The Body Thief

by Chris Taylor

  The phone at her elbow rang and both of them jumped. Sam pulled away from him and reached over to answer it. Rohan moved to lean against the door.

  “Hi, Richard, thanks for calling me back,” he heard her say. She listened to what was being said on the other end of the phone and then replied.

  “Yes, that’s right. The autopsy reports on the donor bodies.” Once again, she fell silent and listened and then responded again.

  “Yes, he’s here now. Okay, I’ll get them printed out. Thanks, Richard. I’ll see you tomorrow.” She hung up the phone and looked at Rohan.

  “Richard’s given me the go ahead.” She dragged her keyboard toward her. “It shouldn’t take me long. Do you have a list of names? It will be easier to search that way.”

  “Yes.” Rohan pushed away from the door and handed her the folded sheets of paper he took from his pocket. Sam glanced at them and then began typing. A few moments later, she frowned.

  “That’s funny,” she murmured and then began typing again. Her frown deepened. “This is really weird.”

  Rohan moved closer and stood behind her, leaning over her shoulder. He peered at the screen. “What is it?”

  “I’ve tried the first three names on your list and I keep coming up with a message that tells me the file doesn’t exist. It doesn’t make sense. Of course it exists! A file is created within the hour of a body being received. We have very strict procedures. With so many cadavers coming through here each day, it’s important a record is created for each one as soon as possible.”

  She turned in her seat to face him. “Are you sure your list is correct?”

  “I’m certain. The names were taken directly from the files I received from the Sydney Harbour Hospital.”

  Samantha’s brow creased again. “I don’t get it. How could the database not have their records?” She shook her head. “I’ll try Natalie Piccoli. I know for sure her name’s in here. I was the one who entered it.”

  Turning back to face the screen, she typed in the woman’s name. Peering over her shoulder, Rohan saw she came up with the same result. The name wasn’t known to the database.

  A sense of foreboding slid through Rohan’s veins and his jaw tightened. From the fear and confusion that now clouded Samantha’s eyes, he could tell that she felt it, too. Something was very, very wrong.

  * * *

  Richard swung into the driveway of his comfortable bachelor pad. Small and compact, but boasting sensational water views, it was the place he called home. With the extra money he received from Alistair, he might even upgrade to something bigger. That is, if he could keep his gambling under control and if the money kept pouring in.

  After climbing out of his tidy Active 5 Hybrid BMW, he leaned back in through the open door and retrieved his phone from the car kit. He thought of the call he’d taken from Sam and couldn’t help but smile. It was lucky Alistair had thought of deleting those records or they’d both be in all sorts of strife. Now, he didn’t have a thing to worry about.

  Sam would no doubt be confused about the missing computer files, but she’d never suspect foul play. Like Alistair had suggested, Richard had made sure he deleted a lot more files than those that mattered. With computer viruses and Trojans and God knows what else attacking C-drives every day, it should be easy enough to blame an anonymous hacker for wreaking havoc over their system.

  A satisfied grin stretched his lips wide. Yes, all in all, it had been a productive day and one that he’d make sure Alistair compensated him for, over and above his usual cut. It was only fair, after all.

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  Sam stared up at Rohan and her heart thumped double time. Her mouth was so dry, she could hardly swallow, let alone talk. Time after time, she’d entered names into the Glebe Morgue database and each time it had come up empty.

  The records she searched for had disappeared.

  She didn’t want to jump to wild conclusions, but dread settled heavily in her stomach. With every name she’d entered that yielded the same result, her apprehension increased. She could see the suspicion on Rohan’s face.

  “Where are they?” His quiet words spoke volumes, as much as his grim expression. His jaw was clenched. Tension filled the air. Sam wanted to turn back to her keyboard and keep searching, but she knew it would do no good. The records had simply vanished. She didn’t even want to think about how or why.

  She cleared her throat and answered him. “I… I don’t know. I can’t find them.”

  “What do you mean, you can’t find them? You just finished telling me about the strict procedures you have in place to ensure accurate record keeping. They must be in there somewhere.”

  With increasing dread, she shook her head. “They’ve gone. They must have been deleted. I’m not sure how it could have happened, but it has. The records aren’t there.”

  Rohan stared at her with narrowed eyes. “That’s convenient. Are there any others missing, or just the ones I need?”

  His voice was full of accusation and her heart filled with dread. Fear clutched at her insides. “Surely you don’t think I had anything to do with it?”

  His gaze remained hard. “You tell me. I called two days ago to request the information. You had plenty of time to erase evidence.”

  She shook her head with increasing force. “You’re kidding me, right? You think I had something to do with this? That I’d impede a criminal investigation? You must be insane!”

  He stared at her in silence for a long moment and then his body slumped on a heavy sigh. “Christ, Samantha. Don’t look at me like that! What am I supposed to think? I asked you for information. You told me you’ve been too busy to deal with it. When I turn up here looking for it, it’s suddenly gone!”

  He threw his arms up in the air, his voice taut with frustration. Sam did her best to hold on to her temper. With a deep breath, she looked him squarely in the eye.

  “I had nothing to do with making those files disappear. I don’t know how you expect me to prove it to you. As far as I’m concerned, I shouldn’t need to prove it to you at all. Surely, after all we’ve been through, you’ve learned you can trust my word.”

  His gaze held hers, intense with conflicting emotions. Eventually, he looked away and blew out another sigh.

  “I believe you, okay? Given that your brother seems to have a lot to do with my investigation, there would be plenty who wouldn’t—but they don’t know you like I do. You’re good and honorable and trustworthy. If you say you didn’t have anything to do with this, I believe you.”

  Once again, his gaze met hers and she could see he was telling the truth. A little of the tension eased from her shoulders.

  “What about the hard copies you told me are normally in the files? You said something about a backlog of filing.”

  “Yes, of course, I’ll go and check the box right now. Even if I can’t find them, I’m sure everything gets backed up to another server. The only problem right now is that I don’t have access to it.”

  “Let’s check the filing and see what that turns up. Then we’ll have another think about it.”

  “I’m sure they’ll be there.” She made the statement as confidently as she could manage, but couldn’t help the doubt that flowed through her veins. Hoping for both their sakes that the paper reports hadn’t disappeared, she sighed when he pulled her upright and into his arms. Planting a kiss on her mouth, he squeezed her tightly before quickly releasing her, as if he sensed they were on unsteady ground.

  “Do you need help?” he asked quietly. “If not, I’ll wait for you here.”

  * * *

  Rohan came awake with a start, for a moment, disorientated. Unfamiliar striped curtains were drawn against a wide bay window, blocking out most of the morning sunlight. The room was tastefully furnished with matching white wooden furniture. Even the soft pillows and other decorative things matched. It looked like something out of a home decorator’s magazine.

  He turned to gaze at the woman who lay beside him,
her eyes still closed. Even in sleep, she was beautiful. He couldn’t believe that, despite all the time he’d spent around her while he’d been dating Daphne, he hadn’t once noticed how extraordinary she was.

  Despite the initial consternation over the vanishing files the previous afternoon, to his relief, Samantha had managed to locate the paper files and had provided him with copies. It had been a mutual decision to spend the evening together and they’d found plenty to keep them occupied. Exploring each other until there wasn’t an inch of skin on her body that Rohan hadn’t tasted, she’d been almost as thorough with him. Afterwards, they’d shared a bottle of wine out on her balcony and enjoyed the balmy spring night, listening to the hum of the traffic and the occasional croak of a frog.

  They’d talked some more about their families and he learned she had two older sisters who were identical twins. Ava and Jessie Wolfe were a year older than Samantha and were both professionals who appeared to be making an impact in their chosen careers. Along with their oldest brother, there was no doubt they were a family of high achievers. Rohan couldn’t help but be impressed, particularly knowing they’d grown up without a father. Samantha’s mother must be a remarkable woman. He couldn’t wait to meet her.

  Easing out of bed, so as not to wake Samantha, he padded into the bathroom and showered and dressed. Heading into the living room, he found his briefcase and tugged out the pile of papers she’d given him the day before. Taking a seat at the modest kitchen table, he began to scan the autopsy reports, making notes as he went.

  The corresponding consent forms were back at the station and without them, it wasn’t possible to form an accurate picture, but the more he read, the more he was convinced something untoward was happening. He couldn’t remember seeing any consent form that allowed the doctors to remove anything beyond the usual, yet there were several autopsy reports that documented nearly every useable organ and considerable amounts of tissue had been removed.

  Most of the reports had been prepared by Richard Davis. A handful of them had been prepared by other pathologists. Only a few of the earlier reports had been prepared by Samantha.

  In order to speed the process when he returned to his office, Rohan put the reports in alphabetical order by surname and then placed them in his briefcase. He’d just stood, with the intention of setting about making coffee, when he spied Samantha standing in the doorway.

  “Good morning,” he said with a smile, loving her sexy I-just-climbed-out-of-bed look.

  She pushed the hair out of her eyes and smiled back at him. “Why are you up so early? It’s not even seven.”

  “I woke up and couldn’t get back to sleep. I didn’t want to wake you, so I came out here.”

  Her gaze dropped to his briefcase where it still sat open on the table. “You were working.”

  “Yes.” He saw the questions in her eyes, but headed her off. Until he knew for sure, he wasn’t prepared to speculate any further. “I was just about to make coffee. Would you like some?”

  “Thanks, it sounds great. Do you know how to start the machine?”

  He glanced over at the espresso machine that sat on her counter near the sink. “I’m sure I can figure it out. I’m pretty handy that way.”

  “Oh, yes, you’re handy all right. I’ll vouch for that.”

  Her provocative smile reached all the way to her beautiful brown eyes and he felt its impact deep in his gut. Before he could respond, she turned away. Her short robe lifted and he caught a glimpse of naked skin. Instantly hard, he ditched the coffee and followed her down the hall. She glanced at him over her shoulder, batted her eyelashes and continued to saunter toward the bedroom. Lust and anticipation heated his blood.

  He caught her just inside the door and drew her up against him. Spreading the front of her robe wide open, he palmed her breasts, loving the feel of them in his hands. He rubbed his thumbs across her nipples and was gratified with her gasp of need. His cock throbbed.

  They’d spent hours the evening before learning each other’s bodies, but one look at the invitation in her eyes and Rohan couldn’t get enough. Sliding his hands beneath the short robe, he cupped her naked bottom and pressed her against his cock. She threaded her arms around his neck and pressed her lips to his.

  She kissed him with a passion that sent his blood pulsing through his veins and left him craving far more. His hands moved over her naked skin, her back, her bottom; her hips. She moved against him, urging him on, and all the while her sweet mouth tortured his.

  Unable to bear the torment a moment longer, he bent and swung her up into his arms and cradled her against his chest. Striding to the bed, he lowered her to the mattress and followed her down. She shrugged off her robe and reached for his shirt.

  “You have way too many clothes on, Detective.”

  He murmured his agreement against her lips, content to let her undress him. To his relief, she made short work of removing his clothing and soon they were once again skin to skin. Almost simultaneously, they sighed in satisfaction.

  “Mm, that feels so good,” she purred.

  “I could get used to this.”

  She looked up at him a little uncertainly. “Really?”

  He kissed her soundly on the lips. “Really. I like you, Samantha. I like you a lot. I’d like to spend a lot more time with you. I want to know everything about you. What do you think?”

  She lowered her lashes and hid her gaze from his. He felt a momentary alarm until she looked back up at him and smiled. “I think that’s a great idea. I… I like you, too.”

  Relief surged through him and he tightened his arms around her. “I’m glad. I think we’ve found something very special. I’d like to give us time to find out.”

  She stared at him, her eyes huge and serious in her face. “I’d like that, too.”

  He bent his head and captured her lips and kissed her with every emotion that burned way down deep inside. She moved beneath him, holding his head in place and kissing him back. Hard and hot and ready, his cock pressed insistently against her belly. Tearing his mouth away from hers, he kissed his way to her breasts and then suckled one of her nipples.

  She groaned and her hips came off the mattress, silently urging him on. Sheathing himself with a condom from her newly purchased supply, he positioned himself between her legs. His cock probed her slick entrance and without hesitation, plunged inside. Her arms tightened around his shoulders and she moved underneath him in a rhythm that drove them both toward the crest.

  “Rohan!” she gasped a little while later and her inner muscles tightened around his cock, flooding him with heat. A moment later, he reached his own climax and came with a triumphant shout. When he was able to move again, he shifted his weight and lay down beside her, trying to slow his breathing.

  “I’d have thought, after all the loving last night, you’d be keeping your distance,” he teased.

  She turned her head and looked at him. “Are you complaining?”

  “Hell, no. You can love me any time you want.”

  Snuggling up against his chest, she breathed in deeply and then exhaled on a quiet sigh. A moment later, she gasped.

  “Oh, my goodness! Is that the time? I’m going to be late for work!” With that, she bolted upright and dashed, naked, to the shower. Rohan chuckled and slowly climbed out of bed. He threw his clothes on for the second time and headed to the kitchen to prepare the promised coffee.

  * * *

  Hours later at his desk in the squad room, Rohan stacked his hands behind his head and blew out his breath on a heavy sigh. He’d been over the reports at least three times. The evidence was there for all to see.

  No matter how he looked at it, one thing was certain: Between June and August thirty-one people had organs and tissue illegally removed—and those were only the ones they knew about. Short of exhumation, there was no way of determining how many others there were. The only records available for comparison were for those people who’d required an autopsy and were processed at th
e Glebe Morgue.

  Rohan thought about the other fifty-seven patients who’d died over winter who had undergone organ removal at the Sydney Harbour Hospital before being sent directly to the funeral homes. He couldn’t help but wonder how many of them had also suffered illegal organ and tissue removal. It angered him to concede that it was impossible to know. Even if the police went so far as to obtain exhumation orders from the court, that could only confirm suspicions in the ones who’d been buried. The cremated victims were lost to them forever.

  One name kept coming up over and over again: Doctor Alistair Wolfe. In every single instance where the consent didn’t match the actual organ removal, or there simply wasn’t a consent form on file, Doctor Wolfe had led the surgical removal team and had signed off on the death certificate. Rohan derived no satisfaction when his suspicions were confirmed.

  Now, he looked across at Bryce, whose expression was just as grim. “What have you found?” Rohan asked, dreading the answer.

  “Doctor Alistair Wolfe’s name dominates the list of organ retrievals. He’s the only consistent staff member across the ninety-three cases. He has to be the one. There’s no other explanation.”

  Rohan’s gut tensed. Knowing Bryce shared his suspicions didn’t make things any easier. If only their prime suspect wasn’t related to the woman he cared for most. Why the hell did life have to be so complicated, throw so many curve balls? Reluctant to dump Samantha’s brother firmly in the spotlight just yet, Rohan hedged his answer.

  “It certainly appears that way, but we need hard evidence. All we have right now is proof that he was present during all of the suspicious retrievals. It doesn’t prove that he was the one who removed the organs without consent. For all we know, he might have operated within the terms of the consent and then left the room. Anything could have happened after that.”