“I’m surprised you got anything,” I reply. “But we’re lucky it’s wintertime.”
“Otherwise forget it,” he agrees. “Four or five days in a dumpster during the summer? And we’d be out of luck.”
He examined the clippings I collected in the autopsy suite last night, and it’s possible Gwen scratched her assailant.
“But it’s not Jinx Slater’s DNA,” Clark explains. “As I’ve mentioned, it’s an unknown profile that I’ll run through CODIS.”
He says he hopes to have more information by the time I get back to the office, and I’m not sure that’s going to happen. The way I’m feeling, I expect to arrive and find my key doesn’t work, that I’ve lost my take-home car and parking space. Elvin Reddy will have a well-laid plan, and no doubt he’s looking forward to watching it unfold.
On I-95 now, we’ve reached the campus of the Medical College of Virginia where I once was on the faculty. Next, we’re turning onto North 14th Street, and Main Street Station is in our windshield, the site of my former life all around us.
“Now’s not a good time to bring this up,” Marino says. “But I don’t suppose Maggie said anything about parking?”
“Of course she didn’t,” I reply in exasperation, and I should have thought to ask.
“Because there’s nothing around here but street parking with meters, and I’m not seeing an empty space anywhere,” he says, both of us looking for an empty spot or someone leaving.
I send Maggie a text, and she doesn’t answer as Marino circles the building several times to no avail. By the time she gets back to me, we’re in a public lot several blocks away.
“She says there’s no special parking,” I let Marino know as he tucks a five-dollar bill into the honor box.
“Let the games begin,” he says as we follow the sidewalk, hoofing it to the Monroe Building.
It’s ten o’clock on the nose when we hurry through the glass front door. Then we’re waiting with a crowd of state employees gathering by the elevators, and after being early, now I’m late. The ride up twenty-nine floors takes an eternity with all the stops along the way, and when we walk into the health commissioner’s lobby, I’m sweating.
I shouldn’t have worn these shoes, am getting a blister, and I don’t have time to touch up my makeup. Announcing myself to the young bubbly receptionist, I take off my coat as her pretty face screws into a frown.
“OH MY.” SHE MAKES a big production of looking at the faux antique grandfather clock inside a spacious area recently furnished.
It would seem Elvin didn’t waste any time fixing up his empire to his liking. I take in the new carpet, the overstuffed sofas and chairs, paintings and photographs of Virginia everywhere as I listen to the receptionist explain that I’m late.
“Your appointment was at ten.” She looks up at Marino and me.
“It’s twelve minutes after,” I reply.
“I guess he thought you weren’t coming. Also, you didn’t call to confirm this morning.”
“You’re saying he didn’t hear our helicopter. That he had no idea we were on our way,” I reply.
“Oh, that was you?” She’s a terrible actress. “I might be able to fit you in tomorrow at the same time. Is it possible you could come back?”
“What’s your name?” I ask her.
“Tina.”
“Is he here, Tina? Because I’m not going anywhere.”
“All I know is he stepped out a few minutes ago.”
“I’ll wait.” I find a sofa next to a silk orchid. “Let Doctor Reddy know I’m here.”
I’m not going to bother Maggie about what’s happened. She’s clearly part of the problem, and I angrily envision us race-walking here from a public parking lot.
“But he has a booked schedule, ma’am,” Tina reminds me, and she’s getting unnerved.
“I’m not going anywhere.” I say it again as Marino plops down next to me like a gargoyle.
“And it’s doctor, not ma’am,” he lets her know. “You tell the health commissioner we’ll be sitting right here until we turn into skeletons if we have to.”
The wait isn’t that long but close enough. Two hours and twenty minutes later, Elvin Reddy looks chagrined when he walks in.
“I apologize but you weren’t here at ten, and then the governor wanted to have coffee. One thing after another, you know how it goes.” In his sharp double-breasted gray suit, Elvin brings to mind a wealthy businessman, a small bald one with a prominent nose and small dark eyes.