Day 2 1030 Zenya's room
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"Married." Zenya said to herself, as she looked down at her own fingers, and then looked up again. "But I never see her wedding ring."
Gantry nodded his head. "I never see her ring too. She was using her husband's name as if it was hers, and never mentioned much about him. I don't think that any of the people who knew her after she came back knew about her marriage."
"She mixed around alot?" Vanessa asked the ex-cop.
"Kind of. Rebecca is very active in certain circles. She was involved in some woman's group. It is quite a large group and they meet often."
"What does the group do?"
"Well, its a kind of a self help group kinda thing, like AA, or something like that. Helping newcomers to settle down, looking into the welfare of the unmarried women or women whose husbands had left them. You can even say that her life in Santa Fe is pretty much spend equally between partying and helping out. When you see her doing the former, you can never imagine that she is also active in doing the latter too."
" I bet she knows alot of other woman from that help group and all those partying. Alot of people to choose from." Zenya guessed.
>Jim couldn't believe what he was hearing. That bitch was luring women to >their deaths. It was then that Jim began to have an idea.
>"Zenya, what reasons could the woman have for being a party to this?"
>"Perhaps she is under his control?" she ventured.
>"No, I think she was too composed under your questioning for someone so >easily terrorised. She is doing this willingly."
>"But why?" Vanessa asked. "Why would she do this?"
>"I think it's got something to do with the pregnancy angle. Rebecca >__thought__ Mary Ritchie was pregnant and now she's dead. I don't think she >had even told Mr. Ted Cross. We should check with the doctor, find out if >Rebecca Cross has some sort of infertility illness."
>Zenya seemed to agree, with the possibility at least.
>"It could be that Ted needs victims, and Rebecca needs to have some sort of >revenge on fertile women. The revenge would be all the more sweet if the >woman had been with her husband. We still need to do a lot of checking to >fit this together and I'm still not sure how that brings Kali into play."
>Vanessa said "Kali was a female god, right? A goddess who gave life then >took it away. Perhaps that's what Rebecca feels she is doing with these >women. She gives them a life, and takes it away. Also, there is no bigger >symbol of life than a beating heart."
>Jim looked a little despondent. "I suppose I have to keep tracing this post >box in case I can find a location for them. You two had better divide up the >exciting stuff, " he said with a grin.
>So, he got back on the machine and started to root around the BBS system. >They were never very secure. No point really. The sort of person posting to >a BBS like this would just break it like a dry stick if it tried to be too >picky about where you could look. Plus, it was a public access system. >Still, when Jim saw the list of routes which Ted had used to post, he knew >he had a long day ahead of him. He decided to knock up a quick VB program to >rank the numbers called from. Meanwhile
"I think the best chance we will have is to go and visit the Smiths'. They might have Rebecca's medical history, or maybe knew about who is her regular doctor." Zenya suggested.
Vanessa thought for a while.
"But what happen if we were wrong? That Rebecca is not the murderer or accomplice to the whole thing. A woman murdering other women.. its just ..."
"That's the only evidence we had right now. Even if she is not the murderer, finding out more about her will led us to Mr Ted." Jim deduced for Vanessa.
"Police always thought that a murderer is usually a man. I always think that that was why so many murder cases never got solved in America." Zenya added, trying a little humour. "Come on, Vanessa. Let's go catch some baddies, followed by a lunch time autopsy performance. "
That cheered her up abit.
>"If I get anything, I'll be straight on the cellphone, OK? You too?"
>Vanessa smiled at his eagerness. "Don't worry, Jim. We'll give you a call if >we need you," she said with a mischievous smile. Joe Gantry walked out with >them, with Jim already immersed in his work.
The Smiths' clinic 1100
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When the two agents reached the Smiths' clinic, it was off peak hours. Dr Janet Smith was talking to a patient, and smiled at them when she saw them.
They waited for five minutes before the patient left, and they were alone with the doctor.
"Yes, may I help you?"
Vanessa introduced Zenya to the doctor, and explained her reason for coming again.
"Well, we are actually wondering if you have any medical records for Rebecca Cross formerly Rebecca Ericsson."
"Rebecca? Why would you want that for?" Dr Smith was surprised.
"As a routine check on all the kins and closed friends of the victim, Dr Smith," Zenya answerer quickly. No use telling the woman any of their suspicsions, and scaring half of Santa Fe with it.
"I'm sorry, but I have to disappoint you on that."
"Why?" Vanessa asked.
"Rebecca never come to my clinic. Not once. "
"Then do you know who was her regular doctor?"
"No idea whatsoever. I do know a few other doctors, but I cannot remember anyone of them mentioning that she is their patient. Of course, the fact that she was not mentioned does not mean that she is not under one of them. "
The agents nodded their heads.
"Is her medical records really of importance?" Dr Smith asked.
"It would be better if we do not leave any stone unturned, Doctor." Zenya informed her. "Look, is it possible if you gave us a list of the doctors that you think might have been Rebecca's medical doctor?"
Since the doctor could not find any fault to that, she agreed, and Vanessa and Zenya left the clinic with a list in their hands.
The list had about 10 clinics, and they decided to split it up. Vanessa took the 4 clinics that are within walking distance while Zenya, with the car, took the rest. They then agreed to meet at 1pm at the hospital for the autopsy.
Day 2 Central Hospital 1245pm
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Vanessa was early.
The visits to the 4 clinics had been fruitless. It was as if Rebecca Cross had never fell sick before.
The hospital was divided into 2 wings. Unfortunately for Vanessa, she had enter from the South wing, the administrative section, and the autopsy room was in the other wing. Taking her time, she walked slowly on the polished floor, her heels making a comfortable clicking sound which echoed in the silent corridor.
She was thirsty, and the sight of a vending machine in front of her was a blessing. She quickly over to it, and looked at what the machine had to offered.
Coke. Great.
Digging up some coins from her pocket, Vanessa pushed them into the slot, and pressed her choice. Behind her, two interns walked past.
"You really wana know more about her?" one of them said, halfway into a conversation. "Her health, sexual history? There is only one place to go."
"Where?" The second intern asked.
"The medical records. Go now before its too late. Alot of the records are still unconverted, which means that they are still in hardcopy form. Wait for a few more months, when all the past years medical records had been converted and keyed in the system, and you will need a password to view any of it. So how are you going to tell them why you need the password. 'Because I need to know if my gal got STD last time?'. Tell you, man, that little black room back there is your best choice."
Little black room. Medical records. Vanessa ran down the corridor, her coke forgotten.
Autopsy Room 1205pm
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Zenya paced outside the Autopsy Room. Sheriff Jackson was at one corner, smoking in the non-smoking section.
"Did she said she is coming?" he asked the agent.
"Yes, she did. Perhaps she was held up." Zenya tried to offer an excuse.
"Maybe, but the autopsy team cannot wait any longer. They got a schedule to meet. Do you want to come in now, or do you wait for Agent Lee?"
Zenya was about to make up her mind, when they heard the unmistaken sound of someone running on heels. She looked down the corridor and saw Vanessa.
"Sorry, I'm late," she apologised the moment she braked in front of them.
"Its okay, Agent Lee. This is just a not a life and death situation. Just a dead of the dead." The sheriff said, as he turned to walk into the autopsy room.
Zenya and Vanessa fell in behind him.
"Did something hold you up?" Zenya asked, curious.
Vanessa gave another one of her mischevious smile, her eyes bright. She put her finger on her lips to signal silence, and then opened up her bag to show something to Zenya.
It was a brown file titled 'Medical Records - Rebecca Ericsson'.
Regards,
Lee Sau Woon aka SA Vanessa Lee