Falling Down The Stairs

Chapter Five

Sarah turned the cool air on in her car and let her shaking fingertips dance in the AC. She was trying to stay awake and she had not slept and the sun was rising on a new day. She pulled at little hairs on her arm and on the back of her neck, and the sharp jolts of pain kept her awake. She was in front of the coroner's office -- a one story gray box with blinded windows and a glass door with fading, unreadable stenciling. She did not want to fall asleep in front of the coroner's office.

A car pulled in, six or seven spaces away. A nicer car, one of the luxury lines, but old. An older woman got out of the car. Her gray hair was pulled back into a ponytail, and she was already wearing her lab coat and ID badge. Sarah got out of her car and pinched the underside of her arm so hard she teared up.

"Excuse me," Sarah said, walking over to the woman, who looked up in concern and stopped abruptly.

"Can I help you?" the woman said. Sarah knew that she was the coroner but she checked her ID badge anyway and it said Nicole Pensel, County Coroner.

"My name is Sarah Nichols," Sarah said, taking out a business card and handing it to Nicole Pensel. "I'm a private investigator hired by the Governor to investigate his brother's murder."

"Ah," Nicole Pensel said carefully, "yes, I've heard of you."

"Oh, good! Well, I wanted to swing by early before your office got to work and pick up the autopsy report."

Nicole looked at her for a long time, stone-faced. Sarah admired her poise.

"I usually release that to the police," she said, quietly.

"I'm sure. But it hasn't happened yet."

Nicole raised her eyebrows and her lip curled and then she snapped back into stone.

"Yes, well," she said, and trailed off.

"The Governor, as I am sure you know, has said that he wants his brother's autopsy to be public. I am a member of the public, as well as the Governor's employee. Would you like me to call him? Would that make things easier?" Sarah said.

"No," Nicole said. "I will get you the autopsy report."

Nicole Pensel, County Coroner, walked towards her office, and Sarah followed, but the older woman put up a hand.

"Wait here," she said, and left Sarah alone on the sidewalk. There was a bench nearby and Sarah very much wanted to sit on it but she didn't want to fall asleep.

Sarah walked around the coroner's office -- once, twice, three, four five six times -- before Nicole Pensel finally met her back where she started.

"Are... you alright?" Nicole Pensel said.

"Yes," Sarah said, out of breath. "Why?"

"You were pacing around my office."

"Just getting my steps in. Got the report?"

The coroner looked at her funny and then handed over a stapled set of paper. Sarah took a look at the front page, and found it hard to read the words. She was very tired.

"Thank you, Ms. Pensel," Sarah said. "I very much appreciate the help this early in the morning."

Nicole went back inside without a word.

Sarah parked her car at the hotel and took out her phone and dialed Marcus's number. He answered on the second ring.

"Hey, what's up?" Marcus said, sounding surprised.

"I had a long night, and I haven't slept," Sarah said. "I won't be around today."