Missing (The Cass Lehman Series Book 3) by Melanie Casey Page B

hit the media in the next hour. You might want to let Miss Lehman know.’
    Ed’s tongue refused to work. Fuck. Jenson loose on the streets again was worse than bad news. Cass wasn’t going to take it well. How on earth was he going to tell her? Hell, the thought made him feel sick to his stomach.
    ‘I doubt he’ll get very far. They rarely do.’
    Ed was tempted to argue. There’d been some pretty famous cases of escaped felons who’d managed to stay under the radar in Australia. The infamous postcard bandit Brenden Abbott for one. Hopefully Brian Jenson wasn’t in that league.
    ‘Tell me about the case,’ Crackers said. ‘Any progress?’
    Ed shook his head. ‘Not really. We have a list of possible missing persons to follow up, but that’s about it. The licence plate check didn’t turn up anything.’
    ‘Maybe the pooch will find something. We got a lucky break last time. You’d better hope the same thing happens, because it sounds like you’ve got fuck all otherwise.’
    ‘We’re heading down to the site with the dog now.’
    ‘Dave can take them. I’ve got other plans for you.’

    ‘Something’s come up?’
    ‘No. I want you to take Miss Lehman to the pathology suite.’
    ‘The pathology suite?’ Ed stared at the man opposite him, his brain refusing to process the implied meaning.
    ‘She told me she gets visions when she touches a corpse,’ Crackers said.
    ‘No.’
    ‘She doesn’t?’
    ‘No, I won’t ask her to do it. It’s not even an intact body, it’s partial remains … they’re mostly decomposed. How can I ask her to touch that?’
    ‘You’re not asking her, I am. You’re just following orders, and the way I see it, you don’t have a fucking choice if you want to stay on this team.’
    They glared at each other. More than anything, Ed wanted to tell him to go fuck himself. Sorenson’s job offer was floating in his mind like a big juicy carrot.
    ‘I’ll call her and see if she’s prepared to do it,’ Ed said through gritted teeth.
    ‘You don’t need to. I spoke to her this morning. She agreed to help.’
    Ed dropped his gaze and studied the pens and paper scattered on Crackers’ desk, not trusting himself to speak. He counted to ten and waited for his heartbeat to stop hammering in his ears.
    ‘Well? What the hell are you waiting for? Go tell Dave to get going without you, then swing by and pick her up. I’ve already cleared it with the pathologist. He’s expecting you.’

    Ed stood and walked out of the room without saying another word. He was seeing everything through a red haze and he could feel a vein pulsing in his left temple. He walked back towards Dave and Maria.
    ‘Jesus! What happened to you? I thought you were just going for a leak? You look like someone stole your candy,’ said Dave.
    ‘Crackers.’
    ‘Ah …’
    ‘What?’ Maria looked from Ed to Dave.
    Dave grinned at Maria. ‘That’s what we call DCI Arnott.’ He turned back to Ed. ‘What did he want?’
    ‘He wants me to take Cass to the pathology suite. To see the remains.’
    Dave’s mouth dropped open. ‘No way! That’s disgusting!’
    ‘Would one of you tell me what the hell is going on?’
    The two men exchanged a look. Neither of them said anything. Ed finally shrugged and gave Maria the nutshell version.
    ‘Huh. Go figure,’ she said when he’d finished explaining about Cass.
    ‘That’s it?’ Dave said.
    ‘What? You think I’ve never heard of the police using a psychic before? Why not, if it gets results? Though personally I think Bruno here will be more useful — and he comes with the added bonus of not having to touch the body.’

CHAPTER
10
    I heaved a sigh. To say the silence in the car was frosty would have been a gross understatement. Ed had barely said three words to me since he’d picked me up. I didn’t have the energy to get into it with him again, so I sank back against the seat and replayed the call from DCI Arnott.
    The insistent ringing of the phone had