while she continued to read. Eventually she arched an eyebrow and said, “Hmmm.”
Ben pressed, “And hmmm means?”
“Another layer to your complication, Detective,” she replied. After a brief pause, she looked up at me. “Among the evidence recovered was one of your business cards, Mister Gant. Apparently it was lodged in the victim’s mouth.”
Given that the first victim had been tagged with Felicity’s business card, I can’t say that this bit of news surprised me all that much. However, the fact that it was my card and not hers was definitely somewhat unexpected.
“Great,” I mumbled.
“And,” she continued, glancing briefly back at the page. “According to this, it seems that ‘welcome home little man’ was written on the back of it. Does that mean something to you?”
“Unfortunately, yes. I’m afraid it does.”
Doctor Kingston lowered the clipboard then pushed her glasses back down to the end of her nose and stared at all of us expectantly. “And you say you have another body downtown, Detective?”
“Yeah Doc, it’s a serial.”
“And the business card?”
Felicity piped up, “That time it was mine, actually.”
“Like I said, Doc,” Ben told her. “Complicated.”
“I’m not entirely certain that’s a strong enough word, Detective,” she replied.
“Yeah…” he agreed. “You got a better one?”
“Not one that I wish to use in mixed company.”
Ben nodded. “Uh-huh. That was my first choice, actually.”
“From you, I’m not surprised.”
“Sorry I’m late, Doctor Kingston,” a new voice joined the conversation as a harried young woman juggling her purse and a lunch tote shot past us. “Traffic on one-seventy was horrible this morning.”
“That’s okay, Krystal,” the doctor replied. “But now that you’re here, I have some things to take care of in the back.”
“Okay,” she replied as she tucked her belongings beneath the counter. Glancing at us, she smiled and said, “Good morning.”
“It’s been quiet so far,” Kingston told the receptionist as she vacated her chair. “But do me a favor and hold my calls for the next hour or so, okay?” She shot us a quick glance and added, “I have a feeling I’m going to be busy for a while.”
“No problem.”
Still clutching the latte, the doctor re-addressed herself to Ben as she snatched the pastry-filled bag from the countertop. Giving her head an animated nod toward the doorway where the receptionist had gone through to slip around behind the counter, she said, “Why don’t the three of you come back here and try to un-complicate this situation for me.” Holding up the bag while she turned, she added, “And fair warning. I’m eating this while I listen, and I don’t share my apple fritter with anybody.”
We were gathered in Doctor Kingston’s office with the door closed. She was seated behind her desk and, as promised, working very hard at making a portion of the huge pastry Ben had supplied to her disappear. Felicity and I were on the opposite side of the workspace, parked next to one another in a pair of moderately comfortable but still patently institutional-style chairs. Ben, on the other hand, was standing off to one side, in a not-quite-relaxed posture, with his back firmly against the wall so that he could see the entire room, including the door.
My friend had taken up his usual sentry-like position once the rest of us had settled in. He did this most everywhere, but I especially noticed it whenever he was at a morgue. I’d once asked him about the peculiar habit, and he had simply grinned and said, “Don’tcha ever watch zombie movies, white man?”
I knew the answer was intended as a joke; or at least, I assumed it was. Still, I suppose I couldn’t really blame him if it wasn’t. After all, his unofficial partner was a Witch who talks to the dead-or used to, anyway. In his mind, I doubt zombies were much of a stretch.
“All right, Detective Storm, let’s hear it,” Kingston said, focusing her attention squarely on him as she swiveled her chair his direction then leaned back with a piece of apple fritter between her fingers.
“Like I said,” Ben replied, executing a one-shouldered shrug in the process. “We just need ta’ have a look at the body.”
She nodded. “Okay. Why?”
“Part of the ongoing investigation.”
“Detective, I think we can all agree that’s fairly obvious. After all, it’s what we do,” she replied. “And before we waste any more time, you’ve already told me that it’s complicated, so let’s not go there again. How about something new and different that I don’t already know?”
Her demeanor was serious but didn’t seem particularly adversarial. At least things were starting off better than I’d seen them go during some of our visits with her city counterpart.
“Come on, Doc…” Ben groaned. “I’m just tryin’ ta’ do my job.”
“That makes two of us.”
“So let’s make it easy,” he said. “Give us ten minutes. Fifteen tops, and we’re outta your hair.”
“Look, Detective, the latte and fritter got you this far, but you’re going to have to work for the rest,” she explained. “Besides, I’m not saying no. I just want you to bring me up to speed before I allow the three of you to traipse around an autopsy suite. I don’t care if it’s only for sixty-seconds. My turf, my rules.”
“We just want ta’ check a coupl’a things against the stiff we have downtown,” Ben replied. “That’s all.”
“Before we’ve even started the post?” she asked.
“Yeah,” he grunted. “See. It’s not a big deal.”
“If it’s not a big deal then it can wait for the preliminary autopsy report, correct?”
Ben muttered, “Aww, Jeez… Doc…”
“You’re going to have to try a little harder, Detective.”
“Well, technically the fact that I’m workin’ a case here should be enough, don’tcha think? It may be your turf, but I’m the one with the shield.”
“Oh, I have one too,” she replied. “Want to see it?”
Ben shook his head. “Yeah, I know. But mine says COP, not DOC.”
“That doesn’t really matter.”
“This investigation is being run by the MCS.”
“I understand that, but since you showed up unannounced, it makes me wonder exactly what’s going on.”
“Friggin’ wunnerful…”
“Well, how about this,” she offered. “What do you normally say to Doctor Sanders at the city M.E.’s office in order to get through the door with her?”
“Honestly?” my friend huffed. “I try not ta’ say anything ‘cause that just starts an argument. We usually sneak in when she’s at lunch and then end up gettin’ caught anyway.”
“Easier to apologize than to ask permission,” she observed.
“With her, pretty much.”
Doctor Kingston dipped her head and chuckled. “Well, at least you’re honest about that.”
“Yeah, well I figure she’s already told ya’ about it at some point, so lyin’ ain’t gonna help me any.”
“You really are a very good detective,” she joked.
“Okay, come on, Doc… Are we just wastin’ our time here or what? I can get my lieutenant on the phone if that’s what you’re needin’ for us ta’ make this happen.”
She tore off a small piece of the fritter then popped it into her mouth and chewed thoughtfully. Once she swallowed, she nodded as if agreeing with herself then looked up at him and said, “Okay, so tell me this…when do we get to the part where you tell me about the WitchCraft?”
Ben snorted and splayed out his hands in surrender then looked over at me. “All right, Row. I’m done. You’re
