You need to come in, Gift? This is pretty heavy stuff.

No, sir. Im fine. Just keep me posted on everything you can as soon as you get updates, please.

Of course.

They ended the call and Rachel had to reorient herself to what shed been doing before the call. Jack noted this bit of confusion and stepped in close to her. You good?

Yes, she said trying not to snap at him. She was glad he cared, but she was just about done being seen as this poor, fragile little thing. And Ill be a lot better once we get to have a word with Joseph Quinn.

With that, she started down the hallway again, pocketing her phone and doing everything she could to keep her mind focused on the case. And with Joseph Quinn serving as the next stop, she couldnt help but hold out a little bit of hope.

CHAPTER NINETEEN

Joseph Quinns house was not at all what Rachel had been expecting. It was a small two-story townhome in a middle-class part of the city. As she drove into the parking lot, she even wondered if theyd gotten the wrong address from the precincts records. Stereotypical or not, Rachel had been expecting a large house somewhere near the hospital, as was the case with most surgeons. Shed figured that even if hed been suspended and no longer worked in medicine, hed likely still own his house. Then again, who knew what sort of money was exchanged behind closed doors in terms of settlements back when Quinn had gotten into his trouble.

It was 7:52 when they knocked on his front door. As they waited for an answer, the small rectangular parking lot in front of the row of townhomes was quietly busy with people leaving for work and beginning their morning routines. A few of them looked towards Rachel and Jack as they stood on Quinns stoop, waiting. It would make for great gossip later in the day, Rachel supposed.

When Quinn hadnt answered after thirty seconds, Jack knocked again. Rachel looked down to the parking lot and saw that it appeared that each townhouse had two parking spaces for each unit, positioned right in front of each home. Several cars were gone likely already having left for work. But she noticed that the two in front of Quinns town house were empty Shed noted it on the way to the door but had thought nothing of it at the time.

Looks like hes already left for the day, she commented.

Looks like it. But I wonder…what does a disgraced surgeon do for work? Its got to be hard to do anything other than surgery, right?

Id think so. Maybe we can find out where he works and have a word with him there.