Page 56 of Cold as Hell

Dalton nods slowly, as if assimilating this, giving Grant time to worry that his explanation isn’t being accepted and embellish it. But Grant only says, “What about my wife? Do I get to see her?”

Silence as Dalton must be mentally shifting gears. This is the part that we’ve lost in all the chaos. When the husband is a suspect, it’s easy to forget he might be another victim—a man who just lost his wife.

“There needs to be an autopsy,” Dalton says, skimming over the fact that there’s already been one. “You can see her after that.”

“Autopsy? For what? She froze to death.”

“I said thatseemsto be the cause of death. The autopsy is underway to confirm that.”

“Underway?” Grant says. “What if I don’t want that done to her?”

“If we even remotely suspect foul play, we don’t give suspects the right to determine whether or not the victim is autopsied.”

“But she didn’t want that. For…” He seems to struggle for an excuse. “Religious reasons.”

“Then that would have been in her file, which it was not.Is there a problem here, Grant? Something you maybe want to tell me before we find out?”

Grant sits back abruptly. “I just know she didn’t want to be cut up. She wasn’t even an organ donor. It freaked her out.”

“Then I’m sorry she didn’t put that information in her file, but even if she had, we might have still needed to overrule her wishes.”

“So what happens next? I get to go home, right? Down south?”

Silence. Then Dalton says, “Why would you think that?”

“Because she’s gone, and she’s the reason we were here. I need to take her home for a funeral.”

“That isn’t how this works, Grant. All that was in the paperwork you both signed before you came up.”

This, too, is something new, and a lot more complicated. With Rockton, arriving alone meant we didn’t need to worry about next of kin. When you came to Rockton, you disappeared, and if you didn’t make it home, you just stayed disappeared.

Dalton continues, “Lynn will be buried here with a proper funeral. Then, when you return, you will be provided with all documentation regarding her death, including cremains, if needed. As for leaving, that can all be figured out later.Afterwe finish our investigation.”

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

The interview moves into details after that—how Grant can see Lynn’s body, what will be done for the burial and funeral. Dalton switches the recording to double speed, and I can see enough to know there’s nothing useful for my purposes.

“Next we need to build a timeline for Lynn,” I say. “Question everyone in town, and find out when they last saw her. Also check whether anyone else spotted her with someone during the storm—even if someone only saw two people and can’t confirm one was her.”

“I notice you’re not specifying that you’ll do this questioning, which I hope means you’re acknowledging that you don’t need to.”

I hesitate. I want to, obviously. I’m still stinging from Grant’s jab about me taking a nap. Off-loading this on others makes me feel like one of those senior detectives I hated working with, the ones who’d sit back and let the younger detectives conduct the routine interviews and then swoop in for the major ones when we neared a solution.

But if I were my usual self, with all my energy and zero restrictions, I still wouldn’t insist on personally interviewing all seventy residents. That’s inefficient. I’d ask Dalton and Anders to help, and the three of us would canvass and then I’d fully interview anyone who had something useful to say.

The last part is the most important. I need to talk to those who have something to say.

“I’ll ask you and Will to canvass,” I say. “Tell them about Lynn’s death and question them. If anyone has anything of interest, I’ll be at the town hall, sitting on my throne, waiting to grant audiences.”

“You want a tiara, too?”

“No, just a stool for my sore feet, a roaring fire for warmth, and a sleeping dog for atmosphere.”

“Can’t promise the last, but she seems pretty tuckered out. You’ve got a good chance.”

“Excellent. Then my royal pup and I shall relocate to our throne room.”

When the last person has been questioned, Anders pokes his head in to say that he’s meeting Grant at the clinic with Dalton, so Grant can see Lynn and decide what arrangements need to be made. I feel no obligation to be there for that, so I take advantage of the break to rest my eyes for a moment and then…

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