Three hours: enough time to get up to Bel Arbre and see the accident site. In his gut, Jenner was sure this killing was linked to the hanged men in the Glades—and to Marty.
But where was the scene? The EMS report, all the records, were in the cordoned-off autopsy room. But the EMS dispatch log wasn’t—Rudge could dig up the ambulance call location.
As Jenner walked down the hall toward Major Crimes, he saw the sheriff moving in his direction, half-hidden by a TV news crew. And walking alongside the sheriff…
Jenner stopped.
Amanda Tucker.
He was instantly back in his loft, Ana crying, kissing him, pressing her hands against his chest like a treadling cat. “Why are they doing this, Jenner? All you’ve done is be kind to me. Why can’t they leave us alone?”
And then, the next day, waking to find her by the bed with her little bag, whispering that she couldn’t stay anymore, couldn’t watch what they were doing to him, she couldn’t take it anymore, she had to leave him, and it was better for him, and it was better for her…
He stared at Amanda Tucker, watched her smiling approach, her cameraman scooting around to get the two of them in frame together, the soundman swinging the boom mic his way.
She nodded, almost did a little curtsy. “Dr. Jenner!”
Anders stormed into the shot, blustering. “What the hell, Dr. Jenner? You shut my entire facility down?” The camera swung toward Anders.
Jenner spoke in a low mutter, through gritted teeth, too quiet for the sound recording. “I did nothing of the sort. I was the only person exposed, the only person at risk. I contained the hazard, then informed your safety officer. She closed you down—take it up with her.”
He gestured at Amanda Tucker, and said to Anders, “Be careful, sheriff—this bitch would sell her own mother for a ratings bump.” Jenner slapped the boom out of his face, then shoved past the soundman and the producer, to head back to the mortuary area.
There was a peal of delighted laughter from behind him, and Amanda Tucker called out, “Dr. Jenner! How did you get the black eye?”
As he pushed through the door to the breezeway, Jenner heard Amanda Tucker saying, “Gene darling, tell me you got him saying ‘bitch’!”