Page 47 of The Bone Code

I lingered a moment, the skull of LSJML-41208 cradled in my palm.

“I promise you,” I said softly. “I will find out who you are.”

The vacant orbits stared up at me, silent in death.

I was recentering the cranium on its rubber ring when a wink of light caught my eye. A glint of reflection from the overhead fluorescents.

Curious, I dug a penlight from my bag and pointed the beam at the right orbit. Spotted nothing trapped in or behind the butterfly fissures deep in the socket. I shifted the light. The left orbit was also clean.

I illuminated the nasal opening.

My breath caught in my throat.

12

Wednesday, October 13–Thursday, October 14

Lisa, still there, spoke up.

“You look like you’ve seen, how do you say,un fantôme?”

“Ghost. Forceps, please.”

She handed them to me.

Moving gingerly, I tweezed the object free of the nasal conchae.

Lisa had nailed it. A ghost. An achingly sad one.

Crossing to the sink, I ran water over my find, then set it on the counter. Lisa drew close. We both stared.

“What is it?”

I shook my head, not trusting my voice.

Lisa didn’t press. Something else I like about her.

Together we placed sheeting over LSJML-41208, and she rolled the child from the room. After stripping off our gear, we changed into street clothes and left the building.

A finaladieu, then we angled into the night in opposite directions.

Ryan was reading in bed.

“Long day.” Allowing the book to drop to his chest.

“Which must end with a very long shower,” I said.

“Need assistance?”

“I’m good.”

He helped anyway. Ryan is world-class at lathering and scrubbing. And other things.

As hot water pummeled my body and Ryan worked his magic, I felt my blood pressure settle back to normal.

Thirty minutes later, we were both under the covers, smelling of grapefruit and bergamot, nibbling from a cheese plate Ryan had prepared.

“Nice soap,” Ryan said.