Page 23 of Protected By Duval
Duval had to think about that.
“Not that I can remember.” Colt answered first. “But I’m not much of a movie guy. I spend most of my life outdoors when I can manage it.”
Jack shook her head. “Not me. I like air conditioning too much to fully embrace the outdoor life.” She tipped her head to the side and thought for a moment. “I bet Noelle’s more like me. She’d like a good spa instead of a dirt covered skull.”
Oxy frowned at her. “Is that why you didn’t want to be an evidence tech?”
“Among many of the reasons,” she explained. “I’d much rather go hand to hand with a suspect than have to worry that I put the wrong number on something.”
Oxy agreed. “Especially if it’s wet stuff,” he winced. “Blood or,” he swallowed, “other bodily fluids would be a deal breaker for me.”
Colt nodded along and swallowed the bite he had in his mouth. “What about brain stuff?”
“Okay, that’s enough.” Duval felt his stomach starting to turn. “Let’s keep the conversation about fluid and chunks for after we eat.”
Jack shrugged. “And they say women areweak.”
Colt put his hand to his chest. “You missed the shot.”
Holding up her free had with three fingers up, Jack smiled at him. “Read between the lines, Colt.”
While his S.W.A.T. teammates were joking back and forth between each other, he turned his head and looked over at the dig.
The skull had been cleaned up more by the evidence techs. The dirt and plant matter had been put into an evidence bag to be sifted through at the lab.
The tech that was leaning the skull turned it one way and then the other, probably looking for any bits and pieces that might have been missed.
When she moved her hand away, Duval found himself looking into the dark cavities of the skull.
There was a large missing piece from the top of the skull.
A piece that might fit much of the gap was tagged with another number.
Duval had read the PDF download about Noelle’s work and what evidence she required to even consider taking a particular job assignment.
She needed at least half of the face to begin.
They’d explained it in more detail, later. ‘Half’ meaning the facial features divided by the center of the face. Half of the mouth. Half of cheek/nose area. And at least one cumulative eye. It wasn’t easy to take bone and make it flesh again.
If she didn’t have that much there would be too many gaps where she’d have to make a guess.
That just seemed to be too much to fill in.
What was it like, he wondered, seeing something dead looking back at you, needing a face?
“Do you think they’ll clear us to take the skull with us?”
“Hmm?” Oxy looked at him. “When?”
Duval shook his head. “That’s what I’m asking. She took one look at the skull with the dirt and plants stuff on it and I thought she was going to faint.”
Colt shrugged. “Scared her, probably.”
Jack jumped in on that. “Why go straight for the ‘weak woman’ narrative. Maybe it’s because of the heat?”
“Or the smell.” Blue handed Jack a cold pop. “Here.”
“Thanks,” she smiled and took a sip.
