by A H Alhaila
“You have a point”, said Samuel. “I think after what happened Detective Frankie will show up. Go to the morgue while I continue this meeting.”
“Alright.”, said Steven.
“I hope you can find the bodies or any evidence leading to them before their families find out.”, added Samuel.
“I’ll do what I can.”, said Steven. “Can I talk to you in private?”, he added.
“Sure.”, said Samuel.
Seeing them coming out of the meeting room, Joanna hid and then followed them as they moved towards the end of the corridor. Steven, trying to lure information out of him, said “My colleagues who were murdered were investigating “banned” cases! It seems like whenever a “banned” case is investigated, another new “banned” case comes up! It was like when I started investigating one of those cases and my wife ended up being killed. Now, Frankie investigated one of those cases and his fiancée and her mother. Why don’t we close this case like we did the rest after knowing that investigating them brings harm to our loved ones?”
“I know that we’ve classified some cases as “banned” and closed them because investigating them may bring harm to the investigator. But the murderer who killed those close to the detectives is in our grasp. We know what he looks like. Now your suggesting that we should let this go? What the innocent blood of our friends and the relatives? Should we leave it go to waste?!”, replied Samuel.
“You knew this was one of those uninvestigable, “banned” cases. How did Frankie investigate it?”, said Steven.
The conversation got tense when Samuel said, “Do you think I’m nuts? I gave him because I trusted his intelligence. I was sure that he wouldn’t disappoint me. And he didn’t. He brought the killer to the police station! I didn’t just randomly give it to Frankie! Now, tell me. Are you going to investigate this case, or you will back down from it?”
Steven started thinking deeply. He thought of his daughter. Will it be her die next if he were to investigate the case? Samuel tried convincing him, saying, “Look Steven. You saw your wife’s murderer yesterday! Are you just going to let him get away with it that easy? After getting him, we’ll be able to re-open all the “banned” cases and investigate them without fear or hesitation. Have you thought of that? What do you say?”
“I only wanted to help. But since were close to catching him … Fine. I’m going to the morgue.”, said Steven.
Samuel felt happy and said, “This is the Steven I know!”
The conversation ended at that and Joanna quickly and went into the bathroom to hide. Once she felt it was ok, she left the bathroom and took another way to the door where she found her father.
“Come on. We’re leaving now.”, said Steven.
“Okay.”, said Joanna.
Chapter Four
Blood-Stained …
They walked out of the police station and got in their car. On the way Joanna asked, “Where are we going?”
“We’re going to the morgue.”, said Steven.
“Why?”, asked Joanna.
He told her what had happened but without giving too much details. Even-though already knew it all, she asked, “Is that it?”
He had the feeling that she somehow knew more. “What do you mean?”, he asked.
“The banned cases?”, asked Joanna.
He was then sure that she had overheard his conversation with Samuel. He started asking himself “Is she going to say that my stubbornness killed my wife? Or is she going to say that I want to get rid of her too for an investigation?”
“Well …”, said Steven.
“Was the assassination of the president a banned case too?”, said Joanna, interrupting her father before he could continue.
Steven was amazed! She was not asking the questions he had expected her to ask! He said, “Yes, it is. Why did you ask that question?”
She looked at her father in a way that made him know she didn’t want to answer. “Were these banned cases committed by a gang or individuals?”, asked Joanna.
“So far, that’s all we know”, replied Steven. “We believe that the criminal who escaped the station was the mastermind and that he’s the one who murdered your mother. He made us stop investigating the case because he killed the investigators’ relatives.”
Silence filled the car. Steven saw his daughter staring out the window. He felt that her emotions were frozen after what had happened to her as a child. That’s probably why she did not shed a tear for her mother when she died. But now, she’s close to the person who she will unleash her wrath upon.
“Dad, if we catch him, let’s just kill him ourselves!”, said Joanna.
Steven expected to hear such anger filled words. “I don’t think you’ll get the chance to avenge your mother because I’m going to kill him as soon as I lay eyes on him.”, replied Steven.
Joanna felt a sense of relief and then asked a question that popped into her head. “If the killer murders detectives’ relatives, why did he kill your friends, the detectives, and not their relatives?
Steven answered, “After the assassination of the president, my colleagues started investigations. After that, whoever took on the case was murdered. And whoever took on their murder cases had his relatives murdered. And so on and so forth. We believe that the murderer doesn’t want to kill detectives after he killed my colleagues because he wants to taunt us. That’s why he doesn’t want to get rid of us.” and, therefore, doesn’t want to get rid of us.”
“So weird.”, said Joanna.
They arrived at the morgue and got out of the car. The head diener was outside. When he saw Steven and his daughter approaching, he said, “Who are you?”
Steven showed him his detective badge that Samuel had given him yesterday and said, “I’m Detective Steven, and this is my assistant Joanna. We’ve come to investigate the theft of two bodies from the here.”
Steven’s style in introducing himself was so convincing, the head denier to completely trust him and did not even ask for Joanna’s identification, “Welcome. I am Dr. Jackson. This way.”, said the Doctor.
They followed Dr. Jackson until they arrived at the refrigerator room. “As you can see, the refrigerators of both victims are open. The room’s door is also broken, and so is the back door of the morgue.”
Steven began walking around and was followed by Dr. Jackson. He went to the back door to check it and went outside, searching for car tracks or anything that might have fallen from the criminal, but without luck!
“What about the surveillance cameras?”, Steven asked Dr. Jackson.
Dr. Jackson inappropriately joking said, “There are no surveillance cameras in the here. It’s a morgue, not a bank.”
Steven, who wasn’t amused, said, “Don’t you think that organs might be worth a lot of money? Aren’t you at least concerned about your personal belongings here? You might even be accused of organ trafficking?”
Feeling the seriousness of the matter, Dr. Jackson said “I didn’t mean that. I’m very sorry.”
“I’m filing a report about the necessity of installing security cameras here. Two bodies have been stolen, and it seems to me that organ trafficking was the reason.”, said Steven.
“Do those who sell organs sell the body as a whole?”, asked Dr. Jackson.
Joanna felt that Dr. Jackson was right and that her dad was overthinking it.
“Maybe organs are being sold here! The buyer comes in and makes a deal. Only this time, the buyer got greedy and took two bodies at gunpoint, putting the seller in a dire situation. This probably made the seller have to fake the break in; breaking the back door and the refrigerator room’s door as well”, said Steven.
“Oh God! Are you accusing me?”, replied Dr. Jackson.
“What are you doing?”, Joanna whispered. “You’re making things up without evidence!”
“Watch and learn.”, said Steven.
“I want information on the last three bodies that left the morgue ready for burial.”, said Steve
n.
“Why? Okay! Okay!”, answering in a startled voice.
The doctor took out the files and handed them to Steven. “Here you go.”, he said.
Steven took the files and ordered Joanna to keep an eye on Dr. Jackson. After moving away so as to not be heard, Steven called Samuel. “You’d better have some good news!”, said Samuel.
“First I’m going to ask for something crazy. Then I’ll give you the good news.”, said Steven.
Samuel said, “I’m use to your crazy requests.”, said Samuel. “What is it this time?”, he asked.
“I asked for the files of the last three bodies that left the morgue ready to be buried.”, said Steven. “What I want is to dig up those bodies, if they are buried. Hurry up though. By any luck the bodies may not be buried yet!”
“Hold on! Are you hearing what you’re saying?”, said Samuel.
“Do you know who stole the bodies?”, replied Steven.
“We already know that it was the killer who escaped!”, said Samuel.
“It was Frankie who took them! Shocked yet?”, replied Steven.
Samuel became silent in shock. “Are you still there?”, said Steven.
“I’m starting to lose it!”, said Samuel.
Steven said, “Based on what the head denier said and based on my trust in Frankie, I’ve come up with this conclusion.”
“Make it short!”, said Samuel.
Steven then said, “When I asked Dr. Jackson why there were no surveillance cameras in the morgue, he mockingly replied that it wasn’t a bank! I suspect that organ trafficking has been happening here! The murderer has killed a lot of people, but he never stole their bodies. Perhaps the doctor is also taking advantage of the bodies. He may have been working for him. We would have caught on to him had the murderer stolen the bodies. This would have been bad for business. Somehow, Frankie found out before us. Probably when he was questioning his fiancée and her mother’s killer before taking his life. He left to take the bodies quick before they could be abused in any way. By taking those bodies, Frankie gave me an indirect hint confirming the killer’s connection to organ trafficking!
Samuel delightedly said, “I miss your investigations! Send me the files of the bodies so we can let them now, and so we can let them in on what we will be doing. After their consent, I’ll let you know and I hope to God your right … I’m sending someone to take Dr. Jackson in for questioning.”
Steven replied, “Okay. After that, I’m going ho…”
Steven was then interrupted by a gunshot coming from the room where Joanna and the doctor were. Steven couldn’t breathe fearing for his daughter’s life. He dropped the phone with Samuel still on the line. Taking his gun out of the harness, he ran frantically towards the room, fighting his fears in his head. He barged into the room holding his gun only to find Dr. Jackson dead, and his daughter lying on the ground covered in blood. He fell on his knees and quickly carried her to the hospital, repeating “Please answer me!”
As he was carrying her, he slipped on her blood covering the floor and fell to his side. His shirt became stained with his daughter’s blood. Still holding on to her, he stood back up and left the morgue. He placed her in the car and drove hastily towards the hospital, keeping his hand on the wound the whole time. He again carried his daughter and entered the emergency room where the paramedics quickly ran towards them taking her to the operating room. Steven followed his daughter, but they asked him to wait outside. His nerves were wrecked as he waited for news on her condition. He placed his head against the wall and hitting it with regret for ever investigating again, putting his daughter’s life at risk, just like her mother. He started remembering his wife in the dream as she said, “Keep her safe”.
“How could you do that to her? How?”, Steven thought to himself.
The surgeon came out just fifteen minutes later and saw Steven with his head against the wall. “Excuse me sir”, said the surgeon. “Are you with the young woman who was shot?”
Steven turned to him with a frightened look said, “Tell me how she is doing doctor?”.
The doctor smiled and put his hand on Steven’s shoulder and said, “Don’t worry. Your daughter is strong! She’s lost a lot of blood, but we’re currently compensating the blood lost. Fortunately, her vital organs haven’t been damaged. She can leave the hospital tomorrow and she will even be able to run within ten days. Don’t worry.”
Steven sighed with relief and said, “Thank God. Can I see her now?”
“Not at the moment.”, replied the surgeon. “You’ll have to wait another forty minutes.”
“Okay.”, said Steven.
“Go wash the blood off of you and relax in the waiting room. I’ll call you after the other surgeon’s finished operating. Now, excuse me. I have to get back to the surgery room.”, said the doctor.
“What’s your name?”, asked Steven.
“John.”, replied the doctor.
“I’m Steven. I’m thankful that my daughter is in trustworthy hands.”, said Steven.
“Thanks. It’s our job.”, replied John.
“I’ll go and wash up and let you get back to work.”, said Steven.
“Okay. See you in a few.”, said John
Steven headed to the bathroom and turned on the faucet. He placed his head under the running water, watching the water going down the drain, washing away his daughter’s blood that was getting lighter and lighter until the it completely disappeared. He lifted his head and washed his face, wiping it with napkins. Steven then left the bathroom and sat in the waiting room thinking about all he has been through and about what he was going to tell his daughter. Forty-four minutes flew by when Dr. John came in saying, “Are you ready, Steven?”
Steven stood up and quickly said, “Yes of course.”
“Follow me, please.”, said John.
They went to the room where Joanna was. When they arrived, Steven entered first and ran up to her, overcome with emotions as soon as he saw her. “She’s heavily sedated but she should wake up in a little bit.”
“Thank you.”, said Steven.
“You’re welcome. Just doing my job.”, said John.
Dr. John left decided to give them some privacy. Steven kept looking at her face. Samuel suddenly walked in. Seeing them, he knew what had happened. “Is she okay?”, asked Samuel.
“Yeah, she’s fine.”, said Steven.
“Why did you take her with you?”, asked Samuel”
“I was afraid of leaving her after being threatened by the killer.”, said Steven.
“Why didn’t you leave her in the police station?”, asked Samuel.
“The killer escaped the police station with police officers present. I was afraid that he would sneak in without anyone noticing.”
“I chose to go with dad.”, said Joanna interrupting their conversation.
Her father’s face turned towards her and said, “Honey! … I’m so sorry. I’m backing down the case, so I don’t risk putting you in danger.”
“What do you mean ‘backing down?’”, said Samuel
“I’m backing down from the investigation.”, said Steven.
In an attempt to persuade him, Samuel said, “The victim’s relatives gave us consent to check the bodies for stolen organs. Fortunately, they haven’t been buried yet. Or do you no longer care?”.
Steven was silent for a few moments and said, “I’ve sacrificed a lot. Someone else to sacrifice too to catch the murderer!”
Samuel understood what Steven meant. There were some cowardly detectives who were afraid of investigating the banned cases. “You’re right about that. You have sacrificed a lot.”, said Samuel. “I just wish the other brave detectives had your genius mind! That what we really need for this investigation.”
“You have Frankie. He can bring it home.”, said Steven.
“Frankie completely disappeared and we can’t reach him!”, said Samuel. “If he was the one who stole the bodies, why didn’t he bring them to be buried?
”
“You have a point.”, said Steven. He continued, “It’s like a challenge between Frankie and the killer you know? There is no doubt that Frankie took those bodies. If our organ trafficking suspicions are true, it would prove that Frankie knew about the murderer’s plans. Dr. Jackson’s suicide confirms that we were right about him being the one selling to the organs to the killer!”
Joanna raised her hand interrupting their conversation. Her father turned towards her and said, “What is it sweetie?”
“Dr. Jackson didn’t commit suicide.”, said Joanna “He was killed!”
Shocked by what she said, Steven and Samuel’s thoughts were distorted. “How can that be?”, said Steven. “The gun was beside him?”
“How was he killed?”, said Samuel in confusion.
Joanna answered, “A masked person broke into the room, He shot me first then shot Dr. Jackson.”, she said. “After that, I turned around and saw him put the gun in Dr. Jackson’s hand. Then I lost consciousness.”
They were both shocked by what she was saying. Samuel turned to Steven and said “So, Dr. Jackson didn’t shoot your daughter, nor did he commit suicide. Guess that throws the organ trafficking suspicion out of the window. It also means that Frankie didn’t steal those bodies to prevent their organs from being sold. Why did he steal them then? Did he lose his mind and decided to bury them himself? If what you’re saying about the challenge between them is true, I guess the killer stole them to crush Frankie”.
Steven sighed and said, “We have to clear this up. Digging up the bodies and checking for signs of organ theft will do just that!”
“I’ll contact them now.”, said Samuel.
Samuel went out to call the person he put in charge of digging up the bodies while Steven remained in the room with his daughter, shocked with what was happening. He said, “Without Frankie contacting us, we will never know exactly what’s happening. Damn it!”
“Don’t worry. We’ll find out soon enough.”, said Joanna.
“The murder of Dr. Jackson leaves a missing link in this investigation. It rules out organ trafficking.”, said Steven. He continued, “Did the criminal kill him to hide the evidence? This is really confusing. God Damn it.”