Page 64 of Unraveled

“Right. Well, we got to talking, and I discovered that he was a patient there prior to his death.” He nodded slightly, his expression bland as if he was waiting for her to eventually make her point. “Anyway, the incisions made on Mr. Tripp were precise, surgical.”

His brows drew together. “Do you know that for a fact? None of the details have been made known to the public.”

“I happened to be there when Dr. Pratt discovered the organs were missing, remember?” she reminded him. “Plus, there is a distinct difference between a surgical incision and a tear in the tissue from, say, animals feasting on it.”

“Fair enough,” he said mildly. “Continue.”

“Anyway, I know Dr. Pratt suspected it was made by someone who’s had medical training, like a doctor. When the subject of Mr. Tripp came up, I got to thinking about everything that’s happened. As soon as they identified the second victim, Mr. Keane, I noticed that he was a patient, too. I didn’t say anything at the time, because I didn’t think it was relevant, but I overheard an argument at the VA between Dr. Kellerman and another man just a couple weeks prior to me being shot at.”

“What was the argument about?”

“It seemed innocuous enough,” she said. “A man came in and blamed Dr. Kellerman for what I believed at the time was the death of a patient. Edward said that Kellerman would ‘pay for it,’ whatever he’d done. As it turns out, the man—Edward Raines—is my boyfriend’s boss.”

She tipped her head in Carter’s direction. “I found out that his wife was in an accident a while ago, and she’d been receiving medical care at home. I didn’t know the extent of her injuries, but it seemed to be pretty bad.”

Mayfield stared at her for a long moment, looking almost bored. “Could be a complete coincidence.”

“Could be,” Carter spoke up from beside her. “But I have it on good authority that Kellerman was with Lucy Raines at the time of the accident.”

“Here’s the thing,” Audrey said slowly. “She wasn’t dead at the time, and Lucy was never a patient of his. I don’t know how she fits into this, but I’ve been thinking back on that altercation between the two men. That argument could have been about her or… something else.”

“Such as?”

“Whatever happened, Edward was furious. Maybe mad enough to lash out at Kellerman or try to blackmail him. Kellerman has medical training and access to patient records. What if one or both of them are involved in smuggling organs?”

Mayfield’s eyes flared wide for a moment. “That’s quite an accusation.”

“It could all just be a coincidence, but…” She pulled out Tripp’s and Keane’s patient files and spread them on the desk.

“Not only was Tripp a patient at the branch where I work, but Keane, who was just identified a couple days ago, was a patient at another branch.” She pointed to the part of the file with the emergency information. “Blood type for both men is O-negative, and their files list them as single with no next of kin.”

Mayfield’s gaze dropped to the papers on the desk, and she could practically see the wheels turning. “So, Raines blames Kellerman for his wife’s accident and subsequent death, but how do we jump from a disgruntled husband to a smuggling scheme?”

“Maybe it’s not related at all.” She lifted a shoulder. “I know how crazy this all sounds, believe me. I tried to talk myself out of coming here, but I feel like it’s too… bizarre to just be a coincidence.”

“Other than the shooting, have you noticed anything out of the ordinary?”

“Raines has been acting strangely for the past several weeks,” Carter stated. “Could be the complications with his wife, or it could be… something else. If he’s been blackmailing Kellerman, it would explain the argument they had. Maybe he’s worried about being found out.”

Mayfield stroked his jaw, then pointed to Keane’s file. “Do you mind if I make a copy of these?”

She shook her head. “Just keep them. All I ask is that you keep an open mind.”

“I’ll do what I can,” he promised.

She had to take the man at his word. He wouldn’t tell her about an ongoing investigation, but she truly hoped he followed through with it.

“Thank you.” She stood and shook his hand one more time. “I really do appreciate your help.”

“Anytime,” he acknowledged.

CHAPTER

THIRTY-THREE

The day was clear and bright, completely incongruous with the somber atmosphere of the crowd gathered around Lucy’s gravesite. Behind a pair of dark shades, Carter scanned the solemn faces seated in the white plastic chairs as the pastor gave his eulogy. Mason was seated toward the front, and Carter knew he was doing the same.

So far, Carter had spotted Edward and his children, Kaylee and Nate. Edward had remained dry-eyed and stoic throughout, while Kaylee dabbed primly at the occasional tear. Nate seemed the most broken up, his face red as he tried to control himself. Carter felt bad for the kids. No matter what had happened between Edward and Lucy, Kaylee and Nate had just lost their mother.