Chapter Two: Assistant Coroner
Meghan flopped down next to Mac's desk with a sigh. "Is there anything to do around here? I'm bored out of my skull." She popped a bubble and stuck out her tongue. "I'm thinking about getting it pierced."
"Your skull?"
Meghan rolled her eyes at her uncle. "No, my tongue."
"If you'd change your outfit a little," Mac inclined his head at her, "you could work in the coroner's office with Hawkes."
Her face brightened. "Really?"
"I said if," her uncle reminded sternly. "Got it? And I'd have to check with him." He eyed her suspiciously. "You did graduate?"
She rolled her eyes. "Duh." Meghan had excelled in school, skipping more than one grade and graduating by the time she was fifteen. Before she hit her rebellion stage, she had enrolled in some classes at a medical school and finished by the time she was nineteen. After that, she quickly changed her mind and became involved with 'the wrong crowd'- in her parents' opinion. Meghan yawned. "So…?"
"Fine," Mac relented cautiously, "but you will abide by the rules, Meg."
Looking thrilled at the fact that he had used her nickname, the nineteen year old jumped up and headed for the door. "I'm gonna go check it out. Thanks, Uncle Mac."
"Meghan."
His voice stopped her in her tracks right in the doorway. "Yeah?"
He grinned. "Don't you dare."
She stuck out her tongue, teasing him. "Fine." She tossed him a grin over her shoulder and sashayed down the hall, ignoring the stares she got from people around her.
-
"Hello?" Meghan poked her head in the doorway of the morgue and saw an attractive black man with dark framed glasses bending over a body half-covered with a sheet.
He looked up. "Hi. You must be Mac's niece."
Her eyebrows rose. "Uh, yeah. Does everyone know?"
"Word gets around."
She shrugged and walked over to join him. "What happened to him?" Meghan made a face. "He looks like he's gone through a paper shredder."
The man laughed. "Not quite. I'm the coroner, Hawkes."
She smirked. "I know. Uncle Mac told me. Does he like, run this place?"
"No. Close, though." Hawkes stepped back. "COD?"
"Asphyxiation."
"What makes you say that?" Hawkes queried, even though he knew Meghan was correct.
Meghan shrugged. "Just a guess." She inspected the victim's face closely.
"With what?"
"A pillow," she responded without hesitation.
Hawkes started in surprise. "How do you know?" He didn't find a thing.
Meghan reached for a pairs of tweezers, and, at his conceding nod, pulled a tiny fibre from the victim's nose. "Feather."
The coroner reached for an evidence bag. "You wanna take it to trace?"
Her eyes opened slightly wider. "Me?"
"Sure, why not?"
"Thanks." Meghan watched as he bagged the fibre and handed it to her.
"Page me if you're right, I'll buy you coffee." At her stunned look, he gave her a grin. "I didn't find that."
She grinned back. "Okay." Somewhat flattered by the attention, she waved and slipped out the door to make her way to the trace lab. "Hey, Danny," she greeted, having met the CSI the day before, as well as his partner and girlfriend, Aiden.
"Hey." Danny lifted his head from the microscope he was peering into and shoved his glasses back onto the bridge of his nose. "What's up?" Meghan positioned herself on the stool next to him and waved the evidence bag.
"I need Chad to run this. Do you know where he is?"
"Bored to desperation playing solitaire on the computer," Danny answered with a smirk, tilting his head in the lab tech's general direction.
Meghan followed his gaze and laughed. Chad looked about to fall asleep. "Thanks," she said to the CSI. "Catch'ya later, Danny."
"See ya."
"Hey Chad, want something to do?" Meghan called to the lab tech, and laughed when he flew out of his chair.
"Yes, please!"