Avery frowned and looked through the rest of the drawers, which contained nothing of consequence. Perhaps the answer to that question would become clearer after they could determine who Campbell’s partner was… Or perhaps their difference of opinion on bringing back Eira was why the doctor was lying downstairs.
What she could confirm at that moment was that the missing organs were nowhere to be found, nor was there any evidence that anything beyond note-taking occurred in this office. She gathered the relevant books from the wall along with the notebook and made her way back downstairs carefully, her arms so full she wobbled a few times.
Saga and Lahiri were waiting for her in the foyer.
“Did you find anything?” Avery asked, announcing her entrance.
“Here, let me help you,” Lahiri offered, coming to her aid quickly to relieve her of half her biblio-burden.
Saga, on the other hand, did not move. She still looked shaken, but she’d removed her gloves and discarded them somewhere. “All major organs are missing from the abdominal cavity and chest, but it’s like you suspected. The cuts were…” She swallowed and shook her head. “They lacked surgical precision—probably done with another kitchen knife. If medical knowledge was key in performing the removal rituals, it’s pretty clear the doctor was the one originally performing them. Even if this new killer wanted him to suffer, if they had healing magic, they would have likely utilized some of it to make the removal cleaner. By the look of the haphazard damage sustained, it’s unlikely the organs pulled will even be usable. Of course they may have just been taken as a red herring.”
“And the paper?”
“The incoming team will clean it up so we can be sure,” said Lahiri. “But from what we can tell they look like pages from Eira Goff’s will.”
Avery’s eyebrows raised. This was an unexpected development. What was the point? Another product of rage? Sending a message? Or perhaps a deliberate and calculated act to throw suspicion on a family member? “Does that mean we’ll know the exact contents of that will?”
“Finding the pages inside the body of a murder victim is more than enough for a warrant to get a clean copy of the document.” Lahiri glanced back at Saga before lowering his voice. “I have to wait for the team to finish up here and make sure we’re in the clear for Mundane eyes. Would you mind making sure Saga gets home safely?”
“You want us to leave?”
“I think it would be best,” the man said quietly. Then, with emphasis. “Forher.”
Avery’s attention flicked to the other woman. Had she miscalculated? Until now Saga had been such a perfect asset, but now… “Understood.”She called out to her. “Could you help carry these? We’re taking the tube back.”
It was like watching a sleepwalker the way she pulled herself off the wall to take the books Detective Lahiri held.
“I’ll call later to check on you.”
Dissociated and mute, Saga nodded, then followed Avery out the front door. It took her a moment to realize Avery was waiting onherto take the lead as she had no idea where to find the station.
The pair made their way wordlessly through Mayfair to the Bond Street Underground Station. It was but one stop on the Jubilee to Baker Street, and once they emerged into a familiar area, Avery walked more in stride with Saga than behind her.
It was a short trip all in all and an even shorter walk from the station back to 221, but Avery had taken every opportunity to study her companion without making her scrutiny obvious.
She was in a state of shock, that much was clear. But still present, still functioning. She did not appear to be a danger to herself or anyone else.
Avery debated if she should say anything. It seemed inappropriate to bring up yet somehow leaving it unmentioned nagged as an even more egregious offense. She was troubling over this dilemma as they crossed over the threshold into the hallway of the rear apartments when Saga finally spoke.
“How do you do it?”
The sound of her voice after a journey of silence was startling. “How do I do…what?”
“What youdo. Seeing people…” Her mouth attempted to form the words before opting for vaguer terms. “How we found Doctor Campbell. How do you keep going with that haunting you?”
It was always a relief when someone saved Avery the trouble of bringing up the socially delicate thing by doing it themselves. “The same way you operate on people who need you, I imagine. I’m sure you worked plenty with cadavers in your medical training.”
“I did…” Saga held the books tightly to her chest.
“But it’s different,” Avery finished for her, recognizing the way her voice lingered.
Saga nodded, meeting Avery’s eyes for the first time since they’d found Alistair Campbell. “Yes. It’s very different.”
“Did I upset you when I asked you to examine him?”
Saga chewed on this question, giving it a great deal of thought. “You did not upset me by asking, but I was upset.”
“I am not sure I’m following you.”
