Unlike most of the visuals, which were there for a second then gone, Curtis' stayed longer. Finally it was replaced with more of the expected fare, only to be replaced a second later with another of Curtis, but this time zoomed into just his upper half.
Now the silence turned to whispers, then slowly a chuckle or two was heard. Finally sniggers and catcalls started to come out.
Liz turned to Curtis, who was deathly pale and seemed frozen in time, his hand still holding a glass of beer halfway to his mouth. He didn't look pained so much as bewildered.
'I didn't know you were into that type of thing,' Liz said to him, just loudly enough for the table to hear her. 'I'm not,' she said slowly, letting her engagement ring drop with a slight plunking sound into his beer.
She looked over at Jack as the presentation resumed more in line with the original theme.
Their eyes locked and she was almost sure that he winked at her.
Examining the Examiner
by Bonnie Robles
Camilla Van Hauser tucked a strand of her brown locks behind her ear as she looked at the dead body on the sidewalk. She loved her job to bits but this part was what she hated the most — seeing innocent people dead sometimes for no good reason.
“Petechial hemorrhage suggesting strangulation. The wound on her forehead was definitely pre-mortem,” she said as she examined the body of the young woman on the floor. “I would suggest strangulation as the official cause of death,” she said before looking up at the detective. “I think my work here is done,” she said again as she removed her gloves and got to her feet.
“Dr. Van Hauser. A good day to you,” Detective Harold Jameson said. She turned around and flashed him a smile.
“You too,” she said as she packed her bag.
“Did you just get here?” he asked looking at her. She smiled and shook her head.
“Actually, you are late and I am already done,” she said as she began walking away.
“Well, don’t forget to fax me your finding,” he called after her. She turned around.
“See you at the precinct, detective.”
“When are the two of you going to stop this cat and mouse game you have going on and simply do what needs to be done?” Harold’s partner Pam Spacey asked. He looked at her and smiled.
“We are here because of a murder, Pam. Concentrate,” he said in an attempt to change the subject.
Harold Jameson was the newest addition to the 19th Precinct. He had moved to the city from England and everything about him screamed British. The accent, the clothes and even the car he drove. Harold was a man of thirty five years who had special experience of serving in the tactical team in Pakistan.
He was not only raggedly handsome, but also a talented and greatly gifted individual. Thanks to his service in the army and at some point in the federal government, Harold was fluent in five languages and had great skills in martial arts. He was tall, maybe six one, and had a great body.
The first time Camilla laid eyes on him, she had actually thought of him as a model rather than a detective. He had a great run in the tactical force in Pakistan but after thirteen years of service, his mother’s health took a turn or the worse and he had to stay home and look after her.
His mother, an American, had met his father on one of her trips to England. She was a journalist and travelling the world was just a part of her, but after the birth of Harold, their marriage didn't survive. He wanted her to quit and be a stay at home mom but she knew that she could juggle her career and still manage to look after Harold just fine.
This argument was the beginning of the end for their marriage and just like that, Harold found himself in a crossroads, having to make difficult choices. He did enjoy having two birthday parties and more presents at Christmas, but perhaps what really drove him to the war was the cold atmosphere that he had called home all his life.
His story was the extreme opposite when it came to Camilla’s own. She was the youngest of three children. Her two older brothers were in finance and real estate like their parents.
She was the only one in the family who ever took an interest in medicine and when she graduated with a degree in neurology, she was keen bent on beginning her own practice. There was always something about self- reliance that tickled her fancy. However, all this changed in the second year of her residency when she made a fatal mistake with a patient.
A misdiagnosis led to one of her patients dying and she never forgave herself. Despite her family’s unending support, she decided to walk out of neurology and work in pathology. Everyone was not only shocked with her decision but also disappointed. Though she was cleared to go back to work after the investigation, she still felt that she had to walk out of the healing business.
“You cannot kill what is already dead,” Camilla said any time when anyone asked her why she would not consider going back to the OR.
***
Camilla’s life in the 19th Precinct was what many may call ordinary. She would be called in to a crime scene, do her thing, go back to the lab, do more tests and then go home. On special days, some of the detectives and beat cops would go for a drink at the local ‘watering hole’.
Her life lightened up a little when she first noticed detective Harold Jameson in the precinct. She was not sure what it was, maybe his body or that sexy British accent. Either way, she wanted to rip his clothes off every time she saw him.
The fact that he wore the best cologne she had ever smelled on a man made the situation a bit more difficult for her. She like everyone else in the precinct knew that he had noticed her as well but was either too proud to admit it or simply too stupid.
“Hi, Pam. Jameson around?” she asked later on that evening. “I wanted to drop off this report,” she added showing her the file she had in her hands. Pam smiled.
“Of course you did,” Pam said under her breath. “No, Camilla. He already retired for the day,” she added looking at her wrist watch. “You know, we are not fooled by whatever charade the two of you are trying out,” she added. Camilla smiled and walked towards her desk. She placed the file on her desk and leaned forward.
“I don’t know what his deal is, Pam. I gave him chances but he did nothing so, I moved the fuck on,” Camilla said sternly. “That is what I wanted to tell him,” she added before turning around.
“Wait? Who’s the new catch?” Pam asked. Camilla smiled to herself as she walked out. Typical Pam. Of course, she was not about to tell her anything lest she heared a different version of the story by the morning.
The end of the next day was one she waited for with utter longing. Though she was not very outgoing, she was excited. This would be the first time she would be going out in a very long time, months actually.
She had finally decided to give up on the British heart throb. He had made it clear that he was just a tease. Just another man out to play with her heart and her life. And it was clear that she was not getting any younger. She was not about to make another mistake with men. She was too bright for this dumb shit.
***
When she got to the restaurant Sloane had suggested, she immediately noticed his handsome features. He was not in the bullet proof jacket that he always wore any time she saw him. There was no gun in his hands. There was no helmet… there was no black suit that screamed FBI. It was just plain Sloane.
Dinner was in a word, amazing, that is until a call from Jameson came. At first, she felt inclined to ignore the call but on the fifth ring, she could tell that even Sloane was getting agitated.
“I’m so sorry,” she said as she picked up the phone. Sloane nodded and smiled at her. He understood, at least she thought he did. “Van Hauser,” she said avoiding looking at Sloane.
“Dr. Van Hauser. Detective Harold Jameson.” She took a long deep breath.
“What can I do for you detective?” she asked.
“I need you to come to the precinct right away,” Detective Jameson said. Camilla looked at him in
