Page 106 of Girl Between (Dana Gray FBI Mystery Thriller #5)

George hated putting Landry in this position, but the job came first.

“I-I don’t understand?” Landry stammered. His breath came in short gasps as he struggled to maintain composure. “What’s this have to do with those women?” he asked, pointing to the bodies splayed atop the graves.

George spoke like he was trying not to spook a stray dog. “We’re not sure it does, Doc. But we’ve got to explore everything this case kicks up.”

Dana stood silently at George’s side, her gaze fixed on Landry as he readjusted his glasses and looked again at the files George pulled up on his tablet. They were the ME reports she’d identified as the earliest victims tied to the case. The ones with his signature on them.

“These are your signatures, correct?” George asked again, flipping through the reports.

“Well, yes. I was the medical examiner at the time.”

“What about these?” George asked, pointing to the initials of the EMS team on record. “Do you remember who they were?”

“Yes, of course. Levi Monroe. And …” He scratched his head for a moment. “Fontera? I think his first name was Luis, maybe. ”

“Another question that’s been raised is why no autopsies were performed on these bodies?” George pressed.

“Well, it was a long time ago. I can’t say particularly why without going back over my notes.”

“They’re all right here,” Dana said, tapping the tablet Dr. Landry was holding.

George didn’t hide his annoyance when he glared at her. He’d agreed to question Landry, but he wanted to be clear, it would be done on his terms. “We can go back to your office to look at these if you’d be more comfortable.”

“No, no. That’s alright,” Landry assured them.

“I’m here to help.” He looked at the files, flipping slowly through each page.

After a few minutes he handed the tablet back to George, shaking his head sadly.

“I wish I had a better answer for you, but from what I can tell, there wasn’t a particularly glaring reason I didn’t perform an autopsy. ”

George frowned. “But it’s protocol when COD is unknown, correct?”

“It is,” said Landry. “All I can say is that when you’ve been doing this for as long as I have, you just know when a body’s got nothing left to tell ya.

” He pointed to the tablet. “Those poor folks had been through enough without me dissecting them. Plus, this was right after Katrina. You remember what that was like. By the time some of these bodies made it to me the decomp was so bad …” He shook his head.

“Any number of things could account for the missing organs. Rodents, alligators, even cats or dogs if they got hungry enough.” Landry looked at George, his expression full of remorse.

“I’m sorry. I know I should’ve done more, been more thorough. There’s no excuse for it.”

George clamped a hand on Landry’s shoulder. “You did more than most, Doc. Don’t think I’ve forgotten that.”

Landry nodded, but the damage was done. The man looked like he’d aged ten years as he stared down at his feet, lost in his own guilt and misery.

“Thank you,” George said, trying to ease his suffering. “If I think of anything else, I’ll reach out. ”

“What about these girls?” Landry asked, alert again. “I want to help. Have you ID’d them?”

George shook his head. “Not yet.”

“I know my community pretty well. Can I take a look?”

“I’d appreciate if you would,” said George.

He escorted Dr. Landry to the crime scene’s inner circle. After a brief explanation, Creed gestured for him and Landry to approach the bodies, but Dana was kept back with everyone else deemed non-essential.

Landry carefully rounded both grave sites, his wrinkled features pinched with pain. “These poor girls.”

“Do you know them?” George asked.

Landry shook his head. “Is it horrible that I’m relieved I don’t?”

George knew the feeling.

“I can stay and help if you need me,” Landry offered.

“Thanks, but Dr. Cruz is standing by once the BAU is finished here. Why don’t you go home and get some rest?” suggested George.

“I know I’m not a young man anymore, but I can still be valuable to this investigation,” Landry argued.

George tapped the tablet. “You’ve already helped. We’re gonna follow up with the EMS crew. See if they can shed any light.”

“You are?” Something like relief washed over Landry’s features. “Good,” he said. “That’s good.”

“Well?” Dana asked eagerly when George returned from walking Dr. Landry to his car.

“I don’t know what to tell you, Dana. He answered my questions.”

Dana crossed her arms tightly. “He may have all the right answers, but I still don’t trust him.”

“Well, I do. And it’s my investigation.”

“You sure about that?” she asked, looking at the BAU agents spread across the cemetery like locusts.

George clenched his jaw. It took a lot to rile him, but between Creed’s arrogance and Dana’s unfounded accusations, he’d had enough. “You asked me to question Landry. I did. Now drop it.”

“I wish I could,” Dana argued. “But something doesn’t add up. We’ve got a killer who’s suddenly escalating, which tells me he knows we’re getting close. How?”

George snapped. “You want answers, Dr. Gray. Work the scene.”