Sam was laughing. “God, T, I have no idea. One step at a time, you know. I gotta get used to the idea of being engaged first. It was so sweet though. He actually got down on one knee. You’d think after all these years he’d just say, ‘Yo Sam, let’s get married.’ But he had this whole speech prepared and everything. Most of which I can’t remember. Roses, wine…I’m telling you, he really surprised me. And I just said yes before I had a chance to think. Something in my heart just told me it was time to quit thinking and start doing.”
“Oh, Sam.” Taylor had tears in her eyes. “It’s about time. I don’t think I can remember a time that Simon wasn’t head over heels for you, and you for him.” She started jumping up and down again. “Ahh, man. I gotta give that boy some shit. Let’s call him.”
“Let’s not. We have to get to work. Body’s are a-calling.”
The levity ended abruptly and Taylor gave a huge sigh. “You had to remind me, didn’t you? All right, let’s get moving.” She handed Sam the manila folder with the dental x-rays nestled inside. Sam took them and started across the room.
“By the way, I almost forgot. I ran blood work on Jordan’s baby. I figured it would be easier to see if the blood type from the fetus was compatible with the semen before we went to the trouble and expense of having Simon run DNA. Quicker too.”
“And?”
“Whoever killed Shelby wasn’t the father of Jordan’s baby. Statistical impossibility.”
Taylor tucked this morsel into the overgrowing database in her head on the murders. “Maybe he killed her because it wasn’t his baby,” she said softly.
“It’s a thought.”
They entered the autopsy suite. One of Sam’s assistants had already placed the burned out husk on a stainless table, and was ready to start with the X-rays. Sam nodded to him, and he got to work.
Taylor went to the phone on the wall and dialed Price’s office. She was surprised when Baldwin picked up the line. “Captain Price’s office.”
“Baldwin. It’s Taylor. Why are you answering the phone?”
“Well, I’m sitting here doing nothing. Price got called out to a meeting for something or another, and no one else is here. I just figured…”
“No, that’s good. I was calling to talk to you anyway.”
“Oh.” He sounded faintly surprised. Taylor thought she heard a note of pleasure in the single word. She blushed. Sam, who was watching, raised an eyebrow. Taylor turned away from her, embarrassed to no end. She quickly became all business.
“Sam ran the blood type of Jordan’s fetus against the semen from Shelby. It wasn’t a match.”
Baldwin was silent a moment. “Maybe he killed her because it wasn’t his child.”
“Funny, I said the same thing. Listen, I’ve got to go. Sam’s signaling, she has the radiographs ready. I wanted you to know.”
“Thanks, Taylor. I’ll think on it. Let me know what you find out, okay? Wait a second, Lincoln just walked in, and he wants to talk to you.” He handed the phone over.
“Taylor?”
“I thought you were going home?”
“I know, I am. Real quick, though, I talked with the people at Magdalene House. They said Tammy Boxer was HIV positive. Will you let Sam know?”
“Ah. Will do. Thanks for everything, Lincoln. You’ve been a lifesaver. Bye.”
She hung up and turned back to Sam, expecting a chastising or brutal tease. Instead, Sam was standing in front of the radiograph view box, shaking her head.
“I’ve got good news and bad news. Which do you want first?”
“The good news.”
“The good news is this isn’t Jill Gates.”
Taylor stood frozen, immobilized by the finding. “You’re sure?”
“No doubt about it. These dentals aren’t even close.”
“What’s the bad news?”
Sam turned to her friend, her mouth a grim line slashing her face. “The bad news is, this is not Jill Gates.”
She turned back to the view box. “Who are you, sweetheart?”
She and Taylor stared longingly at the radiographs as if the teeth would come to life and spell out the name of their owner. Taylor turned away and sat heavily on a hard backed chair, leaning her arms on a built in desk. As she put her head down, her cell rang.
“Yeah? Hey, Fitz. Okay, route it through.” She turned to Sam. “Call came in for me, some guy wants to talk to me and me alone. Won’t give his name. Oh, hello.” She listened to the other end of the phone, her eyes growing wide. “Can you…Damn, he hung up.”
“What the hell was that?”
“An anonymous call from someone who claims to have done a pregnancy test on Jill Gates. Six months ago.”
“Wait a minute. Jill Gates is pregnant?” Sam’s astonishment was catching.
Taylor nodded. “According to this guy, she was six months ago. He wouldn’t tell me anything else.”
“Taylor, if it’s true, and she didn’t abort or miscarry, Gates could be at least seven months pregnant, maybe more. With all the emphasis on babies with this freak, I think you may have a bigger problem.”
“What’s that, Sam? Spit it out?”