Later the next afternoon, Val pulled right up to the front door of Dr. Quinlan’s medical practice. She opened the door of her official medical examiner’s van, with “Erie County Medical Examiner” written on all sides, and got out wearing her official work jacket, with big yellow letters, back and front, stating “medical examiner’s office,” and walked into the waiting room. Every eye was on her as she entered.

“Can I help you?” The receptionist shot up from her desk, which was behind a plexiglass window.

“I’m here to see Dr. Quinlan,” Val said loudly, looking around the waiting room. Every eye was on her.

“Do you have an appointment?” the receptionist stammered.

“No, this is official business.”

There was a visible swallow and an audible intake of breath on the receptionist’s part.

“Can I speak to Dr. Quinlan?” Val said plainly.

“Is this an immediate need?” the receptionist whispered.

Val tried hard not to smile, because everyone must have been wondering if she was here to pick up a dead body, hence a dead patient. “No, I can wait.” She then lowered her voice so only the receptionist could hear. “No one died here. I just need to talk to the doctor.”

“Of course… can— can you come back after our last appointment at 5pm?” The receptionist’s gaze shifted from Val to the patients in the waiting room, who all continued to stare at Val.

“I’d be happy to.” And with that Val turned and walked out the door. In the doorway, she turned back to the receptionist. “I hope he is available at five. I wouldn’t want to have to come back tomorrow and sit here until he can see me.”

The receptionist said with an uncomfortable, polite smile, “I’ll make sure he will see you.”

Of course she would. Having someone from the medical examiner’s office enter a medical practice with live patients waiting to see the doctor is bad for business. They would have agreed to anything to get her quickly out of the door, and not to come back again with patients here.

“Thank you for agreeing to meet with me, Dr. Quinlan.” Val sat in the doctor’s private office, he on one side of a large oak desk and she on the other. This time Val omitted the medical office jacket, choosing her wool coat instead.

“Of course, anything I can do to help.” Dr. Quinlan wore a white lab coat over a striped button-down shirt and tie. He had thinning brown hair. He seemed indifferent to Val’s presence, and she guessed he was only answering her questions to simply be rid of her. “I did think I explained everything thoroughly to Dr. Maddox.”