“I have to save my own skin first,” Tracy admitted shamelessly.
“So what is he being held for?” Tracy went on to ask.
“You know I cannot tell you that.”
“But you would have told me if it concerned me?”
“This man who showed up at your apartment today,” Sam started in an attempt to change the topic. “Did he give you Rita’s twin’s last name?”
“So are you going to chose to ignore me?”
“I choose not to share with you information that does not concern you Miss Evans,” Sam answered.
“Miss Evans? Now we are being too formal after all the lunches and dinner you have spent on me?”
Tracy only meant this question as a tease but the look that was Sam’s face after that made her become more serious. She stared at the palms of her hands before looking up at Sam with a more straight face.
“No he did not,” she answered. “He simply said her twin went by the name of June.”
Sam glared at her for a moment longer thinking of what he was going to do next. He turned his attention to the computer and began typing away on it. He then turned his attention to Tracy and let out a smile.
“Do you want to go for a ride?”
“Will you buy me lunch?” Tracy asked.
“Don’t I always?”
They both got to their feet and Tracy watched as Sam pocketed both his badge and his gun before looking up at her and started walking out of the room. Tracy followed behind him but stooped on the door way to look in the direction Lohan had disappeared to. She hoped Peter would not mention her in the questioning and followed Sam out of the police station.
*****
Lohan walked back to the interrogation room with his files still in his hand and sat opposite Peter. He liked the look of confidence he had now acquired on his face and the thought of wiping it out got him excited.
“Peter.”
“Yes sir,” he answered sarcastically.
“Ever heard the saying, ‘Dead men tell no tales’?”
Peter looked up at the old detective with a confused look on his face but did not want him to see him rattled. He instead let out a wide smile and leaned back in his seat.
“Of course I have.”
“Good,” Lohan answered. “We are about to put this old saying into question.”
“Are we now?”
“Oh yes we are,” Lohan answered with a chuckle. “You are going to love this.”
Lohan flipped through a few of the files that were in front of him before looking up at Peter momentarily.
“You were Rita Sutter’s therapist, were you not?”
“For goodness sake, how many times am I going to answer that question today?”
“Is that a yes or no, Dr. Mathews?”
“Affirmative.”
“Good,” Lohan stared with a cold stare. “It is always good to clarify these things.”
Peter wanted to reply to him but was interrupted by Lohan who asked him a different question.
“That means you knew all her secrets and schemes?”
“You know more than anyone else detective that I am covered by doctor patient confidentiality.”
“Of course I know that,” Lohan answered. “I know how this works, you are going to make me get a court order as you relay with your lawyer and he feeds you some cock and bull story at your expense but will tell you to give up the files on her at the end, you want to know why?”
“Why?”
“Because you are now being considered a major suspect in the Rita Sutter investigation.”
“That cannot be,” Peter protested but was again interrupted.
“I know judges, Dr. Mathews. I know judges who will grant me what I want in the blink of an eye and I will have the court order in my hands even before your lawyer gets here.”
“But…”
“I know the law, Peter,” Lohan went on. “Albeit not as much as you I can imagine given that you testify in the courts of law for some clients. I know that in a situation like this, once the victim is dead and any knowledge you have interferes with the progress of a homicide investigation, you will be obliged to give all the information you have regarding Rita Sutter.”
Peter went silent for a few more minutes. He watched as Lohan got to his feet and went on to glare at him.
“I will let you simmer on that,” he said and started heading out of the room.
“I want to talk to my lawyer,” Peter said before Lohan could open the door. “Anything I say will be said in the presence of a lawyer and a court order.”
“Very well.”
Lohan walked out of the room and shut the door behind him, he knew he was only trying to be brave but from the look on his face had gotten under his skin. He started heading back to the office and was much surprised when there was no-one there. He picked up his cell phone and dialed his partner’s phone.
“Hey Sam, where are you?”
“Parking lot, was just about to head out.”
“Where to?”
“To find Rita’s twin.”
“Alright wait for me,” he said and took his coat, badge and gun from his desk. He then started walking towards the parking lot. He stepped out into the mid-afternoon sun and spotted Sam from a distance with Tracy on his side. He had his reservations about her but decided to keep them to himself as he approached them.
“Where are we headed?”
“I have a hunch on the nearest hospital June could have died in.”
“A hunch?”
“Not really,” Sam went on as he got into the driver’s seat and started the car. “I researched the nearest hospital that offered chemotherapy near the morgue.”
“That was smart,” Lohan complimented. “Maybe you should call Rodney and confirm with him the few bodies that were brought from the hospital on the night in question. Tracy did say they had to take the body back from to the family.”
“She did say that,” Sam admitted. “And I wouldn’t call Rodney, he wouldn’t be much help.”
“Who would you call then?”
“I already did,” Sam replied. “You remember that sweet receptionist who really loved smiling?”
“I do.”
“She gave me all the information I needed,” Sam answered.
“Is that all she gave you?”
Sam let out a hearty laugh at the mention of this and went on to drive the car in silence. Tracy was in the backseat listening keenly to both of them and not saying a word. She however wished Lohan would volunteer any information about Dr. Mathews and thought of questions she could ask that would trigger the information she wanted.
Sam drove through a few unfamiliar streets before finally parking the car at the front of a hospital.
“Here we are,” he announced. “St. Jude’s Memorial Hospital.”
“This is the place?”
“Yes,” Sam answered his partner.
They all got out of the car but Lohan gave Tracy a weird look once she stepped out.
“Perhaps you should wait in the car for us,” Lohan suggested and looked at Sam quizzically.
“Perhaps not,” Tracy answered challengingly and walked on ahead of them towards the hospital.
Lohan had many questions for Sam but decided to reserve them for a later time. He walked on after her and only stopped in front of the reception when she too did the same.
Sam did not like the piercing looks Lohan was throwing his way and instinctively rushed beside Tracy before she said anything that might make the looks that came his way worse.
“Hello,” he said to the receptionist with a wide smile displayed. “I am Detective Sam and this is my partner Detective Lohan.”
“What can I do for you?” was the reply.
“We are here investigating the death of a certain Rita Sutter.” Sam paused to see if there was any reaction on the receptionist but it did not seem to ring a bell. “She had a twin sister who went by the name of June.”
&nbs
p; “I will have to see proof of identification before giving you any information regarding our patients,” the receptionist pointed out.
“Of course.”
Sam pulled out his badge and placed it right in front of her. She then looked up at him and said, “One minute please.”
The receptionist walked out of her station and disappeared into the hallway. This gave Lohan a chance to ask his burning question.
“Ok, Sam,” he said and turned in his direction. “You do know we are working on a murder case here.”
“Yes, I do.”
“Why the hell is Tracy trailing us everywhere we go?”
Sam knew his partner would ask about Tracy’s presence but did not have an answer for him. He was more than grateful when the receptionist walked back to where they were.
“This way, please,” she said.
They all followed her to a long hallway where she led them to the last door on their left.
“Right this way,” she went on to say. They got into the room and were led to a waiting bay before she turned to them and said, “the managing director will be with you in a minute.”
Both Sam and Lohan stared at each other before exchanging knowing looks they did not expect events to have taken such a turn.
Sam took in his surroundings but was specifically drawn to a painting in the wall. It looked vague familiar to him but he was distracted from giving it any more thought when the door to an office in front of them opened.
“The director will see you now,” a young woman who Sam assumed to be the assistant said to them. They all got to their feet but not at the same time and Sam turned his attention to Tracy.
“I am afraid you cannot come with us.”
“Okay.”
The simple reply was shocking for him in contrast with her rude nature and he decided to dwell on that later. He followed Lohan who was already at the door and had slightly opened it and walked right through it as well.
There was an elderly man seated right in front of them when they walked into the office. He had his name on a mantel piece at the front of his desk and various titles preceding him.
“Good afternoon, gentlemen, how can I help you today?” he asked and humbly got to his feet. He shook the hands of both Sam and Lohan before resuming his seat and ushering them to two seats in front of him.
“Hello, sir,” Sam started his usual introduction. “I am Detective Sam and this is my partner Detective Lohan.”
“You are police officers?”
“Yes, we are.”
“To what do I owe the pleasure?” he asked curiously. “I hope I am not in any kind of trouble.”
“No, sir,” Sam said immediately before leaning into his seat. “We were trying to get some information about a patient who was supposedly treated in this center a few weeks ago but sadly passed on.”
The director let out a smile before saying, “Now I know why you have been referred to me. I am the only person with access patient’s information.”
“That is a strict hospital policy,” Lohan spoke up for the first time since they had gotten there.
“It is,” he answered. “We value the privacy of our patients, some of them do not want to burden their families once they find out they have cancer.”
“That is selfish,” Sam butted in. “But that is only my opinion.”
“I thought so too at first but I later thought about it and realized they are actually very selfless.”
“How so?”
“Imagine this,” the director started. “How would your family react to the news if you called them today and told them you have cancer?”
Sam thought about the question for a moment and knew exactly how they would react. “It would be turmoil for them.”
“Exactly, that is why they choose not to tell their families until they are either completely healed or things have sadly gotten worse.”
“Sir, we would not like to take much of your time,” Lohan interrupted. “From the many titles that precede your name I can tell you are a very busy man.”
“I am.”
“The person we seek goes by the name of June; we only know her first name and date of death.”
The director turned to his computer screen and began typing away. He soon looked up at Lohan and asked, “Do you know what type of cancer she died from?”
“No I think breast cancer,” Sam answered and watched as the director went on to type on his computer.
There are two people here by the name of June hi died from breast cancer on the alleged date you claim,” he answered as he went on to look at his computer. “Let me print out the personal information for you, doctor’s notes excluded but you will get a copy of the hospital bills.”
“Thank you, doctor, that will be helpful,” Lohan said as he waited for the printer to spit out the much-needed information.
He then got to his feet after taking the files in his hands and walked out of the room with Sam behind him.
“He was helpful, I didn’t expect such cooperation from him,” Lohan said to Sam as they walked into the hallway. Tracy was waiting on them and got to her feet when she saw them.
“Did you get what you were looking for?” she asked them.
“Yes, we did.”
Lohan answered with a note of finality and she knew better than to ask any more questions. They walked on to the car in an awkward silence and Tracy only spoke when she was comfortably in the back seat.
“I can tell when I am not wanted,” she said. “Just get me my lunch and I will be on my way.”
“You promised her lunch?” Lohan asked.
“Yes, I did.”
“I now have to ask are the two of you dating,” Lohan said as he looked at both of them. “I would advise you not to until the case is closed.”
“Not dating.”
“Screwing perhaps?”
“God, no! He is gay,” Tracy answered curtly.
Lohan let out a slight chuckle and looked at Sam, the look on his face confirmed the claims and he didn’t need to ask any more questions.
“I am not entirely gay.”
“Please spare me the details and let’s get to that lunch,” Lohan said. “I am famished.”
Lucky for Sam the burger joint he had in mind was not far away from where he was and they got there in no time. The meal for them was equally awkward as all decided to avoid the elephant in the room and talk about everything else that didn’t seem important.
“I don’t trust her,” Lohan said to Sam once they had dropped Tracy in her neighborhood after the lunch and were watching her walk away.
“Why?”
“I think there is something she is after.”
“I think so too,” Sam agreed. “She is way too interested in the case.”
“Do you happen to know what it is?”
“As a matter of fact, I do.”
“What is it?”
Sam drove into the main highway as he told his partner about the joint account Tracy was after. He loved the priceless look on his face as he narrated all that he knew.
“It looks like all the early morning hours are finally paying off.”
“Yes, they are.”
“Keep up the good work.”
“Thanks,” Sam answered and could not help but feel proud of the compliment that had been paid his way. He drove on and gave Lohan a few side glances. Something had changed about Lohan – he was more focused and less grumpy. He didn’t want to know what it was but hoped his new attitude would stick; they needed it to solve the case.
Chapter Six
Ryan looked at his reflection in the mirror again and straightened his tie. The suit he had chosen to wear that day was not special and he had his reasons why. He threw a glance at his wrist watch and knew it was time to leave if he wanted to beta the traffic. The doorbell rung and he chose to ignore it; he was not in the mood for guests and went on to look at his reflection. He listened keenly as whoever it was let themself in and from the so
ft familiar footsteps that echoed in the hallway he knew who it was. He turned on his heel and started walking out of his bedroom to meet his guest midway.
“Good morning,” Tracy greeted. She was clad in a tight-fitting black dress with a wide hat perched on her head and gloves covering her hands. She had a low heel in place of a shoe and had decided to tie her hair back in a tight bun.
“Good morning,” Ryan answered as he walked towards her.
“I see you are already dressed.”
“I am.”
“I am here to drive you to the memorial.”
“You shouldn’t have,” Ryan answered. “I will be fine.”
“I insist.”
Ryan had planned on taking a cab to the venue anyway; he knew he was not feeling strong enough to drive anyway.
“Thank you,” he mouthed.
“Kids?”
“They will meet us there,” he answered.
Tracy took a few more steps towards him and placed a light kiss on his lips. She then cupped his cheek with her right hand before taking his arm in his and guarding him towards the car like a blind man. Ryan did not protest every step he took felt heavy as lead. He was not ready to bury the mother of his kids but however had no choice.
They both got into the car and Tracy took the driver’s seat, she had grown accustomed to Ryan’s car ever since he started grieving and knew the ins and outs of it.
“There is something I need to tell you,” Tracy started once they were securely strapped in the car. “I know it is the worst timing in the world but I wouldn’t want you to feel ambushed.”
“What are you talking about?”
“I am talking about Rita” Tracy went on. “There is reason to believe she may still be alive.”
The look on Ryan’s face was masked with confusion a she sat up straighter and listened more keenly to what Tracy had to say.
“How come I do not know anything about that?”
“I am sure the police did not want to burden you with such news,” Tracy answered. “They are not so sure about it and would only want to present you with facts.”
Mystery: Missing Rita: (Mystery, Suspense, Thriller, Suspense Thriller Mystery) Page 13
