Stephanie Long felt dizzy as she parked next to the kerb on Griffith Avenue in North Dublin. Beyond a strip of grass, some leafy trees, and a low wall, was Dublin City Mortuary, a neat red-brick building that used to be a Garda Station.
Stephanie got out of the car and walked up to the door, where she was met by the State Pathologist, Dr. Fields. They’d spoken on the phone an hour ago, and she had seen Fields on the news often enough to recognise her.
Her job was to investigate any unexplained or suspicious deaths, so she was often photographed arriving at crime scenes.
In person, Fields was very short and very blonde, with luxurious curls that almost touched her hips. Despite wearing a white doctor’s coat, she reminded Stephanie of a young Dolly Parton.
“Thank you for coming, Mr. Long. I understand that this is a difficult time for you. The coroner has directed that a post-mortem examination be carried out in this case. However, what I need your assistance with is identifying the body.”
“I understand,” Stephanie said.
“Please follow me.”
Stephanie felt worse with every step, as she was led down bland corridors. Kate was missing, and a woman had been found in the sea. Obviously, someone had put the two things together.
“Never should have phoned her,” Stephanie muttered to herself.
“Pardon?” Dr. Fields looked over her shoulder.
“Nothing. Just clearing my throat.”
The officers who came to Stephanie’s office had heard Kate was missing – probably thanks to Dee – and they had asked a lot of questions.
When was the last time Stephanie saw Kate? Did they have a fight? Was Kate drunk? Did she have family?
Finally, they’d come clean. A woman’s body had been found, and they needed to know if it was Kate. The body had been taken to the mortuary and the State Pathologist would be in touch. They’d appreciate Stephanie’s assistance.
Kate couldn’t be dead. She simply couldn’t. This must be some kind of terrible coincidence.
Through a door with a circular window cut out of it, Stephanie saw the sight she’d been dreading: a large room with stainless steel tables fitted with drainage channels. Tables where bodies were cut open. The sharp smell of chemical disinfectant filled the air.
She was going to have to look at the dead woman. She hoped to God it wasn’t Kate.
To Stephanie’s surprise, Dr. Fields walked straight past the room with the metal tables and brought Stephanie instead to a neat little office with two chairs and a computer.
“Please, take a seat.”
Stephanie did. She gripped the sides of her chair like her life depended on it as Dr. Fields picked up a glossy photograph.
She didn’t show it to Stephanie yet.
“Does your wife have any identifying features, Mr. Long?”
“Yes… she has, um… a tattoo of a robin on her backside.”
Kate had thought it was cute. She’d been disappointed when Stephanie turned out not to be a fan.
Dr. Fields spoke gently. “The body recovered from the water has a tattoo of a robin on the left buttock.”
Stephanie swallowed. “Okay.”
“I’d like to show you a photograph. Is that okay?”
Stephanie nodded.
It was hardly even necessary to look. How many people had a robin on their ass? Dr. Fields passed over the photo. It was a close-up of a little bird, beak open in song, red breast vividly coloured.
“Does that look like your wife’s tattoo, Mr. Long?”
Stephanie swallowed a lump in her throat. “Yes. That’s her. That’s Kate.”
Tears streamed down her face. She handed the photo back, then wiped her nose with the back of her hand.
Dr. Fields held out a box of tissues. With trembling hands. Stephanie grabbed a handful and pressed them to her face.
“Did Kate drown herself?”
“We don’t know yet,” Dr. Fields said. “I’ll begin the post-mortem this afternoon. Hopefully that will shed some light on it.”
“I need to know what happened.”
“I know how important it must be for you to get closure, and I promise I’ll do my best to find out what happened. Thanks again for your help, Mr. Long. You have my sincere condolences.”
There was a long pause.
“That’s it?” Stephanie said. “You don’t need me to look at her?”
“No,” the pathologist said. “A witness at the scene identified your wife, and you’ve confirmed that. It’s not necessary for you to look at the body.”
They obviously didn’t want to show it to anyone. How bad did Kate look? Stephanie blew her nose and stared into space.
After a while, Fields said, “There’s no hurry, but I can show you out when you’re ready.”
“I’m ready now.”
They retraced their steps, arriving back at the entrance, where Dr. Fields offered her hand. That hand would soon be exploring Kate’s body, probing every inch of its surface, cutting it open. Stephanie gripped that hand, felt its steadiness, its firm grip.
She mumbled goodbye and hurried back to where her car was parked. Once she was in the car, coldness swept over her.
Kate was gone.
*
Adam peered in the window of the Chinese place. There was no sign of Izzy inside. No sign of anyone. The lights were off, the door locked. Had it actually been Izzy he saw enter the building?
After she sped away in a taxi, Adam went to Elaine’s house. He assumed that was where Izzy would go, but there was no sign of her. He’d stood on the doorstep and phoned her number again and again.
Nothing. No answer. If she was inside, she was ignoring him.
He had a big speech – an apology, of sorts –planned out in his head, and she hadn’t given him a chance to say it.
Her behaviour was so unfair.
It made him angry.
A nosy neighbour came over to him. She started giving Adam grief for hounding Izzy. Like their relationship was any of her business. Adam didn’t have time to deal with the neighbour now, but he’d sort her out later.
He’d show her not to meddle in his business.
He had headed back to the main street and spent a long time walking up and down, ducking in and out of the little shops, hoping he’d run into Izzy again. He knew she wasn’t working today, so where could she be?
There was no sign of her in the supermarket. When he came out and was walking back up the street, wondering what to do, he saw a woman duck into a shop.
Unlike Izzy, she had short, straight hair, but there was something about the jut of her chin that caught his eye. And her clothes looked like Izzy’s.
Had she changed her hair?
She was far away, so Adam wasn’t sure it was her, but he hurried towards the door she’d gone into and found it was a Chinese medicine place.
Had it been Izzy? If so, why? And why was the door locked? The place didn’t even seem to be open. Adam knocked on the glass but got no answer. He wondered if there was another way in. A back entrance maybe?
He decided to check.