Page 62 of Unraveled

“Yes. His name was Robert Tripp.” She picked up a couple of papers from the bed, then handed them to him. “This is his medical chart. His name came up in conversation right after he was identified, and one of the nurses mentioned that he was a patient at the VA.”

He quickly scanned them as she spoke. “Crazy.”

“I know, right? Well, if you remember, a second body turned up a couple weeks ago, just a few miles away from the first victim.” She handed him a second chart. “Merrill Keane. They don’t know for sure, but they suspect he may have actually been killed before Mr. Tripp but wasn’t found until later. Same with the most recent victim.”

“Okay?” He wasn’t quite sure where she was going with this. It sucked, but people died all the time, in all manners.

She laid a hand on his arm, insisting on his attention, and he met her serious gaze. “You can’t repeat any of this, okay?”

He nodded, confused. “Of course.”

She drew in a deep breath. “When I found the first victim—Tripp—the medical examiner on the case noticed something strange. All of his vital organs were gone.”

He quirked a brow, surprised that she was telling him all this. “Gruesome. Animals?”

“Removed—surgically,” she added as his stomach twisted. “Organs can fetch a pretty hefty price on the black market, so it’s a good possibility he was killed and his organs harvested for profit.”

He scrubbed a hand over his face. “That’s… revolting.”

“Right.” She sighed. “Well, this may have been the same scenario. I was curious about Merrill Keane, and when I googled him, I happened to find out he was a veteran of the Gulf War. According to news reports, his body was badly decomposed by the time he was found, so there’s no conclusive evidence that they were removed. But…”

She stared at him. “That makes three bodies found within a three-mile radius over the past month. Both of the men identified had type O blood—which would make them universal donors.”

“You think they’re connected,” he said, understanding dawning.

She nodded. “The third victim still hasn’t been identified, but Merrill and Keane were both patients at the VA. Keane was from a different branch, but his information was accessible. Both men’s charts say they’re single with no next of kin listed. What if someone targeted these men on purpose—say, a doctor who could perform the surgery?”

“It’s possible,” he admitted. “What are you thinking?”

Her teeth sank into her lower lip. “Remember that argument a while back? Kellerman made it sound like they were talking about a patient, but now…”

Oh, Christ. He saw exactly where she was going with that. “You think Kellerman’s responsible.”

“Maybe.” She lifted one hand. “But I have no proof. I just… have this gut feeling. He has access to patient records, and God knows he’s capable of surgical procedures.”

Son of a bitch. This whole thing became more and more tangled each day. They’d already determined that the gunman wasn’t Kellerman himself, and he knew from the man’s build that it wasn’t Edward. So who was it? It was possible that the shooting at the coffee shop was totally random, but he seriously doubted it. If Kellerman or Edward were involved in something of this magnitude, they certainly weren’t doing it alone.

“So… Do you suppose they’re in on this together? Or Edward could be blackmailing Kellerman for whatever reason,” he mused.

“Anything’s possible.” A tiny shudder ran through her. “But I’m glad you don’t think I’m crazy.”

“No, you’re definitely not crazy. I don’t believe in coincidences, especially ones as glaring as this. Besides…” His next words died on his lips as something suddenly occurred to him, and he held up Keane’s chart. “Wait—didn’t they just ID this guy?”

“I believe so, yes.”

His gaze narrowed on her. “Then when did you get these, and how?”

She stared at him for several long seconds and rolled her lips together before answering. “Today. At the VA.”

“Audrey—"

She pressed her palms to his chest as if she could physically hold down the anger rising within. “Just hear me out.”

He dipped his chin and glared at her, sarcasm dripping from his tongue. “Great, I can’t wait to hear what excuse you have for putting yourself in the same building as a man who probably tried to kill you.”

She crossed her arms over her chest, frosty eyes narrowed. “Don’t be dramatic. I was perfectly safe. Your dad went with me, and⁠—”

“Oh, my God, I should have known.” He dragged one hand through his hair.