Chapter 306: Morgue
*Young lady, if you’ll stand here, I’ll have them open the blinds in this window. Take your time, let me know if it’s your mother. – Coroner*
Chance looked up at the knock on his door and was surprised to find Werewolf. His normally surly expression seemed even more sour. He wore his club cut over a black polo shirt with the Wolf Pack emblem, dark jeans and his motorcycle boots.
“What’s up?”
“Where’s your wife?” Werewolf asked gruffly.
“Out shopping with mom, I think.” He said reaching for his phone. “Want me to call her?”
“No.” came the rough answer as Werewolf pulled out his phone and dialed his mom’s number. “Mom. Where are you? No. Is Rye still with you? I need you to take her to your place. Mom. Just do it. Chance and I are on our way. Mom. Fucking hell, mom. Just.” His voice softened and there was a plea in it, “please.”
“They found Leigh Anne.” Chance said as his brother put the phone away.
“Yeah. Murphy is pretty sure it’s her.” Werewolf said as the younger man stood up and grabbed his cut and helmet. “Karan.” He said pushing past his brother and seeing Geo and Law in the reception area.
“Law is here. Knuckles is on his way.” She assured him. “Go, Chance, go take care of your Duchess.”
“Thanks.” He gave her a light kiss on her temple and stalked through the communal area towards the back door and parking lot.
Smiling at his friends, Law pulled Karan into a comforting hug. As he comforted her, he gave Werewolf a slight nod letting him know that everything was good.
Werewolf gave him a chin lift and then he and Geo went out the front. As Chance came around the corner, they pulled out behind him. It took about twenty minutes to make it over to the condominium. Alana’s little blue Fiat already sat in the open garage. It was the commonly used sign to let her children and grandchildren know that she was home, and they were to come inside. If it was closed, knock first.
Chance had been reminded of this while he was staying with her. He had walked in on her with Brute on the couch. She definitely had a thing for club officers.
The three men went through the front door and saw Alana and Rye laughing at something.
“Hey, boys.” Alana said as she looked up at them smiling.
Rye turned and looked at them over the back of the couch. Her bright smile fell, and she closed her eyes taking a deep calming breath. Opening her eyes, she met Werewolf’s. “She’s dead.”
“Yes.” He said with a solemn nod.
Slowly standing up, she sighed as Chance came to her. She laid her head on his chest and wrapped her arms around his waist. He kissed the top of her head before nestling her under his chin with one arm around her shoulders and the other hand rubbing her back gently.
“I’ve got you, Duchess.” He whispered softly.
“I knew this day was coming.” There was sadness in her voice, resignation, but no tears.
“We’ll get her taken care of.” Werewolf said as gently as his gruff voice allowed.
“But I need to identify her body.” Rye said as she knew what was coming.
She had done it once before for her mother. Knew that at some point she would have to do it for her sister also.
“I’m sorry, Rye.” The older brother said giving the younger a somber look.
“Let’s go get it over with.” Rye said stepping back from Chance but keeping her arms around him. She pressed up on her toes and gave him a kiss before sinking back to her feet. “Saints stay?”
“No matter what, Saints stay.” He assured her with a sad smile as he ran a knuckle down her gray patch.
There was a glimmer in her eyes where tears should have been. Chance allowed himself to hope that it meant what he thought it did. Rye refused to say what was starting to form in her heart. But her actions told him that her heart was opening to him.
Alana rode in the back of her car as Chance drove. He kept a light grip on Rye’s hand, letting her know that he was there for her. The drive to the hospital annex did not take long, although it seemed to take hours.
The morgue was almost exactly like the one in Alabama. Cold. Sterile. Impersonal. She remembered white walls in the first one. This one was gray cinderblock.
“Whenever you’re ready.” Sergeant Murphy said gently.
Even the room seemed the same. Except the window had a TV hanging in front of it. When she told Murphy that she was ready, the police sergeant knocked on the little bit of glass that was exposed.
The black screen flicked and then the face of Leigh Anne appeared. Her face was discolored, pale and almost skeletal. Blue eyes were fixed on an unknown point as they stared lifeless into the distance.
Rye nodded and Murphy knocked on the glass again. The picture disappeared and then the county emblem appeared.
Murphy walked over and stood in front of Rye. “I’m sorry for your loss. No life should end like that.”
“Do you know what killed her? Or who?” Rye asked quietly.
Murphy thought about the giant hole in the girl’s chest. It looked like it was from a close-range shotgun blast to the back. No. She did not need that knowledge.
Just like her father’s death, there were things about her sister’s death that Rye did not need to know. The guilt of both would haunt Murphy for the rest of her days.
“Autopsy hasn’t been completed yet.”
“Was it the drugs? Or the pimp?”
“Honestly, probably a little of both.” The sergeant told the not so innocent angel in front of her.
It was neither. The assassin knew this. Knew the signs. Knew that they would never find who did it. The cop had to find who was supposed to take the fall. If there was someone that was supposed to take it. Otherwise, it would just be another unsolved murder.
Rye nodded. “I knew it would be one or the other. I need to have her body cremated.”
“We’ll take care of that.” Toad said from behind her, and she just nodded.
“Take me home.” Rye whispered to Chance. “Anthony…”
“Geo will call them.” Werewolf said.
Murphy looked towards the door and saw the cold gray eyes of her fellow team member. Dom shook her head slowly. Then made a small circle with a fist over her heart.
The guilt was there too. They had both served with Mike. Each had promised to watch over his girls if something happened to him.
They had both failed.
