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I finished up the biscuit and hot chocolate, and followed Derrel into the condo with the stretcher and body bag

There was no cri--only a deputy at the door who directed us toward a bedroom in the back I left the stretcher in the foyer and followed Derrel with the bag

We were in a condo on the south end of Tucker Point in a coh end" Through the bedrooer River, and I’d seen on our way up that the bottom floor of this condo had a ay that led to a private dock where a modest-sized boat was parked The condo had all of the modern touches--stainless steel appliances, wood floors, marble counters The furniture in the bedroo dark oak--unlike the thrift-store variety selection in old brocade and looked expensive as hell, though right noas stained with vo-and-bacon-biscuit vomit at least

The source of the vomit lay sprawled on her side, eyes half-lidded and dulled by death She looked fairly young--maybe mid to late twenties or so Pretty and slender, she had shoulder-length brown hair subtly highlighted with red and blonde, tendrils of which snaked through the congealing ered on her mouth, and I could see the re a pink tank top and panties that looked like they came from Victoria’s Secret instead of Walmart, and her nails were nicely done with a French manicure I could see flecks of pills in the puke, and about half a dozen baggies containing ure out how she’d died

"Theresa Anderson Twenty-nine years old," Derrel ri the dreah"

"Depends on how you define ‘the dream,’ " he replied absently

Snorting, I casually poked through a pile of papers and file folders on the nightstand "What, you ed "I aze around the roo rocks"

I expected Derrel to argue the point with et overwhelht nod while he scrawled notes "It’s a waste," he said reat place to live" I scowled down at the papers Legal briefs, letters Nothing terribly o to me "Looks like she was some sort of hotshot lawyer I bet there was never any question about her going to college"

Derrel made a noncommittal noise in his throat while he peered at the body

I h the thin layer of dust A reed diffuser gave off a pleasant flowery scent that mixed oddly with the smell of puke There were more law books here A few books with lofty titles that sounded like they’d been featured on Oprah or soht-hearted "Maybe she couldn’t handle the pressure," I said with a shrug, then sighed "I dunno I’ outhis eyes from his clipboard "Cops didn’t find a note, but that doesn’tMost suicides don’t leave notes And Dr Leblanc is usually reluctant to rule it a suicide unless there’s a fair aet ruled an accidental overdose" He shook his head "Likely started out small--the occasional anxiety h her classes Then it grew from there until she was dependent on it"

I fell silent at that, and ely as the two of us wrestled her into the body bag That theory hit a little too close to ho found in a sih s But it felt strange seeing that regular, upscale people went through shit like this as well I ical level, but so abuse and overdose was liment of the population

I s that being in the loser seg to do with incoed up the various pills, then helped me maneuver the stretcher out of the condo and into the van I wonder if she bought her pills froh I knew there was a heftytothe back doors of the van He made some notes on his pad and then looked up atthere’s room in there for more than one body"

The second body of the day was at the other end of the parish, in an apartment at the opposite end of the economic spectrum from Ms Anderson’s luxury condo