Page 48 of Hidden Hero

She looked back down at the woman’s remains for a moment and sighed. She bent closer and whispered, “I don’t know how you died or what you became addicted to while searching for some kind of comfort in your life. But I will treat you respectfully and do everything possible to discover what happened. And you’ll finally be able to rest in peace.”

She stood, and a movement at the door caused her to look up sharply. Jeremy had walked into the room, and their gazes locked. There was an expression on his face she couldn’t describe. She knew that to some people, speaking to the deceased made no sense, especially for a doctor who knew the body couldn’t hear her. But it comforted Cora, so she’d stopped caring what others might think.

More noise indicated the trailer was filling, and a bright light was being brought down the hall. She turned away from Jeremy—he had his own investigation to perform on the contents of the trailer and the drugs found. He stepped away from the door, and she breathed a sigh of relief when she recognized the two paramedics who entered the room with a body bag.

Judy, a new technician from the morgue, walked in behind the paramedics. The room was crowded, but everyone worked efficiently. The paramedics worked in tandem, following her instructions. Carl and Judy continued to take photographs of the room after her body was taken out.

“Judy, continue to process before you come back. As soon as you have everything logged in, you can go home and finish tomorrow… well, later today,” she amended, realizing it was after midnight. “Carl, you can do the same.”

“What about you?” Carl asked.

“I’ll get the basic exam going when we get her to the morgue, then I’ll go home also. After a few hours of sleep, I’ll return to the morgue to continue.”

She followed the paramedics out of the bedroom, through the tiny living space, and toward the ambulance. Once the body bag was on the gurney, she said, “I think Marcus is on duty, and he can log in everything once you get her to the morgue.” She couldn’t shake their hands, but she moved closer. “Thank you. I appreciate your professionalism.”

The two men smiled, then nodded before climbing inside the ambulance. It backed around the sheriff’s vehicles and headed down the road. She moved to the back of her car and pulled off her mask, gulping deeply. A putrid odor lingered, but the night air provided a welcome relief.

“Hey.”

She jerked at the close voice but recognized it immediately. Turning, she curved her lips. “Hey.”

Jeremy started to reach for her hand but stopped, his hand falling back to his side. They were both wearing gloves, and touching anyone until they had showered seemed wrong.

“You’ll be stuck here for a while,” she said. She expected his nod, but she still felt disappointed when it came. Considering what they had been doing when they were called in, spending their evening performing an autopsy and a drug investigation wasn’t what she’d hoped for.

“You starting the autopsy tonight?”

She nodded, and his expression also gave no surprise. “It sucks, but yes. I don’t know how long I’ll be gone. It should only be a couple of hours tonight. Just to get some samples.”

He jerked his head back toward the trailer. “This may take longer. We’ll search thoroughly and talk to the neighbors.”

She continued to nod. “Okay. I’ll see you?—”

“When can I see you?—”

They spoke at the same time and chuckled despite their gruesome surroundings. “Call or text,” she said.

“I will. You do the same.”

An awkwardness filled her as she looked at the others milling around. All she wanted to do was pull him close and kiss him goodbye like she would have if they were home. “So… um… I’ll see you later?” Her words came out as a question, making her feel vulnerable.

Jeremy stepped closer. His hair was mussed on the top, and the menthol salve was still gooped on his upper lip. The scruff on his jaw was heavier and darker than usual. His shirt had wrinkled in the front where her hands had clutched it in her fists. And he looked scrumptious. As her gaze cataloged his appearance, he neared until she suddenly looked up, and he was towering over her.

“Now,” he whispered, “I’ll say that I loved this evening. And I can’t believe you’re ending your birthday this way.”

She blinked, having completely forgotten it had been her birthday. “It’s okay.” Seeing his eyes widen in incredulity, she nodded. “Really, it is. I started by myself, which was fine. But you joined my little celebration. Then you brought some friends into my evening. And then… well, the kiss was the best present of all.”

His top teeth bit into his bottom lip as he attempted to stifle a smile. “Then I’m looking forward to many more gifts.”

“Me, too.” She smiled and then sighed. “I have to go. See you later, Jeremy.”

“Babe? That’s a promise.”

With that, she smiled again and climbed into her vehicle. Heading down the lane, she watched him in her rearview mirror. He never took his eyes off her until she turned the corner.

21

Jeremy watched Cora drive away until her red taillights were out of sight. Turning, he caught Pete’s eyes on him. When his partner’s brow lifted in a silent question, Jeremy sighed. He wasn’t ready to proclaim his feelings for Cora. What had started as an attempt to cajole her into smiling more had morphed into a professional respect, then the beginning of a friendship. And if the kiss they shared before being interrupted was anything to go by, their friendship crossed over into something much more. And he wanted thatmore, whatever it was.

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