voice trailing off, his tone surprisingly subdued.
“There’s just one thing we have to deal with,” Tom said. He almost hated to raise the subject, but there was no way around it. “Haley.”
The reminder that Haley was still up there, lying in the middle of the hall, plunged the group back into a grim, uncomfortable silence.
“It’s still a crime scene,” Alex pointed out. “The police probably wouldn’t want us to move her.”
Rachel looked at him in horror. “So what do you want to do, Alex? Leave her lying there in the middle of the hall for days? ”
Alex lifted his hands defensively. “I’m not saying it’s what I want to do! I’m just saying it’s normal procedure.”
“We are not leaving her there!” Rachel insisted.
Tom had to agree with her. There was no way of knowing when they’d be able to reach anyone. Even if they did, it would be at least three or four days until the police could arrive. There was no way they could simply leave the body in the middle of the hall that long. It would be utterly inhumane to someone most of the people in this room considered a friend. And everyone’s nerves were already frayed, he didn’t want to think how tense things would be after a few days of living with Haley’s body there in their midst.
“You’re right,” Meredith said calmly. “We can’t leave her there. It may be normal procedure, but these are not normal circumstances. We can move her to a room at the end of the hall until the police get here. If the police have a problem with it, they can charge me with whatever they want. I’ll worry about it later. But we should probably try to document the scene first so they can see what it looked like. Even if it’s not admissible as evidence, at least they’ll be able to see it.”
“I can do it,” Tom suggested. “I brought a couple cameras for the wedding, both a video and a Nikon.” A few of the others had actually kidded him about it on the drive up when Scott had mentioned it, pointing out that everyone’s cell phone had a camera on it these days. He’d thought they deserved better images than those captured by a camera phone. That seemed even more vital now that they were talking about things like evidence.
“Thank you.”
Jessica suddenly spoke up again. “You can hate me for saying it, but somebody has to. How do we know the two of you won’t try to destroy any evidence?”
Silence fell again. Tom noted that no one spoke up to say the idea was ridiculous.
“If it would make everyone more comfortable, we could probably use at least one more person to help move...the body, if someone wants to come up?”
He glanced around the group for volunteers. In spite of being the one who’d raised the objection, Jessica didn’t speak up, her lips fixed in a pout. He saw Rachel grip Scott’s hand. Even if she hadn’t, Tom doubted Scott would have wanted to leave her. As Tom thought it, Scott looked up and met his eyes, a hint of apology in his. It wasn’t as though Greg would be much help, his head already starting to droop.
“Why don’t you go, Alex?” Jessica said. “Or would it be too hard for you to see her like that?”
There seemed to be a challenge in the question, one Alex didn’t miss as he glared back at her.
Before he could respond, Rick stepped forward. “I’ll come with you,” he said. “She’s right. Her friends shouldn’t have to see her like that or have to help move her.”
“Thanks, Rick.” Meredith glanced around the room, lingering slightly on Jess. “Any objections?”
Jess pressed her lips together as though she was barely managing to hold one back. She didn’t say anything. Neither did anyone else.
“All right,” Meredith said. “We’ll return as soon as we can to let you know you can come up.”
From the looks on their faces none of them was particularly eager to do so. Not that Tom blamed them, not with the memory of what had happened up there still fresh in their minds.
Tom
“There’s just one thing we have to deal with,” Tom said. He almost hated to raise the subject, but there was no way around it. “Haley.”
The reminder that Haley was still up there, lying in the middle of the hall, plunged the group back into a grim, uncomfortable silence.
“It’s still a crime scene,” Alex pointed out. “The police probably wouldn’t want us to move her.”
Rachel looked at him in horror. “So what do you want to do, Alex? Leave her lying there in the middle of the hall for days? ”
Alex lifted his hands defensively. “I’m not saying it’s what I want to do! I’m just saying it’s normal procedure.”
“We are not leaving her there!” Rachel insisted.
Tom had to agree with her. There was no way of knowing when they’d be able to reach anyone. Even if they did, it would be at least three or four days until the police could arrive. There was no way they could simply leave the body in the middle of the hall that long. It would be utterly inhumane to someone most of the people in this room considered a friend. And everyone’s nerves were already frayed, he didn’t want to think how tense things would be after a few days of living with Haley’s body there in their midst.
“You’re right,” Meredith said calmly. “We can’t leave her there. It may be normal procedure, but these are not normal circumstances. We can move her to a room at the end of the hall until the police get here. If the police have a problem with it, they can charge me with whatever they want. I’ll worry about it later. But we should probably try to document the scene first so they can see what it looked like. Even if it’s not admissible as evidence, at least they’ll be able to see it.”
“I can do it,” Tom suggested. “I brought a couple cameras for the wedding, both a video and a Nikon.” A few of the others had actually kidded him about it on the drive up when Scott had mentioned it, pointing out that everyone’s cell phone had a camera on it these days. He’d thought they deserved better images than those captured by a camera phone. That seemed even more vital now that they were talking about things like evidence.
“Thank you.”
Jessica suddenly spoke up again. “You can hate me for saying it, but somebody has to. How do we know the two of you won’t try to destroy any evidence?”
Silence fell again. Tom noted that no one spoke up to say the idea was ridiculous.
“If it would make everyone more comfortable, we could probably use at least one more person to help move...the body, if someone wants to come up?”
He glanced around the group for volunteers. In spite of being the one who’d raised the objection, Jessica didn’t speak up, her lips fixed in a pout. He saw Rachel grip Scott’s hand. Even if she hadn’t, Tom doubted Scott would have wanted to leave her. As Tom thought it, Scott looked up and met his eyes, a hint of apology in his. It wasn’t as though Greg would be much help, his head already starting to droop.
“Why don’t you go, Alex?” Jessica said. “Or would it be too hard for you to see her like that?”
There seemed to be a challenge in the question, one Alex didn’t miss as he glared back at her.
Before he could respond, Rick stepped forward. “I’ll come with you,” he said. “She’s right. Her friends shouldn’t have to see her like that or have to help move her.”
“Thanks, Rick.” Meredith glanced around the room, lingering slightly on Jess. “Any objections?”
Jess pressed her lips together as though she was barely managing to hold one back. She didn’t say anything. Neither did anyone else.
“All right,” Meredith said. “We’ll return as soon as we can to let you know you can come up.”
From the looks on their faces none of them was particularly eager to do so. Not that Tom blamed them, not with the memory of what had happened up there still fresh in their minds.
Tom
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