Identity Crisis

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Identity Crisis Page 8

by Jefferson Bass

“Still?”

  She nodded glumly.

  “That doesn’t bother me,” I assured her. “You know I’m not squeamish.”

  “I do know, and I appreciate that,” she said. “But I’m just not up to it. I’m sorry, sweetie; I’ll be off the sick list soon, and I will make it up to you. I promise.”

  She crooked her little finger at me again, to make sure I knew she meant it.

  “I’m sorry it’s giving you trouble,” I told her, my disappointment giving way to sympathy. “Seems like that’s gotten worse again. You need to go back to the doctor?” She’d had outpatient surgery a year or so ago, to remove a uterine fibroid—­a knot of benign tissue—­and her cramps and bleeding had lessened afterward. For a while.

  “I think it’s just menopause, letting me know it’s headed my way,” she said. “Now turn out the light and spoon me.” She rolled over and snuggled against me. Switching off the light, I wrapped an arm tightly across her chest. Her breathing slowed and deepened, her body twitching as she sank into sleep. As my own breathing found the same cadence as hers, I made a silent wish for her—­one last anniversary toast, Walker style: I toast you sleep well and feel better tomorrow.

  About the Author

  JEFFERSON BASS is the writing team of Dr. Bill Bass and Jon Jefferson. Dr. Bass, a world-­renowned forensic anthropologist, founded the University of Tennessee’s Anthropology Research Facility. Jon Jefferson is a veteran journalist, writer, and documentary filmmaker.

  www.JeffersonBass.com

  www.witnessimpulse.com

  Discover great authors, exclusive offers, and more at hc.com.

  Also by Jefferson Bass

  Fiction

  The Breaking Point

  Cut to the Bone

  The Inquisitor’s Key

  The Bone Yard

  The Bone Thief

  Bones of Betrayal

  The Devil’s Bones

  Flesh and Bone

  Carved in Bone

  Nonfiction

  Beyond the Body Farm

  Death’s Acre

  Copyright

  Excerpt from The Breaking Point copyright © 2015 by Jefferson Bass LLC

  IDENTITY CRISIS. Copyright © 2015 by Jefferson Bass LLC. All rights reserved under International and Pan-­American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this e-­book on screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, decompiled, reverse-­engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereafter invented, without the express written permission of Harper­Collins e-­books.

  EPub Edition MAY 2015 ISBN: 9780062419842

  Print Edition ISBN: 9780062419897

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