Krewe of Hunters 7 The Unspoken by Heather Graham Read Free Book Online

the academy and passed with flying colors. He was a talented agent.
    And, of course, he’d happened to be in the city.
    She cleared her throat, not wanting to seem gauche. “Logan gave me an extensive file,” she said. “You’re a film expert, as well?”
    “I know a few things about it,” he said, lowering his head with a quick smile. “I come from a long line of illusionists.”
    He was tall with intriguing features. His background was Trinidadian and he’d spoken with a slight accent that made her think of the Caribbean island. His hair was dark. His eyes, just as dark, were slightly almond-shaped. His features suggested Asian and perhaps Indian antecedents, and then again, there was something classic about them. His face seemed to be sculpted in the mold of a Roman statue, but with the rugged chin of an American cowboy. She found herself studying him—and almost forgetting that he was standing beside acorpse.
    “Yes, and I’m one of Jackson Crow’s team, and most important, I was in Chicago when this happened,” he said.
    “Right.” Kat nodded. “And so…what have you learned?”
    “He hasn’t learned anything yet,” McFarland said. “I haven’t gone over the autopsy report with him,” he added. “We knew you were on your way.”
    Kat nodded again, but looked at Will Chan.
    McFarland had no idea just what this man—a Krewe member who could speak with the dead—might have learned.
    She glanced away from Will Chan with determination, unable to still the curiosity stirring within her. As part of Jackson Crow’s team, he’d been specifically chosen for his position.
    Because of a special talent.
    McFarland drew out his report and frowned as he studied it. “As we all know, Mr. Laurie was a white adult male, thirty-six years old. No alcohol in the system, no drugs. His body was found drifting in the hold of the Jerry McGuen, at a depth of eighty feet in Lake Michigan, Chicago jurisdiction. Autopsy revealed no sign of violence and showed that Mr. Laurie was in perfect health at the time of his death. The lungs were filled with salt water, so I’m planning to officially sign off on this report as death by drowning, accidental.”
    Kat gazed at the corpse. When it came to their unofficial role with the Krewe of Hunters, she was always glad of her medical degree and her specialization in pathology.
    People didn’t think she was crazy when she touched the dead.
    She moved forward, inspecting the dead man and then touching his arm.
    She waited, hoping for something. A sense that he was still there, and that she could communicate with the remnants of his life, spirit or soul.
    But she heard nothing in her mind, saw nothing at all in the part of her own soul that was different from other people’s. Her skill, or gift, or whatever one chose to call it, was out of the ordinary—but shared by some. Like Will Chan…
    She glanced up at him again. He was watching her, and his striking dark eyes divulged none of his thoughts.
    Stepping back, she gave her full attention to the visual aspect of the corpse.
    Drowning. She hadn’t done the autopsy herself. She saw that Dr. McFarland’s Y incision was neatly cut and just as neatly sewn with small, competent stitches. It didn’t take a brilliant doctor to detect when the lungs were filled with water, and she didn’t doubt his conclusion on that.
    She turned from the body to the report. The man had definitely drowned.
    But she didn’t like the coloration of the corpse. Blue lips—natural, given what had happened. However, the lips were also puffy, and one side of his mouth seemed more swollen than the other. And there were curious bruises on the arms.
    “You’re aware of the bruising?” she asked McFarland.
    “Of course.” He was obviously indignant at her question. “I make painstaking notes. Every bruise is listed in the report, and you will have a copy of it for your files.”
    She forced herself to ignore McFarland and Chan, studying the body once