Chapter Seven

"Can I look through her office, one more time?" Woody asked Garret. He had searched her office several times since she left…trying to find some clue…some information about where she had gone. He kept coming up empty, but he still tried.

Garret looked the young detective over…and came to one conclusion. Woody looked like hell. His normal professional appearance could only be described as rumpled at best. He had lost weight and had aged more in a few months than some people did in years. Garret knew Woody regretted his actions and would give anything to take them back…but the chief ME believed that Woody had not only crossed the bridge of no return with Jordan, he had also burned it behind him.

"Sure, Woody. If you think it would help…if you think you'll find anything else, go ahead."

Woody got the key to Jordan's office from Garret and opened the door. Next to their bedroom, this was the place he felt closest to her. She spent most of her time here. He had already gone through the room with a fine-tooth comb, as Garret had the morgue. And like Garret, he had turned up nothing.

But it made him feel like he was doing something to try to find her. Methodically, he pulled out each file from her desk drawer and looked through it. Nothing. Opening the top drawer of her desk, he fingered the personal items there…a scrunchie to keep her hair pulled back, the ticket stubs to the first BoSox game they went to together, a broken necklace, pens, pencils. Notes to herself in her handwriting…pick up dry cleaning, get milk, call utility company…Nothing that would lead him anywhere in finding her, but items that went a long way in keeping her close to him.

"Any luck?" Garret asked, propping himself in the doorway to Jordan's office.

"No…no. And I didn't think I 'd find anything new…I just…"

"Needed to be here…close to her?"

"Yeah."

"I know how you feel. Some days I come in here and sit. Just to pretend she's still here."

They sat in silence for a few minutes. Then Sydney burst through the door, interrupting their solitude. "Phoenix," he said.

"Phoenix?" Garret asked, not following the young ME's line of thinking.

"She's in Phoenix. We just got a hit on her social security number."

The men crowded around Sydney's computer. "See…she deposited a paycheck and her FICA withholdings alerted the system," he said.

"Phoenix….can you tell where she's employed?" Woody asked, feeling for the first time a flicker of hope.

"Sorry…I can't right now. Wait until the check clears the bank and I can get a copy."

"Nigel," said Garret, suddenly. "Nigel."

Woody looked at the ME incredulously. "Nigel?" he repeated.

"Yeah. Nigel works left Boston to go to work in Phoenix. She's run to Nigel."

Woody felt the hope that had flickered of hope quickly blow out. She had gone to Nigel. Maybe there was more there than just the friendship he had seen for years. "Do you have a phone number for him?" he asked Garret.

"Yeah. In my office. We'll call from in there. Thanks, Sydney."

Sydney nodded. "Hope she'll talk to you….and good luck." He knew first hand what Jordan's absence was doing to Woody….and Garret wasn't far behind now.

Garret spun his rolodex around until he came to Nigel's Phoenix number. "I think I'd better make the initial call, Woody." Woody nodded, taking a seat on the corner of Garret's desk.

Garret dialed the number and put the phone's speaker on. "Hello?' soon came a soft feminine voice on the other end. It didn't sound like Jordan.

"May I ask who's speaking?" Garret said.

"Veronica Ann Evans…"

"Veronica…"

"Ronnie…please."

"Ronnie, is Dr. Nigel Townsend there?"

"May I ask who's calling?"

Garret took a deep breath. There was no reason Nigel shouldn't speak to him…they had parted as friends. But Nigel would know the real reason he called, and the Englishman's underlying loyalty to Jordan may keep him from speaking to his former boss or being less than honest with him. "Dr. Garret Macy….I was his boss when he worked in Boston." He heard Ronnie put her hand over the receiver and speak to Nigel in low tones. Garret couldn't make out exactly what was said, but a few minutes later, Nigel's voice came over the phone.

"Dr. Macy….how's Boston?" He looked straight at Jordan, who at that moment was on his computer in the living room.

"Cold. Snowy. Typical. How's Phoenix?"

"Warm and sunny."

Garret chuckled. After a few more pleasantries, he got down to the business at hand. "Say, Nigel, a runaway ME from Boston wouldn't be camped out on your couch, would she?"

"No…she's not camped out on my couch. She is on my computer," Nigel replied, still looking at Jordan. He and Jordan had already discussed this situation earlier. Jordan had known the minute she deposited her paycheck, any searches that Woody or Garret had out there on her would pop up as active. She didn't mind anyone knowing where she was at….she just wanted to be left alone for a while.

"So she's safe?"

"Safe, warm, fed, and working. She's fine, Garret."

"Good. Good," Nigel could hear the relief in Garret's voice. "Any chance she's heading back to Boston?"

"Not at the moment. She's working with me at the Arizona Medical Examiners Office. She's here for at least three more months. Jordan's filling in for someone on maternity leave."

"Any clue where she's heading after that?"

"No. I don't think she knows. I hope to keep her here. Hang on a minute, Garret."

Garret could hear Jordan in the background, conferring with Nigel about something.

"Garret…" it was Jordan.

"Jordan….why the hell did you go all the way to Phoenix…and this resigning without notice…." he sounded stern, but she knew the teasing undertone to his voice.

"Sorry Garret. I had the vacation and personal time, so I took it. Bite me."

"No, thanks. Are you okay?"

"Fine…I just needed to get away and think for a while…try to put my life together, you know?"

Garret sighed, and held up his hand to Woody, who was trying to get the phone away from him. "I know, Jor. I know…I just needed to know you were well…and safe." He could tell her voice just how hurt she still was over the divorce. "Look, Jordan, Woody's been trying to get in touch with you ever since you left. He really wants and needs to talk to you. Would you talk to him…at least call him?"

"No. There's no need to. I signed the divorce like he wanted me to. I don't want anything from him. But you can give him a message for me."

"What?"

"Tell him to file the damn papers."