by Kelly Holm
“I would love to.”
Leo told the detective how Krystal mysteriously died and how she led him to Dr. Blackmore. He told him about the medication and how it had parasites in it, and how Dr. Blackmore would track the patients until they died so he could harvest their organs and sell them on the black market.”
“That’s quite a story, Mr. Mills. Is that how you remember it too, Ms. Bergman?”
“Actually, I was passed out for most of it, I didn’t really come to until Leo had shot him; but he’s my brother, he wouldn’t lie; if he said that’s what happened, then that’s what happened.”
“Ok, well I think I have all I need here,” Detective DeLoc said, as he flipped his notebook closed and stood to leave.
Detective DeLoc knew there were plenty of things that he should be investigating, such as Leo’s claim that someone was selling body parts on the black market; but that new fly-fishing pole was calling his name, and he knew that an investigation could take weeks or even months. He had done his due diligence and found nothing out of the ordinary, or at least that’s what his report will say.
“Are you going to do something about this?” Leo asked, wondering why the detective wasn’t taking any action.
“There isn’t much more I can do except put it in the report.”
“Why the hell not?” Leo was pissed, why didn’t this guy believe him?
“Well there wasn’t any evidence to back up what you just described to me, and well, the guy who you claimed was behind the whole operation is dead. Looks like it kind of solved itself,” he said with a smirk.
“What about the computer chips and the surgical equipment?”
“Nothing; we searched the entire building.”
Leo was upset, Mila had warned him this would happen, but he knows what he saw. At least he can find comfort in the fact that Dr. Blackmore won’t be hurting anyone else.
Before Detective DeLoc left, he tracked Mila down again.
“I have one more question for you, if you don’t mind.”
“Sure.”
“Mr. Mills mentioned that Dr. Blackmore was drugging the patients and then harvesting their organs on the black market, is there any truth to that?” He knew that if it was true, there was no way in hell, she was going to admit it; he was more looking to see what her reaction would be.
“Seriously?” Mila smiled and said, “I think that Leo is having a tough time accepting the death of my mother. They were together for many years, and she died very quickly and unexpectedly a few weeks ago. In my professional opinion, I think he needs to talk with someone to help him sort out his grief.”
“That makes sense.”
“I was just wondering… is there any way we can keep Dr. Blackmore’s death out of the press?”
Detective DeLoc looked up from his notebook and directly at Mila. He wondered why she would want to keep the death a secret. Mila noticed the look on his face and quickly said,
“The patients in the waiting room are very delicate, and I don’t want to upset them with his death. Some of them were his patients. Plus, I don’t want to start a media frenzy; he was a very prominent psychiatrist. It will be in his patients’ best interest if we handle this privately.”
“I understand. You aren’t required to report a death to a newspaper or even have an obituary done, but you still have to file a death certificate with the vital records office. That should help, but as I’m sure you’re aware, sometimes things leak out. I would make a plan in case that happens. I’ll make sure my guys don’t mention anything.”
“Thank you for your help.”
“Ok then; I’m done here. If you think of anything else that might be relevant, here’s my card,” Detective DeLoc said, as he handed Mila his soon to be useless business card.
Chapter 20
The next day, Mila woke up with a refreshing new outlook on life. Things were going to be very different from now on; thanks to Dr. Blackmore, she was in charge, and she no longer had to worry about money. However, there were still some loose ends she needed to tie up.
As she drove into the office, she thought about the events of the last couple of days, it had been quite a rollercoaster. She knew she would have to say something to the staff to explain Dr. Blackmore’s sudden absence, but she wasn’t quite sure what that explanation was going to be. She really wanted to keep his death out of the press so that she could continue his work.
Should I tell the staff the truth that Dr. Blackmore died or should I just say he took an immediate leave of absence? She just wasn’t sure. Each version had its perks and its downfalls; however, the more Mila thought about it, the more she began to think it might be easier to lie. She continued to debate it, going back and forth with herself during her drive, and by the time she reached her new office, she had made a decision.
“Good morning, Sofia, how are you today?” Mila asked cheerfully as she walked in.
“I am fabulous, thank you for asking. You sure look pretty today, is that a new dress?”
“Yes, it is, thanks for noticing. Hey, I was wondering, do you have the combination for Dr. Blackmore’s office? I’m going to move in there.”
“With Dr. Blackmore… the two of you are going to share an office?” Sofia was confused.
“No,” Mila said, as she leaned in for privacy, “I’m going to make a formal announcement this morning, but Dr. Blackmore
had to take an immediate leave of absence last night. He won’t be back for a while.”
“That’s strange, he didn’t mention anything to me.”
“It was very sudden, and I think you may have been gone already.” Mila lied.
“Oh, I see. Well, I sure hope everything is ok.”
“Hmmm, yes.” Mila didn’t want to go into details.
“Does that mean that you are going to be working out of this office more?”
“Yes, in fact, since Dr. Blackmore had to leave so abruptly, I’ve decided to move my practice here permanently.”
“That is wonderful, I’m so excited,” Sofia said, as she handed Mila a post-it with the combination written on it.
“Would it be possible to get a new nameplate for my office?”
“Sure, that’s no problem. I’ll take care of it right away.”
“Thank you. Would you also gather the staff for a quick meeting? I’d like to address this matter right away this morning.”
“Yes, of course.”
Mila walked into the back area; it felt different now that she was in charge. There were a few changes she wanted to make, nothing major, mostly painting and décor ideas; and began to make a mental list. As Mila walked towards her new office, she wondered what she’ll find when she starts going through Dr. Blackmore’s paperwork and files.
Mila put the combination in and opened the door. As the door opened, she looked inside and could hardly believe this was her new office. She couldn’t wait to get started, but first, she had to explain Dr. Blackmore’s absence to the staff. She quickly placed her briefcase on the desk, threw her purse in a drawer, and went back out to the lobby for the meeting.
“Thanks, guys, I’ll keep this quick, I know you are all very busy. Last night, Dr. Blackmore received some unsettling news and had to take an immediate leave of absence. I don’t know when or if he will return.”
“What happened?” one of the nurses asked.
“I’m sorry, but I can’t go into details, it’s a personal matter.”
“What about his patients?” another nurse asked.
“I will be taking his caseload. Whatever I can’t handle, I will delegate out myself.” Mila knew that his only patients were the ones that were referred for the OCD trial drug project, and until she can get someone else to hypnotize the patients and inject them with the drug, there won’t be too many of them.
“Who’s in charge now?” Lamar asked.
“I will be. Are there any other questions?” Mila asked as she looked around the room. She wanted to get this wrapped up soon so
she could get started on the stack of paperwork patiently waiting for her on her new desk. “Ok, then we’re done here.”
When she got back to her new office, she immediately went to the desk, sat down, and got started. Her first line of business would be to find a new psychiatrist that specializes in hypnosis. She thought about the people she knew, but none of them were particularly skilled in hypnosis.
I wonder if Jessica would know of someone, she thought as she dialed her number. Mila knew that she would have to tell Jessica what was going on, but that was the least of her worries right now. She was confident that Jessica would keep her secret.
“Hi Jessica, hey, do you have a minute I need your help with something.”
“Sure, what’s going on?”
Mila told her how Dr. Blackmore asked her to partner with him and how things went south in room four. She purposely left
out the part about her having to marry him and how she is the sole heir to his fortune.
“So, I was wondering if you might know anyone who specializes in hypnosis and would be open to joining our team.”
“Hmmm, let me think… you know… there is this one doctor, I met him at a conference earlier this year, but he lives up in San Francisco.”
“Do you think he would be interested?”
“I’m not sure, but I’d be happy to give him a call.”
“That would be great, thanks so much.”
“What about everything else?”
“I’m still working on that stuff. You should see the pile of paperwork I have to tackle this morning.”
“Well, let me know if you need any help. I’ll give that doctor a call, and I’ll let you know how it goes. I’ll talk to you later.”
When Mila hung up, she realized that she still had to figure out who she sells the patients organs to. Unfortunately for her, Dr. Blackmore died before he could introduce her to his contacts; she had no idea who they were, how to contact them, or how the actual process worked. Come on Irving, tell me you kept a file with all that information, she thought. She checked his file cabinet and the files in his desk, but so far, no luck.
When she opened the top desk drawer to look for a new pen, she noticed a small gold key sitting in the tray.
“I wonder what this is for…,” she said, as she pulled it out and looked at it.
It was a tiny key; too small for a door, but maybe it would fit a cabinet, she thought. She looked around the office for anything with a small keyhole, but she didn’t see anything. I wonder if Sofia knows what this opens, she thought as she walked out into the reception area.
“Sofia, I found this key in the top desk drawer, do you have any idea where it goes?”
“Hmmm… that’s a good question. Did you try the file cabinets?”
“Yes, the one in the desk itself and the free-standing one.”
“Then that must be for the special one in the closet.”
“The special one in the closet? I didn’t realize there was a file cabinet in the closet. I thought it was just boxes and, well, junk.”
“My bad; it’s not a file cabinet; I should have mentioned that; it’s a safe.”
“A safe that uses a key rather than a code… hmmm, well at least I don’t have to memorize another code,” Mila replied with a smile.
“Ya, I thought it was strange too. I actually found it by accident when I was cleaning up for him; Dr. Blackmore was so upset he swore me to secrecy. I don’t know what’s in there, but he sure wanted it to remain a secret.”
“Really, I wonder what’s inside…” Mila quickly went back into her office and directly to the coat closet. She looked inside, and at first, she didn’t see anything that resembled a safe; but when she moved a couple of file boxes, there it was.
She carefully placed the key in the lock and turned it. After a quick, ‘click’ sound, the front popped open. When she looked inside, she found a folder filled with paperwork, a ledger, and a checkbook. She carefully pulled out the contents to examine them.
Inside the folder was a notebook, and it was exactly what she had been looking for. It listed each doctor’s name with a phone number and their location. Mila pulled the ledger out and looked at it; there was a small lock on it that required a special key. I wonder where this key is, she thought. She could completely understand why Dr. Blackmore kept these locked up in such an
unconventional spot; it wasn’t something he would have wanted someone to accidentally find.
As she sat in her swanky new office chair reading the papers in the folder, she suddenly remembered something Dr. Blackmore said to her, and it stopped her dead in her tracks. He told her that unless the two of them married, his contacts wouldn’t even meet with her, let alone do business with her. This could be a problem, she thought.
How the hell am I going to get around this? She wondered. Mila knew she had to think of something and quick because without that marriage license, she wasn’t even heir to his massive fortune. She quickly went into the desk drawer where he filed the contract they signed yesterday to see if maybe there was a loophole in all that fine print that could help her.
After reading the contract three times, she still wasn’t any closer to a solution. As she put the contract down it started to sink in, all of this might be over; the money, the thrills, everything. She was crushed; it felt like all her dreams and plans for the future just swirled down the proverbial toilet. This sucks, she thought, looks like from now on it’s just boring old psychiatry and therapy unless some sort of miracle happens.
Then there was the problem of how to tell everyone involved that it was over. It was definitely going to be a challenge; considering Mila wasn’t even sure how deep this project went.
Just then there was a knock on her door, and Sofia stuck her head in.
“Dr. Thorton, I was wondering if you had a spare moment.”
“Sure Sofia, please come in,” Mila said, as she casually pushed the contract under other papers so it would be hidden.
Sofia walked in and sat down in the chair across from Mila.
“What’s on your mind, Sofia?”
“I wanted to know how you would like to handle Dr. Blackmore’s patient list and also his… extracurricular activities.”
Mila had no idea that Sofia knew about his extracurricular activities; she was under the impression that only a couple of the doctors, Lamar and Nurse Clancy, knew anything about the project. This is great, she thought, someone to help me sort this out.
“Extracurricular activities?” Mila wanted to make sure they were both talking about the same thing before she said much more.
“Yes, he was working with patients and giving them a new experimental drug, he found in India.”
So, the medication comes from somewhere in India, good to know, Mila thought, I wonder what else she knows.
“I see…” Mila wanted to keep Sofia talking.
“Dr. Blackmore said he was getting great results with it. Oh, he also has several doctors he pays a monthly commission to if they refer patients to him for this experimental drug.”
“Do you know what the drug was for?”
“He said it was to help patients with OCD or anxiety. Apparently, he was having great success because the patients that tried it never returned; I guess they were cured. Isn’t that just amazing?”
“Hmmm, yes, it is quite amazing.” Mila was disappointed; she realized that Sofia didn’t know as much as she had hoped. However, maybe she knew enough to help her figure out a way to keep this machine moving. “What exactly did you do for him?”
“I helped him with his schedule, and I usually order the medication too. Do you think you will be continuing with his work?”
“I’m not sure at this point; I have to learn a little more
about what he was doing and also the medication itself. Do you know who manufactures it?”
“No, I just call this number and leave a message telling them that Dr. Blackmore would like to reorder. Then about a week late
r, it shows up.
“Interesting…”
“I’ll tell you everything I know about it, but to be honest, I just took care of the administrative part. I have a list of the doctors and the days they come for payment, does that help?” Sofia asked.
“You are going to be a great help to me. In fact, would you be interested in becoming my personal assistant? There would be a significant raise, and I’ll still allow you time to study.”
“That would be amazing.”
“How far along are you in school?”
“This is my last year; next year, I’ll have to leave to do my residency somewhere.”
Mila thought for a moment and then said…
“Would you be interested in doing it here?”
“The residency? That would be a dream.”
“Well, then consider it done. I’ll put something in writing for you, and we can discuss the details when the time is closer.”
“Thank you so much, I don’t know what to say. I promise I won’t let you down. Would you still like me to do reception?”
“Just until you find a replacement; I won’t give you too much until then.”
“I’ll give the employment agency a call right away this morning. It shouldn’t be too hard to find a new receptionist. You know, I might even know someone who is looking for a gig…,” she said, as she trailed off in thought, “Was there anything else you needed?”
“I found a notebook and ledger, but the ledger has a lock on it that requires a special key; any idea where to look for it?”
“I know there’s a key hidden on top of the closet door, I have no idea what it opens, but I know it’s there.”
“It just sits on top of the door? I thought for sure it was going to be in some file drawer or some secret hiding place.”
“Right? When I asked Dr. Blackmore about it, he told me he likes to hide things in plain sight, because people will always think it should be hidden somewhere better.”
“Makes sense.”
“You have a very hectic day ahead of you, today is payday for about fifteen doctors.”
“You mentioned that you have a list of the doctors who will be coming in for payment, do they come in at specific times or just randomly on the days they are assigned?”
