"That would be nice," Laurie said. She was relieved. Calvin's tone was hardly strident, suggesting that he wasn't mad and she wasn't about to be harangued or, worse yet, put on administrative leave.

"The long and short of it is that you have yet to sign out those original cases in your so-called series from over a month ago. At this point, you can't be waiting for any other lab work or whatever, so you've got to get them done. To be honest, the chief has been feeling some heat about them from the mayor's office for God knows what reason. Whatever it is, he let me know he wants them signed out, which means I'm getting heat. Maybe it has something to do with insurance and the families. Who knows? One way or the other, get them done! I gave you a paper day to make sure it happens. Fair enough?"

"I haven't signed them out because I can't in good conscience say they were either accidental or natural, and I know you don't want me to say they were homicides, because that would suggest a serial killer, and I don't have any proof-at least not yet."

"Laurie, don't give me a hard time," Calvin said. He leaned forward intimidatingly, extending his huge head toward her and impaling her with his dark, menacing eyes. "I'm trying to be nice about this. I'm also not trying to stop you from looking into the possibility they are causally related, but for now you've got to choose between accidental or natural. I favor natural, like Dick Katzenburg, because there's no more proof they were accidental than homicidal. The death certificates can always be amended if and when new information becomes available. We can't leave the cases in limbo forever, and you can't create a PR firestorm by calling them homicidal or even accidental without some specific justification. Be reasonable!"

"All right, I'll do it," Laurie said with a defeated sigh.

"Thank you! But damn! You make it sound like I'm asking for the moon. And while we're on the subject, what have you found out about the Queens cases? Do they fit the same demographics?"

"So far," Laurie said in a tired voice. She slouched forward, looking down at the floor with her elbows resting on her knees. "At least from what I could get out of the investigator's reports. I'm waiting on the charts."

"Keep me apprised! Now, get up there to that office of yours and sign out those Manhattan General cases!"

Laurie nodded and got to her feet. She gave Calvin a crooked smile and turned to leave.

"Laurie," Calvin called after her. "You're acting browbeaten, which is not like you. What's up? Are you all right? You've got me worried here. It distresses me to see you, of all people, moping around."

Laurie turned back to face Calvin. She was taken aback. It was not like him to ask personal questions, much less suggest concern. She hardly expected that from any authority figure, especially not the often-curmudgeonly Calvin. The surprise caused unwelcome stirrings of emotion within her, which immediately threatened to surface. Since the very last thing she wanted to do was break down in front of her often-chauvinistic superior, she fought the impulse by taking a deep breath and holding it for a minute. Calvin's eyebrows slowly arched, and he leaned forward more, as if to encourage her to speak.

"I guess I've got a lot on my mind," Laurie said finally. She was afraid to make eye contact.

"Do you care to elaborate?" Calvin asked in a voice that was significantly more mellow than usual.

"Not at the moment," Laurie said while flashing Calvin the same crooked smile.

Calvin nodded. "Fair enough, but remember, my door is always open."

"Thank you," Laurie managed before fleeing. As she walked down the main first-floor corridor, she felt a mixture of feelings to add to her chaotic thoughts. On the one hand, she felt lucky to have gotten away without an emotional scene, while at the same time, she was irritated with herself about yet another episode of her embarrassing demonstrativeness. It was ridiculous that she had to fight against shedding a tear because her boss evidenced a bit of solicitude. On the other hand, she was impressed at having witnessed a side of the deputy chief that she had never seen. And after the nervous pessimism that the call to Calvin's office had evoked, she felt relief that she was still employed. If she'd been put on leave for some real or imagined transgression, she wasn't sure she could have handled it. With the new concern about being pregnant combined with her other anxieties, the diversion that her job provided was needed more than ever.

Sticking her head into the investigator's office, she asked the chief investigator, Bart Arnold, if Janice was still around. Laurie wanted to learn the details of the Clark Mulhausen case, to be certain it was another to be added to her series.

"You missed her by about ten minutes," Bart said. "Anything I can help you with?"

"Not really," Laurie said. "How about Cheryl? Is she available?"

"You're striking out. She's already out on a case. Should I have her call you when she returns?"

"You can relay a message," Laurie said. "Yesterday, I asked her to put in a request for hospital charts from Saint Francis Hospital out in Queens. I'd like her to amend the request and make it urgent. I need them as soon as possible."

"No problem," Bart said, as he made a note on a Post-it. "I'll put this on Cheryl's desk. Consider it done."

Laurie headed back toward the ID office to retrieve her coat, but she thought of Jack down in the pit doing the autopsy on Clark Mulhausen. He would have the folder with Janice's investigative report, which would have all the particulars. Reversing her course, she headed for the back elevator. Not only could she make sure Mulhausen fit the demographics of her series, she'd have an excuse to talk with Jack. Remembering her waffling the previous afternoon outside of Jack's office, it would be good to have a professional reason to break the ice with him and give her the opportunity to suggest that they get together away from the OCME for a personal discussion. The thought of the kind of conversation she needed to have with him made her tense. In his current state of mind, she had no idea whether or not he'd be receptive either to meet with her or to what she had to tell him. Lou had suggested he would be, but Laurie didn't know.

In days past, a gown, a hat, and a mask were all that was needed to drop into the autopsy room for a visit to check out a finding or have a short conversation. Times had changed. Now Laurie had to go into the locker room and change into scrubs before heading over to the supply room to get into her full protective gear, as if she was doing a case herself. Calvin had established the new rules, and they were supposedly cut in stone.

"Ahhh!" Laurie whimpered as she extended her arm while hanging up her blouse in the locker. She had gotten a sudden stitch in that same abdominal location that had been intermittently troubling her over the previous few days. This time, it was definitely a sharp pain that made her wince as well as withdraw her hand. Gingerly, she placed it over the bothersome area. Thankfully, the pain quickly eased and then disappeared as suddenly as it had appeared. Carefully, she pressed in over the area, but there was no residual tenderness. She extended her arm as she had done when hanging the blouse, but still there was no discomfort. Shaking her head with confusion over whether it had anything to do with being pregnant, she thought maybe she should ask Sue whether she had experienced anything similar during her two pregnancies.

With the memory of the pain fading into the background, Laurie continued changing into scrubs, and then headed across the hall to climb into her moon suit. A few minutes later, she pushed into the autopsy room. As the heavy door thumped against the jamb behind her, the two people in the room straightened up from bending over the body splayed open in front of them. They both looked over at her.