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"You looking for this?" Massey held up a sold "I thought I’d hang on to it for you You know, so it wouldn’t get lost"

Being the only fe up with the usual a, and Sa an issue unless absolutely necessary

"So who sent thee the florist typed in" Massey grinned and pulled out the card to read it out loud "‘You uy needs some antacid"

Sam tucked a stack of case files under her arenerally saved his sweet nothings for when he could deliver them in person, but after the ht she needed a reminder

"Nice" She shoved the card in her jacket "Thanks for taking care of it Since you’re so interested in being my personal assistant, you can type these up" She dropped the files in front of hirunt work?"

"Because I’ detective in this departrunt" She sht"

"Yeah" He eyed the stack "Thanks A lot"

"My pleasure" She headed for the captain’s office

Captain Ernesto Garcia was on the phone but gestured for Sam to come in as soon as he saw her She closed the door and sat down in the visitor’s chair

He ended the call and jotted down soarded her "That was Morales over at ATF They had Coburn under surveillance for a few ether a case The ht" She related the facts she had so far, and added, "From the tossed office and the excessive torture of the vic, the perp wanted ave her a narrow look "You didn’t read the blood"

"I wanted to, but the techs weren’t finished" She often used her psychic ability to see the last h contact with his or her blood, but not in front of others "I’ll stop by the ue later"

"That’s not necessary" Garcia leaned forward "We already know the last moments of this man’s life were horrendous Don’t subject yourself to that"

Her boss had never before balked at using her talent to help solve a case "I’ve seen plenty worse, Captain, and I’m not squeamish"

"I never implied that you were" Garcia put on his poker face "I’ of your welfare"

Suddenly Sa their feet collecting evidence "Lucan told you to keepthe vic, so you had the techs stay until I left" When he said nothing, her tereed that when I’m on the job, I’m a cop, and I work for you Not him"

"Are you finished?" When she nodded, Garcia said, "You know I have to do what the man says, especially when you’re involved So have this conversation with hiet hurt, he won’t fire me or transfer me He’ll splatter me over the nearest flat surface"

Sam sank back down in the chair "Sorry, Captain"

"For the record, I don’t agree with him," Garcia assured her "Your talent has helped close dozens of cases, and it’s never caused you any harree not to usehiet the autopsy results from Tenderson And that’s exactly what you should tell anyone who asks"

He understood "Be careful, my lady"

As Sam passed her desk on the way out, she scooped up the vase of roses and dropped it in the big trash can by the coffee ue, where she found Evan Tenderson still working on Coburn’s re on a protective shroud, she joined hilanced at a particularly vile-s one of the hanging scales "I hope that’s not your dinner"

"It was his Two pounds of fish parts" He began suturing together the Y-incision "Someone force-fed it to hiht have choked to death"

She glanced at the rack of vials next to the table "Were you able to recover any blood for toxicology?"

"Nothing left in the body I’ll use whatever the techsthroat wound "There’s a three-inch section of skin and tissue ht have taken it as a trophy"