Jack slowly hung up the phone. He couldn’t believe that Warren had come to visit him. Jack had suggested it a few times when he thought Warren would find it interesting to see firsthand what Jack did for a living. It was part of Jack’s attempt to get Warren to go back to school. But Warren had said that there was only one way he’d visit a morgue and that was dead!

Jack got the straight-back chair from next to Chet’s desk and pulled it over next to the other one. Then he stepped out into the hall and walked down toward the elevators. He’d timed it just about right, because when he got there the doors opened and out stepped his two basketball buddies.

“This place sucks,” Warren said, making an expression of disgust. Then he smiled. “How’s it going, man?” He held up his hand.

Jack smacked it as if they were greeting each other on the basketball court. He did the same with Flash, who was clearly more intimidated at the surroundings than Warren was.

“It’s going like most days,” Jack said. “Except for your visit. I’m shocked to see you guys, but come on into my office.”

Jack led the way down the hall.

“This place smells weird,” Flash said.

“It reminds me of a hospital,” Warren said.

“No hospital I’d ever want to be in,” Flash said with a nervous laugh.

“You told me you did autopsies in a place called the pit,” Warren said. “This whole place looks like a pit.”

“It could use a bit of a renovation,” Jack admitted. He gestured inside his office.

The three sat down.

Jack smiled. “Did you fellows come all the way down here just to make sure I was going to play tonight?”

“You should have played last night,” Warren said. “You had your chance to run with us. We never lost.”

“Maybe I’ll luck out tonight,” Jack said.

Warren looked at Flash. “You want to ask him or you want me to?”

“You do it,” Flash said as he fidgeted in his seat. He was clearly agitated.

Warren turned to Jack. “Flash got some bad news this morning. His sister died.”

“I’m sorry to hear that,” Jack said. He glanced at Flash, but Flash avoided his eyes.

“She wasn’t all that old,” Warren said. “About your age. It was sudden-like. And Flash here thinks there had to be some negative stuff going on. You see, she and her old man didn’t get on too well, you hear what I’m saying?”

“Am I to assume there was a little domestic violence involved in this relationship?” Jack asked.

“If that’s what you call his smacking her around now and then,” Warren said.

“That’s the usual euphemism,” Jack said.

“A lot of domestic violence,” Flash interjected heatedly.