Hiss Of Death

When Harry arrived at Heavy Metal Gym the next morning at 5:30, the weight room teemed with people. A smaller room off the weight room had mats on the floor for stretching. In the boxing area, two young men did rope work; another hit the speed bag.

Dr. Annalise Veronese and Toni Enright were already there. Harry flopped down and took her orders from Noddy. Chitchatting was at a minimum, because everyone here attacked their exercises seriously. Two bodybuilders arrived at 5:45 A.M. They, too, stretched. Easy as stretching appears compared to a three-hundred-pound bench press, it took concentration. It bored Harry, but she trusted Noddy’s wisdom.

“Hold that for one minute,” Noddy commanded.

On her back, left knee to the ground over her right side, Harry started to sweat. By the time she finished twenty minutes of stretching, she knew why the bodybuilders carried towels with them. She wiped her sweat off the mat.

“We’ll concentrate on your core. I’ll give you isolated exercises for your arms, back, legs, but today it’s your abs and obliques. We’ll work on strength, twisting for flexibility. Given your riding, there are times when you need to swivel in the saddle. Well, I’ve put together a program for you.”

“I don’t have any weights at home.”

“The exercise program uses the floor, chairs, and a low tree branch for you to do chin-ups. If you don’t have anything low, then buy a bar and put it up in a doorway. In time, you might want to work on a bodybuilder’s schedule. That means you isolate the muscle groups, and for three consecutive days work each one, take a day off, then back again. You always begin with stretching, and you end with running or the stationary bike. You can possess the best core strength in the world, but if you haven’t wind or stamina, what good is it?”

“Right.” Harry was beginning to realize there was a lot more to this than was at first apparent.

However, she was enthusiastic. All the more so when she saw how much Annalise and Toni were accomplishing.

“On your back.” Noddy pointed down. “Now bring your legs up a foot off the floor; keep them straight. Arms out to your sides straight. Fold yourself together so you’re on your butt. Back’s off the floor. There. Now hold it.”

After one hour, plus twenty minutes for the stretching, Harry felt exhilarated even if tired. She headed for the locker room.

Annalise showered, dressed, and applied light makeup in the mirror near her locker. She stepped into her jeans, putting a pocketknife in one pocket, a list of chores in the other. She looked over at Harry.

“How’d you like it?”

“It’s harder than I thought, but I thought it was great.”

“I didn’t hear about your finding Thadia until last night. You have an odd knack for finding dead people.”

“Let’s hope this is the last. Will you perform the autopsy?”

“No. Richmond has one of the best forensic pathology departments in America. They’ll do the work.”

“I don’t know how pathologists do it.”

“Most people don’t,” Annalise answered in good humor. “A pathologist is always right but a day late. There may be something we can take from the dead that will help the living.”

“Forgive me if I’m asking this the wrong way, but how did you get interested in dead things?”

The attractive doctor laughed. “I didn’t think of it quite that way. When I was little we had such a wonderful family doctor. That was the beginning, but I didn’t know I had an interest until biology class. I loved dissecting things, just loved seeing how everything fit together. Once I got into med school, it all fell into place. I feel like a detective when I’m working. I enjoy the challenge.”

Harry changed the subject. “Don’t you find it odd that two women who knew each other, both from Central Virginia Medical Complex, have died, one clearly murdered?”

“It is unfortunate. And yes, it is odd.”

Toni returned from the showers, towel wrapped around her. She twirled the combination lock for her locker. “Talking about recent events?”

“Yes,” both women said.

“Jigs for Coke,” Harry quickly said.

In the South, if two people say the same thing at the same time, the first who utters the words “jigs for whatever” gets it.

“All right.” Annalise laughed. “Do you want money for it so you can drink one on the way home, or do you want one on different terms?”

“Medical skills and negotiating skills. We’re lucky to have you,” Toni teased.

“Now.” Harry grinned.

“All right.” Annalise opened her purse and pulled out a five-dollar bill.

“That’s too much,” Harry protested.

“You might need more than one. You had quite a workout.”

“I feel great.”

The well-built, strong physician added, “Wait until the second day.”

“We’ll see.” Harry then turned to Toni. “How’d it go—telling Thadia’s groups, I mean?”

“A mess. Some got hysterical, others cried, others sat like stones. They’re lost, and we’ve got to find a counselor fast, a really good rehabilitation person.”

“Won’t be easy.” Annalise slung her purse over her shoulder. “She was an odd duck.”

“Nicely put,” Toni responded.

“Well, speak no ill of the dead,” Annalise advised.

Harry felt that she’d heard that before recently. A flash of disquiet was followed by telling herself it was a stock phrase thousands of years old.

Maybe the ancients knew more than we did. Who is to say spirits should not be propitiated? Is there such a thing as the unquiet dead?

“Harry.” Toni spoke louder than usual.

“Huh?”

“Where are you?”

“Sorry, my mind traveled back to my Latin teacher.” Harry’s reply was almost true.

“If you’re going to vacation in the past, couldn’t you pick a more exciting time?” Toni laughed.

Harry mused, “Athens and Rome. They make us look so dull.”

“Then you and I better make up for it.” Toni lightly punched Harry’s arm.