“Yes. They said a single test is faster to run and they may be able to have it by Monday.”

“Excellent. That’s much quicker than their usual turnaround.” She tucked the band in the pocket of her slacks and continued removing the protective gear.

“Are we done here?” Russ checked his watch. “I have to meet with a family to arrange a funeral. Wearing two hats can be a challenge.”

“I’m finished.” Grace discarded the disposable garments.

“I am too.” Nate pushed off from the wall.

“I’ll let you know as soon as I hear from the lab, Grace.” Russ pulled out his keys and hustled toward the exit.

“Thanks.”

As he disappeared, Nate waved toward the door. “I have an update for you. Want to talk about it outside?”

“Smell finally getting to you?”

“No. I think I finally made my peace with it.”

“I applaud your creative solution. Outside is fine.” She shifted toward the autopsy table. “You want me to hang around for the next few minutes, Max?”

“Nope. I’ve got it under control.” He waved her off.

“I’ll be back for my kit.” Grace followed Nate into the hall and indicated the rear door. “There’s a bench around the side, if you aren’t familiar with the facility.”

“First visit—but I’m sure it won’t be my last.” He opened the outside door for her. “This setup beats the funeral home for autopsies any day.”

“I agree. But we wouldn’t be here if we hadn’t thought we might have to hold the body longer than usual. It’s helpful that one of the counties in my territory has an actual morgue and was willing to accommodate us.” At the corner of the building, she motioned toward the bench tucked into a small, flower-filled planting area.

He followed her over, waited until she sat, and claimed the other end. “I spoke with Mullins’s love interest this morning. It was a dead end. She’s not BK, and she hasn’t a clue who could be blackmailing him.”

Grace blew out a breath. “That’s not what I wanted to hear.”

“Me neither. I didn’t expect her to be the perpetrator, but I hoped she’d offer a lead that would help us track down BK.”

“Where do we go from here?”

“I’ve reached out to Lorraine’s attorney to see if her financial pattern is similar to the one we’ve identified for all the victims Mullins named. I’m assuming it will be. Other than that, we wait for the foxglove test to come back and cross our fingers.”

Grace angled toward him, resting one arm along the back of the bench. “Or we could be more proactive.”

“How so?”

“Have you ever heard of forensic botany?”

“No.”

“It’s a small field. Forensic botanists work at crime scenes or provide botanical insights that can help solve crimes. The most famous example is the Lindbergh kidnapping case in the 1930s. The testimony that secured a conviction was provided by an expert on wood anatomy and identification.”

“Seriously?”