monitors watching the cells downstairs. Number three was empty.
“Hey,” she said. “Where’s my guy?”
“Just left,” Ingrid said. “You let him go.”
“Not him. The guy in three.” Smith pointed to her lip. “The one who bopped me.”
“No one there when I got here.”
Smith ran to check the files. Brian Atkins had been released first thing this morning. Case dropped. No further action to be taken. She swore with passion. The guy had attacked a cop, assault PO, and was released without even a fine. Sometimes she wondered why they bothered at all.
***
“How’d it go?” John Winters asked his wife.
“Well, I think. But you know how it is. You think you bombed and they can’t wait to have you, and you think you’re a star and they won’t return your calls.”
“I’ll always return your calls.”
She laughed, and handed him the newspaper.
“Seriously, it’s a heavy money gig. They’re prepared to shell out big, big bucks for this campaign.”
“Thus they can afford you.”
She ignored that. “But…”
Winters looked up from the paper. The headline and half the front page dealt with a woman’s body found in the woods in Trafalgar. Below the fold, preparations for the visit of a federal cabinet minister took up the space.
“But what?”
She turned her back and fussed with bread, the toaster oven, butter, and a pot of jam. He admired her rear end wrapped in snug beige shorts. “I don’t know if they offer me the job if I want to be on their side of this issue.”
He pulled his eyes away from her lovely rump. “Sit down and tell me what’s happening.”
She sat. “M&C Developments, right? After the M, Reginald Montgomery, died, the C, Frank Clemmins, found another partner. Pretty darn quick, too. An investor from the States, Seattle I think, name of Steve Blacklock. Steve brought in new money, new ideas, and they’re going after serious players to invest in their resort.”
“And you have a problem with it?”
“I think I do. There was this bunch of protesters standing outside when I drove up. The usual stuff, homemade placards, pictures of grizzly bears, intense people. I stopped to talk to them.” She raised one hand. “Yeah, yeah, big mistake. They told me if the resort goes ahead it will destroy the Grizzly habitat, as well as do all sorts of other nasty stuff. I don’t know if I want the contract, John.”
“So refuse it. We’ll move into a homeless shelter, eat out of garbage cans, and I’ll have to sell my body on the street. But hey, we can do it.”
Eliza didn’t laugh. Her eyes burned with a green fire. “There are people who sacrifice a lot for their principles, you know, dear.”
He felt like a schoolboy caught with his hand in the church collection box. “I do.”
“All I’m saying is that I might have to decide.”
His cell phone rang, and Winters flipped it open. Eliza glared at him before reaching into the fridge for a strawberry yogurt. She carried it into the living room.
“Good morning, John,” Doctor Shirley Lee said. “Hope I’m not disturbing you.”
“Always a pleasure, doc. Surprised to hear from you on a Saturday. What’s up?”
“Not much I can talk about on the phone,” she said. “I’ll have my prelim report ready on Monday. But there is one thing you should know ASAP.”
“Shoot.”
“Constable Smith said something to Russ before I began the autopsy. I barely registered it at the time. But when I was writing up my report, I remembered.”
“What?”
“She told Russ that the woman’s baby had been found in the woods, close to the body.”
“The baby’s fine. He’s in care while we try to locate the family. Why are you asking?”
“The woman you’re calling Ashley Doe has never given birth.”
***
“Sergeant wants to see you, Molly. Said to go to his office soon as you arrive.”
“Why?”
“I forgot to ask. Do you want to wait here while I interrupt whatever he’s doing to check?”
“Who
“Hey,” she said. “Where’s my guy?”
“Just left,” Ingrid said. “You let him go.”
“Not him. The guy in three.” Smith pointed to her lip. “The one who bopped me.”
“No one there when I got here.”
Smith ran to check the files. Brian Atkins had been released first thing this morning. Case dropped. No further action to be taken. She swore with passion. The guy had attacked a cop, assault PO, and was released without even a fine. Sometimes she wondered why they bothered at all.
***
“How’d it go?” John Winters asked his wife.
“Well, I think. But you know how it is. You think you bombed and they can’t wait to have you, and you think you’re a star and they won’t return your calls.”
“I’ll always return your calls.”
She laughed, and handed him the newspaper.
“Seriously, it’s a heavy money gig. They’re prepared to shell out big, big bucks for this campaign.”
“Thus they can afford you.”
She ignored that. “But…”
Winters looked up from the paper. The headline and half the front page dealt with a woman’s body found in the woods in Trafalgar. Below the fold, preparations for the visit of a federal cabinet minister took up the space.
“But what?”
She turned her back and fussed with bread, the toaster oven, butter, and a pot of jam. He admired her rear end wrapped in snug beige shorts. “I don’t know if they offer me the job if I want to be on their side of this issue.”
He pulled his eyes away from her lovely rump. “Sit down and tell me what’s happening.”
She sat. “M&C Developments, right? After the M, Reginald Montgomery, died, the C, Frank Clemmins, found another partner. Pretty darn quick, too. An investor from the States, Seattle I think, name of Steve Blacklock. Steve brought in new money, new ideas, and they’re going after serious players to invest in their resort.”
“And you have a problem with it?”
“I think I do. There was this bunch of protesters standing outside when I drove up. The usual stuff, homemade placards, pictures of grizzly bears, intense people. I stopped to talk to them.” She raised one hand. “Yeah, yeah, big mistake. They told me if the resort goes ahead it will destroy the Grizzly habitat, as well as do all sorts of other nasty stuff. I don’t know if I want the contract, John.”
“So refuse it. We’ll move into a homeless shelter, eat out of garbage cans, and I’ll have to sell my body on the street. But hey, we can do it.”
Eliza didn’t laugh. Her eyes burned with a green fire. “There are people who sacrifice a lot for their principles, you know, dear.”
He felt like a schoolboy caught with his hand in the church collection box. “I do.”
“All I’m saying is that I might have to decide.”
His cell phone rang, and Winters flipped it open. Eliza glared at him before reaching into the fridge for a strawberry yogurt. She carried it into the living room.
“Good morning, John,” Doctor Shirley Lee said. “Hope I’m not disturbing you.”
“Always a pleasure, doc. Surprised to hear from you on a Saturday. What’s up?”
“Not much I can talk about on the phone,” she said. “I’ll have my prelim report ready on Monday. But there is one thing you should know ASAP.”
“Shoot.”
“Constable Smith said something to Russ before I began the autopsy. I barely registered it at the time. But when I was writing up my report, I remembered.”
“What?”
“She told Russ that the woman’s baby had been found in the woods, close to the body.”
“The baby’s fine. He’s in care while we try to locate the family. Why are you asking?”
“The woman you’re calling Ashley Doe has never given birth.”
***
“Sergeant wants to see you, Molly. Said to go to his office soon as you arrive.”
“Why?”
“I forgot to ask. Do you want to wait here while I interrupt whatever he’s doing to check?”
“Who
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