Page 44 of Immortal By Morning
“We shall gather the bones ourselves and take them back to Toronto where they will be put on a plane and flown to Bastian in New York. He can have his scientist do whatever tests are necessary, make a DNA match, and hopefully gain their identities. The mortalsdo not need to know about it for us to get the answers we desire.”
Crispin wanted to protest further, but didn’t really have a reason to. Lucian was right, mortal scientists weren’t necessary to find out who the victims were. Immortals had the technology as well as the facilities to do that themselves. And it was better not to involve mortals in Enforcer business.
Still, it kind of chafed his ass that he and Roberts finally had a murder, even a multiple murder to solve, and would never get credit for it in their jobs among the mortals. He supposed he would just have to resign himself to the fact that his job was pretty much useless. Working on only four murders a year and spending the rest of the time on other, less important cases, just was not satisfying. He didn’t feel like he was making much of a contribution.
“That is utter nonsense,” Lucian said suddenly. “The reason we have immortals sprinkled among as many mortal police forces as we can is for situations just like this. To handle cases and situations where rogue activities have splashed over into the mortal world. The most important job Enforcers do is keep our existence off the radar. Certainly, we have a duty to make sure that our bad seeds do not hurt mortals, which we also do as Enforcers. But for our own people, keeping their presence on the planet a secret is very necessary for our preservation. And that is what you and Roberts have done in this situation. The two of you have definitely made a difference.”
Crispin stared at him, a little surprised at the speech. From what he knew, Lucian Argeneau was not the type to give speeches and encouragement.
“Now stop whinging and show me how to work this Keurig thing since the pot on the proper coffee machine is empty,” Lucian growled irritably, getting to his feet.
That was more like the Uncle Lucian he knew, Crispin thought with amusement and walked over to show him where the coffee pods were and how to work the Keurig.
Nineteen
Abril woke up to the smell of something delicious in the air. Nose twitching, she sat up on the couch, her gaze automatically going to the wall clock to see that it was 5:40. Covering her mouth as a yawn made it stretch open, she pushed aside the blanket Crispin had spread over her earlier and got to her feet.
It was almost time to feed Lilith. Actually, by the time she got the dog’s meal ready it would be dinnertime for the Labrador, and then she’d need to take her outside for a potty break. A quick one though, because whatever was cooking smelled heavenly and was making her hungry.
Wondering who among the men was cooking, she headed for the kitchen, petting Lilith’s head when the dog got up from where she’d been sleeping on the carpet beside the couch and walked at her side.
Abril expected to find at least a couple of the men in the kitchen, so was surprised when she entered to findit empty. Wondering where they’d got to, she moved immediately to the Keurig, sure that some caffeine would help her shake off the last of the sleepiness clinging to her. It was as she waited for the machine to spit out her chosen coffee that she happened to glance outside and saw that was where the men were. Well, at least five of them. Lucian, Bricker, Decker, Crispin, and Cassius were all out there working diligently away, digging up bones and placing them in large brown paper bags. They weren’t doing it slowly and cautiously as the forensics team had worked. They were actually moving incredibly quickly. Almost unnaturally so, she thought with a small frown.
Biting her lip, she watched them for a moment, wondering where Roberts and the newcomer named Anders were, and then turned to doctor her coffee as the machine finished spitting it out. Once done, she carried it with her as she walked to the sliding glass doors.
“What’s happening?” she asked after opening the door.
Her question had all five men pausing to peer her way.
After a brief silence, Lucian turned to spear Crispin with a look. Abril suspected it was a silent order to answer her question. It was unnecessary, Crispin was already straightening and heading toward the open door.
She thought he was just coming to speak to her through the opening. It had never occurred to her that he would come inside. The base of the hole they were all working in was more than five feet below the level of the door. It would have been impossible for her toget up and in through the entrance. However, he did so effortlessly, leaping up to step inside as if it was no more than a foot or so up.
Skittering back out of the way with surprise, Abril gaped at him as he closed the door.
“Wow,” she breathed when he finished the task and turned to her. “That was hella impressive.”
Crispin looked at first surprised, then chagrinned, and waved away her compliment as he muttered, “I used to do high jump in school.”
“Oh. Right,” Abril murmured and then her gaze slid to the men working in the tent and she asked, “What happened to the forensics team? Bill and those guys?”
“It was decided they were unnecessary. That it would save time if we collected the bones ourselves and sent them in for analysis and DNA testing. Hopefully we can identify them without forensics,” he explained.
“But what about clues in the dirt and stuff? The forensics team was collecting the dirt around them in drums, in case there was something there to—”
“They got what was needed,” he interrupted reassuringly.
Abril frowned. It didn’t sound right to her, but then, what did she know? The only knowledge she had in this area was what she’d seen on TV shows. These guys were the police, so should know better what had to be done. Besides, the men would have the skeletons out in no time at the rate they were going. While the forensics people had used small soft brushes to sweep the dirt away and gather it in little increments, Crispin’s coworkers were using large stiff bristle brooms to remove the dirt, then grabbing the bones and the tattered remains of their clothes as they were partiallyrevealed and putting each set into a large paper bag. They appeared to be using one bag per body and were labeling them, although only with numbers. But then, what else could they label them with?
“Have they any idea yet how the victims died?” she asked as she noted that Cassius was writing a4or9on the bag he’d just finished filling and closed. Four, obviously, she told herself.
“How they died?” Crispin turned to peer out the window as if yearning to be out there with the men rather than inside answering her questions. But this was important to her, so she persisted.
“I mean, I know they’re just bones, but I think I read somewhere that strangling someone crushes the hiatal or hyoid bone or something. Then too, broken bones would show if they were beaten, as would gouges or nicks in the bones that could be signs of stabbing or gunshot wounds,” she pointed out.
By the time she finished, Crispin was staring at her with a faint smile, and said, “You are very intelligent.”
Abril blushed at the compliment, and then waved it away. “No. I just watch a lot of crime shows on TV while doing paperwork at night.”
