The Bone Collector

2

I was exhausted when I opened my eyes to find sunlight aiming right at me. Stuffing my head under my pillow I wondered why I woke up to begin with. I nearly crapped myself when my pillow was ripped from myself just to be slammed back down on me. Just another thing he never grew out of, it was a favourite of his ways of waking me up when I was a kid. I pointed to the door but he ignored me and sat on the bed holding the urn I had filled last night.

"Who was she?" I asked as I rummaged in my bedside drawers for a hair tie.

We both shared the same wild hair that our mother had, only he had the patience to braid it whereas I did not. I bunched it up as best I could and tied that shit down and prayed the elastic band didn't snap.

"Miguel's mother." He finally replied before putting it on the dresser and turning to me. "She pretty much took me in after ma died."

I nodded and played with the charm bracelet he gave me for my 10th birthday. Every monumental event in my life and every place he went while in the Navy had a corresponding charm. The first charm was a cross for our mother, the second was an anchor for the Navy. I hadn't questioned how a 17 year old could afford an 18k gold bracelet but now I knew better. He was mixed up in the same drug cartel his father died for.

I rubbed his back, offering comfort in a time that probably reminded him of our own mother's death. A supposedly random mugging that had left her with a bullet to her head. Somehow, even with the 9mm lodged in the base of her brain, she clung to life for another 3 days before succumbing to the injury. Her killer was never caught and Nestor always hated that it went unanswered. It's why I wanted to become a pathologist, I wanted to find the answers.

"We will find who did this Asno." I said and he rewarded me with a snort at the use of his nickname.

"Go shopping, your fridge is fucking empty." He said before grabbing the urn and walking out.

Deserving a few more hours of sleep, I buried my face in the pillow again and let the land of nod take me. It was mid afternoon by the time I woke up again. After a very plain meal of cheese toastees I realised Nestor was right, I did need to go shopping. I grabbed my laptop and ordered my groceries for delivery and thanked god for the evolution of online shopping.

I heard my phone beep and I rummaged around the kitchen in search of my phone before moving to the lounge and then the office. I frowned as I found it on my desk but I was sure I locked this before work yesterday. I brushed it off as my mistake and picked up my phone to see what the email was. With a sigh I grabbed my handbag and headed to work.

"Dr Ivory, nice to meet you." The sheriff said kindly as he held his hand out. "I'm Deputy Franky Rohan, Santo Padre Sheriff's Deptartment."

I just stared at his hand and nodded but made no attempt to shake it. I wondered why a deputy from Santo Padre had come to El Centro since it was not their jurisdiction.

"What do you want Deputy?" I asked as we stepped into my office.

"I have a request for the transfer of Michael Ariza's body to be taken to the Santo Padre Mortuary." He said as he handed a document over to me.

It was a standard transfer form but this was not a standard situation.

"I'm afraid I will have to decline the request." I said handing the papers back. "His murder is under investigation, he will be released to the family's care when the local authorities give the green light."

"Murder?" Franky reeled back in shock.

I grabbed the file that had been sent to the local police station's homicide division and handed it over to the deputy. He took his time reading through the details and read the final recommendation a second time then a third.