The Body Thief

by Chris Taylor

  “I’m busy, Detective, and I don’t appreciate you bullying my staff into allowing you in here when I simply don’t have the time. You have five minutes. What do you want?”

  If he was surprised at her abrupt tone, he didn’t show it. Instead, he closed the door and came over to where she stood. Most of the other pathologists had left for the day. Save for Phillip, who worked on a body on the other side of the room, the area was empty.

  “I wanted to talk to you,” Rohan said, his tone low.

  “What about?”

  “Daphne.”

  Sam’s breath caught in her throat and her pulse took off at a gallop. Was he finally willing to accept responsibility for the way he’d treated his former girlfriend and his unborn child? Sam didn’t know whether she was relieved or disappointed.

  “What about Daphne?” she asked, keeping her voice even.

  “I’ve been thinking about what you said, what you accused me of. It’s obvious Daphne was the one who told you. What she didn’t tell you was that the baby wasn’t mine.”

  Sam reeled back in shock and her heart pounded double time. In all the years since college, she hadn’t once questioned Daphne’s word. Had her former roommate lied when she’d sobbed all over her, crying about how Rohan had gotten her pregnant and then dumped her when he found out? The possibility she’d been misinformed was so enormous, it was too much for Sam to take in. She stared at Rohan, searching his face for the truth.

  “Are you saying you weren’t the father? That Daphne cheated on you?” she said, still aghast.

  His face remained impassive. “Yes, that’s exactly what I’m saying.”

  Sam let out a laugh that was tinged with panic. “No, I don’t believe you. Daphne was in love with you! She thought you were the moon and the stars! There’s no way she would have cheated on you! You’re making it up, to justify why you left her. It can’t be true. It can’t be.”

  “Do I look like I’m lying?” he said quietly, his tone edged with steel.

  Sam stared at him again and the panic inside her increased. If he was telling the truth that meant Daphne had deceived her all those years ago. The possibility filled Sam with horror.

  She’d spent ten years simmering with anger over Rohan’s appalling treatment. Years ago, she’d resolved if she ever crossed paths with Rohan Coleridge again, she’d give him a piece of her mind. He’d be left in no doubt about how she felt about men who walked away from their responsibilities. And yet, now she had to consider the possibility it had all been a lie.

  Her first impulse was to speak with Daphne. She wanted to hear it from her old roommate if she’d lied to her and why. But even as that thought formed, Sam realized she’d already subconsciously accepted Rohan was telling the truth. It made so much sense.

  It explained why he’d been so shocked when she’d attacked him about abandoning his unborn child. She should have known he was too decent and honorable to do such a despicable thing. A decade ago, they’d been such good friends… Had she wasted years burning with indignation for a liar, a woman who didn’t deserve it?

  “Why didn’t you say something, that night at the station?” Sam asked, her voice cracking with emotion.

  Rohan shook his head. “I was so stunned by your accusation, it took me awhile to comprehend. Never in my wildest dreams did I suspect you, or anyone else, thought I’d walked out on my unborn child. You knew me almost as well as Daphne. It cut me to the quick to realize you thought I was capable of such a thing.”

  “I… I…” Sam couldn’t even complete the thought. Had there really been no justification for her actions? Despite their friendship, she’d never once asked him if it were true. She’d believed Daphne’s story and that had been the end of it.

  Over the months of Daphne’s pregnancy, Sam had been a caring and considerate friend, all the time seething over what Rohan had done. She’d plotted ways to make him pay, to bring him to his knees, but by then he was long gone and she hadn’t seen him again. Until now.

  “You never knew she told me the baby was yours?” she croaked.

  “Samantha, I swear I had no idea. When Daphne told me she was pregnant, I was shocked because she’d told me she was on the pill. Then she reminded me she’d been on antibiotics and it can sometimes interfere with the effectiveness of the pill. I guess I panicked a little because it wasn’t in our plans, but I assured her I loved her and somehow, we’d work it out.

  “A few days later, she was in the shower when a text came in on her phone. I picked it up. It was from some guy called Nathan and he was talking about the “fun” they’d had the last time he’d been in town. It was obvious they’d had sex.

  “I confronted her. At first, she went on the offensive and accused me of invading her privacy by looking at her phone, but after awhile, she broke down and admitted she’d had a fling with some biker she knew from her hometown. That was when I asked her for a DNA test.”

  “And it came back negative.”

  “Yes.”

  Sam breathed in heavily and her shoulders slumped on a loud sigh. Once again, she couldn’t help but think about all the wasted hours she’d spent hating Rohan Coleridge. She looked up at him and was relieved to find no trace of anger in his eyes. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I said some terrible things.”

  He moved closer until she could see the flecks in his bright blue eyes. “It doesn’t matter, as long as you understand now.”

  Sam shook her head back and forth, dismissing his words. “Of course it matters! Don’t you see? For ten years, I’ve thought of you with anger and resentment and so many other awful things. We were good friends! I’d known you for a year and a half! I should have gone to you and demanded to hear your side of the story before taking Daphne’s word. You called me a few times afterwards and I refused to answer or call you back. I was so angry at you for what you’d done. You must have wondered what had happened.”

  Rohan’s expression filled with resignation. “I remember thinking it was just the way it was. You were Daphne’s friend long before you were mine. When she and I broke up, I forced myself to accept that losing my friendship with you was collateral damage. It was hard to let it go, but I didn’t think I had any choice. I wasn’t going to make you choose between us.”

  Caught in a quick shift of emotion, Sam wanted to go to him and throw her arms around him and beg his forgiveness. But she was dressed in scrubs that were stained from the blood of a dead baby and he looked like he’d stepped off the set of a fashion shoot.

  “I’m sorry,” she said again and hoped he could see how much she meant it.

  “And I’m sorry, too. I should have tried harder to speak with you, to assure you I valued our friendship, despite the fact Daphne and I had gone our separate ways.”

  “I can’t believe how much time I wasted hating you.”

  “There’s no point in looking back, filled with regrets. Let’s put it behind us and look to the future.” Rohan’s voice filled with hope. “It’s not too late to pick up where we left off. If I remember rightly, you used to be a mean chess player. You certainly gave me a run for my money, more often than not. How about we get together this weekend? Are you free on Saturday night?”

  Though Rohan’s tone was light and friendly, a sudden rush of nerves tightened Sam’s throat. They’d always been friends, but did she want more than that now? Did he?

  Daphne was no longer the elephant in the room. They could be anything they wanted to each other…if they wanted. Was she brave enough to find out if his feelings ran any deeper? Did she want to become involved?

  The questions raced around inside her head until she was almost dizzy. Aware that Rohan was waiting for her answer, she opened her mouth and surprised herself by saying, “Your place or mine?”

  CHAPTER NINE

  Dear Diary,

  I watch my mother’s health deteriorate. Every time I see her, she’s weaker. If only I could find her a kidney! I’d happily donate one of mine, if it would do her any
good. We’re not a match. We never will be. It tears me up inside.

  All the organs and tissue I’ve harvested and I can’t find a kidney for my mom. It doesn’t seem fair. It isn’t fair! And yet, I must continue on. It brings me comfort knowing how many lives I’ve saved by doing what I do.

  And then there is the added benefit of knowing no matter what happens, my wife and children will want for nothing. My actions might be illegal, but for me, the good far outweighs the bad. If I’m caught, I will surrender with dignity and courage, but I will not be sorry for what I’ve done. I will beg forgiveness from no one…

  * * *

  Rohan stood outside Samantha’s apartment block with a bouquet of aromatic oriental lilies and tried hard to summon the courage to go inside. Over his lunch break he’d telephoned his parents to enquire about his mother’s ongoing battle with her health. His father had assured him they had an appointment scheduled for the next day with another doctor. Rohan hoped that after another course of antibiotics, his mother’s cough would go away.

  He heard the sound of his mother coughing in the background. It sounded like she was hacking up a lung. When she finally had enough breath to speak on the phone, they spent most of the time discussing the fact that he was in his thirties and still hadn’t found a wife. It was a topic his mom never tired of. It didn’t help matters that he was the oldest child and as such, was expected to lead the way.

  Unlike Rohan, all of his seven siblings were under thirty. His mom accepted that some of them were still finishing college and others were putting their efforts into pursuing their various careers. But Rohan had made detective at the age of twenty-four and five years ago, he’d been promoted to detective sergeant. What more did he want? She couldn’t seem to figure out why he continued to put so much time and effort into his career when there were other, more important things to focus on—like finding a girl and settling down.

  It wasn’t that Rohan was against commitment. He believed in marriage, like many other people did. But he also believed that it was a lifelong promise and not one to take lightly when the going got tough. During the rare times his parents disagreed, he learned that married life wasn’t always sunshine and roses, but no matter how bad things got, they worked through their differences and stuck by each other.

  Now, he stood outside the building of a girl he’d never thought of in a romantic way. And yet, here he was, wiping sweaty palms on his jeans, trying to slow his heart rate and scrounge up the courage to knock on her front door. He was filled with anticipation at the possibility there might be something more between them. The only stumbling block was not knowing how she felt.

  Ten years earlier, they’d shared a lot of fun, laughter and good times, but he’d been Daphne’s boyfriend and that had always stood between them. He couldn’t help but wonder how it would be now that such a barrier had disappeared.

  Would she find him attractive? Would she still laugh at his jokes? A decade was a long time. A lot of things had changed.

  Samantha hadn’t had a steady boyfriend during the time he’d known her in college, but that didn’t mean there wasn’t a significant other in her life right now. He wondered what he’d do if the door was opened by her husband. She hadn’t said anything about a partner, but their recent conversations hadn’t exactly been conducive to sharing personal information. If she was already married…

  In sudden panic, he stashed the flowers in a nearby hedge and turned on his heel. He’d barely taken four steps when he heard her call his name.

  “Rohan! Where are you going? I’m here, on the second floor. Hang on a minute. I’ll come down.”

  With no other choice, Rohan thrust his hands in the pockets of his jeans and headed back to the foyer of the apartment building. Made of red brick, the three-storey structure was reminiscent of the apartment blocks built in the early seventies, but it appeared to be well maintained and the surrounding garden beds were newly planted and freshly mulched. A pair of large wattle trees stood either side of the entry and were heavy with golden flowers. Their sweet scent filled the air.

  “There you are!” Samantha announced and Rohan turned to greet her. He gave her an awkward hug and then quickly stepped away.

  “I thought you’d gotten lost,” she said, smiling.

  Her shiny hair was loose and wavy and fell in soft curls around her face. Like him, she wore Levis and a sweater to ward off the late winter chill. He couldn’t help but notice how the fabric molded to her breasts and how the pale pink color complemented the olive tones of her skin. She smiled again and his belly somersaulted.

  “Not quite. I… I couldn’t remember the number of your apartment,” he quickly improvised. I was going to call you and then I realized I didn’t have your number.”

  A tiny frown marred the smooth skin of her forehead. “I gave you my contact details that night at the station.”

  “Yes, but they’re in the file at work. I didn’t put your number into my phone. I’m sorry, I didn’t even think—”

  “It’s fine,” she interrupted him. “I’ll give it to you now.” She waited for him to pull his phone out of his pocket and then rattled off the numbers.

  When he’d finished entering her into his contacts, he put the phone away and then offered her a smile. “Now I don’t have any excuse.”

  “Come on,” she said, taking him by the hand and leading him inside. “I have beer and pizza.”

  He groaned in exaggerated delight and tried to ignore how good it felt to have his hand in hers. “What more could any man want?”

  * * *

  Sam took a couple of plates from the cupboard and carried them over to the table. She collected two beers from the fridge and handed one to Rohan. Having him seated at her small kitchen table was a little surreal. They’d shared plenty of meals before, but that had been a decade ago, when he was someone else’s boyfriend. It was different now. Not only were they older and wiser, he was no longer attached. At least, she assumed he was single. She hadn’t even asked.

  Her heart had been racing from the moment she’d spotted him from her living room window. She wasn’t sure why he looked like he was heading in the opposite direction, but she wasn’t prepared to let him leave. Though she’d surprised herself by agreeing to catch up for a game of chess, the moment she had, she was all aflutter and couldn’t help but think about what spending time together might mean. For so long, he’d been the enemy; the asshole who’d left his pregnant girlfriend high and dry. Even now, knowing the truth, it was a little difficult for her to accept him as the good guy.

  She’d gone home the very night Rohan told her about Daphne’s deception and spent an hour on the Internet. Surfing several social media sites, Sam had finally located her old roommate. A quick search through the White pages online and she had an address and phone number.

  She’d dialed the number before her courage ran out and prayed Daphne would answer. Her luck had held and Sam asked the one question that had burning inside her brain from the moment Rohan told her: Why had she lied?

  Daphne didn’t even pretend to misunderstand. She apologized for her immature behavior and said she’d done it out of spite. She knew Sam thought highly of Daphne’s boyfriend and that Rohan admired Sam. When it was obvious Rohan was going to end the relationship, Daphne couldn’t help but seek revenge.

  She was angry and upset and wanted to tarnish his good-guy image and what better way than accuse him of abandoning his unborn child?

  Sam had shaken her head back and forth in wordless horror and disbelief. She couldn’t imagine being so cruel to someone who hadn’t done anything wrong and she felt even worse when she thought of how she’d maligned Rohan’s character—even if it were only in her mind. She was relieved he’d finally clarified the truth.

  Sam had always prided herself on being observant and an astute judge of character. Her ability to notice things held her in good stead in her job and had helped her solve difficult questions about puzzling causes of death. To have that confiden
ce shaken by not one mistake, but two, was hard to take. She was only grateful Rohan accepted her apology and was prepared to renew their friendship.

  At the thought that it might turn into something more, her insides turned to mush. Nerves fought for space inside her stomach. She had to remember the reason they’d met again was connected to a potential police matter that could very well turn into a full-blown investigation. She wasn’t even sure if she should be meeting with him like this. What if she became a witness? Would a personal relationship with the lead detective jeopardize the case?

  She shook her head and told herself not to be so silly. As far as she knew, the police were a long way from making an arrest, if there was even an arrest in the works. The whole thing with the cadavers missing organs could be nothing more than a coincidence. Surely there was no case to jeopardize… Besides, she and Rohan didn’t have a close relationship. He was someone she’d known in her past. No big deal. She was making way too much of it.

  “Are you going to stare out the window all night, or sit down and eat? This pizza is incredible, by the way. Maybe even the best I’ve ever eaten.”

  Rohan’s words broke into her thoughts. He smiled in her direction and she blinked and forced herself to smile back. He was an old friend. They were enjoying a casual night of beer and pizza, and maybe afterwards, they’d have a game of chess.

  She hadn’t played for years, but there was a time when they’d both enjoyed it and had been competitively matched. She wondered if he’d found someone else to help him hone his skills in the time they’d been apart and realized it was none of her business. Feeling a tiny twinge of jealousy—toward no one in particular—she took a seat, sat her beer on the table and reached across for a slice of super supreme.

  “So, do you live here on your own?” he asked around a mouthful of pizza.

  “Yes. I moved here a couple years ago. Before that, I worked at the morgue in Westmead. I had a condo in Parramatta.”