The dangers of Smoking.
The dangers of smoking are widely known, by smokers and non smokers alike. Detective Sergeant James Hathaway knows them, accepts them and lives with them. Except one. No one thought to warn about that one did they?
Chapter 8
James strode into the autopsy suite behind Lewis.
"Ah, Cagney and Lacey" Laura quipped brightly.
"Dr Death" James bowed his head slightly and grinned at her.
"Had your lunch then James?" she asked haughtily.
He smirked in return, eyes glancing around.
"Get a room you two" Lewis rolled his eyes fondly.
Laura laughed and led them to the table, revealing the face of the deceased.
"I can tell you he was poisoned, whatever it was, it stopped his heart with a bang. Literally, he had a massive heart attack. I've sent some blood for a full screen" she looked up and gave Lewis a sly smile that James missed, still scribbling in his notebook "In fact, the results should be about through now, Evie is in the other room, would you James?"
She lowered her head to the body. Lewis looked at the spot she was, where bruising on the neck was evident.
"Strangled as well?" he asked.
"Sometimes bruising may take a day or two to come through, especially if inflicted near death" she replied.
James frowned and turned on his heel, heading next door. He didn't see the smiling look that passed between the doctor and the DI.
"Crafty" Lewis whispered when he was out of earshot.
"The results are there" she pointed to a folder on the instrument table "It was potassium chloride"
"I stand corrected" Robbie whispered back "Sneaky"
She smirked "Just shoving them gently in the right direction"
…...
"Oh, hello" Evie said with feigned surprise as James stepped into the room "What can I do for you?"
She pushed the instruments she had been laying out to one side and removed her gloves, looking at him expectantly as he laughed, as if they hadn't just spent an hour together.
A lot James found himself thinking before he answered.
"Apparently Detective Sergeant now means 'errand boy'" he huffed "Dr Hobson wanted me to collect John Doe's toxicology report"
"Ah" she smiled at him and pressed a few keys on the computer, bringing up a screen "Hmmm"
"What?" he asked, stepping beside her and looking at the screen "Isn't that..." he paused, racking his memory back to chemistry, he recognised the symbol on the screen.
"Potassium chloride" Evie said "And judging by the level in the blood, a lot of it"
Evie groped behind her for a stool, shoving one in his direction she sat on the other.
"How much?" he asked, acutely aware they were both leaning towards the screen.
"A lot more than is present now" Evie replied "It's almost undetectable, so if it's still in his blood now, someone delivered a massive dose of it"
"He was also strangled" James mused "Could it have been administered just before death?"
"It's possible" Evie nodded "To finish him off"
She tapped a few more buttons and another screen appeared, James reached for his pen and started to scribble in his pad. Evie shifted slightly as he extended his arm to write again and their shoulders touched. Neither moved, though both were hypersensitive to the contact.
"He had quite a party before he died" she commented "Stomach content indicates he was drinking, even though blood alcohol level has him well over the limit. There's also chocolate, and looks like he was drinking champagne"
"Odd, considering he was in a homeless shelter just an hour before" James looked at the screen and scribbled some more as she continued.
"And heroin in his bloodstream, though no track marks" she mused "Quite a puzzle sergeant"
"Indeed" he replied "What would the normal uses for potassium chloride be?"
He turned to look at her and stopped, as she also turned, they were nose to nose almost, and James had the notion to kiss her, right there and then.
Evie swallowed before answering "It's used in the treatment of hypopotassemia mainly, but also used in lethal injections, in greater quantities. In it's raw form, it's basically salt" her voice was quiet, husky almost.
The logical part of James wondered at the feasibility of such words sounding seductive, the rest of him stared back, fumbling for an answer.
"So you'd find it in hospitals? Vets? Places like that?" he asked eventually.
She nodded, wondering how he made a sentence like that seem so layered. His tone and expression belied his simple words.
"Not interrupting?"
They leapt apart as Laura spoke from the doorway, both flushing red and looking guilty.
"We were just ah..." James waved a hand at the screen "Discussing the results"
"Which are?" Lewis fixed him with a look.
"Potassium chloride" Evie answered "Amongst other things"
James gave her a grateful look before turning back to his boss.
"Champagne, chocolate, heroin and potassium chloride" he said, all business again "Quite a cocktail"
"So that's another murder then" Lewis said quietly.
"Oh yes" Laura beamed at James "Speaking of the other victim, you owe me a drink Sergeant"
"You have an ID?" James asked, slightly perturbed.
She handed him a sheet of paper "DOD records, I faxed them his dental records, they sent me this" she smiled smugly at him "Shall we say 7? The Badger Hounds?"
James read the paper "Humph" he replied "Malcolm Leverick"
"Yup" Laura grinned.
"Should have bet him dinner" Lewis laughed.
"I thought we weren't supposed to bet on a case?" Laura shot back.
"You're not and we're going" Lewis said "That's if you're finished James?"
Hathaway gave him a look of pure irritation before answering "Of course"
"See you later" Lewis told Laura "Evie" he raised a hand.
She smiled as Laura stepped aside to let them go. Just before he got out of sight, James turned and gave her a small smile. Not missed by Laura.
…...
James looked up from the computer screen in the office to see Lewis holding his jacket out with a look of expectation.
"It's quarter to seven" he added, pointedly.
"Mmmm, I'll see you tomorrow. I'm still researching Malcolm Leverick's family tree, living relatives appear to be in short supply" James answered.
Lewis spun the screen away, making James look up, open mouthed with indignation.
"If you think I'm facing Laura on my own, when you owe her a drink, and explaining you're not coming, you have another think coming" Lewis said.
James frowned, but he shut the computer down.
"There's a good lad" Lewis said, humour restored "All work and no play makes James an ever duller boy"
"Thank you" James replied with a dark look "Very complimentary"
"Come on" Robbie urged "You need a pint"
...
Another couple of chapters before I sign off for a few days, next update may not be until the weekend. Thaks for reading and hope you are enjoying :)