Vanished: What Would You Do If The Love Of Your Life Disappeared Without A Trace? (Nadine's quest to unravel the truth Book 1)

by D. D. Goordin

  “How do you know that for sure?”

  “Well I need you to try and remember that night we had gone to Camden and you ended up getting plastered and thankfully Tom was there to take you home. Was that the night before we had our last shift?”

  “I vaguely remembered that night, you kept on disappearing on me, I think the next day we did work the last time at Gatwick on our lates if my memory serves right.”

  “Well on that night someone had tried to call me and left a voice message, I think I still have it on my phone if you want you can hear it. Well it happened to be the doctor who had operated on Blake informing me that he needed to be operated on again which initially did not make much sense and even now it still didn’t add up. I still am puzzled by it. Well after we had worked our last shift I called the hospital but no one had answered and after seeing the doctor at Gatwick, I had been fearful of what could have happened to Blake and ended up visiting him at the hospital the next day. Strange thing though when I had reached and made my way to the department where I retraced my steps, I was in the correct ward but he’s name was not on the white board you know whereby a patient is still kept in hospital.”

  “Go on.”

  I could see that I had Chrissie’s attention.

  “Well when I questioned the nurse about Blake Saunders, she had no recollection of anyone by that name. I remembered the anger I had felt like someone had pushed the wrong buttons and even now it pains me still. I kept on saying Blake’s name but she kept on insisting she had no clue who I was on about. Eventually I asked about Doctor Lawson and she had informed me that he had no longer worked there at St Thomas Hospital and was intending on practicing elsewhere. When I tried to inquire she told me she was not allowed as it breaches confidentially. In the end I gave up and due to the state of shock that I was in I remained there until I had calmed down. I tried to smell Blake’s fragrance that I had fallen in love with that was a clear indicator I had not dreamed everything up and eventually had found his room. His scent was partially still there despite there had been a cleaner cleaning the room. I then questioned the cleaner who happened to have stayed in the room and he gave a description of Blake which had confirmed my worst fears. I had not understood anything and when I went back to the nurse station, I had seen a brown file with Blake’s name in bold writing and without thinking I ended up taking the report.”

  I watched as Chrissie’s face fell in a state of shock. There was a moment of silence.

  “What the hell were you thinking?!”

  “Honestly Christina I don’t even know what had possessed me.”

  “Did you return the file?”

  I remained silent.

  “Oh don’t tell me you’ve kept it?!”

  “Can you stop flipping out about the file please? Don’t you understand that someone had a vendetta against him; I have not even finished telling you the entire story. Whilst I was leaving the ward and heading out the hospital I saw Pc Stevens that creep of a police officer. I was listening on his conversation and maybe it was my imagination but I heard him tell someone by the name of Lawson that someone had apparently vanished. Now if I am correct in thinking this, Lawson could happen to be the doctor and the person who he said had vanished was Blake. Don’t you see nothing is adding up?! He doctor Lawson sent Pc Stevens to destroy that file of Blake’s Saunders but the question was why? Maybe I am wrong but so far my intuition is telling me this.”

  “Ok Nadine, I guess you are right but seriously you stole a file which happens to be confidential. Can’t you see that you have in fact committed a crime?”

  “Look I get that totally but you have to understand that I was in a state of shock, especially when the nurse could not recall him and being in the hospital made me question everything, whether I had dreamt up Blake. I thought I was going mad. I was on the verge of a meltdown and it brought back the memories of when I had lost my parents when I had found out that Blake had vanished. I don’t know how I did get back home in all fairness I felt like I was in a dream state.”

  “I cannot believe you have kept so much from me Nadine.”

  “Chrissie, trust me it wasn’t like that.”

  “So in regards to this file did you read it?”

  “I eventually did and I noticed that Blake Saunders name was struck through stating that he’s deceased and besides it there was another name of Hayden Reeves. After I read it all with all the medical terms which I didn’t have the foggiest clue what they meant I ended up doing my own research. Every drug that was administered to Blake happened to be sedatives. Literally how many dosages that were administered were lethal? He could be....”

  “He could be what?”

  I was trembling just thinking of saying my fear out loud.

  “Chrissie he could be dead. I even had strange dreams that someone had abducted him and someone I had managed to save him also the re-enactment of the night of the crime and he had died on me and his body had somehow vanished but in the wind I could hear his voice calling out to me and find him. My dreams got even stranger, I wasn’t myself but the fact that I had happened to be inside Pc Steven’s body.”

  I heard myself telling her everything and even I had sounded delusional even to my own ears. I took a deep breath. I had felt a raw emotion that I knew oh so well. Once I started I couldn’t stop sobbing.

  “Oh Nadine, shhhhhh please don’t cry.”

  I couldn’t even phrase sentences together. The trembling eventually passed and so did the tears whilst Christina had embraced me.

  “Were you ever going to tell me had I not mentioned Blake?”

  “Eventually I would have. You are aware about the fact I was being followed on that same night from Camden right. During that night I had bumped into Dane, Pc Franco. Remember him?”

  “The understanding police officer who; was meant to be off duty when you gave your statement?”

  “Yeah that’s Dane he saw me at Koko in Camden and told me to extra vigilant. He knows that I happen to be in grave danger. This morning at around 4-5am someone was banging furiously on my door and I know that I don’t tend to have visitors who come at that time. Well Dane, came to visit me to inform me of the whereabouts concerning Blake plus there happened to be a package for me which you know that don’t order anything nor was I expecting any delivery. He told me everything that he knew that Blake had in fact vanished and there was no sign of him. But I honestly don’t think he was aware about the identity. When he saw the package he asked prototype questions whether I was expecting anything and when I told him no, he figured out that someone was out there to scare me. He was the one who had opened the package and he took out what looked like animals organs, it was utterly revolting. Thankfully he got rid of it and mentioned to secure the house, to always lock the doors and as he was leaving he did notice someone keeping an eye on my property. When he did try to approach the person in question they practically had scarpered off. So now do you see that something is certainly not adding up?”

  “Evidently something is not adding up but where is the file?”

  “It’s upstairs.”

  “Do you mind if I look at it. I could in fact have ideas. I want to help you out Nadine. Allow me to do this. I know people who work at St Thomas and who hack into accounts, or even DNA sampling. Hell it may take time but clearly you are right, nothing is making sense.”

  “I think we best head upstairs.”

  I cleared out the empty pizza box from the living room and took the empty bottle of wine and dumped the in the bin whilst Chrissie had taken her DVD upstairs, waiting for me to show the file. I was hopeful that Chrissie would be able to give me some sort of clarity and help me understand what could have possibly happened to Blake.

  Chapter 18

  I headed upstairs to my bedroom whilst Chrissie was in the spare room. I took the time to change into my pyjamas. Once I changed I went to take out the box where I had stored everything that was important including the file. I placed the file on my bed.<
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  “Chrissie here’s the file.” I called out.

  I could see that we both had the same thing in mind as she had also changed. She sat on the bed scanning the file.

  “Now do you see Blake Saunders name had been crossed out?”

  “I do you weren’t lying when you told me that, but normally when someone has been deceased meaning dead there wouldn’t be no other name in brackets. It’s very contradictory.”

  I remained silent whilst Christina was analysing the entire report.

  “What in the world!!!! Fuck me that many drugs were administered to him?”

  “Now can you see where I am coming from?”

  “I can, blimey reading that it seems the doses could have been lethal. But the main thing that is bugging me is why is the name Hayden Reeves beside his in brackets?”

  “That is something I myself have been trying to figure out, the only thought that had come to mind when I had seen that was maybe that had been his name all along?”

  “Nadine you’re missing the link, Blake Saunders had been crossed out and right beside it states deceased which means he’s dead....but the fact that there is another name could mean that maybe the doctor had given him another person’s identity.”

  “But in order to do that won’t they have to destroy his own file you know his credentials such as other information which would include his address, banking details and so on?”

  “Which is where you would require a police to do that job or even someone within the law; I think it could certainly be a possibility and one not to rule out.”

  “I think you could be potentially correct.”

  “One last thing I feel is relevant in all of this, his DNA could play a huge part. Remember the night when you saw him and aided him. Did your clothes happen to be covered in blood?”

  “If my memory serves me right, I remember I had worn a blouse that day which had turned crimson red. I vaguely remembered whether I had washed it or not, I can’t even remember where I had placed it.”

  “Nadine you do know that could be a vital piece of evidence. You need to try and find it so that we would have concrete evidence that Blake Saunders does exist.”

  “Chrissie right now I can’t even think straight. This is all too much.”

  “Whether you like it or not you got yourself into this mess. Just think of everything I said don’t you think it has logic.”

  “I totally agree with you, but why would anyone do that?”

  “It is evident that Doctor Lawson and PC Stevens must’ve had a vendetta against him. No one would stoop that low to the point of abusing their powers.”

  “I have to admit you are right, I knew instantly something had appeared to be slightly off with Pc Stevens but I couldn’t quite put a finger on it. I remember that night when both he and PC Franco were questioning me; I glanced down and could see that PC Steven’s knuckles were bruised. Again on that night where I managed to come in the nick of time to save Blake, part of his eyes were somewhat bruised. At that point in time I had thought it could have been Pc Stevens who had made a getaway from the scene as I recall seeing a silhouette of a man fleeing.”

  “You know we are pretty much making assumptions but what if we happen to be accurate and all this is true, surely we would have difficulty in proving this unless...”

  “Unless what?”

  “Put it this way Nadine, I have got certain contacts ever since I had started to attend my course.”

  “What do you mean certain contacts?”

  “Put it this way, one of the guys that I started to talk to he has a placement in St Thomas hospital, and if my memory serves me he has been there over a month which I am thinking he could know or have some idea what could have taken place. I remember him seeing that they have some sort of CCTV there which is where things may help in regards to knowing what could have happened to Blake. Regarding the DNA sample and if you can locate the blouse, there is also another girl who happens to be having her placement in a scientific lab, regarding forensics. The only thing though is that I don’t know anyone within the police force or even in the legal sector. So I was thinking maybe your good friend Dane could help.”

  “Hmmm, this is murky waters we happen to be stepping in. Chrissie I honestly don’t know whether I could get him to co operate with me.”

  “Clearly the guy likes you and he happens to be worried about your safety for Christ sakes he even bought you a bouquet of roses, we have to try otherwise you would never fully know what could have happened to Blake and also not knowing the reason as to why Doctor Lawson and Pc Stevens tried to kill him off.”

  “Is that what you really think?”

  “Come on Nadine, look at the facts, things are not making sense but when you put pieces together you see the bigger picture.”

  “Ok ok I agree but what of this Hayden Reeves?”

  “I will definitely try and get some snoop of that name whether it does in fact exist or not. Just have patience and have faith that we will get to the bottom of this.”

  “I trust you with my life Christina and you know now that you have given me suggestions it all seems to fit perfectly together but the one thing is why the vendetta?”

  “I am sure we will find out eventually.”

  “I hope you are right Chrissie, maybe your logic is spot on but I guess we will both know in time. Do you think there could be a possibility he could be dead?”

  “Honestly Nadine, I don’t know. But it seems to me that he is possibly maybe no longer known as Blake Saunders. Doctor Lawson surely must know what he was doing and it seems to me that Pc Stevens could be his accomplice or vice versa.”

  “That’s exactly what I had initially thought I guess Blake was trying to hint something that not all things are what they seemed to be, he could have possibly be hinting at Doctor Lawson but again when I was at the hospital he had insisted he had not wanted to me to leave which at first I had not quite understood until now.”

  “Seems to me that he probably didn’t want to alarm Doctor Lawson of anything suspicious which was why he couldn’t tell you much, maybe that was why he kept on talking in riddles.”

  Christina then handed me back the file.

  “I guess now I can understand why you acted on impulse Nadine. I still don’t think it was the ideal thing to have done but if what you had first said that Pc Stevens was around at the time you had left the hospital or you happened to be on your way out, he could have possibly been there to destroy the file regarding Blake.”

  “Exactly! That was what I had initially been thinking but I think it is in our best interest not to jump to any conclusions.”

  I clutched the file in my hand and held it close.

  “I think I ought to store this file in a safe place.”

  “You need to make sure that no one knows that you have in fact got the file which leads me onto asking the last question...Did Pc Stevens happened to have seen you that particular day when you went to visit Blake on the last occasion?”

  “Luckily enough I had managed to shield my face, but I did over hear a conversation whereby I vaguely remember him mentioning Lawson that he has vanished. Do you think that he could be implying that Blake had vanished?”

  “It could be a possibility.”

  “From what you gathered I would not put it past them. Anyways Nadine I think I will get some sleep.”

  “I was just about to say the same. I really do appreciate your input though and voicing all your suspicions regarding Blake.”

  “Good night and sweet dreams.”

  “You too Nadine.”

  I gave her a quick hug and watched her go to the spare room. I closed the door and decided to put the file elsewhere. I had a safe that was located in my wardrobe and decided to get everything I had of Blake’s and store it there, locking it with the authorised code. The only thing I had kept in the shoe box was the charity event leaflet that Doctor Lawson had dropped which I felt was important to take with me when I would reach
New York. Everything that Christina had voiced was exactly what I had been thinking. What if she was right? It would be so hard to prove anything as both Doctor Lawson and Pc Stevens are both seen to be professional characters, unless they have abused their powers before but what were the chances of lightning striking twice in the same place.

  Surely they both wouldn’t be that stupid especially to have master mind this whole plan. I had to stop thinking about all the conclusions that we had somehow presumed. But it was there in the file, the drugs and the dosages that had been administered. I had to try and shut down and get a good night’s rest otherwise I would end up having trouble sleeping. I decided to get into bed, pulling the duvets over my head. I had difficulty switching off and ended up counting sheep but to no avail. Eventually after half an hour my eyes started to close I was in oblivion.

  I could smell that fragrance I had loved so much. It was all around me in the environment that I was in. I glanced at my surroundings to see that I was in a house, a house that I had recognised from before.

  “Blake?”

  I felt him right against me, holding me from behind with his head nestled right where my neck was.

  “Hmm you smell nice.”

  “Not as nice as you.”

  I manoeuvred around so that I was facing him. His eyes were instantly on mine. I gently stroked his cheek and could see that he looked sad.

  “What’s wrong?” I inquired.

  “You know they will never give up in trying to find me they had wanted me dead.”

  “Who?”

  “Nadine, I warned you before to be careful.”

  “I have been careful no one had followed me here.”

  Without rationally thinking I kissed him. I needed him to know that I would always be his saviour to protect him with all my heart. Hell I was a woman and when pushed to the limits I would do anything in my will power to keep him alive. Our tongues had entwined with one another in a battle like a tango. I wasn’t letting up. I could feel his resistance and knew he would always stop the kiss from becoming so much more. My hands had moved over his torso loving the feel of him. This man had made me come alive. I heard him let out a groan.