Free Silent Scream by Karen Rose

“Compliments of Lorna.”
    Olivia eyed the bowl skeptically. “Lorna’s cooking again?”
    Abbott settled into the chair behind his desk. “Her guidance counselor said if she retook the class and got a better grade,
     it would cancel last year’s D.”
    Micki popped the lid off the bowl. “How bad can they be?”
    “Some people ought not bake,” Kane said sourly.
    “Got it.” Micki shot a wicked look at Olivia. “Let Barlow test them. If they’re awful, it’ll serve him right.” She glanced
     at Abbott. “No offense.”
    Abbott’s lips were twitching beneath his mustache. “None taken.” He looked at the empty chairs meaningfully. “Speaking of
     which, where are Barlow and Gilles?”
    “Ian’s not coming,” Olivia said. “He was almost ready to start the girl’s autopsy when I stopped by the morgue.”
    Kane studied her face. “When did you stop by the morgue?” he asked, when
Why didn’t you go home to sleep like I told you to?
was what he really wanted to know.
    “On my way in. I wanted a photo of the girl.” Which wasn’t entirely untrue. After her workout she’d gone home but couldn’t
     sleep, so she’d done what she always did—worked. “I don’t know where Barlow is. I told him oh-eight.”
    “I’m here, I’m here.” Barlow barreled through Abbott’s doorway and dropped into a chair. Instantly,everyone leaned away from him. “Sorry,” he muttered. “I came straight from the scene. Didn’t have a chance to shower.”
    “We can tell,” Micki said, then smiled kindly. “Here, have a cookie.”
    Beside Olivia, Kane coughed to cover what would have been a chuckle.
    “Thanks. I didn’t have time for breakfast.” Barlow grabbed a handful and Olivia felt the prick of conscience.
    “I’d take a little bite first,” she said and he narrowed his eyes.
    “You made these?” he asked suspiciously. “You trying to poison me now?”
    Olivia rolled her eyes.
Let him suffer
. “Since we’re all here, we can get started.” She started to close Abbott’s door, but Abbott lifted his hand.
    “Leave it open,” he said. “Dr. Donahue will be joining us.”
    Olivia’s shoulders went rigid. Donahue was the department shrink. The one who wasn’t helping after three mandated visits.
     She sat back down.
Great.
    “I want a profile of this arsonist,” Abbott went on and Olivia could feel his eyes on her. To be accurate, everyone’s eyes
     were on her, even Barlow’s. Meddling bastard. “Donahue’s got time and experience with arsonists. And here she is.”
    The psychiatrist came through the door, dressed in a trim blue suit that looked like it had been tailored just for her. “Good
     morning,” she said. “I’m sorry to keep you waiting.”
    “Dr. Donahue,” Abbott said as she took her seat. “Do you know everyone?”
    “Everyone but you.” She smiled at Barlow. “I’m Jessie Donahue.”
    “Micah Barlow, arson investigator. Don’t eat the cookies,” Barlow added dryly.
    The confusion on Donahue’s face under other circumstances would have made Olivia smile, but the very presence of the woman
     had her on edge. She shook off the discomfort. “Let’s get this done, okay? What do we know, Mick? Any ID on the girl?”
    “Nothing so far. The girl’s prints aren’t in AFIS, so no criminal record, at least one that isn’t sealed. No response yet
     from the Missing Children database, but I’m expecting an answer any hour now. No Amber Alerts, so as of this minute, no ID.”
    “I sent her morgue photo to the Florida Highway Patrol,” Olivia said. “I hope the Gator nail decals pan out, even if she’s
     not in the databases. What about the gel?”
    “I won’t get those results till after lunch,” Micki said, “but I do have something on the ball. We wanted to preserve it,
     just the way the firefighter found it until we knew what the gel was. So we did an image of what was underneath all that gel.
     This came through just as I was leaving to come up