I grinned at Constance. “I love the name Coco.”
Constance narrowed her eyes at me, shooting me a look that promised retaliation.
“How much longer?” Wendy asked. “I’m starving.”
I checked the bag of blood before saying, “Probably at least another forty-five minutes.”
Wendy looked at her mother. “Can you go get us food?”
“Us?” Constance asked.
“Me and him.” Wendy gestured to me. “We like macaroni, wavy classic Lay’s chips, and sandwiches.”
I fought a smile. “It’s not even dinnertime yet, baby. It’s barely even three o’clock.”
“Maybe a snack then?” Wendy begged with those little cow eyes of hers.
Constance sighed. “I guess. Do you want a snack?”
“I wouldn’t say no to a snack,” I said, not able to help myself.
She was going to murder me.
“Are you okay with me leaving her here?”
I shrugged. “It’s not like I’m doing anything.”
Well, I could be catching up on my missed sleep, but staying up was probably the better plan. I needed to get back on a usual sleep cycle.
I’d been up through the night twice now dealing with autopsies during the night so I could also go to jury duty during the day.
Constance sighed and stood up, looking reluctantly between her daughter and me before saying, “Fine. I’ll go get everyone a snack.”
She headed for the door with her purse.
“Bye, Coco,” I called out to her. “We’ll be here when you get back.”
Constance narrowed her eyes. “Bye, Thickums.”
“Thickums?”
“You know, because you’re thick?” She batted her eyes. “Pair that with snookums and you get Thickums.”
My right eye twitched. “Go make me a sandwich.”
She flipped me off and left, glancing one last time at Wendy as she did.
Wendy waited until her mom left before saying, “I thought she would never leave. Show me your dead bodies, Thickums!”
“You’re a handful, aren’t you, Wendy?” I asked.
“Aren’t most girls?” She batted her eyes at me.
“Are you sure you’re five and not twenty-five?” I wondered.
She shrugged. “Mommy says that I’m a teenager in a child’s body.”
“You might be,” I said. “We can’t look at any dead bodies. But you can walk around with me if you promise to be really careful.”
