in his tone must have conveyed his urgency, because she looked up, letting her blue gaze rest on him for the longest moment before she nodded almost imperceptibly. “All right. I’ll see if I can rearrange my schedule. But you don’t have to wait around for me. Just leave me your number and I’ll call you tonight when I’m finished.”
He stood, fishing a card from his pocket and dropping it on her desk. “If it’s all the same with you, I think I’ll hang around campus for a while anyway.”
“That really isn’t necessary—”
“Look…” He shot a glance toward the door. “I’m a little concerned about security. If you wouldn’t mind, I’d like to take a look at your facility.”
“Security? For remains that haven’t yet been identified as human?”
When he said nothing, her gaze grew mildly reproachful. “There’s something you’re not telling me about this case.”
“I’ve told you everything I know about the remains.”
“Then why are you so concerned about security?”
“Security is my job. In case you haven’t thought about it before, you’ve got a murder victim lying in your lab downstairs. Someone out there isn’t going to be too thrilled when you ID her.”
She didn’t seem the least bit fazed by his words. “This building is equipped with a sophisticated security system, including highly sensitive motion detectors. A special lock was designed for the lab doors, and only a few of the FAHIL staff have been issued keys. The doors to the FAHIL facilities are kept locked at night, and the building has its own security guard. Does that sound satisfactory to you?”
Her thoroughness impressed him once more. “You would have made a very good detective, Dr. Casey.”
Again, she gave him a slight smile, but her tone was deadly serious. “But I am a detective. I’m a bone detective. I just don’t carry a gun.”
And if she did carry a gun, Nick had no doubt she would be a crack shot. He had a feeling there were very few things Dr. Erin Casey didn’t do well.
The possibilities, he decided, were pretty damn intriguing.
“DR. CASEY! Wait up!”
Erin, balancing her briefcase, an armload of books and papers, and a can of highly caffeinated soda, turned at the sound of her name. Ross Calvert, her research assistant, hurried up the sidewalk toward her.
“I’m glad I caught you, Dr. Casey,” Ross said breathlessly as he drew alongside her.
“I’m in a bit of a hurry, Ross, so whatever this is about, can it wait?” He looked instantly crestfallen, and Erin cursed herself for her curt tone. “I’m sorry. It’s just that I have that reception tonight at the dean’s house, and you know how much I hate those things.”
Ross nodded sympathetically, his normal good humor somewhat restored. He wore baggy black jeans, a black Primus T-shirt, and his dyed hair had been gelled into orangy-red spikes. The grunge look, including the eyebrow ring and chin stud, belied his keen intelligence. He was one of the sharpest research assistants Erin had ever had.
“You’ll be cool,” he said admiringly.
“I appreciate that, Ross. Now, what can I do for you?”
He hesitated, then said, “There was a man in the lab this afternoon working on Case 00-03 with you.” His gaze lifted suddenly, and his gray eyes had an oddly possessive glint.
Erin thought she understood. Case 00-03 was to be Ross’s solo project. Once Erin had cataloged her findings, he would then conduct his own examination, comparing his conclusions with hers. One always felt possessive of one’s first case, she reminisced nostalgically. “I was working on 00-03,” she told him. “Detective Gallagher was merely observing.”
“Detective Gallagher? He’s not the one who brought her to us. That cop’s name was Stoner.”
“Yes, that’s right. Detective Mike Stoner.”
“So, what did Gallagher want?”
It was Erin’s turn to hesitate, remembering Detective Gallagher’s almost excessive concern for security. “I think he wanted to look over the premises, make sure our security was up to snuff. Some of the remains we work on represent potential evidence in court cases,” she reminded him. “A lot of good detective work could go down the drain if they were tampered with.”
Ross didn’t look all that convinced. “I guess that explains what he was doing here, but what about the other guy?”
“The other guy?”
“There was another man standing just outside the building, pretending to read a book,” Ross told her. “He looked up when you came out, and he just stood there watching you walk away.”
Erin suppressed a shiver at the notion of someone—anyone—surreptitiously watching her. Among other concerns, her backside was definitely not her best asset.
“What did he look like?” she asked Ross.
He shrugged. “I don’t know. He was older, with sort of grayish hair. And he was big. Not fat, just…big. Muscular.”
“What did he do after I walked away?”
“He got in his car and drove off. But I don’t think he left the campus. I think he’s still hanging around here somewhere.”
Erin tried to shrug away his concern. “I’m sure it’s nothing for either one of us to worry about. He was probably just waiting for someone.”
“Maybe.” Ross gave her a doubtful smile. “Just thought I’d mention it, though. I guess I’ll see you tomorrow, Dr. Casey.”
“See you tomorrow, Ross.” Although she wasn’t so sure she would, if she left tonight with Detective Gallagher. Depending on how long the excavation took, she might not be back until day after tomorrow, but for some reason, she didn’t feel like mentioning that possibility to Ross. He worried too much.
As Erin watched him walk toward the parking lot, she remembered Detective Gallagher’s warning about security. In case you haven’t thought about it before, you’ve got a murder victim lying in your lab downstairs. Someone out there is going to be awfully unhappy when you ID her.
Did the strange man Ross had seen lurking about campus have something to do with Case 00-03?
Or was he somehow associated with Detective Gallagher?
Neither scenario was particularly comforting, and Erin suppressed another shiver as she turned to walk home. It was only September, but there was a bite in the wind off the lake that promised an early winter.
The days were getting shorter, too. The sun was already setting over the picturesque campus, casting long shadows between the ivy-covered buildings, and for the first time in years, the coming darkness made Erin more than a little uneasy.
Chapter Two
