Mistletoe in the Mortuary (Inspector Rames)

Chapter 12

They spent the weekend in the warmth of the flat, decamping to the living room each morning and remaining by the fire all day. Sometimes they were absorbed in their own things, Sebastian brooding over the shootings and Cassia struggling to read medical journals with her fuzzy brain. But most of the time, they talked.

Because her throat hurt, Sebastian said the most, and she realised how little he'd told her about his life until now. He talked about his school days, and she was surprised to learn that he'd been quite the truant: skipping lessons, getting into conflicts, and vaping under-age behind the gym.

He also talked about entering the police academy, and he slowly narrated some interesting tales from his training. A few of them made her laugh, and then she coughed a lot, but she was always glad that he shared. She knew he didn't find it natural to, and it was gratifying to witness him open up.

He made nutritional breakfasts under her instruction, then fed her chicken soup for lunch and dinner. He helped her if she stood up and felt dizzy, and he fetched her medicine before she'd realised that she needed another dose.

He could have left her alone because she was only staying in the flat as a lodger. He could have left her alone because they were just friends with benefits. But his care and concern never wavered, and she couldn't help but note that no one -- not even Miles -- had ever looked out for her like Sebastian did.

She was sick on Saturday morning, and on Sunday she still felt queasy. On Monday morning, the feeling hadn't shifted, but she had more energy, and being able to stand up without the room spinning clinched it. "I'm going to work today."

Sebastian frowned. "Are you sure? You still look rough."

"You've been so complimentary all weekend." She headed for the bathroom. "I'm fine now."

She followed her statement with a bout of coughing, but he didn't correct her. As she stripped off in the bathroom, she heard him turn on the kettle instead.

***

That morning was hard. It didn't take long in the post-mortem room for her to lose what little energy she'd built up, and she collapsed at her desk gratefully when afternoon came. She spent the evening on the sofa at home, eating chicken soup made by Sebastian while he worked relentlessly on his investigation, and returned to the mortuary on Tuesday. The routine continued, with Christmas drawing nearer and Sebastian becoming more distracted as his case turned cold.

On Thursday, four days before Christmas, Cassia got through her morning of post-mortems without feeling drained. She was hopeful that she'd be okay by Monday -- she wanted to enjoy Christmas with Sebastian properly.

She hadn't been sitting down at her desk for long when her tabphone rang. Amber was requesting an audio-call, and she answered immediately. "Hi, Ambie."

"Are you busy?" Her sister's voice was etched with more impatience than usual. "Only, I've got a crime scene and a body."

***

Cassia had never seen a bath drowning before.

The female was face-down in the water, her nose dragging against the bottom of the tub. Dark hair pooled across the surface. Chains hung around her wrists and ankles with weights attached to them. She was fully-clothed.

The bathroom was large and luxurious, all marble and gold with soft lighting. There were two of everything: two rose-scented soap bars, two toothbrushes, two sinks and mirrors. The husband was outside.

Only one PRB was with them, examining glossy bottles in a shiny cabinet. Amber and Alex were watching Cassia from the doorway. She was watching the body with P17.