Coroner Report

When the next morning came around and it was time for Ray to work, he found himself being thankful that he didn't indulge in alcohol as much as Harold had. He didn't even have the tiniest of hangovers.

As he got ready for work, he mentally kept reminding himself not to act odd around with Abel or ask about the woman he saw him with before. It was his personal life and had nothing to do with their job after all. Plus, there was something more exciting to be focused on that morning which was that they had the autopsy results back.

He had gotten the call in the middle of the night from the coroner who said the autopsy was done so they could stop in either in the morning or the results would be emailed to them.

Of course Ray was quick to text Abel about this incase like him, the other wanted to head to the morgue before the station. The only response he got back a 'thank you' which he wasn't certain what that meant.

This morning at least Ray had time for a quick breakfast of granola and to make his coffee before he headed out the door. The morgue was actually slightly closer than the station was which meant he also didn't have to worry about leaving as early.

He hadn't yet met the new coroner that was hired after the previous one had retired. He was a difficult man to work with but good at his job. Ray hoped whoever took his place was at least efficient and more friendly than he had been.

Ray had only been to the morgue a handful of times, but he couldn't get over the chilly air that escaped each time that he stepped inside. The young man who was seated at the front desk stopped him to make sure that he was on the list of people who are allowed to enter before he opened a draw and handed him an outfit, mask, and a container that had a small amount of cream from him to put below his nose. Even though they kept the bodies cold, the smell could still be a bit much for some at times. Once he had swapped into the accepted sanitary clothing and footwear, he was allowed to head back to where the bodies were kept.

As he entered the backroom and started to walk down the hall, the closer he hot to where the bodies were examined and held in the freezers, he heard the sound of two distinct voices, one that sounded monotone and another that radiated annoyance, but he for reasons he couldn't quite hear as the voices were muted making it impossible to make out any clear words.

Once he turned the corner, he saw what the problem was. Abel had apparently made it there ahead of him and was already beginning to question the coroner who was female? Ray couldn't be quite sure because of the getup they were wearing and the fact that there back was to them, but based upon their size and tone of voice he could only assume that the new coroner was a woman.

Abel was standing off to the side of them with his arms crossed over his chest and seemed impatient, probably because he wasn't being given the answers he was looking for. At least though he had been respectful enough to change into the outfit that was required to be back with the bodies.

"I told you already, you're not on the verified list so I can't answer any questions you have no matter how many times you bug me." The other person answered, their voice exasperated as he opened the cold glass door. The difference in temperature made a chill run up his spine.

"Maybe I can be of some help here?" He asked causing both people to turn and look at him.

"Indeed maybe you can, if you're on the list of those who have been verified to be back here unlike him." The coroner sniped back as they crossed their arms over their chest as they turned to look at him. It was definitely a woman that much Abel could now tell that they were looking at him.

"This is my partner, Ray Monroe." Abel replied before Ray had a chance to introduce him self.

"Like he said. Sorry, he's new so I'm sure he hasn't been given proper clearance to be here but I can promise that we're both working together on the Victoria Ingle case." The woman looked him up and down, a touch of suspicion in her glasses clade eyes before she went over to the computer and began typing his name in. After a few seconds she gave satisfied nod of head.

"It's been verified that you're on the list. I recommend you keep your partner in better check next time. I cannot have just anyone barging in here like that regardless of what they say their position and status is. Next time, he'll end up getting in serious trouble somewhere else." The woman warned as he shoot Abel a critical look that didn't even seem to phase him.

"I'm here with only one goal which is to get this case taken care of in the best possible way." Abel replied.

"And the sooner you give us answers, the sooner we can move forward and get out of your hair." The woman looked at Abel with a rather unimpressed stair before she turned her attention back to Ray who was standing back waiting for everything to play out before he butted in.

"I feel sorry for you if you've had to work with him for long and he's always been this impossible. If it were me, I'd already ask for him to be transferred elsewhere and get some who has at least had an attitude adjustment." The woman commented causing Ray to give a light nervous laugh since Abel was right there in the room with them and could easily hear what the woman was saying.

"I haven't actually been working with him that long, he only came here yesterday. He's just a very focused guy but I can assure you he's not all that bad." He replied. He was thinking though that maybe Abel would benefit from going through some type of behavior management and people class to help him shape up his manners though so he didn't end up having to be the one to get scolded each time his partner acted out of turn.

"Since I'm here now though, can we go over what you found, please?" He tried to add on the extra politeness to try and undo any damage that Able may have done to their potential relationship before it even began. If this woman was the coroner, Ray wanted to be on her good side from the start since they'd probably be having to work a lot.

"I suppose so since everything seems to be properly cleared right now. I suppose that I should introduce myself as well. I'm Cecile Trenton. As you can guess, I'm new coroner here." She introduced as she began to walk back towards the freezer where the body was being held.

"I must admit, you brought me a rather interesting case here. I haven't seen something like this before." She commented as she went towards the back where Victoria's body was kept. She opened the holder and motioned for the two detectives to move back so that she could have all the space that she needed.

"What do you mean that?" Abel asked, he hadn't noticed anything abnormal about the body when he had looked it over, nor did he remember the medical team on site mention that there was anything odd about the body.

"I mean, there's something about this body that I've never seen before." She replied as she turned around to grab one of the tools off her desk, it was small light used to examine eyes.

"I admit it looked straight forward to me as well. Defense wounds and two deep stab wounds in the chest that appear to be the cause of death certainly." She continued talking as she removed the sheet covering the body. Ray tried not to focus too hard on the t-shaped stick marks that showed where the body had been cut open to examine the insides for anything that could be potential missed from an external examination. He wasn't sure that he would ever get used to seeing a dead body up close.

"You need to move closer if you're going to see this." Cecile said when she noticed that the two detectives were still standing rather far back. Neither one objected as she did as they asked.

"Now look at these eyes and tell me what you see." She asked as he carefully opened the eyelids of one of the body's eyes and shone the flash light on it. Abel was the first one to pick up on it.

"It's pink." he noted as he looked at it. Once he said it, Ray realized it as well. There was no distinction between where the pupil and iris should've been. Rather, the whole eye was a odd hue of pink.

"What could've caused this?" Ray asked as Cecile showed them the same thing on the next eye.

"Well, I'm not sure exactly, but I've been doing some research and there seems to be some new classes of drugs going around that maybe the cause of it. I can't say for sure as I've only just been looking, but I sent off her blood for a toxicology report and should have that back in the next few hours." She replied as she scratched her head.

"As for her organs, there didn't seem to be much damage done to them, so either it affects the body differently or she hadn't been on it that long before she died."

"It's a different point to pursue the case from though." Abel commented as he continued to stare at the body.

"We should have something back from the phone company today, maybe there'll be answer somewhere in their if she had a contact she was getting drugs from." Ray pointed out.

"I think maybe you have a bigger case on your hand than just a robbery gone wrong or an exacting revenge here." Cecile commented as she put the sheet back over the body.

"What makes you so sure of that?" Abel asked turning to face her. She shrugged her shoulders as she replied.

"Because from my past experience, where drugs like these are involved, there tends to be a hidden web of other crimes or problems that surround it."

"We're looking to small then you're saying?" Ray asked as his mind began to go over the scene of the crime again.

"Perhaps, but I can't say for sure. I'd just be careful moving forward and keep in mind that this might turn out to be something bigger." The coroner replied as she put the body back.

"After we interview this suspect you mentioned, we need to go back over the crime scene again and take a look at the inventory list that was taken from the team that was there." Abel told his partner as he pulled out his phone, he needed to call now to make sure that they could get what he wanted together before they headed back to the station.