Faceless (Sinister Secrets Book 2), page 16
“Maybe I need to take you with me. You’ll know what to look for.”
House shopping where she didn’t have the stress of making the decision. Sounded almost perfect. “You tell me when and I’ll be there.”
“Well, I’m not even sure I’m going to do that so don’t go clearing your calendar yet.” He tapped a file on his desk. “First, we have three missing persons to bring home.”
Right. “Did you hear anything on that body that was found?”
Dak shook his head. “Still waiting. If I haven’t heard anything in a few hours, I’ll follow up on it, but I want to give them a little time.”
“It doesn’t take long to run prints.” She settled at her desk and booted up her computer.
“You’re assuming the prints are viable. We might end up waiting on dental records.”
Ugh. That could take weeks.
“We’ll meet for a recap at nine.” Dak waited for her nod before turning back to his own computer.
Nine. That gave her about forty-five minutes to gather information and organize her thoughts.
Hopefully, between everyone in the group, they’d have enough information to generate a solid lead.
₪ ₪ ₪
About time for the team briefing.
Dak gathered the files for each of their missing persons as his cell phone rang.
“Agent Lakes, Percy from the Coroner’s office. The prints were a little dicey, but we managed to get an ID on that body we brought in last night.”
Thank you, God. This call could change the whole course of their upcoming meeting. “Thanks for calling me.”
“Well, you may want to hold off on thanking me. The vic isn’t Jason Boggess.”
Which was both good and bad.
Good, because it meant that they might still have a shot at saving Boggess’ life.
Bad, because it meant that the body couldn’t tell them anything about the abductions.
“Well, I appreciate the heads-up. Who is it?”
The name Percy gave him meant nothing to him, but he jotted it down anyway. While it was highly unlikely the body had any connection to his case, he’d learned to never make assumptions.
He ended the call to find Kevyn watching him.
“Was that the coroner?” In spite of her careful enunciation, her accent made the word sound more like corner than coroner.
“Yes. The body isn’t Jason Boggess or Wes Andrews.”
“So it’s a dead end.” She winced. “Crikey. Bad choice of words.”
A laugh rumbled up in spite of himself. “Let’s catch up with the team.”
He’d already seen both Sid and Felicia enter the conference room next door.
And if he knew JD, the man was already in there and waiting. If JD wasn’t ten minutes early, he considered himself late.
Sure enough. JD sat at the corner of the table, chugging soda from a plastic cup the size of a football.
Dak closed the door behind him and pulled out a chair.
He didn’t even have to start the meeting.
Felicia was already opening a file folder. “I finished tracking Cummings’ movements for the last week. Other than work and home, she went to the coffee shop almost every day, the grocery store twice, the bank once, went hiking around Snoqualmie Falls on her day off, and donated blood.”
Blood. Dak straightened. Jason Boggess donated frequently. “Where?”
“It’s a mobile unit. Visits her neighborhood every month and it looks like she donates whenever it’s there.” Felicia glanced at her notes. “The mobile unit is connected to Plasma Centers of Seattle.”
The same group that phlebotomist, Lorelei Divers, worked for.
Coincidence?
Maybe. It was the largest blood bank in the city, with multiple offices and a number of mobile units.
But he didn’t believe in coincidence. Especially when it concerned two of his three missing persons.
He encompassed the people at the table. “Did Wes Andrews ever donate blood?” The blank looks that met his question provided answer enough. “We need to find out.”
“I got it.” Sid held up his hand. “I’ve been looking into some gaps on Andrews’ schedule anyway, so it should be easy to confirm.”
“Anything standing out?” Dak directed the question to Sid, who shook his head.
“Not really. There are a few blocks on his schedule that I’m going to ask the site manager about, but everything else looks pretty standard. The analysts are cross-referencing his patient list against Jason Boggess’ known contacts, but that feels like a rabbit trail.”
He agreed. The chances of the kidnapper posing as one of Andrews’ patients seemed slim. Especially since the kidnappings didn’t appear to be personally motivated.
Not that they knew the motivation. Yet.
“Let’s assume for a moment that the blood bank is the connection and Wes Andrews donated blood. How does that tie in?”
“Maybe people are being taken for their blood type? If they have a rare blood type?” Felicia suggested. “Maybe our kidnappers work for someone who has a rare blood type and needs regular transfusions and is having trouble getting those.”
Seemed like an extreme measure for a sick person to take, but if the condition were serious enough, it was possible. Either way, the theory would be easy enough to confirm or disprove. “Let’s find out the blood type on each of our vics.”
“I’ll get that.” Felicia jotted it down.
“If it has something to do with blood type, what about organs?” JD crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair. “What if our vics are being chosen for organ harvesting?”
Silence descended as a weight settled in his limbs.
People being kidnapped to have their organs stolen and sold. It was a horrifying thought that wasn’t as uncommon as he’d like.
It was also a disturbingly good theory.
Both paths of investigation started with Divers and the blood bank.
“Let’s see if Andrews or Cummings ever met Lorelei Divers.”
Divers was looking more and more suspicious. A fresh set of eyes might be helpful.
He slid a glance toward Kevyn. “How about you dig into Lorelei Divers?”
“Sure thing.”
They couldn’t ignore the rest of the employees at the blood bank either. He turned to JD. “Why don’t you find out who worked that mobile unit that serviced Cummings’ neighborhood. See if those employees ever took Jason Boggess’ blood.”
“You got it.”
Meanwhile, he’d cross-reference Lorelei Divers with Stacy Cummings. Maybe their paths had crossed at some point.
And reach out to the hospitals to see if they’d had any patients come in with complications from a recent transplant surgery. If this was being done on the black market, the post-surgical care would be subpar, if it existed at all.
His gut told him they were onto something.
He just hoped it was a lead and not indigestion.
₪ ₪ ₪
Mitch rolled back the desk chair and stretched.
Ugh. He’d sat too long.
Zane’s goon snapped to attention as he stood.
“Relax.” Mitch gestured to the bathroom. “Just taking a leak. Unless you need to watch.”
The man chuckled. “Knock yourself out.”
He headed for the bathroom, feeling the man’s eyes on him until the door closed.
This was insane. He couldn’t live like this.
He missed his penthouse. His own bed. His car. His privacy. Being able to do what he wanted when he wanted without someone watching.
Tio’s offer flooded back into his mind.
Maybe he should sign on.
He knew Tio’s strengths. He also knew Tio’s weaknesses.
If he joined Tio in this business venture, he could probably double Tio’s profits. Double both their profits.
Tio’s warning still rang in his ears, though. Whatever Tio was doing, it was something they both knew Mitch wouldn’t like.
He already knew it involved kidnapping. Could it also involve murder?
And if it did, could he look the other way?
When he came back out, Tio sat in the chair he’d vacated, scanning the computer screen.
Well, he had nothing to hide. He crossed his arms and leaned against the wall.
“Looks like a good shipment.” The chair squeaked as Tio leaned back. “Your contacts sure have come through lately.”
“I’ve spent years developing those contacts.” He bit back the reminder that Tio hadn’t worked with the contacts. Without Mitch, the business would dry up.
Although if Tio’s side gig was as good as he claimed, he might not care.
No. Tio was all about the profit. No matter how much they pulled in, it was never enough.
Maybe he could join in for a year or two. Grow the business for Tio, train someone to take over for him.
Then take his profits and buy a nice place in the Caymans. He could retire comfortably and live out his life in a tropical paradise.
And forget any chance of a relationship with Kevyn.
That was the trade-off.
His freedom, maybe his very life, was at stake. Besides, she’d already made it clear that she was fine without him.
Probably better off without him, given her career choice and his line of work.
This was the best option. The only option.
He pulled back his shoulders and looked Tio in the eyes. “I want in.”
Eyes colder than he’d ever seen them assessed him. “You’re gonna have to forget that pretty daughter of yours. No turning back, man.”
His stomach lurched, but he forced words through tight lips. “No turning back.”
₪ ₪ ₪
Amazing how much information you could get from a single phone call.
Like learning that Lorelei Divers was working on the mobile unit today.
Kevyn approached the oversized glass doors of the blood bank. The sun peeking through the overcast sky gleamed on the chrome door handles and the mirrored finish on the wall of glass kept her from seeing inside.
But she knew who shouldn’t be inside, which would make getting details about Divers that much easier.
As long as the people working liked to gossip. In her experience, most employees liked to gossip.
She pulled open the door and stepped inside.
Less than half the chairs were occupied. A man in scrubs flitted back and forth between three people reclining on cushy looking chairs.
A woman, also in scrubs, looked up from a massive computer monitor sitting on the sparkling granite countertop. Silver streaked her once dark hair and deep lines at the corners of her eyes evidenced years of smiling.
“Hi!” Her tone was as perky as a puppy on caffeine. “Are you here to donate?”
“Sure am.” Kevyn smiled at the woman’s genuinely friendly greeting.
“Great! I’m Tammy. I’ll need to get some information from you, then we’ll get started.”
Ten minutes and multiple questions later, Kevyn sank into one of the plush vinyl chairs. “Oooh, this is much nicer than the last place I donated.”
Tammy laughed. “You better believe it. We pride ourselves on being the best.”
“Well, I think you nailed it.” Kevyn averted her eyes as the needle approached her arm.
“Okay, small poke.” Tammy’s cheerful tone contrasted sharply with the prick in Kevyn’s arm.
Forcibly relaxing her muscles, Kevyn settled back against the chair. Now. What was the best way to begin?
“Have you worked here long?”
Tammy’s cheeky grin responded. “A few years. Best job I ever had.”
“That’s great. You must have nice co-workers then.”
“Oh, yeah.” Tammy’s smile faltered. “Mostly. I mean, you know, there are always one or two people that you really wish would go somewhere else, but overall, it’s a good group.”
Hmmm. Was Lorelei Divers one of those in the good group category? Or the “wish she’d move on” category?
Only one way to find out. “A friend of mine used to come here all the time. In fact, I’m donating today to honor him. Maybe you knew him? Jason Boggess?”
Tammy’s expression sobered. “I know who he is, but I never drew his blood. He always wanted Lorelei.”
The name rolled out of Tammy’s mouth like sour fruit.
After filing the information away, Kevyn moved on like she hadn’t noticed. “Oh yeah, I know. He never shut up about her. Between you and me, I think he donated blood just to see her, you know?”
Tammy harrumphed. “Well, he wouldn’t be the only one. That woman plays men like a piano.”
“Oh.” Kevyn feigned surprise, even though she’d suspected as much based upon Dak’s assessment. “Gosh. My boyfriend has been having her draw his blood, too. After Jason recommended her, my boyfriend claimed that she does such a good job that he doesn’t even feel the needle. Maybe I should be concerned.”
Tammy shook her head slowly. “If he’s like all the other guys lining up to see Lorelei, she could jab him with a knife and he wouldn’t know the difference. If I were you, I’d kick him to the curb now.”
Kevyn tried to look devastated. “I-I can’t believe he would cheat on me.”
“Maybe he’s not.” Tammy gently patted her shoulder. “I shouldn’t have said that. That girl rubs me the wrong way.”
Yes! The perfect segue. “Why’s that?”
After a brief look around, Tammy leaned in. “Because she’s a big phony, that’s why. She puts on this ditzy, sweet front to the guys, but you should hear her when clients aren’t around. That girl’s got a sharp tongue. Never has a good thing to say about anyone. You shoulda heard what she said about your friend Jason. And she’s smart, really smart, but she acts like she’s not. Maybe she thinks that guys like that dumb blonde routine, I don’t know. I hate it when people put on an act.”
Kind of like she was doing now.
Kevyn pushed the thought aside. She was doing it for good reasons, not out of spite. It was totally different.
Although she knew what Dak would say about her little charade.
Focus. She was here for a purpose.
“Why does she do that?”
A limp shrug lifted Tammy’s shoulder. “I think she likes the attention. Thing is, she’s pretty enough to get attention without all the lies.”
“Sad what some girls do to get attention.”
“Sure is.” Tammy’s smile reemerged. “Well, listen to me, going on like that. You keep an eye on your man and if he’s got any brains in that head of his, he’ll see that you’re twice the woman that phony is.”
“That’s kind of you to say.”
The bell rang at the door and Tammy looked up. “Looks like I’ve got another donor. Now you relax. You’ve still got a ways to go. I’ll be back to check on you soon.”
As Tammy moved away, Kevyn leaned her head back and closed her eyes.
Now that she had some new leads, she was itching to get out of here.
Part of her wished she hadn’t decided to use donation as a front to gaining the intel she needed, but she doubted she would have learned as much from a formal questioning.
The information Tammy had given her was gold.
Lorelei Divers was a fake. She faked her intelligence, her true character.
What else was she faking?
₪ ₪ ₪
The morgue wrapped Dak in a cold blanket as he approached the chief medical examiner’s office. Steam rolled from the coffee cups in his hands, a triple shot mocha for him and a watered-down latte for the ME.
He’d learned long ago that arriving with the latte in hand granted him a few extra minutes with the chief ME. It also thawed the man’s tongue a little.
The office door stood open, so Dak stepped to the opening and tapped on the wood. “Knock, knock.”
Percy, a rotund, balding man in his late forties, looked up from the file open on his desk.
“I come bearing gifts.” Dak held up the latte.
A toothy grin crossed Percy’s face. “Agent Lakes. Come on in.”
Dak set the coffee on the desk and sank into a chair on the other side. “How’s life these days?”
“Oh, you know. Work’s a little dead.” Percy chuckled at his own joke. “My staff could stand to keep some livelier company, too. Although I guess the same could be said of me.”
Dak laughed along with the man. “At least you don’t run with a rough crowd.”
“No, no one could accuse me of that.” Percy flipped the file closed and snatched the cup, taking a long sip before focusing squinty eyes on Dak. “So what brings you by? I don’t think I owe you any reports.”
“No, we’re current.” Dak crossed his ankle over his knee. “I’m wondering if you’ve seen any evidence of poor organ transplantation lately. Or bodies that are missing organs?”
“Can’t say that I have.” Percy took another drink. “You suspect a black-market operation?”
“It’s one possible theory we’re working, but I don’t have any evidence to support it at this time.”
“Unfortunately, I don’t either.” Percy shook his head. “Our cases involve the usual suspects. Overdose, gunshots, car accidents. Got a particularly ugly pair in this morning whose car ignited after hitting a tree.”
Ugh. Glad he didn’t have to deal with that all day.
Dak nodded. “Well, if you run across anything, would you mind letting me know?”
“You’ll be among my first calls.”
Rising, Dak reached out to shake the man’s hand. “Always good to see you, man.”
“You, too.” Percy held up his latte. “Thanks for the liquid energy.”
“Any time.” With his rapidly cooling mocha in hand, Dak retraced his steps down the hallway.
He’d known it was a long shot, but it’d been worth the trip down here to ask.
If there was an illegal organ shop operating in the area, Percy would likely be one of the first to know about it. At least now the coroner’s office was on watch.
He wasn’t sure if he hoped the lead panned out or not.
If it did, Jason Boggess, Wes Andrews, and Stacy Cummings were most certainly dead.
