“Mom’s happy enough,” Lizzie continued when Suzy had gone. “Oblivious to everything but her cactus collection.”
“I’ve learned a lot about succulents.”
We took a moment to peruse that evening’s offerings. To sip our lemony drinks.
“How about you?” Lizzie laid down her menu. “How’s your maternal situation?”
“Mama is engaged to be married.”
Lizzie’s brows shot to her hairline. Which, like them, was silvery gray.
“Don’t ask,” I said.
Suzy returned with Lizzie’s martini, my Perrier. She ordered the duck, I went with the chicken. Unless it’s winter—rabbit potpie season—I always do. I’m a sucker for the garlic smashed potatoes.
We were finishing our meal when I finally made my play. Setting down my fork, I broached the subject that was causing the pinging.
“There’s something I want to roll past you.”
“Shoot.”
“First, some background.” I told her about my conflict with Margot Heavner.
“I’m sorry about Larabee,” she said when I’d finished. “He was solid.”
“He was,” I agreed.
“Word is Heavner’s a she-beast.”
She is. I didn’t say it.
Lizzie waited as I reached behind me for the brown envelope and the tube and placed both on the table. She’d noticed the green bag the minute she’d arrived, hadn’t asked.
“A body was found Friday out in Cleveland County. Hogs had devoured the viscera, hands, and face.”
“So no visual, no prints.”
“Exactly. Heavner may run DNA, but that’ll mean waiting into the next eon for results. And what are the chances of getting a cold hit?”
“The vic carried no form of ID?”
“None.”
“Doesn’t sound good.” Guarded. Lizzie was getting the first hint where I was headed.
“It doesn’t.”
“A mugging gone wrong followed by a body dump?”
“The guy had two hundred dollars on him.”
Lizzie said nothing.
“Some personal items suggest he might not be local.” I finger-tapped the envelope. “It’s all here.”
Lizzie made no move toward Hawkins’s illegal plunder. “Let me guess. Heavner’s icing you out.”
“She is.”
“You do plenty of consults. Why lose sleep over this one?”
The same question I’d asked myself. “I’m not sure. I mean, the guy could have kids, a wife, a”—undirected, one hand rose into the air—“a cocker spaniel.”
“Come on, Tempe. We both know the game. Every death leaves a hole in someone’s life.”
The hand dropped back to the table. “Fine. Full disclosure. I think Heavner’s going full-on Dr. Morgue again.”
“Exploiting the situation to get her face on TV?”
“She called a presser, played up the”—I hooked air quotes—“ ‘mystery’ surrounding the case.”
Lizzie leaned back and ran a hand down one cheek. Her knuckles were knobbier, her skin more liver-spotted than I recalled.
Several moments passed. Suzy cleared our plates, brought mugs, and filled them. I added cream. Lizzie added nothing. Stirred anyway, still considering the implications of what I was asking.
I braced for the blow-off. Instead, “Where would you float it?”
“I’d have to figure out where to show it around.”
Our eyes met. I could almost hear the gears clicking in her head.
“It’s a long shot,” she said.
“To Uranus and back.”
“Won’t be worth a frog’s dick in court.”
“I know.”
“Joe Hawkins?” Gesturing again toward the envelope.
I didn’t confirm or deny.
“Who took the sample?” Meaning: it was collected covertly, so can the swab be trusted?
“I did.” Meaning: yes.
“Going off script could get you permanently canned,” Lizzie said.
“I don’t see Heavner featuring me on future rosters.”
Until then, the ugly prospect had only hovered, black and fluttery, at the periphery of my perception. Voicing the words brought the concept into stark reality. After decades, I’d be permanently out at the MCME.
“We’d be talking hypotheticals,” Lizzie said, voice low.
“I’d owe you big-time.”
Lizzie shotgunned the last of her coffee. Crossed her arms and sat still as a bonsai. Seconds passed. A full minute. Then, “You’re gonna love yacking prickly pear and aloe with Mom.”
The comment sounded just the wrong side of a promise.
* * *
I kept the papers. Lizzie took the tube.
It was past eleven when I got back to the annex. Pumped on adrenaline and coffee, which I’d been advised by my neurologist to avoid, I knew sleep wasn’t on the radar.
After changing into a clean tee and boxers, propped against bed pillows, I began going through Hawkins’s ex officio dossier.
I approached the contents chronologically, starting with the incident report from the Cleveland County Sheriff’s Department. Case number: 18-36-4129. Date: June 29, 2018. Time: 1121. Location: Earl, NC. Lead Detective: Ben Spevack, Criminal Investigation Division. Incident Type: Death investigation. Decedent’s Name: Blank. Eyewitnesses: Blank.
A hand-scrawled summary stated the following.
At approximately 0645, June 29, 2018, Ardis Goncalves, age 14, and Jaden Fazio, age 13, arrived by bicycle at a point where Lick Branch cuts south off Buffalo Creek, east of NC-198, just north of the South Carolina state line. The boys had gone to the location for the purpose of fishing. Upon arrival, they spotted two feral hogs at the water’s edge, threw rocks, approached when the hogs ran off. Observing a dead body, the boys pedaled to the Fazio home. At 0736 Dodie Fazio dialed 911 to alert the authorities.
The decedent was initially observed by first responder Sheriff’s Deputy Cory Jenkins to be clothed, of medium build, with dark hair, lying supine, with feet toward, head oriented away from the creek. No appearance of projectile, sharp or blunt instrument, or vehicular trauma. No signs of defense wounding on lower arms. (Hands not observable.) Mutilation of face, midsection, and hands due to hogs. Blood staining on clothing, soil and vegetation under head, and midsection suggestive of massive bleeding. No attempt made to move body to observe lividity.
Decedent was wearing cream-colored shirt, brown pants, black shoes, no socks. No jewelry, wallet, or keys in vicinity. No drugs or weapons. No suicide note. No signs of foul play. Decedent is believed to have reached the site on foot.
I leaned back, skin twitchy. What were my instincts telling me now?
I reread the summary, more slowly. No epiphany. But I was more wide awake than ever.
Shocked that Hawkins had managed to sneak them, I shifted to the photocopy of Heavner’s preliminary autopsy notes.
DECEDENT
Case Number: MCME 304-18. Name: Unknown. Next of Kin: Unknown. Location Last Seen Alive: Unknown. Vehicle Involved: Unknown. Reporting Agency: Cleveland County SD. Case Type: Unidentified fresh body.
EXTERNAL EXAM