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Mr. Danford doesn’t seem to feel the sudden strain marking the air, because he just starts to kiss Raph’s ass. “Mr. Bear-Stone, it’s truly an honor to finally meet you. I must say, your experimental work is truly changing the medical field.”
Raph reluctantly turns his attention to the dean and his demeanor changes completely under my eyes. “Thank you for your kind words. I have great people working for me. May I venture the same sentiment toward your hospital? Michael showed me around, and I’m impressed by the efficiency of its operations.”
Ehhhh, I didn't.
Okay, who the hell is this polished, well-mannered guy, and what happened to the grunting, conceited Raph I know? I pull on my hand, not wanting to keep hearing this weird conversation. I’m eager to check on my things, dreading the idea that something was taken. But Raph doesn’t let go and tugs me a bit too forcefully, until my front is against his side. I feel like a damn doll sometimes—not that I’d complain in bed.
“I’m very pleased to hear it. Here, my business card. We can talk over lunch about a few interesting ideas I have that could advance both the hospital and your company.” Then the dean finally looks at me.
“Dr. Caldwell, keep up the good work.” He glances at my proximity to Raph, and his words suddenly take a whole other meaning. “And please collaborate with the police. I want this matter to be resolved as soon as possible.” He points at the morgue before leaving. Which is a chaotic nightmare.
The filing cabinet is open; papers are all over the floor and one of the tables is upside down; the computer is on, but the keyboard is missing. No, I see it on the floor on the other side of the room.Really?
The door to the small adjacent room is open, and I gasp, thinking about all my blood and tissue samples splattered and dripping all over the place. But it seems like everything is in order. Untouched.
When I take a step toward the morgue, Raph lets go of my hand and follows me. I check the bodies inside the chambers, but they’re all accounted for.
Harry, an assistant in the pathology department, has been keeping me updated the last few days, but there has been only one death, and it was a cancer patient. No autopsy needed.
Detective Spencer introduces himself, while I start picking up stuff from the floor. “Looks like the perp was looking for something. Dr. Caldwell, if you could take a quick look and let me know if anything has been misplaced or taken.”
Everythingis fucking misplaced! I take a big breath, trying to calm myself down.
Raph is crouched in front of the heavy vault near my desk. “What’s inside?” he asks me.
“The deceased’s personal effects.” Which reminds me, I still haven’t had any luck finding Mr. Coleman’s next of kin. His things are probably still inside the vault. I’ll have to ask Harry. But then I remember that the office phone isn’t on my desk anymore.
“Do you have a key for the vault?” the detective asks me.
“Yes.” I pull it from my pocket and open the thick metal door. “Everything seems to be as I left it. But I need to double check my files to be totally sure.”
“Do that please and let me know.” Then Spencer turns to Polsner and they start talking… police jargon.
Raph closes the vault door and strokes a finger on the grey scratches around the key lock. “Were those here before?”
I frown. “No. The robber must have left them when he tried to open the vault. Looks like a tornado went through here. He must have been pretty pissed to throw most things on the floor.”
“But he didn’t touch that room,” Raph observes.
“My sample room.” I walk inside it and give a quick glance around. “Nothing was moved.” I guess human samples are not interesting enough for the asshole who turned my office into a landfill.
“I’ve got all I need. I’ll keep in touch. Please call me if anything comes to mind.” The detective gives me his business card and goes to Polsner, who waves goodbye as they both walk away. It’s only me and Raph in the morgue now.
I’m still looking for the office phone when I hear Raph saying, “You can come now.”
I turn to look at him when a big guy appears at the morgue threshold. He whistles at the mess surrounding us and then waves two fingers toward Raph. He’s sporting a full reddish-brown beard, his huge chest muscles strain against his tight black t-shirt, and his thighs looks like huge tree trunks. He’s wearing grey, fingerless leather gloves.
“Rami?” I blurt Raph’s brother’s name out.
The smirk that appears on his lips is devious. “Doctor Michael, Michael, Mike,” he says as he takes a few steps toward me. “Or should I call youbabe?”
Raph rumbles at him.
His warmth pushes against my back while his arm wraps around my waist.
Rami looks at his brother and a mischievous glint appears in his brown eyes. “He was fun before he met you. Now he’s such a Lurch. Grunt this. Grunt that,” he pouts, sticking his lower lip out. On a man of his extra-large size, it’s quite funny, and disturbingly appealing.
“Are you implying that I turn him into the Addams Family’s butler?” I glare at him. This guy pushes the meaning of the word “annoying” to a whole new level. Still, it surprises me how light and goofy he sounds after what happened to him when he was only a kid. I should be in awe of him, but…
