Chapter Five

I can't see the future but I know it's comin' fast
It's not that hard to wind up knee deep in the past
It's come a lot of Mondays
Since the phone booth that first night
Through years and miles and tears and smiles
I want to get it right

Work continued to push the days ahead into weeks and the weeks into months. Nigel's and Stevie's son was born, all nine pounds, twelve ounces of him. He had Nigel's hair and Stevie's eyes. They named him Jonathan Garrett Townsend, calling him Jon, to avoid confusion. Everyone in the morgue was crazy over the infant. The first time Stevie and Nigel brought the baby by for everyone to see, Lynn was the only one at ease picking him up and feeding him. She handed him off to Jordan, who eagerly took him, but looked really unsure of herself. "Just make sure you hold his head," Lynn told her, watching her younger colleague closely. Then she left Woody and Jordan alone. Nothing like a baby to make you think about the future...or remember wistfully about the past. Lynn thought about Mark for the umpteenth time that day and wondered how he was doing. Her son had promised to come up for her birthday. She was counting the days.

Other than some minor changes in procedures and the folks she was working with, Lynn's days were almost identical to those in Wilmington. She would get up at five, go to the gym, swim two miles, dress and go to work. The swimming was part of her routine to stay in shape for her dives. She hadn't had to use her diving skills in Boston yet, but knew the day would probably come before she wanted it to.

And it did. She was in trace one day with Bug when Garrett came in. "Lynn," he said, his voice holding just a hint of panic. "Car off the bridge at Charles. Divers have recovered two survivors. They want you on the scene."

She nodded. "Bug, I don't think I'll be back in time to help you finish this. Sorry."

"Don't worry," he replied, "It's taken care of."

She ran down the hall to the locker room to change into her bathing suit and sweats, not realizing Garrett was right behind her. "Hey," he shouted at her.

She turned to look at him.

"I'll take you down there. And the PD said they had a boat for you, whatever that means."

"It means I don't have to wear my diving suit down there. I can change on location."

Half an hour later, Lynn was on site, and pulled off her sweats. It was chilly in the boat, with the wind blowing off the Charles. She had observed the other divers and they had marked where the car was. She hurriedly changed into her suit, checked the tanks, pulled them on and her mask. She pushed off the side of the boat before Garrett could say anything to her. Woody walked over to him, "Think she knows what she's up against?" he asked.

"The mud? The poor visibility? Probably. She's studied the bay area and the rivers from the minute we hired her. She's gone on several practice dives."

"But she's never retrieved in the Charles."

"She did in the James in Virginia. And Deep River in North Carolina. But her fresh water retrieval experience is limited. She has many more dives in the ocean."

"You know what Walcott is going to say if Lynn isn't successful. One new ME for the price of two – who can't even do her job. She's a waste, get rid of her."

Garrett rubbed the back of his head. "I know. I just hope she doesn't make it too personal. This was my decision." But Garrett was concerned. Lynn had been down there what seemed to be along time. He checked his watch. She had been under about 45 minutes. Finally, he saw her head bob out of the river. She swam over to the side of the boat. "I've got him...but I need more rope."

Garrett handed her a coil. "You okay?" he asked. Her lips looked blue.

"It's cold down there, but we're about through." She signaled for one of the other divers to stay on the surface, and dove back down.

"How's the car down there?" Woody asked the remaining diver.

"On its roof...she's having to go inside the car to get the body out. It's tight as hell, but she's good. She's got it in the basket, just needs the extra rope to secure it."

Garrett anxiously watched the surface of the river. "She's going to be fine," Woody said.

"I know," he replied, "But this whole thing sets me on edge....what if she gets caught? Hurt?"

"She'll be fine, Garrett," Woody replied, patting him on the back. "See...there she is." Lynn's head again re-emerged from the muddy surface with the basket. She pushed it over to the side of the boat. Woody felt Garrett's shoulders sag in relief. "You going to be this way every time she dives?"

"I don't know. Maybe. Oh, hell. Yes."

"Then you've got it as badly as I do."

Garrett shot the young detective a puzzled look. "What?"

Woody chuckled. "Welcome to my world...trying to have a relationship with an ME who insists on putting herself in dangerous situations."

"Lynn and I are not in a relationship."

"Sure. You've only been at the Pogue together at least three nights a week for the past four months. You've been out to dinner together more times than I remember. And I see how you look at her when she's not looking. It's the same way I look at Jordan."

"I do ....," Garrett paused for a moment. "Yeah, I guess I do. Do you think she notices?"

"Lynn? No. At least not yet. She's too caught up in her work...and maybe her past. And I think she's the type of lady you're just going to have to tell how you feel. I don't think she's the type that catches hints easily."

"Like Jordan?"

"Worse. At least Jordan's gotten to the point she can take a hint."

By this time, Lynn had boarded the boat and was changing out of her suit and back into her sweats. The waters in North Carolina had been cold, but nothing like the Boston waters. She was chilled to the bone and wanted to get back to the morgue and get a hot shower before heading home. Teeth chattering, she pulled on her sweats and joined Garrett and Woody.

"We did it," she said softly.

"Congratulations," Woody said, giving the woman hug. "Was it as bad as you thought it w as going to be?"

"It was muddy and cold. Visibility was poor. The currents were stronger than I remembered." She was shivering. Garrett pulled his jacket off and put it around her. "No..." she protested. "You're going to freeze before we get back."

"Then let's go inside the cabin." Garrett steered her inside and got her a cup of coffee, staying with her until they got back to the dock and then the morgue. Lynn went immediately to the locker room and took a hot shower. Emerging from the locker rooms, she found the office brimming over with excitement. Everyone was hyped up on the morgue's first UBR. She took everything with a grain of salt, brushing off the congratulations and settling down to her desk to do her report. She wanted all of her I's dotted and t's crossed for the DA. She had heard through the grapevine that Walcott was giving Garrett hell, something she didn't appreciate or like to think about it. She had wondered if it was a professional thing or personal agenda and if she had anything to do with it.. She made a mental note to talk with Jordan tomorrow.

"Hey, you going home anytime soon?" a voice from her doorway asked. It was Garrett. He looked tired.

"I will as soon as I get this report filed."

"It can wait until tomorrow, you know."

"Nah. I don't want Walcott to get her panties in knot. I'll finish it and fax it over. It's about done." Lynn filled in a few more lines and rose to go to the fax machine. "You look tired, Garrett. Why don't you call it a day?"

"I am. Just making sure you're okay." He had come up behind her and watched her fax the report.

"I'm fine. I guess it's just me. Or my age. I've been diving for nearly 15 years. Every year, I keep thinking this is the year I'm stopping. Quitting. At least diving for bodies. I'll always dive for pleasure. But with every year that passes, I hate this aspect of my job more and more."

This took Garrett by surprise. Hesitantly, he turned Lynn gently around so he could look in her eyes. Blue eyes. Bigger and bluer than any he'd ever seen. They were truly the window to her mind and emotions. He had notice them turn stormy when she was upset, flash when she was angry, or twinkle when she was joking around. Right now they were just solemn. And honest. "Why?" he asked.

"There's just too many variables. So many unknowns out there...under the water. Sometimes, like tonight, it's easy, even though the space is tight. Early retrievals are always better. But after days, or weeks, when the body has been exposed to the elements out there...the underwater animals, temperatures, currents....it can get gruesome, like something out of a horror movie. Try explaining all of that to a family that wants one last glimpse of their loved one...." Her voice trailed off, and her eyes were staring out in space as if she was remembering far too many bad dives.

He gave her a gentle hug. "Go home. Sleep. Take tomorrow off if you need it."

She smiled up at him and softly touched his cheek with one of her fingers. "Thanks, boss, but I'll be in tomorrow."

She didn't go home right away. She pointed her Mustang in the direction of the Pogue. Like after most of her dives, she felt the need for a drink. A stiff one. A beer wouldn't do. She needed to have a talk with Johnny Walker. Jordan looked up when she heard the bell jangle over the door.

"Lynn....what'll it be? The usual? Where's Garrett?"

"No. Not tonight. Johnny Walker in black, please. A double. And Garrett is heading home. I'm by myself tonight...I'm not good company."

Jordan looked at her sharply. Lynn had never had more than one beer at anytime she had been there and Garrett had always accompanied her. Wondering what was wrong with her new friend, she cautiously set the glass down in front of Lynn, who promptly tossed half of it back, and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. "Is something the matter, Lynn?"

"Dive." And that was all Jordan got out of her for a quite a few minutes. Woody raised a questioning eye from his place at the bar. Jordan just shook her head. Finally Lynn smiled at the couple. "Sorry. I just need some down time after a dive. It's not a part of my job I particularly enjoy anymore."

Jordan nodded. "I understand. I always hate notifying families. It never gets any easier." And at least things were still okay between Lynn and Garrett. Jordan knew that the chief ME's feelings for the woman were running deep, even though Lynn was oblivious to the fact.

Woody joined the women. "It went well, though."

"It did as dives go. It was quick. Simple. Fairly painless." She held out her glass for another shot of scotch. "Just one more."

Jordan poured her another finger of the liquid. "What's it like diving in the Charles?"

"Cold. Murky. But the currents are killer."

Jordan digested this bit of information. "Do you think it would be possible for someone to survive a jump into the Charles from say, seven to ten stories up from a building?"

Lynn gave her a startled look. "Where's this going, Jordan? Do you have a victim..."

"No," Jordan softly replied. Briefly, she explained to Lynn about her half-brother, James. "We've just never found any sign of him."

"And we've looked. Dragged the river. Looked for days," Woody added.

Lynn sighed. "The Charles has some really strong currents. It would be possible to survive the fall and get swept out. You may yet find his remains, if he didn't make it. But I doubt it. If nothing has been found yet, it's my bet the man survived the plunge and is hiding out somewhere."