by Dobi Cross
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
The man entered his home and dropped his satchel on the ginormous couch in the living room. His family was out but would be back later in the day. He could enjoy some peace and quiet before the place became boisterous again. He kicked off his shoes. It had been a long day at work and coupled with the side business, he was running on very little sleep. A nap would be nice right about now.
His phone rang and he growled. Who had the guts to disturb him? He pulled it from his pocket and saw that it was Erik. “What is it?” he barked.
“Boss, it’s Monkey. He’s dead.”
The man sat up. “What happened?”
“They said he was killed by a man with tree-like limbs.”
“Tiny.”
“Yes.”
The man rubbed his jaw. “It’s best this way. We would have gotten rid of Monkey sooner or later since he knew too much. What about Drake? Did Monkey take care of him?”
“Mr. Pierce is dead, but he was killed by Tiny.”
“Interesting.”
“What do you want me to do about him?”
“Leave Tiny alone for now, but keep an eye on him. We can always plant his DNA as evidence and make him the fall guy if we need to. After all, he murdered them both.”
“Will do, boss.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
The sun streaked into Zora’s room as she opened her eyes. She looked at the time. It was ten a.m., later than she had ever woken up. Maybe her body was trying to make up for the loss of sleep she had suffered recently from her hectic call schedule. All her synapses were firing better now. A much better state of mind to call Christina’s mom.
Zora had thought about what she would tell her, but she’d figured the truth was best despite her concerns on how the news would affect her heart. She would make the call in the afternoon. Christina’s mom spent her mornings in her garden—for tranquility, Christina had said. Her mom would need it today before receiving the news about Christina.
Zora pulled her phone from under her pillow and noticed she had a new voicemail. It was from Brian, telling her to call him back immediately. She would return the call but she needed her morning shot first.
Zora rose and ambled to the kitchen. This was the one ritual she allowed herself each morning—making her own fresh coffee. She lifted her bag of Ethopian Yergacheffe coffee beans from its corner of the kitchen countertop, measured out half a cup, ground it in her burr grinder, and poured the grounds into her beloved French press. The press had been a favorite of her father’s, and she had inherited it. Once her water had boiled and then cooled for a minute, Zora poured it into the French press and stirred the mixture vigorously. She let it steep it for about four minutes and then plunged the press. Perfect.
The aromatic blend of florals, tangerine, and toasted coconut filled the apartment as she poured the coffee into a mug. Zora inhaled deeply. The scent always had a calming effect on her before she began her day.
With her coffee in hand, Zora settled into the couch and dialed Brian’s number. “What’s up, Brian?”
“You seem to be enjoying this time off, sleeping late and all,” Brian’s voice drawled over the line.
Zora leaned back into the couch. It was good to hear his voice. Brian always had her back. It was an understatement to say that he made the residency program interesting. No one could keep up with his antics. And no one had ever managed to get under his skin. “Why do you think so?”
“I can hear it in your voice, silly.”
The corners of her mouth twitched, and Zora shook her head. Brian had it all wrong. “Did anything happen?” she asked. Brian wouldn’t be calling back unless he had important news for her.
“I just heard that Dr. Graham left this morning for an exchange program in London.”
Zora sat up. “Where did you hear this?”
“The news is all over the hospital. And guess what?”
“What?”
“He is Dr. Anderson’s nephew.”
Zora dropped her mug on the coffee table in front of her. “Unbelievable!”
“My dear, you better believe it. Hold on for a second.”
Zora heard some indistinct talking in the background.
Brian came back on the call. “Zora honey, let me call you back later, okay?” He disconnected the call.
Zora dropped her phone on the coffee table and studied the table intently for a moment.
Then she got up, walked over to her bedroom, picked up the black phone from the bedside table, and dialed Dave’s number. He answered on the second ring.
“Dave, it’s Zora. Have you heard that Dr. Graham left the country?”
“Yes, I just found out. I saw he wasn’t at home, so I came to the hospital to look for him, and that’s when I heard the news. I had him on the no-fly list so I wonder how he was able to leave the country.”
“Someone must have pulled some serious strings. It’s also possible he may have left using a private jet, since it’s easier to slip away through that option.” Zora paced her living room. “I also heard he’s the departmental chair’s nephew. And there’s no way Dr. Graham’ travel would have been authorized without his approval.”
“Okay, I’ll go and speak with Dr. Anderson. I’m still at the hospital.”
“I’m coming to meet you there.”
“No, I don’t think that’s a good idea. You should stay at home. I don’t want them thinking that you are related in any way to my investigation. That would draw more attention to you.”
Zora collapsed on the couch and let out a heavy sigh. The inactivity was killing her. “Okay.”
“I’ll call you back as soon as I’m done, alright?”
“That’s fine.” She disconnected the call.
With nothing else to do but wait, Zora decided to take a quick shower, after which she ate some cereal for breakfast. As she was wiping the dish to put it away, the black phone rang.
Zora scrambled to pick it up with her free hand. “Hey, Dave.”
“You were right. The director authorized Graham’s travel, but someone else made the request.”
Zora’s interest was piqued. “Who did?”
“Dr. Edwards.”
Her dish slipped from her hand and crashed to the floor.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
“Zora! Are you okay?” Dave exclaimed from the other end of the line. Zora could hear the sound of a chair crashing to the floor in the background.
She held the edge of the sink with unsteady hands and took a deep breath. “Yes, I’m okay. It was just a plate.”
“Are you sure you are alright?”
Zora took more deep breaths. “Yes, I’m fine. I just didn’t expect … Dr. Edwards is my mentor, the one I told you about.”
“The one you told about the missing patients.”
“Yes. Why would he go out of his way to request for Graham’s leave except …?”
“Except if he was involved in the case as well.”
The implications were terrifying. Zora couldn’t … didn’t want to believe it was true. The only way was if she heard it directly from the horse’s mouth. Zora nestled her phone between her shoulder and her neck and grabbed the broom and dustpan from a corner of the kitchen. “I’m coming to the hospital.”
“Zora, I don’t think—”
She dropped the broom on the floor next to the plate shards. “I’m on my way, Dave.” She ended the call with her free hand and slipped the phone into her inner jean pocket. Zora grabbed the broom and swept up the broken pieces. She dumped them in the garbage can and returned the broom and dustpan to their places.
Picking up her bag from her room, she hurried out of the apartment and down the stairs.
But she didn’t make it far before someone grabbed her from behind. The nasty smell of sweaty armpits threatened to choke her, and foul breath fanned her cheek. Zora didn’t bother to think. She head butted whoever was holding her, but it seemed he’d anticipated her move and swung h
is head away. Zora’s head only met empty air, and her eyes spun from the effort.
The man tightened his arm around her neck. Zora found it hard to breathe and she clawed against the chokehold. But the arms held her steady in an ironclad grip. It was almost like she was an ant trying to move a boulder.
But Zora refused to give up. She bit down hard on his right arm. He flinched and loosened his grip. It was enough for her to take a quick deep inhale as she drove her foot backwards to meet his groin. The man let go and grunted in pain. Zora took off and scrambled down the remaining stairs towards her building’s main entrance.
She swung the door open, the smell of freedom a few steps away. But a hand came out of nowhere and clamped a handkerchief reeking of chloroform over her nose. She fought to push the handkerchief away, but it was no use.
Her world dimmed and went black.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
Zora opened her eyes to see herself in an cavernous room that appeared to be part of a warehouse. Large drums with dark colored stains were piled in the right corner ahead of her. Her head pounded, and her eyes hurt from the light that streamed in through an open window. She tried to raise her hand to shield her eyes and realized she couldn’t move it. She looked down and saw that her body, hands, and feet were tied to a chair. Zora tried to shift the chair, but it appeared to be secured to a beam behind her.
“Welcome back, Zora.”
Zora turned to the sound of the voice. It was one she knew, had heard so many times, and was familiar with. Dr. Edwards loomed over her in a dark blue three-piece suit.
She shook her head to clear it. “Where am I?” she asked.
“It doesn’t matter,” he said.
Zora’s vision cleared. She could now see Dr. Edwards standing next to someone that looked a lot like the person that had bumped into her at the ER entrance, the guy called Thunder. He looked even more ferocious than before.
Zora gasped. She’d suspected as much when Dave told her that Dr. Edwards had asked for Graham’s vacation, but it was different to see it play out before her eyes. It had been him all along. Dr. Edwards, the very person she’d trusted. Her heart squeezed in pain, and Zora could have doubled over if that was possible.
Her heart raced. She needed to get out of here. No one knew where she was, except … She looked down at her neck.
“It’s gone,” Dr. Edwards said. “The pendant you wear around your neck? I threw it away. I’d heard about how it had saved your life before. And I couldn’t make the mistake of leaving it on you.”
Zora’s face tightened. The pendant had been a gift from her late father.“You had no right!” she said.
“No need to get all worked up about it. It’s not like you are going to need it ever again.”
Zora’s shoulders fell. Now no one truly knew where she was. She might just die here. But she wasn’t going to stop fighting for her life till her very last breath. She would keep him talking in the meantime while she waited for an opportunity to save herself.
A lump in the corner behind Dr. Edwards and Thunder moved slightly. What was that? The mass shifted again. Zora craned her neck to see, and then realized what she was looking at when she saw the distinct red hair matted around one end of the lump.
“Christina!” Zora cried. She tried to get up, but the ropes held her back.
Dr. Edwards chuckled. “Don’t worry. She’s not dead. Yet. I thought it might be best if you died together, best friends and all.” Dr. Edwards walked a few steps toward Zora and stopped. His lanky frame blocked any further view of Christina.
Zora’s nostrils flared. “How could you? What have you done to her?” she snapped.
Dr. Edwards snickered, a laugh that grated on Zora’s nerves. “You’ve heard the phrase, curiosity kills the cat?” His face morphed into one of anger. “She should have stayed out of our business!”
Zora leaned away as if struck. This was a side of him that she had never seen. The man behind the friendly mask.
He stooped to Zora’s eye level. “Zora,” his voice was now back at a normal octave, “I think you should worry about yourself.” He repeatedly jabbed his finger at her. “You couldn’t let sleeping dogs lie, could you? Even after I advised you not to report it.”
“But how …? How could you be involved in something like this?”
“How could I not, when there was a lot of money to be made? You would never understand. You with your rich mother and your easy life.”
“That’s not an excuse.” Zora was blessed to have come from a wealthy home, but there were many other doctors who didn’t have much, yet they’d never done something as vile as this.
“Excuse? Who said anything about an excuse?” Dr. Edwards stood back up and began to pace. Zora cast a quick glance around the room to see if there was anything that could be used as a weapon if she ever managed to get herself untied. There was nothing. Her heart sank further.
She turned back to Dr. Edwards. He’d stopped pacing and pushed his oval glasses further up his nose. Zora noticed that Thunder watched his every move in silence. “I’ve had to work hard for everything. EVERYTHING! They tell you how surgeons are supposed to be rich, but nobody ever talks about how that is only true if you don’t have any other debts to pay off. Most of us have massive student loans to deal with, and those loans never went away for me no matter how much I kept paying it off.”
“But in a few years, you would have cleared your debts. You are a brilliant surgeon, and you are in high demand even as a speaker at some of the other medical schools. You could have also gone into private practice if you chose.”
Dr. Edwards started pacing again. “Have you forgotten that it takes a lot of money to open up a practice of your own? Where would that money have come from? I was drowning in debt so I couldn’t qualify for more loans, and on top of that I had a mortgage and a family to take care of. And a few years? That was the one thing I didn’t have. My wife was threatening to leave me—I couldn’t even make it up to her for never being home from all the long hours we have to put in! Things looked hopeless until these gentlemen came along with a proposal.” Dr. Edwards waved his hand to indicate Thunder. “They would make my debts disappear, and I could become a rich man. And all I had to do was use my skills.”
“But what about the Hippocratic Oath? The oath you swore to do no harm.”
Dr. Edwards stopped walking and stared at her like she’d gone mad. “But I wasn’t doing any harm. I was actually giving the patients a better chance to live. You saw how they looked when they arrived at the ER.” Zora remembered how sick John Doe and Jasmine had been. “I was only involved in the cleanup. That’s all we doctors ever did.” By this time, Thunder had moved to Dr. Edwards’ side. Zora could smell his unwashed body from where he stood. She struggled not to retch.
She forced herself to take a deep breath. After a moment, her stomach calmed. “But what about the other doctors? Graham? How could they be involved in something like this?”
“They all had needs, and these guys took care of them. You have no idea what it means to worry about money all the time and then have that burden removed. Technically, they did nothing wrong. We never harmed anyone and only cleaned up after the mess.”
“So who did the resections?”
Dr. Edwards’ mouth thinned into a tight line. He said nothing. Thunder glared at Zora.
Zora had to keep him talking. She tried another question. “What about the anesthesiologist and the scrub nurses? They weren’t from Lexinbridge Regional. And who were those patients?”
Thunder whispered something in Dr. Edwards’ ear. Zora couldn’t hear what he said.
“It doesn’t matter,” she heard Dr. Edwards say to Thunder. She is going to die anyway.”
Zora’s heart caught in her throat. She couldn’t die now. Her heart beat faster. Maybe she should have stayed home like Dave had advised. But then she may never have seen Christina again. And she needed to save her.
But what if she never saw Dave again? Sh
e’d been fighting her feelings with everything that had been going on, but the attraction had increased instead of waning. She needed to know if he felt the same way. And maybe she could take a chance with him despite how terrible her schedule was. She also hadn’t found her sister yet. “Please God, help me,” she whispered.
Dr. Edwards chuckled. “Prayer isn’t going to help you, my dear.” He stuffed his hands into his pant pockets. “You don’t need to worry your pretty head about the operating team. The patients, on the other hand, made a choice. Including John Doe and Jasmine.”
“So he really existed!”
“Yes, I chose to deny his existence since it was for your own good. The less you knew, the better off you were.”
“I don’t agree.”
Dr. Edwards ignored her response. “Like I was saying, each of these patients desperately wanted a green card so they signed a marriage contract—Thunder and his guys would find a US citizen for them to marry to be able to stay permanently in the country, in exchange for a kidney. They would pretend to live together since the marriage was strictly contractual and would divorce once they got the green card. Unfortunately, it was at their own risk, but it was a choice they made.”
“But Jasmine was so young. There’s no way she would have made that choice.”
“She came here illegally with her parents, who I heard died later in an accident. They still owed a lot of money to the people who brought them over, and she needed a green card as well. A pity she was pretty, so she had to pay off her family’s debt. I heard she tried to run away and so ended up dead.”
Zora was sick with revulsion. This time she couldn’t hold back the vomit and it splattered on her jeans and ran down her leg. Some spittle hung from the corner of her mouth, but she couldn’t wipe it off. “How can you live with yourself?”
“Look, they made their choices. If I wasn’t there to help, they would have died faster.”
Thunder whispered in Dr. Edwards’ ear. Dr. Edwards nodded.