The Harvest Club

by Iona Morrison

  “He’s calling at five and told me to have someone from the police here. Put simply, he’s found something too important to put in an email.”

  “Do you have something we can make for dinner? I might as well hang out here until he calls. It’s my night to see you tucked in and shut up tight.”

  “I have plenty of food. We could barbeque some chicken if the rain holds off, or I can bake it in the oven,” Jessie answered. She slipped her hand out of his and walked inside.

  Matt turned on the TV to watch the Yankees play, and Jessie answered emails, talked to her parents, and her grandma Sadie. Then she went into the kitchen, put the chicken into the oven, along with two potatoes. She put together a fresh salad with raisins, sunflower seeds, green onions, tomatoes, cucumbers, and avocado and put it in the fridge to chill.

  To an outsider it might look like a very domestic Sunday afternoon scene. But to one dark figure, it meant he had to wait another day.

  ****

  He had been just a little too late getting there. If he hadn’t stopped for the hamburgers...oh well, he was a patient man. He would officially give the second strike before his boss returned.

  He had gotten there just in time to see her sleeping so peacefully, unaware that he was less than a hundred feet away crouched behind the tree. She was pretty. He almost hated to mess up her face. Almost. He grinned. He would do it and relish the job. It would have been done now, but the cop had come around the corner. He was hanging out at her place a lot lately. He wondered if she was the cop’s woman. It would make it even better, because his boss wanted him gone, too.

  The dark clouds started producing a gentle rain. The droplets trickled through the leaves on the tree, splashing his face. Maybe there would be more money in it for him, a bonus of sorts for wounding two with one punch so to say. He smiled with smug satisfaction at his own pun and watched the two of them for a few more moments, not minding the rain, before he slunk back the way he had come.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Jeremy’s call came promptly at five, and Jessie put it on speaker as soon as she told him Matt Parker was there, and he was the officer in charge of the investigation.

  “First, I have to say this is a pretty big operation with some fairly well-known individuals. They have an elaborate technical monitoring device protecting their information, and they’re good, but I’m even better.” Jeremy’s voice came through the speaker clearly. “And as you know, I taught you all I know about encryption bypass,” he added. “Someone who isn’t familiar with firewalls could inadvertently trip their warning devices and be known instantly to have been an unwelcome visitor in their information.”

  “Maybe that’s what happened to Gina.” Jessie winced.

  “I’m glad you called me and didn’t attempt this yourself. Anyway, I found two streams of money that went to all the accounts. Most of the ones you named seem to be the small fish. They’re the buyers in the organization.”

  “What is their primary function in the organization?” Matt’s hand curled into a fist.

  “They visit the countries and arrange to buy organs through brokers from the sellers in that country.”

  “Who are the sellers?” Jessie wrote down notes as Jeremy talked.

  “The sellers may be people selling their own organs or a person selling kidneys taken from someone without their permission.”

  “So basically, they could buy anyone’s kidneys.” Matt was angry.

  “Yeah…It used to be that a kidney had to come from a close relative, but now because of anti-rejection drugs, that is no longer necessary. Buyers can get a kidney from anyone, anywhere. Unscrupulous as that sounds, what’s worse in the black market buyers mart, a kidney taken from a living donor will keep a person alive twice as long as one taken from a cadaver, so it’s worth more money.”

  Jessie frowned. “Now that’s just sick.”

  “That’s probably what this trip to India is all about.” Jessie saw Matt’s jaw flex and knew he was angry.

  “Yes, and I’m sure there are a few brokers intermingled in the group to watch over their clients’ interests. There are a lot of people living in the slums willing to sell their own or someone else’s organs. And, believe me, there is always someone here trying to buy one for a family member, and they are willing to pay.” Jeremy paused.

  “Whether by accident or design, some top surgeons in three hospitals that I tracked have been transplanting black market kidneys from residents of some of the world’s most impoverished slums into some of the world’s wealthiest failing bodies of dialysis patients.”

  “How do you figure that?” Matt asked.

  “The story is all in the money. For about $100,000 to $150,000, a broker will connect buyers and sellers and guide them to broker-friendly hospitals. I traced the flow here to three hospitals and transplant teams.”

  “This is unbelievable.” Jessie shook her head.

  “Here’s the kicker—you mentioned clergy and a rabbi. Brokers often pose as clergy to accompany their clients to the hospital to ensure the process goes well. It makes it all appear above board. It seems to me these men are going to broker and buy organs to bring back and sell to their clients. Some goodwill tour, huh?”

  “So where is the money coming from?” Matt frowned.

  “The brokers and buyers are getting paid from the hospitals. Clients and some other sources are giving the brokers money to buy the organs. I would say, and this is my opinion only, Brad is a buyer, along with your mayor and city councilman. The pastor, rabbi, and most of the clergy are brokers. They get paid larger pay-outs for a single transaction. Although, Brad got a hundred thousand, I notice a couple of dates for that. Still $30,000 to $50,000 is nothing to sneeze at.”

  “Who is the other source?” Jessie asked

  “The other source is one of the pharmaceutical companies that market the anti-rejection drugs. With the long wait lists for transplants and the very rich who get promoted to the head of the lists, it’s easy to understand how about one-fifth of the seventy thousand kidney transplants world-wide every year come from the black market, and then the drugs are needed for the rest of that individual’s life. It makes for big money all around.”

  “Is there any way we can prove any of this or get any convictions?” Matt asked.

  “In my opinion, the hospitals are safe and so is the pharmaceutical company. They’ll be able to say the money was given to promote research, and because the hospital is helping patients, they’ll claim they thought the donors were legitimate. However, you’ll be able to get the brokers and the buyers and stop this black market ring. I’m sure there will always be more willing to take their places. One of these guys is the head of this ring. I’m not sure yet who.” He paused to take a deep breath and then added, “The money is a major draw. Hopefully in the process of rounding up this group, you’ll find the murderer you’re looking for. Oh and by the way, Jessie, the letters HC are the initials in the name of their group. They call themselves the Harvest Club.”

  “It’s a fitting name,” Matt said sarcastically.

  “Jeremy, how can I ever thank you?” Jessie asked.

  “You can come to New York or, better yet, you can ask me to your place and feed me dinner. I’ll keep looking. I know the head guy will surface. Talk to you later, Jessie, and be safe.”

  “You have an open invitation. See you soon.” She let out a deep breath.

  “From the moment I saw Gina’s body, my gut told me it had to do with organ trafficking.” Matt started pacing. “You helped push the case along when you got the information from their bank accounts, and bringing Jeremy into this was brilliant.”

  “So what happens next? Will you arrest them when they get back?”

  “No, the long process of building a case against these guys begins.” He paused to look at her, and then resumed his pacing. “It must be meticulous, thorough, and well documented.”

  “Sounds like what Neil demanded of me.”

  He nodd
ed and grinned. “What’s needed is admissible evidence that won’t be thrown out because we didn’t do our job right. We could bring some of them in for questioning, hoping someone will crack, but these guys have been pretty good about covering their tracks up to now. Murdering Gina may have been their one real mistake.”

  Jessie went to the kitchen to check on dinner. Everything was ready so she set the table. Lightning lit up the room, and the thunder boomed close on its heels. The gentle rain turned to a real gully washer in a matter of a few minutes. She was glad she had opted to bake the chicken.

  Matt asked what he could do to help, so she let him get the salad and dressing out of the fridge and fill the glasses with tea. They ate quietly, lost in their own thoughts. Jessie was wondering how long it would be before Gina could rest in peace.

  “Jess, I have a major concern I need to talk to you about. The big guy who has been around may be the decoy. He can and will try to hurt you and scare you off, but he’s not the one who might really hurt you. You’re going to have to keep your eyes open for someone else. They may be following you or hanging around some of the places where you go.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “The person responsible for Gina’s murder, the one who harvested her organs, had to have had medical knowledge. The incisions were barely noticeable and had been done with precision. The bruiser’s hands don’t fit the criteria. Someone else may be your biggest threat. Keep your eyes open.”

  “As if I don’t already have enough on my plate, now you tell me there may be someone even more dangerous. You must be kidding or trying to kill me with fear yourself!” She gave an exasperated laugh.

  “I want you to be aware of your surroundings. Watch for someone who shows up at the same places you are often enough that it no longer seems like a coincidence. He might be someone nondescript who can fade into the background, or a real lady killer.”

  “Okay, I’ll keep my eyes open.”

  “Enough of the serious talk.” Matt rose to take his plate into the kitchen. “You need to chill for a while.”

  “Duh, you think?” she replied smartly. “If I don’t, you’ll have a raging or perhaps a weeping woman on your hands. I think the latter would bother you most.”

  “Lady, you’ve got that right.”

  The rest of the evening was a relaxing one. They presented the idyllic picture of two friends enjoying their favorite programs, shoes off, one pair of feet with a hole in the socks propped on the coffee table, the other pair tucked neatly under her. A shared bowl of buttered popcorn, his choice, cherry coke, hers, both of them picking arguments over everything from who done it to who would win the Sunday evening baseball game.

  When the news came on, Jessie got up and got a sheet and pillow for Matt. Setting them next to him, she smiled at him. “Thanks for the evening. It helped to forget for a few hours. I’ll keep my eyes open and you…” She smiled at him. “Be careful too.” She heard thunder. “It’s still raining pretty hard, so I imagine he won’t be around tonight. Goodnight.” She turned to walk out of the room.

  “Goodnight.” He paused and then added “Jess…”

  She smiled. Right now in this moment, she felt safe, and she would go with it. Who knew what tomorrow would bring. Once her head hit the pillow, she was out.

  ****

  Matt was wide awake listening to the sounds of the night, sleep eluding him. She was sleeping in the next room, and he was painfully aware of it. He didn’t know how much more of the close quarters he could take. Moving on. He had to focus on keeping her safe.

  He played back the conversation with Jeremy and events of the past several days. He was more convinced than ever that someone with medical know-how had killed Gina, probably someone reputable in the community with a wife and children. Maybe he had lost someone close to him because of a shortage of available donor organs, so he set out to make sure it wouldn’t happen to anyone else. In some twisted way, he supposed they all could justify that what they were doing was helping people. Somewhere along the line, it had gone from a noble cause to greed, and finally, to murder to cover their greed.

  Jessie was starting to get to his heart. She had moved to the small town to be near her friend and had been welcomed into a living hell. Was Gina trying to reach from beyond to find her killer? How had Jessie become the target? Had Rick played a part in drawing her in? He knew she was a journalist when he hired her. Was he hoping she would snoop?

  He couldn’t shut his mind off. He went over the plan again that would be in place when the men returned from their trip. There were officers who would watch them from their arrival at La Guardia, to their return home, and anywhere else they might stop in between.

  This case was big and complex. The group could be as large as thirty people or more. Somewhere hidden in their midst was a murderer. If Brad hadn’t ordered Gina’s death, he sure as hell knew who did. He hadn’t been the same since Gina died.

  Tomorrow was his D-day in Blue Cove. He was ready. Assignments had been made, the extras were coming in, and the command post would be set up here in the spare room right on schedule. He was prepared to put the greedy bastards out of commission. It was the waiting that bothered him most. Their crimes might still be undetected had Gina not been murdered and somehow involved Jessie. It was a hell of a case.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Matt was gone when Jessie got up. She noticed the neatly folded sheet and pillow on the couch. Pastor Rick would be back in the office Wednesday, so she had only today and tomorrow to formulate her plan.

  By 8:15 she was ready and out the door for work. Jessie wanted to get a few things out of the way. Rick would be surprised by the new office furniture and computer or maybe not. Nothing was as it seemed.

  “Thank you, oh, thank you,” Jessie whispered when she saw all the cars in the parking lot. She wouldn’t be in the building alone today. She had forgotten this was the day the District Conference was scheduled to meet with the nominating committee.

  “Hey, there, Blondie. You’re here early this morning.” Melinda rushed toward Jessie. “This is my youngest daughter, Megan.”

  “Hi, Megan.” Jessie smiled at the little girl. “I wanted to get a few things done before the pastor gets back.”

  “There’s some kind of big meeting here this morning with all the uppity ups and the biggies.” Melinda gestured wildly with her hands. “Reba will stop by afterward to talk to you. She had a run in with you know who this morning.”

  “Thanks for the information, Red.” She turned and walked down the hall.

  When Jessie put the key in her office door, a cold chill went down her back. She turned expecting to see Gina, but she wasn’t there. Yet, the apprehension she felt was so strong she didn’t want to open the door.

  Slowly she opened it, peering inside, then she flipped on the light switch, and her eyes saw him. The next thing she became aware of was her own voice screaming, which brought several people running from everywhere in the building.

  Hanging from a noose over the beam was a man, an obviously dead man with a note attached to his shirt.

  “Don’t touch anything. This here is a crime scene,” James told the crowd as he took charge. “Reba, you get Jessie out in the hall, and, Melinda, you call the police.”

  Within the space of ten minutes, several police cars roared into the church parking lot for the second time in less than a week. Molly stared out the window as the police moved quickly into the building. “What in heaven’s name is happening at that poor church?” she asked loudly.

  ****

  Matt and two other officers walked down the hall with Melinda leading the way. Jessie followed them into her office and stood in the doorway listening, but trying not to look. “Geez, you were the one to find him?” She nodded. Matt read the note. It was tagged and put in a plastic bag.

  “Jessie, my blue eyed girl, can you come out and play? You’ll run and I’ll chase you. You’d better not let me catch you or strike three you’re out. Ki
nd of like Matt’s friend and your new office companion.”

  “It’s Mr. Yamamoto,” she said softly. “I’ve talked with him a few times. He worked in the gardens at the inn.” Matt nodded at her.

  “Let’s get the body down.” He looked at Jessie studying her pale face. “I had a call this morning from Blue Cove Funeral Home about a missing body. Mr. Yamamoto needs to get back to the funeral home for his funeral tomorrow. He died of a heart attack a few days ago.”

  “Geez, a man can’t be left alone even after he’s dead.” The officer shook his head.

  Matt called the funeral home to let them know Mr. Yamamoto’s body had been found, and they could pick him up at the church.

  Matt walked over to her and draped his arm over her shoulder. “How are you holding up?”

  “Why would they steal his body and hang him like that?” She shivered. “Was it just so they could scare me?”

  “Probably. I hate to do this to you, Jess, but you need to read this note.” He handed the plastic bag containing the note to her.

  She read it once, twice, and then over again.

  For Matt this was a moment wrought with uneasiness. He wanted to comfort her, but he didn’t know the right words. He felt awkward and not up to the task. He stood beside her patting her on the back a little too hard, not sure what he should say or if he made sense at all.

  “Matt, I’m all right, really I am.” She smiled at him. “I’ve come to understand you’re not a man that is good in this kind of moment.” She lifted his hand away from her shoulder.

  “You’re getting to know me pretty well.” He gave her a lopsided smile. “The suspect has connected us in his mind, which means he’s been watching your house. He believes in hurting you he’s hurting me and vice versa, which empowers him.” He paused hoping she would respond.

  “I don’t know about you, but I’m mad. When I went to open my office door this morning, I think Gina was trying to warn me something was wrong.” She straightened in the chair. “I’m getting used to her hanging around.” She creased her brows. “I don’t believe I’ll ever be able to walk into the office again and not see poor Mr. Yamamoto swinging like that.”