Page 5 of Dead Drunk (Cold Case Psychic #36)

Tennyson

Tennyson, along with Cope, sat in West Side Magick’s conference room waiting for the detectives to join them. Ronan had barely said two words when they’d gotten out of bed earlier that morning. Ten usually had a pretty easy time reading his husband, but this morning he was a mess of warring emotions.

“You don’t look so hot,”

Cope said.

“Did you get any sleep last night?”

“Not much. Ronan and I both spent the night tossing and turning. He’s like a bear with a sore head this morning.”

What Ronan hadn’t seemed to understand was that he was just as upset at the implications involving Cisco. His husband hadn’t been much in the mood to listen to reason after the dinner party broke up and the kids were in bed. Ten hoped there was something in the case records that would take Cisco’s name off the table.

“Sorry we’re late,”

Fitz said, as he strode into the room, carrying a manila folder and a yellow legal pad.

“It took a bit of doing to get the autopsy report for Jefferson McGrath. Apparently, the medical examiner who performed the post-mortem was forced to resign from the coroner’s office due to an ethics investigation, the results of which were sealed.”

“What kind of an ethics probe?”

Ten asked, hoping this piece of information was the light at the end of the tunnel that would clear Cisco of any possible wrongdoing.

“On three occasions, that we know of, Dr. Marcus Winetrap changed the cause of death on apparent suicides, which allowed bereaved families to collect on life insurance policies that would have been void, under the actual circumstances of death. The probe also found large cash deposits in his banking records. Winetrap said the deposits were gambling winnings from an underground game, but the investigators believed the money was the quid pro quo for creating a fraudulent death certificate.”

Fitzgibbon shook his head.

“Was McGrath’s autopsy fraudulent as well?”

Ten asked.

“To be honest, we’re not sure,”

Jude said, sounding frustrated.

“I started this meeting off in the middle. Let’s go back to the beginning. Ronan, tell everyone about McGrath’s police report.”

Fitz uncapped his pen and looked poised to take notes.

Ronan opened the folder in front of him and pulled out a report.

“McGrath was arrested on October 18, 2015 at 11:25 P.M. on the suspicion of OUI. He failed a roadside sobriety test and refused a breathalyzer. Officer Oliveri stated in his report that he could smell alcohol on the man’s breath. The suspect was brought to the Salem Police station where Officer Jackson booked him into custody and ordered a blood test to determine McGrath’s blood alcohol level. The results came back as .16, which is twice the legal limit in Massachusetts. According to Oliveri’s report, McGrath was kept overnight in the Salem jail because there was no available transport to county lockup at that early hour of the morning. At approximately 6:05 A.M., when the Charlie shift went off-duty and Alpha shift came on, McGrath was found unresponsive in his cell. Jailer Duncan MacBain performed CPR, until the medics arrived at 6:11 A.M. McGrath was transported to Salem Mercy Hospital and was pronounced dead on arrival at 6:25 A.M.”

Ten’s head spun with all the details Ronan provided.

“What happened after McGrath died?”

“The body was transported to the Essex County Morgue for autopsy,”

Jude said.

“The post-mortem was begun by Dr. Winetrap at approximately three that afternoon. The preliminary autopsy report listed cause of death as cardiac arrest and manner of death as pending toxicology.”

“Right, that’s what was reported in the article I read.”

So far, neither, Jude nor Ronan had offered any new information.

“What happened when the toxicology report came in?”

“The only substances in McGrath’s system at the time of his death were alcohol and acetaminophen. With the tox panel showing no illicit or prescription drugs, the manner of death was listed as natural,”

Fitzgibbon said.

“There were several articles in the Salem News and the Boston Globe intimating the Salem Police Department of wrongdoing in McGrath’s death. When the final death certificate was issued weeks later, both papers published small articles stating that the death was natural and the police department had been absolved of any possible wrong-doing.”

Ronan shut the folder and focused his attention on Tennyson.

“There’s nothing here. Cisco’s arrest was by the book.”

Ten couldn’t believe his ears. Ronan was the most honest person he’d ever known in his life and now he was trying to gaslight Ten into dropping this matter because Cisco might be involved.

“That’s not true. Jefferson McGrath says he was murdered.”

Ronan rolled his eyes.

“Tennyson-”

“Don’t you dare treat me like I’m crazy, Ronan!”

Ten’s hands, which had been shaking, were now balled into fists.

“We both know that if anyone but Cisco was involved in this situation, the three of you would make sure there was nothing to the spirit’s allegations. At the very least you would have taken me there to speak to McGrath myself.”

“We did look into the matter. The ghost’s allegations are baseless,”

Ronan said, in a patronizing tone.

“So, you’re not going to give me a chance to even speak to this spirit?”

Ten asked.

“There’s no reason to do so.”

“Okay,”

Ten said.

“Have it your way.”

He got up from his seat and headed toward the door. Yanking it open, he headed for his office.

“This isn’t fucking Burger King, Ten!”

Ronan called back.

If Ronan, Jude, and Fitz weren’t going to investigate this matter fully, there was only one thing left to do. Tennyson was going to have to find a way to speak to Jefferson McGrath all on his own.