Diagnosis Murder 4 - The Waking Nightmare by Lee Goldberg Read Free Book Online Page B

Winston Brant's autopsy. This is a report of your office supply expenditures."
    Amanda ignored Jesse and continued. "From what I can tell, Brant was in great shape. He was obviously a man who led an active, athletic life."
    "Did you find anything unusual at all?" Steve asked.
    She shook her head. "I checked his stomach contents and ran a full tox screen. He had eggs Benedict and a little Prozac for breakfast, well within therapeutic levels."
    "The eggs or the Prozac?" Steve asked.
    "Both," Amanda said.
    "You go through an incredible amount of paper clips," Jesse said, studying his file. "Have you considered stapling papers instead? It's a lot cheaper."
    Amanda acted as if Jesse wasn't even there. "It may seem like a complex case to you, but that's if you're looking at how the murder was accomplished. If you look at what actually killed Winston Brant, this is a no-brainer. He was stabbed in the heart. My job is done."
    "Want to switch jobs?" Steve asked.
    "Sure." Amanda motioned to a gigantic body bag on a gurney across the room. "You can start with the autopsy on the three hundred and twenty-two-pound guy found dead in his bathtub this morning. He's only been in the tub for a few days."
    Steve grimaced. "Never mind."
    Mark closed the report and handed it back to Amanda. "Thanks, Amanda."
    "You've been awfully quiet this morning," she said. "Anything wrong?"
    "Everything's fine," Mark said. "I didn't ask any questions because your autopsy found exactly what I expected you to find."
    "Nothing," Amanda said.
    "Nothing," Mark repeated.
    "So where do we go from here?" Steve asked. "We don't know any more about this murder than we did when we found the body."
    "I'll make you a deal," Mark said. "I'll talk to Brant's wife if you'll do a little checking on Rebecca Jordan."
    "Rebecca Jordan hasn't committed any crime," Steve said.
    "She tried to take her own life," Mark said. "I want to find out why."
    "To satisfy your curiosity?" Steve asked.
    "To stop her from trying again," Mark said. "Maybe I can if I know why she wanted to die."
    Steve sighed. He knew if he didn't do it, his father would just do it himself, taking time away from investigating Brant's murder.
    "Okay," Steve said. "You've got a deal."
    "I've got to get back home, shower, shave, and put on some fresh clothes," Mark said. "Let's talk again around lunch."
    And with that, Mark and Steve left the lab. Amanda glanced at Jesse, who was still standing there, looking at her.
    "Can I help you with something?" she asked.
    "I have a plan," he said. "And I'm going to need your help."
     
     
    CHAPTER EIGHT
     
     
    Before leaving the hospital, Steve decided it would probably be a good idea to visit Rebecca Jordan. Maybe she'd be awake from her coma and could answer all his questions, saving him the trouble of investigating something that didn't merit any investigation in the first place. And if she wasn't awake, at least he'd know what the woman looked like.
    When he walked into the ICU, he found a short man in suspenders sitting sadly beside her bed, holding four pink bakery boxes and a couple of wax paper bags.
    The little man looked like an overgrown hobbit, only without the hairy feet. Startled, he jumped up from his seat the instant he saw Steve standing at the end of the bed.
    "I didn't know she already had a visitor," the man said, rising from his seat. "I'll come back later. I brought some day-olds. I'll just leave them."
    The man set the boxes on a tabletop.
    "My name is Steve Sloan, I'm—"
    The man interrupted Steve with a nervous rush of words. "The name's Tucker Mellish and believe me, you don't have to explain anything. I always knew Rebecca must have someone special. I'll just be a moment longer."
    Mellish gave Steve a quick glance, then busied himself with the bakery boxes, opening them and arranging the pastries on paper plates.
    "I don't really know Rebecca, I'm—"
    Mellish didn't let him finish. "You don't have to explain anything to me. If she wanted me to