Page 57 of Dead Fall (The Quantico Files 2)

Logan started to take his secure phone out of his pocket. “I want my own phone back,” he grumbled. “I had numbers stored on mine. I need the number for the ME’s office.”

“I can give it to you,” Shawn said. He looked at his phone, and in a few seconds, he read the number to Logan.

Logan had just finished talking to the ME when the elevator doors opened, and several FBI police officers stepped out.

“We heard something happened to Dennis,” one of the men said.

“I’m sorry,” Logan said. “Yes.”

“Do you know how he died?”

“No, it might have been a heart attack, but we’ll have to wait for the ME’s report to be certain. I’m sorry for your loss.”

“I don’t understand,” one of the officers said. “Dennis was in great shape. Took care of himself, you know?”

“Sometimes a death doesn’t make sense,” Alex said. “I’m so sorry.”

The officer who’d spoken just nodded his head. He was blinking back tears. Dennis was more than a colleague to these officers. He was family.

“I’d like you to check all the other rooms on this floor,” Logan said. “Just to be sure no one is up here who shouldn’t be. I honestly don’t see anything that makes me think this was foul play, but don’t touch anything just in case.”

“Yes, sir. We know how it works,” another officer said.

“I know you do. When you’re done, please come downstairs and report to me. I only want Shawn with Dennis for now. We need to do our best to keep the scene clean.”

“Yes, sir, we understand,” the same officer said.

Alex got on the elevator with Logan. As they began their descent to the first floor, she said, “We need to make sure the ME gets us a tox screen ASAP.”

“Why?” Logan asked. “Do you suspect something?”

“I don’t know. His young age. His physical condition. Just a precaution.”

Logan nodded. “I’ll ask, but you know how long those tests take.”

“Yeah, I know.”

Something suddenly occurred to Alex. It almost took her breath away.

“Are you okay?” Logan asked.

“He was cold.”

“Dennis?”

“Yes. He was cold. If Kaely had gone down for breakfast, she would have seen him. I noticed the open door. And if I did, she would have. He couldn’t have died after she came through here. He would have still been warm.” She swallowed hard. “Have you seen Kaely this morning?”

“No.”

“Did you have breakfast?”

He nodded. “Sure, in the food court...” He looked into Alex’s eyes. “Don’t jump to conclusions. One thing doesn’t necessarily have to do with the other. Maybe she went the other way down the hall. She could have been meeting another one of our group for breakfast, and I just didn’t see her.”

“Yeah, maybe.” Logan could be right, but she still felt apprehensive.

When the elevator doors opened, Donald Reinhardt stood there. He glared at Logan as they stepped out.

“I’m sorry,” Logan said. “But you can’t go up to your room.”

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