Rex massaged his temples, an index finger on each side of his head. Most people would have been shocked rather than perplexed at the sight of the dead body lying between the carefully folded sheets. Not Rex. He'd seen the bed, at least, earlier in the evening. Only it didn't mean what he thought. Not by a long shot.
Viv stood next to him. He felt her body stiffen. "He's dead all right," she said in a low voice.
It only took the one glance to confirm that the man, lying on his back, arms folded across his chest, had shed his mortal coil. The one hole in the middle of his forehead gave proof to this foregone conclusion.
"Poor guy," Rex sadly agreed.
If anyone were to ask, the sadness in his voice was mostly for the dead man, but he also felt sad for himself. Maybe more like disappointed. He'd misinterpreted the previous images of the sheets and pillows as a premonition for himself and Viv.
It turned out to be a warning that someone would end up in less fortunate circumstances. Because the man lay in the exact same sheets, fancy embroidery included. Rex sighed heavily.
"There's something kind of innocent about his arms. The freckles." Viv nodded toward the dead man.
Even Rex agreed that the freckled skin covering the dead guy's arms made him seem rather childlike. But then there were larger age spots at his wrists and on the backs of his hands. "He's not that young," Rex mumbled.
"He's at least fifty, considering those age spots." She looked down at her own hands as if to confirm.
"Let's see if we can get a better look before the cops come back." Rex glanced over his shoulder to make sure the cops were not down the hall.
"What are you two doing here?" Officer Farrah interjected. She looked fit to be tied. "I warned you. You're not allowed to step into my crime scene!"
Rex stepped away from the bed, adopting his most innocent demeanor. It wasn't hard. He'd practiced for years. As a mentalist he never let people know what he was really thinking or feeling. He even had a name for his presumed persona: the caught-with-my-hand-in-the-cookie-jar move. Eyes opening a little wider. Slight smile at the corner of his mouth. Then the lift of his right shoulder. He assumed a whiff of contriteness. Not too apologetic, just boyish, with a dash of charm and the twinkle of his eyes.
Rex knew better than to overuse this move; he saved it for the stage and when he was attracted to a woman. And he had to admit to himself, over the years he'd been able to defuse plenty of arguments with women who couldn't resist his I'm-such-a-naughty-boy attitude.
He glanced at Farrah, his eyes wide. He'd know soon enough if his persona worked.
The officer only glared at him. "Explain yourselves."
Okay, so she's not having it. He looked at Viv. Her eyebrow raised.
Finally he broke the silence. "We thought the body would have already been removed. You can't help the curiosity of two neighbors, now can you?"
Even to his ears the excuse sounded lame.