Mesothelioma Attorney visitors since November 5, 2004
(December 2002)
As usual I would love to thank my editor, Donna E, for reading this before I posted it.
I would also like to thank Brian Magnus, who is the person Brianna Magnusson is named after, for letting me use his name for a character.
Cheryl found herself humming to herself as she dusted her apartment for the first time in several weeks. She found herself singing along to the song on the radio. At last her life was starting to get straighted out, as she felt the DA was going to agree to a lighter sentence in exchange for her evidence.
Suddenly there was a knock at her door. She put down her dust cloth as she went to answer the door. "Coming. Hang on. I am coming." She opened the door, but left the safety chain on. She was surprised whom she found on the other side of the door - Starsky and Hutch. "Oh, Starsky and Hutch." She laughed. She closed the door and then opened it after she pulled the chain.
Hutch looked at her. He didn't want to have to tell her the bad news, but he knew that she needed to be told. "Can we come in?" he asked.
"Sure. I was just straightening up" She let both of them come in. "Would you like to sit down?" She motioned them to sit down on the couch. They sat down on the couch.
"Yeah, this might be better." Starsky agreed.
"Would you like something to drink?" Cheryl offered.
"Cheryl, "Hutch said as he cleared his throat. "This is not a social call."
"Okay, then what is this all about?" Cheryl did not believe in beating around the bush.
Starsky and Hutch looked at each other, wondering which one should tell her.
Hutch jumped in with both feet, "They found your friend, Joanne Stockwood,. earlier today."
"She is okay?"
"No." Hutch said as he looked away. "She washed up on shore and they need you to ID the body."
"Oh no I don't think I can do it." Cheryl stammered. She could hardly fight back the tears.
Starsky looked at Hutch and shrugged his shoulders. "If you want, we could come with you."
"You would come with me?" "Her eyes lit up.
"Cheryl, you are going to help us convict Danner, it is the least we could do."
"Thanks."
"Come on, let't go and get this over with," Starsky suggested.
"Whose car?" Cheryl wanted to know.
"Sure can't take your piece of junk, Hutch, " Starky teased.
"Nor, your car, Starsky."
"I guess that fine set of wheels we have been tooling around in town, " Starsky laughed.
Hutch helped Cheryl to her feet. "Come on, Cheryl. We won't leave your side." He reassured her. He took her hand. She retrieved her purse from the closet and they left.
The morgue was in an older building. Hutch parked the car in front of the building. Starsky and Hutch helped Cheryl out of the car. Starsky led them to the basment.
The morgue was a pretty eerie place. There were several large filing cabinets which has drawers large enough to hold a human body. There were several medical personnel working on bodies on metal tables
Starsky approached one of the female meds. He brought out his badge and showed to her. "Hi. I am Detective Starsky. This is my partner, Ken Hutchinson. This is a friend of ours, Cheryl." He pointed to both Hutch and Cheryl, who was feeling a little intimated by the whole thing.
"Hi, my mane is Brianna Magnusson. How can I help you, Detective," she said. Brianna was sbout 30 years of age. She had long brown hair that was tied back in a pony tail. She was dressed in a lab coat. She has brown eyes. She stood about 5'7" and was of average height.
"Yes, Brianna." Starsky said. "Cheryl is here to ID a body that we think may be here."
"Okay, what is the name?"
Cheryl stammered for a minute or two as she tried to fight the tears, "Joanne. Joanne Stockwell.
Brianna, who had been standing at one of the tables, went over to a large book. "Yes, Janne Carson, Joeanne Stockwood. She went over to one of the drawers and opened up the drawer.
Cheryl was shocked by what she saw. She still hung back, sheltered in Hutch's comforting arms. Joanne Stockwood was not the same girl that Cheryl had become best friends with. Joeanne's long brown hair was alsmost all cut off. She had her eyes closed. The skin around her hair was more hollow than Cheryl remembered. Cheryl looked away for a moment.
"Is that her?" Hutch asked. He could just imagine the emotions going through her mind.
Cheryl looked back at the body for a minute. She choked back the words, "Yes." She turned around and put her face in his shoulder. Hutch tried to comfort her
Brianna said,"okay." She pushed the drawer back into the cabinet.
"Thanks, "Stasrky said to Brianna.
"Just doing my job, Detective." Brianna gave him a smile. "Sometimes this is a thankless job."
Hutch led Cheryl outside and Starsky followed. They took her to a park. She was pretty shaken up.
They found a park bench and sat down to try to re-assure her.
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visitors since November 5, 2004