sister.
“From your reaction, I take it you think the Emma Luther case and this one are connected?”
“My gut tells me they are.”
“Let me know what you find.” Dan nodded and left.
Although Cade often worked with Ethan Harper, he wanted to do a few inquiries on his own. He truly didn’t like that Amber Delacroix’s name had come up again—first with Emma and now with her brother. He didn’t want Amber to be involved, but if the facts pointed to her then he’d have to bring her in. He refused to let his emotions blind him.
Cade hopped into his SUV and headed to the hospital. He probably should have first called Sandra Carr, the medical examiner, who did the autopsy, but if she wasn’t available, he’d speak with the possible suspects, starting with Nancy Waldron, Chris’s nurse. She’d been the one to find him not breathing and had resuscitated him. Cade wouldn’t rule out the idea she’d brought him back in order to throw suspicion off herself. Looking at the timeline, she’d come in just quick enough to make it look like she wasn’t involved.
When Cade entered the hospital, the girl at the reception desk smiled. She was Tanner Rand’s little sister. Rock Hard might have close to fifty thousand residents, but he knew most of those who’d been here a while. Growing up in the town gave him that edge.
“Hey, Chelsea.”
“Cade.” She drew in her bottom lip and looked up through mascara-caked lashes. “You here for a case?”
If not a case, it would mean he was either sick or visiting someone, and he never was ill. “A case. Is Dr. Sandra Carr in?” He squared his shoulders to appear more authoritative, but that didn’t seem to affect Chelsea at all.
She smiled. Poor girl always had a crush on him, but he had rules. Never date a twenty-one year old or a fellow detective’s sister. Cade didn’t need that kind of drama in his life.
She pressed a button to dial the morgue. “Hey, Dr. Carr. Detective Cade Carter is here to see you. Are you free?” She tapped a bright pink nail on the desk then smiled and hung up. “She is. Do you know where the morgue is? Or would you like an escort?”
That made him chuckle. “I’ve been there before.”
Not wanting to linger, Cade spun on his heels and headed to the hospital basement. He liked Sandra Carr. She might be young for a medical examiner, but she was first rate. He stepped into the elevator. No surprise, he was the only one who wanted to visit the bowels of the building.
The disinfectant failed to mask the stench of death, but he didn’t cover his nose. He was used to the smell. He approached one of the autopsy rooms and looked in. Although the lights were on, the place stood empty. At the next room, he spotted Dr. Carr and knocked.
She looked up, pulled off her face guard , and came toward him. Before she opened the door, she discarded her gloves and paper smock. He stepped back to let her exit.
“Well, well. Nice to see you again, detective.” Sandra seemed to enjoy the break.
“The pleasure is all mine, though I’m here on official business.”
“I assumed.” He caught the sly smile. “Let’s speak in my office.”
He followed her. He could have sworn there was an extra sway in her hips just for him. Was it his imagination or was every woman trying to distract him today? Maybe it was because his mind was on one particular woman.
Fuck if he knew.
Sandra slid onto a cushioned seat behind a scarred mahogany desk that looked older than she was. “Have a seat,” she said, nodding to the wooden spindled chair that angled toward her desk.
He didn’t want to take up much of her time. “I’m here about Chris Delacroix. What can you tell me about his death?”
“Not much more than what was in the report.”
“I didn’t see a time of death. If his nurse resuscitated him around 1:15 p.m., could you tell how long he hadn’t been breathing?” It was times like this he wished he’d been better versed in
“From your reaction, I take it you think the Emma Luther case and this one are connected?”
“My gut tells me they are.”
“Let me know what you find.” Dan nodded and left.
Although Cade often worked with Ethan Harper, he wanted to do a few inquiries on his own. He truly didn’t like that Amber Delacroix’s name had come up again—first with Emma and now with her brother. He didn’t want Amber to be involved, but if the facts pointed to her then he’d have to bring her in. He refused to let his emotions blind him.
Cade hopped into his SUV and headed to the hospital. He probably should have first called Sandra Carr, the medical examiner, who did the autopsy, but if she wasn’t available, he’d speak with the possible suspects, starting with Nancy Waldron, Chris’s nurse. She’d been the one to find him not breathing and had resuscitated him. Cade wouldn’t rule out the idea she’d brought him back in order to throw suspicion off herself. Looking at the timeline, she’d come in just quick enough to make it look like she wasn’t involved.
When Cade entered the hospital, the girl at the reception desk smiled. She was Tanner Rand’s little sister. Rock Hard might have close to fifty thousand residents, but he knew most of those who’d been here a while. Growing up in the town gave him that edge.
“Hey, Chelsea.”
“Cade.” She drew in her bottom lip and looked up through mascara-caked lashes. “You here for a case?”
If not a case, it would mean he was either sick or visiting someone, and he never was ill. “A case. Is Dr. Sandra Carr in?” He squared his shoulders to appear more authoritative, but that didn’t seem to affect Chelsea at all.
She smiled. Poor girl always had a crush on him, but he had rules. Never date a twenty-one year old or a fellow detective’s sister. Cade didn’t need that kind of drama in his life.
She pressed a button to dial the morgue. “Hey, Dr. Carr. Detective Cade Carter is here to see you. Are you free?” She tapped a bright pink nail on the desk then smiled and hung up. “She is. Do you know where the morgue is? Or would you like an escort?”
That made him chuckle. “I’ve been there before.”
Not wanting to linger, Cade spun on his heels and headed to the hospital basement. He liked Sandra Carr. She might be young for a medical examiner, but she was first rate. He stepped into the elevator. No surprise, he was the only one who wanted to visit the bowels of the building.
The disinfectant failed to mask the stench of death, but he didn’t cover his nose. He was used to the smell. He approached one of the autopsy rooms and looked in. Although the lights were on, the place stood empty. At the next room, he spotted Dr. Carr and knocked.
She looked up, pulled off her face guard , and came toward him. Before she opened the door, she discarded her gloves and paper smock. He stepped back to let her exit.
“Well, well. Nice to see you again, detective.” Sandra seemed to enjoy the break.
“The pleasure is all mine, though I’m here on official business.”
“I assumed.” He caught the sly smile. “Let’s speak in my office.”
He followed her. He could have sworn there was an extra sway in her hips just for him. Was it his imagination or was every woman trying to distract him today? Maybe it was because his mind was on one particular woman.
Fuck if he knew.
Sandra slid onto a cushioned seat behind a scarred mahogany desk that looked older than she was. “Have a seat,” she said, nodding to the wooden spindled chair that angled toward her desk.
He didn’t want to take up much of her time. “I’m here about Chris Delacroix. What can you tell me about his death?”
“Not much more than what was in the report.”
“I didn’t see a time of death. If his nurse resuscitated him around 1:15 p.m., could you tell how long he hadn’t been breathing?” It was times like this he wished he’d been better versed in
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