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He saw , Carl Helluva way to spend a Sunday"

"Busy week The fridge is full" The way he said it

"Where’s Doc?"

"Traffic On his way" He pushed the stretcher up against the metal table that was locked into place at the sink "Gonna cut the Roths today," he continued as he s "The councilman will probably be tomorrow"

I felt ale froue tech I also couldn’t help but feel a twinge of disappoint all three while I was here, though I knew that I was being selfishly unrealistic, especially since it was a Sunday But I really wanted to find so that could point me to an answer as to why both had no essence left Doc had a shitload of experience, having worked in Las Vegas and Houston before taking the job with St Long Parish, and I had a lot of faith in his opinion

Oh, well Nothing to do but be patient "You, uh, need any help?" I asked Carl

He lifted his head to look at me as if he’d never really seen aze was creepy or not

The faintest whisper of what ht have been a smile shimmered on his face, then he nodded toward a side table "Gloves and smocks there"

I turned to the table, forcing rimace I’d offered to help more out of courtesy than a desire to handle bodies, but I couldn’t back out now I found a s it at the waist the way I’d seen Doc and Carl do it, then snagged gloves out of the box ed the the body of Carol Roth The scarf was still wound around her throat, da in the cooler, the dark-red fabric stark against the waxy pallor of her skin Now that the blood had settled and lividity was fixed, I could see faint ligature e play before the asphyxia, or was there more to it? And, to my relief, I could still feel the faintest hum of essence about her I kneouldn’t be there for loved finger, confir for myself that she felt "normal"

"Stupid way to die," Carlme with the conversation Or maybe I’d formed an opinion of him as emotionless and dour because I’d never really had a chance to talk to hiree," I replied I couldn’t see how the risk of death could be worth the erotic thrill

He moved to the other side of the rabbed the body by the ar to slide her into position "She was an easy one," he said, straightening her limbs on the table

I frowned, Jill’s coback to me "Youon her legs, and looked up at ht and how siet her onto the table It’s not as pretty when it’s soht Sorry"

He kept looking at hs "But it’s funny you should say that"

"What, that she slept around?"

He made a small motion with his head that I was fairly certain was a nod "She had a reputation"

Now, that added a new di on Brian?"

"I don’t know that She’d been ht her with one of the other lawyers orked in his firm Divorced her"

So ed througha lot of hope on as--at the ossip about Carol, but I also knew there’d be plenty of other people in the department who’d feel the same way if Brian’s na Carl in an entirely new light "How do you know all this?"

The faint sain "Most people don’t like the work I do, so they diset I’h "You must have dirt on everyone"

The ss about a lot of people"

It ed shut and we both looked up as Dr Jonathan Lanza walked in He dumped his keys and phone on the desk in the outer office and then continued in to the cutting roo stride

"Morning, Kara, Carl," Dr Lanza said, yanking protective gear on as he moved to the table He peered at one of Carol’s wrists, then shook his head as his gaze traveled over the rest of the body "God knows I’ve seen stupider ways to die, but this sure isn’t a way I’d want to go" He shook his head "It’s definitely a ho the word, "but I’one-bad scenario The ligature le, though I’ll run a full tox screen to ent hoo I just tell you guys how she died" Then he gave a sh "Not that itan open aze shifted toout Keep this up and I ht hire you away from the PD"

I wrinkled my nose "No thanks, Doc This one’s fine, but if this had been a week-old decohed "Oh, so that’s how it is?"