Little Girl Blue, a Seth and Ava Mystery by Claudia Hall Christian

Author:Claudia Hall Christian [Christian, Claudia Hall]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Cook Street Publishing [email protected]
Published: 2019-06-03T16:00:00+00:00

Ten

Ava stood in the doorway until the Coroner looked up. She grinned at Ava.

“Ava!” the Coroner said. “Good to see you.”

“Nice to see you,” Ava said. “Did you hear about our find in Chivington?”

“I heard about both finds,” the Coroner said. “Dr. Quincy allowed me to do the autopsy of the children.”

The Coroner gave a sad shake of her head.

“Smoke inhalation?” Ava asked.

“The infant was suffocated. It looked to me like . . .” The Coroner held her hands, one on top of the other, as if she was clutching something to her chest. She gave Ava a sad sigh. “I suppose it was for the best. Poor dears.”

Ava nodded.

“Thanks for giving us space here,” Ava said.

“Oh, yes — thank me for having a world-famous medical examiner here,” the Coroner said with a laugh. “I am generous.”

Ava smiled.

“Anything new on our young woman?” Ava asked.

“Not from me,” the Coroner said. “Dr. Quincy was reviewing the remains.”

“Is that okay?” Ava started.

“Ava.” The Coroner looked Ava in the eye. “I am thrilled to have her here.”

The Coroner gave Ava a thoughtful look.

“Are you?” the Coroner asked.

“Me?” Ava asked. “Thrilled. Absolutely. It’s like the answer to an unspoken prayer. Heidi is excellent, and certainly Denver is not lacking in expert archaeological help. But there are few people with Dr. Quincy’s forensic experience.”

The Coroner continued to look at Ava in the same searching way.

“Why are you asking?” Ava asked.

“Oh . . .” the Coroner looked away. “It’s . . .”

“O’Malley,” the women said in unison.

Ava nodded.

“What do you know?” Ava asked.

“Just that he and Dr. Quincy have history,” the Coroner said. She raised her hands as if in acquiescence. “You have to ask him.”

Ava grinned at the Coroner.

“What?” the Coroner asked.

“I don’t care what my husband did or who he was with in the past,” Ava said with a grin. “I only care about who he’s with now. For now, at least, he’s with me. And I’m grateful.”

The Coroner gave Ava a relieved look.

“Seth has great taste in women,” Ava said. “If he and Dr. Quincy had something, I say ‘Good for them.’”

“You didn’t know?” the Coroner asked.

“I assumed,” Ava said. “Dr. Quincy knows Maresol.”

Ava shrugged.

“My husband is such a brilliant, generous, and wonderful human being,” Ava said. “I assume everyone wants to be with him as much as I do.”

The Coroner gave a slow shake of her head.

“He’s lucky to have you,” the Coroner said. “I don’t think that I could do it.”

“Middle child,” Ava said, pointing to herself.

“Eldest,” the Coroner said.

“See!” Ava said with a laugh. “Seth’s a middle child, too.”

“So, you understand each other,” the Coroner said.

“I understand him as much as anyone can understand someone like him,” Ava said. “The rest is all part of the adventure.”

“Well said,” the Coroner said. “What do you need from me?”

“Sounds like you’ve done it,” Ava said.

“What are you going to do with those . . . historic remains?” the Coroner asked.

“I don’t know,” Ava said. “Any ideas?”

“I guess. Well . . .” The Coroner nodded.

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