Page 20 of Diamonds

I swallow.“Just get us to that coroner.And Maddox?”

“Yeah, babe?”

“Go the bloody speed limit the rest of the way.”

7

MADDOX

Fuck.That was close.

That cop definitely didn’t believe the flimsy-ass story we gave him.At least he wasn’t suspicious enough to search our car, so we’re probably fine.He hasn’t followed us since we started driving.

But he has my name and my address.He knows Alissa’s name, too.

If there’s an investigation about May’s disappearance, it won’t be difficult to link the crime to us.We were, after all, driving around aimlessly in the middle of the night with her head in our back seat.With two shovels in the trunk and my hands covered in dirt.

Nothing suspicious about that.

A few minutes of stony silence later, I pull into the parking lot of the coroner’s main offices downtown.Bill is standing outside the front door, sipping coffee out of a travel mug.

I park the car and turn to Alissa.“We’re almost out of the woods, baby.Once Bill has May’s head, he’ll be able to tie all of this to Rouge, and it will be behind us.”

She looks down, her lip quivering.“I hope so.”

I get out of the car and grab the hatbox.Bill flags us over to the entrance.

I wave with my free hand.“Thanks for doing this, Bill.”

“Of course.”He turns to Alissa and extends his hand.“Bill Lassard.”

“Alissa Maravilla.”She shakes his hand weakly.

He looks back at me.“So what was so important that couldn’t wait until morning?”

I tap the lid of the hatbox.“This.”I look over my shoulder.“But let’s go inside.”

Bill leads us into his morgue.It’s a cold, sterile environment with harsh fluorescent lighting that bounces off the stainless-steel surfaces.Rows of metal drawers line the walls, each marked with a small label.In the center of the room, examination tables sit beneath bright overhead lamps with trays of surgical tools neatly arranged nearby.

I place the hatbox on the table nearest to us.“I have to warn you.What I’m about to show you is pretty shocking, Bill.”

He exhales sharply.“You’d be hard-pressed to surprise a coroner.I’ve seen it all.”

“Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”I open the lid of the hatbox, wrinkling my nose at the putrid smell of decaying flesh as it hits us in a wave.

Bill peers into the hatbox and widens his eyes.“My God.I stand corrected.”He lifts his head, pinching his nose.“Who is she?”

“Her name was May,” Alissa says.“She was a waitress at Aces Underground.”

Bill gasps.“Not Rouge Montrose’s Aces Underground?”

“The very same,” I say.

Bill rubs his temple.“Who do you believe is responsible for this?”

I clear my throat.“We’re pretty sure Rouge herself is behind this.”

Bill takes a step back, his eyes wide as saucers.“How can you be sure?”