Page 40 of Nocere

"Good work," he said in earnest, his forehead wrinkling with his intensity. "Good work."

"Thanks." My face heated and I cleared my throat before glancing to Eve.

"We'll end this," she said, her gaze lingering on mine as she stood before looking to Ainsley.

"I have a suggestion," she said, her eyes nearly sparkling.

"Go ahead, Ainsley." I nodded for her to continue.

"You've searched for living victims. Can you expand to include deceased?"

"Yes. Of course."

"Out of curiosity, will you do it?"

I looked from her to Stiles. "Can I?"

"Yes," he agreed as he rose from his chair. "Whatever it takes, Rose."

"Okay." I drew in a deep breath and stood along with him.

On the way out, I glanced at Ainsley and she offered me a sad smile. "You okay?"

"I am. We'll catch him."

"I have faith that we will." Ainsley followed me back to my office, a protective hand on my shoulder. "Is this difficult for you, Rosie?"

"No." I leaned against the desk after dropping down my report file. "I mean, it is, but I can handle it. In this job, I feel like I'm actually doing something. You know? It's cathartic in a way."

"I can understand that. Is any of it triggering?"

"Sometimes. Mainly when I'm running profiles on child victims or trafficking cases. But when my work helps catch rapists, murderers, and other terrible people, I get a sense of vindication from it. Relief or clarity. Like when a murderer finally dies in a horror movie."

She laughed at that. "I forgot you love horror movies. And violent crime shows."

"I do." I smiled at her and pushed myself to sit up on the desk. "Everyone thinks fragile Rosie is too delicate for horror movies and haunted houses. Wrong."

"You're not fragile." Ainsley came to stand in front of me and dropped her hands on my shoulders. "I would say resilient and sensitive."

"Thanks." I smiled at her, and again, my face heated.

"I can swing by and pick you up after work if you like. We can head right to my place after."

"Sounds good, Chief Medical Examiner who hangs around here all the time now."

"Best promotion ever." She grinned and smooched my cheek. "See you later."

"Bye." I waved as I watched her head out, then let out a deep breath.

Adrenaline coursed through me as it always did after a presentation like that, and I didn't waste a second of it before hopping off the desk to head back to work. I took Ainsley's suggestion and ran the search again for deceased victims, letting that process while I continued my work on the timeline. We would find this guy, of that much I was sure. There was no greater deliverance than justice coming down on their heads just when they think they've escaped consequences. Nothing felt better than hearing a judge or jury declare someone guilty, and the passing of a heavy sentence.

***

"Dinner was very yummy, Jordan. Thank you," I said as she placed a mug of coffee in front of me.

"I enjoy feeding my girls. All of them." She ran her fingers through my hair before returning to the kitchen. "Ainsley made dessert."

"What did you make?" I smiled at her when she set down some kind of pie and a covered plate on the table.

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