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“But we’re a stone’s throw from Washington D.C., and the mob and politics have gone hand in hand since the dawn of time. If the vic’s from that area it could be politically motivated. Or it could be none of the above.”
“I’ll see if I can find any wounds ante mortem. Maybe he put up a fight. But like I said, at this point it’ll be hard to determine what was caused by fighting and what was caused by the river.”
Colburnsquatted down next to the body but across from me. “We’ve had a lot of rain the last couple of days. The river is moving more than usual. This guy could be from any state that butts up against the Potomac River. I’ve got Lewis checking missing persons just to make sure. If you think he’s been dead at least forty-eight hours then a report should’ve been filed by now. If we can get an ID on him soon we’ll be able to determine if he’s one of ours. If he’s not we’ll have to give him over to another jurisdiction.”
I looked back at the body and stuck my finger into the mouth cavity. “The bullet fractured teeth. It’ll make it harder to get a dental match. And the condition of the skin after sitting in water all this time is going to make retrieving the fingerprints difficult. I’ll work on the identification and then keep him on ice until we know for sure if he’s ours.”
“Anything wash up with him?” Jack asked.
Colburn looked up and down the shoreline to where the circle from the spotlights ended. “Not that we’ve found so far. When daylight hits we’ll comb as far as we can and see what’s what.”
“All right. Let’s bag him up and get him to the lab. It’ll take a little time to get the prints. It’s delicate work. But I should be able to have them to you in a few hours. Maybe sooner now that I have an assistant.”
I looked over at Jack and grinned. Everyone knew Jack was a hell of a cop and there wasn’t much that bothered him. The autopsies didn’t faze him one bit. But I only had one lab, and when I needed to put on my coroner cap I had to do autopsies in the same place where I prepared bodies for burial, and the smell of embalming fluid was enough to send Jack over the edge every time. It was an acquired smell—one I’d been used to since childhood.
Thegreat thing about Jack was that he was also a perverse creature by nature, and just the fact that I’d thrown down the gauntlet would mean he’d feel obligated to accept my challenge in becoming my assistant for the day. I knew Jack as well as he knew me.
Hisface was a tad green, but his smile was sharp and a little bit cocky. “At your service, Doctor Graves.”
CHAPTER THREE
Dawn was just peeking over the horizon by the time we drove back into Bloody Mary, Jack behind the wheel this time.
I’d done a lot of thinkingover the past half-hour in the car, and I knew I was the one who needed to make the change. These were my hang ups. And Jack was right, it was my fear holding us back.
I’d watched a man I’d been intimate with die in front of me. I hadn’t loved him—not the way I’d wanted to—but there’d still been something there. Something inside of me had broken that day, but I knew it would be nothing in comparison if anything ever happened to Jack. I wouldn’t just be broken. I’d be shattered.
The paths we’d chosen kept death in the forefront of our lives—a constant reminder that the time we had on earth was finite—and that the human body was fragile. I could either live with that fear and that reminder swallowing me whole on a daily basis, or I could live the life I’d been given a second chance at with Jack at my side.
“If we got married,” Isaid softly, my gaze turned toward the window so the buildings went by in a blur. “I think I’d want to take your name. If you don’t mind.” My face was hot with embarrassment and I wondered why I’d even brought it up. Hadn’t even known I’d been thinking about it somewhere in my subconscious.
“Oh, yeah?” Jack answered casually, but I knew I had his full attention.
“It’s just that I was thinking the name Graves is not really mine to begin with. They weren’t my parents. We don’t—”
My throat was dry and I would’ve given anything for a glass of water. My voice would never be the same after my incident. The doctors had told me that. And they’d said there would be some days worse than others, when the words wouldn’t come at all.I cleared my throat and tried again.
“We don’t share blood. So it’s not like I’m really holding onto anything of value.”
He reached across and took my hand, squeezing it lightly. “You know I’d be honored for you to take my name. But I want you to do it because it’s what you really want. Not because it’s what you think you should do. And not as a shield to hide who you are. You’re not of their blood, and I’m damned happy about that if you want to know the truth. But you’ve made your name what it is, Jaye. Not them. They had nothing to do with it. Just remember that when you’re signing on the dotted line.”
“My first name is stupid,” I blurted out. I figured if I was going to embarrass myself I should go ahead and get it all out of the way. “I just wanted you to know that because you’ll probably see it on an official document. If we get married, I mean.”
“I’m glad that you can talk about getting married to me now without looking like you’re going to throw up. We’re making progress. And I’m assuming all this talk of marriage means that you’re in agreement to doing it sooner rather than later?”
I chewed at my bottom lip and realized how stiff I was when my shoulders started to hurt. I took a deep breath and relaxed. I loved Jack. I knew that would never change. It was time for me to make a decision and commit instead of worrying about what might happen. And it was time I stopped letting the actions of my parents dictate the rest of my life. I’d tell Jack about my father, we’d deal with the body and the papers, and then we’d get married. As long as he was in my life I could deal with anything else.
“Yeah.” I finally turned in my seat until I was facing him. We came to a stoplight and he looked at me—his eyes filled with a little bit of laughter and a lifetime of love. “I’m ready whenever you are.”
His sensual lips curved upward and I felt the slow burn of arousal roll through my body. I wondered if it would ever get old—looking at the sheer maleness of him and feeling my bones turn liquid and my heart flip in my chest.
“And just so there are no surprises,” he said. “I’ve known your real name since we were infifth grade. I’ve been holding back the information for a potential blackmail opportunity.”
My mouth dropped open in surprise and I felt the flush of embarrassment creep up my neck and cheeks.“All this time and you never said anything?”
“I’ve thought about it many times over the years. I came really close to using it once or twice, but I could never get it to come out. The name doesn’t fit you.”
I sunk down in the seat a bit and crossed my arms over my chest. “Well thank God for that. What kind of respectable doctor is named Jericho? And what the hell were my parents thinking? It’s like they stole me just so they could make my life miserable. What kind of people do that?”
