Reach of Destiny

Untitled Part 14

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

6:00 pm Monday, June 26th, 1922

City Morgue

Julia had her speech ready that the morgue was not a hotel and could not indefinitely hold onto Mr. Landswell's body, when a telephone call informed her 'they' had finally located someone to give an official identification. Julia had Jack get Mr. Landswell out of the cooler before she told him to go home for the day. So, she was alone in the morgue when the delegation from Station House No. 4 presented themselves.

'They' turned out to be Detective Murdoch, Constable Higgins and a dour woman who looked none too pleased about the task being asked of her. Julia couldn't say she blamed her.

"Are you prepared, Miss Virgil?" Julia asked.

"As I'll ever be," the woman replied and flinched upon seeing the body before quickly recovering.

Julia carefully folded the sheet back, revealing the deceased's face.

"Yes, it's him. Conrad Landswell. Is that all?" she whispered, looking at Detective Murdoch.

Julia saw the Detective glance her way, silently asking if there was anything else. She shook her head at him.

"No, Miss Virgil," he told the woman. "That is all. We will release his remains to Rosar-Morrison Funeral Home on Sherbourne Street immediately. Constable Higgins will see you home," he explained. Miss Virgil allowed the young constable to escort her out of the building. But the detective stayed put, looking uncomfortable now. After witnessing the interrogation he conducted, she found it odd he ever lost his poise.

Julia turned her back on him, washing her tools in the sink. She'd hidden them under a towel so as not to upset Miss Virgil and hurried to get back to them if she was ever going to leave the morgue to get home at a decent hour. She still had more paperwork to finish as it was.

"You'll have to excuse me, Detective, my dance card is quite full..." she gestured to the rows of gurneys she had to deal with. She needed the undertaker right away to pick up Mr. Landswell, just to give her room for the anonymous woman whose body arrived this morning. The detective did not move. She let him stew for a minute, giving him her back.

He opened with: "I wish to apologize for my choice of words yesterday."

Julia was surprised how softly he spoke. "But you're not sorry you said them."

"No. You are new and do not yet comprehend the political nature of the city coroner's position."

"Is that why you drove the last coroner out? His politics?" It was amazing how infuriating this man could be. She whirled to face him. "Well?"

Instead of being abashed, he only blinked. He just stood there with pursed lips; stood there so long she thought she might have left him speechless. Which felt so good. Unfortunately, he spoiled it by opening his mouth.

"No. Not his politics," he said, squaring his shoulders. "I apologize because I should have been gentler in my approach. You let the Inspector press you into saying something you were not yet ready to say. You must never do that. I apologize because my approach to you was not appropriate for a gentleman towards a lady."

"A lady?" Julia gave him her back again, twisted the water taps off, wiping her hands dry and throwing the towel down. "I stopped carrying smelling salts long ago," she quipped. "I am here as a pathologist. We are colleagues, Detective. I take your point though about equivocating...I shall have to remember for the future."

"Do you know anything else? About any of my cases?" he asked, giving her a level gaze.

She ignored that -- being annoyed helped her feel bold. "Detective, since we're being candid with one another, may I pose the next question? Do you treat me any differently from previous coroners because I'm a woman? You don't have to, you know. I can take it," she challenged him.