Spencer was explaining the location of the body and its condition. He wanted the plastic maintained. Lucas had photographed the wrapped body, but Spencer wanted detailed photos taken as the body was transported.

Approaching boots struck the earth, the air shifted, and she detected Spencer’s now-familiar scent. “The medical examiner is here.”

“Do you have a time yet for the autopsy?” she asked.

“Tomorrow. It’ll take time to unwrap the victim and photograph the body.”

“I’d like to attend.”

His silence was bursting with unsaid thoughts, and his long stares were palpable. “I’ll see you at nine tomorrow.”

“Great. Avery’s on her way now.”

“A deputy can drive you home.”

“Foolish to pull someone away.” And because it was basically true, she said, “Besides, Avery has agreed to be my driver for the foreseeable future.”

“Okay.”

The gurney wheels rolled, growing distant as the team moved into the house. “Go on, get back to your crime scene. I’ll be fine.”

“I’ll see you in the morning.”

“Will do.”

He turned, moved away slowly.

“Hey, Spencer,” she said. “Stop beating yourself up.”

He retraced the steps and moved closer to her. “I could have prevented it.”

She stared in the direction of his voice. “The only one who could have prevented it was the man who hit me. We both are cops, and we do the very best we can, but sometimes it’s not good or fast enough. We both knew the risks.”

“We also can’t save them all,” he said carefully. “You understand there’s a good chance Casey Andrews is also dead.”

“I won’t accept that until her body is found. Until then, I’ll be like you and berate myself for not saving her.”

“You came closer than anyone.”

“Close doesn’t count.”

She laid her hand on his forearm and offered the best smile she could muster. Tension rippled through his arm. The touch was not in the normal bounds of two cops at a crime scene, but her normal had shifted for now. Maybe forever. “I’m not angry with you.”

He cleared his throat. “We’re quite the pair.”

“Yes, we are.”

Jordan had always been good at guessing the time. She would glance at her wristwatch or phone if a report needed an exact time, but in everyday life and on the job, she used her own internal clock, which was rarely minutes off. This knack had become a bit of a parlor trick for the other cops, who placed bets on how close she could get to central daylight time. Thankfully, this gift was holding strong.

When Avery pulled up, Jordan knew it had been approximately twenty minutes since she had placed the call. The medical examiner had loaded the victim on the stretcher, and the technicians were at their vehicle’s back bay and ready to hoist it aboard.