Finn-Agled by Kristine Raymond

Author:Kristine Raymond [Raymond, Kristine]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Romance, Historical, Western
Publisher: Kristine Raymond
Published: 2019-08-16T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter Seven

“Meet me at the morgue.”

Five words no one wants to hear when suffering the effects of one – okay, three – too many melon-rum concoctions, much less at 6:17 a.m. while in the midst of a particularly salacious, toe-curling dream. Burrowing deeper under the covers, I grumbled, “And why would I want to do that?”

Apparently, Zara was in no mood to banter because she barked, “Just get down here,” ending the call before I could reply. Whatever she’s working on must be important for her to be so snappy. Wait a minute, did she say the morgue? You don’t think…?

Names of family, friends – Spencer – ran like movie credits through my brain as I threw on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. Speeding through non-existent traffic, I was near tears and hyperventilating by the time Port New General came into view. Lance’s tires squealed as I sped into the lower level parking garage – three mile per hour speed limit, be damned! Sprinting through the barely open door, I skidded to a halt in front of Duley, who was waiting for me in the hall.

“Who is it?” I wheezed, my sides doing their best imitation of a bellows. “Is it Mom? Dad? Grandpa? Oh, God, not Grandma Lena!”

Duley’s massive mitt landed on my shoulder with a thud. “No, no. Nothing like that. Calm down, Finn. Take a breath and get ahold of yourself.” Though speaking in his most comforting tone, he came across like a drill sergeant barking orders.

“Geez, Duley, scare a girl much? What was I supposed to think being summoned down here at this hour?”

“Sorry.” He sounded anything but.

My heart catapulting around in my chest, it took a full sixty-three seconds for me to compose myself. “Okay, I’m ready now for whatever this is.”

Steering me through a set of double doors, Duley stepped to one side once we cleared the entryway. Brrr. No wonder they call it the cooler. Years of watching medical and forensic dramas on T.V. had prepared me for the rows of stainless-steel refrigerated units lining one wall and the drain in the concrete floor. The odor; not so much.

Do not throw up. Do not throw up.

My mantra of late. Taking in my surroundings, I zeroed in on the person responsible for my frazzled state. “You rang?”

Zara was standing next to a sheet-draped body – well, given the room we’re in, I assume it’s a body – and motioned me over. “Thanks for coming.”

“Like I had a choice.” We both knew I didn’t. “Okay, so why’d you drag me down here? I mean, Duley assured me it’s no one I know, so…oh my God! Did you lie so you wouldn’t have to deal with my meltdown?”

“That’s not why you’re here,” Zara intervened before her partner ended up with whiplash from whipping his head side to side. Folding down the sheet covering the corpse’s face, she motioned me over. “Just take a look, would you? Do you recognize her?”

My face screwed up as tightly as humanly possible, I squinted down at the body, seeing nothing but a blur.

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