Targeting Haven’s Rock or the mining camp. They get what they need, and then her orders are to kill her colleagues. It’s way too James Bond forme, but if we’re talking spies and assassinations, poison makes sense.”
“And presumably something went wrong with Blake. The poison didn’t work.”
“Or Blake was in on killing the other guy. Helps her bury him, and then it’s his turn to die.”
I take Rory from his lap and put her on the floor. She grumbles… and then spots Storm and starts to crawl, crowing with delight.
“That’s the problem with criminals, including spies,” I say. “They can see one of their own being taken out and never think they’re next.”
“So Gretchen and Blake poison and bury our dead guy. Then they meet up with us, give their story, and the next morning, Gretchen kills Blake.”
I nod. “Or vice versa. The other guy killed Blake and hauled him off, and then Gretchen poisonshim. April’s time of death estimate puts it anywhere between two and four days ago.”
“Where does this leave us?”
“Really hoping Gretchen is long gone? If she’s some kind of operative she knows what she’s doing and no one will come looking for her partners.”
“Fuck.” He shakes his head. “Yeah, I guess that’s where we’re at. Lock down for a few more days. Give her plenty of time to go.”
“But while that clears up the immediate issue, it doesn’t solve the bigger one.”
