Chapter 9: Part 9: It’s Morguein’ Time

It was time to get to work, and without much to go on, I decided to go somewhere I could definitely get some firm answers.

"Hello, my dear boy. Lovely to see you", he said pulling his hand out of the cadaver's chest cavity to give me a little wave.

"Hey doc", I said, "you've got a little something..." I touched my cheek.

"Gets bloody everywhere", he said, wiping his cheek with the shoulder of his medical gown.

The Doc was the local coroner, had been for decades. There were rumours that he'd been transferred here after one too many of his patients seemed to find themselves down here. Opinion was split over whether this was negligent or intentional, but I wasn't interested in any of that.

"I'm looking for a man", I said.

"Really? "He said, his eyebrows raising ever so slightly.

"It's for a case", I added.

"Of course, of course, my dear boy. Let me see what I can do." He pulled off the arm-length medical gloves and threw them in the vague direction of the bin.

He moved towards the freezers.

"Don't you have to do something with him?" I said, indicating to the stiff on the table.

"Hmm?" said The Doc, as he turned around. "Oh him!" He said. "He's fine, he's not going anywhere." He gave a brief snort and got to the freezers.

"Do you have a name?" He enquired.

"'fraid not, Doc." In the excitement of the morning, I'd forgotten to go back to the office and get the file. "How 'bout we start with the Jon Does and go from there?"

"Right you are", said The Doc as he opened the first steel door and rolled out the table, draped in a white cloth.

He pulled it back to uncover the face. He was a young man, with dashing blonde hair. I hated him already.

"Sorry Doc, not our guy." He covered the face back up and pushed the body in.

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"Here is a second option", said The Doc, as he pulled out the next table.

Definitely not our guy. Mid-forties and about three hundred pounds.

"Nope."

"Never mind, my boy", he said, as he returned the stiff to the freezer.

"Let's hope that third time's the charm. It's the last one on the roster."

He pulled the sheet back and for a moment I thought it was him, but it was hard to tell. The face was bloated. He'd clearly been in the water for some time.

"Fishermen caught him off the coast," said The Doc, as if he had read my mind. "Preliminary examination puts time of submersion approximately fourteen days ago."

It was outside of our timeline. I'd had the impression he'd only been missing a few days. Still, I thought I'd better check, just to make sure.

"He have any personal belongings? Anything that might help identify him?"

"I'm afraid this man was delivered to me dressed only in his birthday suit. Nary a stitch upon his behind. No rings, no watch, no wallet I'm afraid."

"Well, I don't think it's him, but if anyone comes inquiring, keep me in the loop."

"Of course", he said. "Would you like to see what else we have on offer?"

"No thanks, Doc."

"Well, if you ever change your mind, you know where to find me."

I left the mortuary and shuddered. No matter how often I went there, I never got used to it.

I rushed through the corridors and through the double doors. The sun hit me like a truck, and I stopped dead, feeling my rays burning all the filth off of me. I knew from experience it was never enough.

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