The Shiny Package

Michael looked at the package, "What is this? The X-Ray won't see through the foil Ian, we will have to open this."

Ian just shook his head and opened his mouth, but no words came out.

Michael now sensing that perchance an emergency situation might exist, calmly took the package from Ian's hand and quickly unwrapped the foil. He saw Ian's eyes open wide, but he did not take any action. His anxiety seems to alleviate a bit, when he saw that Michael was holding a box, which very much resembled a shoebox. If it wasn't so unnaturally colorless, it almost looked normal.

Then with more out of sympathy then logic, Michael did not decide to open it any further.

Michael arranged the package on the machine and proceeded with the familiar short hum of the X-Ray. "Listen Ian. This is not like the machines at the airport. It will take about ten minutes for the Radiologist to develop the X-Ray"

Ian seemed to be breathing normally now, but did not say anything.

Michael handed the X-Ray plates to his Radiologist, and turned to Ian, "Ian, want to tell me about this?"

"Mike", Ian finally made a sound. "Can you just please trust me for a few minutes?"

"Well, we will soon know what the heck all this about Ian. When this is over, I will digitize the image for you and E-mail it to everyone", Michael tried to joke, but it didn't seem as funny to him, as when the thoughts were forming in his mind.

It was the longest ten minutes of Ian's life. Just when he was about to scream at Michael to stop making small talk, Bob, the Radiologist, popped in the room. Ian never noticed what he looked like, except that he was very tall.

"Dr. Coleman, I think you should look at this", Bob said, indicating that a private conference was needed.

"That's fine Bob, just bring it in", Michael suggested, now a hint of impatient in his voice.

Michael looked at the image first. He instantly recognized what it was. His throat closed, his stomach felt tight, and he had a sudden pain in the back of his neck. Without turning to Ian, he said in normal voice, but with a nearly incomprehensible articulation, "What part of hell did you get this Ian?"

There was no answer.

Michael looked at the image again. It was a pile of human bones! He swung back as if to confront Ian.

But Ian was no longer there.

-------------

It was puzzling.

The box contained parts of some human bones. There were parts of what Michael recognized as the Ulna, from the hand, almost the whole femur, from the thigh, the whole lower jaw, and many other pieces so small that he could not recognize.

He had immediately sent it to Debbie Ruffles, at the Bureau of Forensic Services. Debbie worked at the Attorney General's Office, which controlled the forensics lab. Debbie was a childhood friend, of both Michael and Ian, and he knew that she would be able to help.

It had been six hours now and there was no sign of Ian. It was unusual, because neither he nor Bob had seen Ian leave. Even the reception desk did not see anything. Michael checked the parking lot for Ian's car. His car was there, which was even weirder. He had always called Ian an "elitist bastard", as Ian would never take public transportation. So where did he go? And how?

The cell phone rang. Michael reached for his hip to tear the phone from the holster.

"Michael Coleman here"

"Mike, its Debbie"

"Yes", Michael was trying to control the disquiet in this voice.

"Mike... the bones... the jaw, I ran a dental record check"

"Yes... Spit it out for goodness sake" almost cried out Michael.

"The bones are Ian's"