Expose

by Danielle Girard

  “Which hospital?”

  “I took her to General,” she said. “They admitted her for observation.”

  Hal thanked her and turned to go when she called him back.

  “Buster was outside,” she said.

  “What?”

  “Buster wasn’t in the house. Anna never leaves him out.”

  That had to be it. Spencer had hit the old woman as a distraction.

  Hal sprinted back into the house. “Roger?” he shouted. “Roger!” Roger emerged from the bathroom, holding something in his gloved hand.

  “A van hit a neighbor in the driveway next door. It’s possible she saw something. I’m going there now.”

  Roger called his name.

  “What?” Hal asked.

  Roger raised his hand, and Hal spotted something white and plastic.

  “Roger, I’ve got to go.”

  “You need to see this.”

  Frustrated, Hal crossed to where Roger stood, staring down at his hand.

  It took several seconds for Hal to recognize what he held—not one plastic thing but two. Pregnancy tests. “What are those?” he asked, knowing exactly what they were.

  Roger eyed him. “You didn’t know.”

  It was not a question. Hal’s brain swam, the adrenaline making it hard to focus on the small white panel on the sticks. But when he did, he noticed each one had two narrow blue lines that crossed. A plus. Which meant . . . The air was punched from his gut.

  “She’s pregnant,” he whispered.

  Roger said nothing, watching for his reaction.

  The night at Tasha’s. Thanksgiving. They’d only been together that one time, but it was his baby. She was carrying his baby.

  Roger leaned down to his evidence kit and pulled a plastic bag from a box. Hal grabbed him by the shoulder, and Roger looked back as he shook the bag open and dropped the two tests inside. Then he folded the bag and pressed it into Hal’s palm.

  Looking down at the two thin plastic sticks, tears welled in his eyes and rolled down his face.

  “We’re going to find her,” Roger said. “We’re going to get them back.”

  Hal wiped his face, unsteady on his feet.

  “We’re going to get them back. I promise, Hal. Anna and your baby.”

  The words echoed in his head. My baby. He could no longer hold back his emotions. Instead, he leaned into his friend’s chest, pressing his head into Roger’s shoulder as the man embraced him, and the sobs racked his body.

  Briefly, he let his friend hold him, let himself grieve the loss of sharing this discovery with Anna, of being together when she took that test, of seeing her face when she told him they were having a baby. They would have the baby together. They’d never talked about anything beyond dating, beyond telling their respective departments about the change in their status, about dealing with the logistics of being in a relationship.

  But he didn’t doubt that she wanted a baby, that she would want his baby.

  He pulled himself upright and wiped his face with the sleeve of his shirt. “I’m going to the hospital. I need to talk to the woman who was hit.” He held the bag in his fist. “Do you need these?” he asked Roger. “Will they help you?”

  “You keep them,” Roger said. “I’ll call if I find anything.”

  Hal held the bag to his chest, cradling it like he might a tiny infant as he moved to the door, walking, and then running. Buster was right behind him, and he stopped to tell the dog to go back. But then he changed his mind. “Come on, Buster.”

  Buster stayed on his heels as Hal left Anna’s house and headed to his car. As he opened the passenger door for Buster, Hal swore the dog gave him a reassuring look. “We’ll find her, buddy,” Hal told him.

  No matter what, he would find Anna.

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  Once again I am eternally grateful for the generosity of those who helped make this book possible. The errors are mine and the truth is occasionally bent to make for a better story. Even while taking liberties with the facts, I offer my sincerest gratitude and respect to the men and women who devote their lives to the pursuit of justice. You have the toughest jobs and the most important ones.

  For research, I am, as always, indebted to the people at SFPD, who have been answering strange questions since book one. Dr. Craig Nelson, Associate Chief Medical Examiner, North Carolina Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, has been invaluable in depicting Schwartzman’s profession, and the deaths she investigates, accurately.

  The team at Jane Rotrosen Agency never ceases to amaze. Thank you to all and especially Meg Ruley, Rebecca Scherer, Michael Conway, and Danielle Sickles. Thank you also to the fabulous Jessica Tribble for taking such good care of this author and Schwartzman; to Sarah Shaw and the incredible team at Thomas & Mercer; to Leslie Lutz for bringing out the best in Schwartzman (and me); to Valerie Kalfrin and Claire Caterer for the thorough edit; and to PEPE nymi for another fabulous cover design.

  I am endlessly appreciative of those who support the process of writing a book and especially to fellow artists Randle and Shawnee and to my wonderful proofreaders: Whitney Pritham and Dani Wanderer. Also to Mom, Nicole, Steve, Tom, and Dad—thank you.

  Most of all, my love and gratitude go to the three who put up with my occasional, and sometimes more than occasional, insanity: Chris, Claire, and Jack. You guys are the moon and the sun and whatever lies beyond. I love you.

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Photo © 2012 Janie Osborne

  Danielle Girard is the author of Chasing Darkness, The Rookie Club series, and Exhume and Excise, featuring San Francisco medical examiner Dr. Annabelle Schwartzman. Danielle’s books have won the Barry Award and the RT Reviewers’ Choice Award, and two of her titles have been optioned for movies.

  A graduate of Cornell University, Danielle received her MFA at Queens University in Charlotte, North Carolina. She, her husband, and their two children split their time between San Francisco and the Northern Rockies. Visit her at www.daniellegirard.com.