Page 78 of Wolf's Mark

She shrugged and grabbed her huge bottle of spring water. “Why not? I get to use my 3-D experience in recreating scenes of murder and mayhem.”

“Sounds like fun.”

“As if you would know. Seriously, why are you here?”

“As I said, I wanted to ask you a couple questions.”

“Shoot.”

I took a deep breath. I had no way of knowing whether she knew I’d been seeing her boss. “Doctor Willis. You’re a friend of hers.”

“Yes, but she’s my boss too. Why?” She always planted her head on her palm, her elbow on the surface of whatever table she was sitting at when she suspected something juicy would slip past my lips.

“Because I know her pretty well and I am aware something has happened in the morgue that has bothered her.”

Daphne squinted at me, blinking a couple of times. “Let me get this straight. You’re going out with my boss?”

“A couple dates. We’re not engaged or anything.”

She sucked in her breath and I was certain she was going to explode. When she clapped, I had to laugh. “That’s fantastic. I keep telling her she needs to get out more. She stays in her house when she’s not here. Don’t get me wrong. I adore dead bodies, but there comes a time you need to enjoy someone very much alive. Do you understand what I’m saying?”

“Absolutely.” Dead bodies. My niece was a little twisted like her father.

“Why aren’t you asking her what went on?”

“Because I don’t know where she is. She left in a hurry and I’ve tried calling and I went by her place. I don’t like not being able to keep into contact with her.”

“Ooh-la-la, Uncle Jax. You’re on fire. And possessive as always, I might add.”

“I’m not possessive,” I insisted. “How would you know that anyway?”

She shrugged. “Dad told me.”

“You’re getting more like your dad every day. Back to business. Doctor Willis was very concerned and now I’m worried about her.”

“She’s a big girl and I’m certain you call her by her first name. Sedona can take care of herself, but there was a break-in the other night and very late when she was here alone. Some guy came in while she was working. It’s happened before.”

Now my niece was keeping secrets. “A break-in at a morgue? Why in God’s name would anyone do that?”

“You’d be surprised how many druggies think they’re going to get drugs here. She called the police. We had to do some major cleanup because the wacko went nuts, but everything is back to normal.”

“Then where is Sedona right now?”

“I don’t know. She just called and said she had something to do. Now I remember why I don’t prompt her about her personal life. Yuck. I don’t want to learn the details.”

She was definitely holding something back from me. I could sense her loyalty to her boss and friend. “Well, at least I know she’s alright.”

“She is.” Her face clouded. “Should I tell her you were worried?” Her expression was now mischievous.

“Not necessary.” I was more concerned than ever.

“Is there something going on you’re not telling me about, dear uncle of mine?”

“Like what?”

“I don’t know. Like something about our family or…”

She didn’t need to finish her sentence. “Our pack?”

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