I waited with bated breath for Beatty to render his verdict. You never knew which way the news-directorial wind would blow.
″Way to go at ′em in that piece last night, Gallagher, ″ Beatty said finally. ″You′ll notice that they aren′t challenging your facts. If they were, the chief of police would have been crawling up my ass already by now this morning. They′re just pissed off we ran something for once that didn′t parrot their side of this story.″
The news parrot in question-Lainey-stood a few feet away. She was staring intently at the cable TV monitors on the wall. But I could tell by her defensive body posture that her ears and reporter′s ego were burning. Too bad.
Beatty was pleased with my story about Antoine Hurley. In maritime terms, a nod from the Big Boss was the equivalent of starting the day off with a fair wind and a following sea.
″Hey, Kate!″ Frank called out. He was standing near my desk. ″Phone!″
I dashed to grab the phone, even though it was probably just another caller who couldn′t wait to describe how my reporting had stunk up the airwaves.
″Hi, Kate. It′s Belmont Miller. Jana′s brother.″
It took me a moment to connect the name with the identity.
Jana′s brother, Belmont. When we′d last spoken, Belmont had been on his way to the Bahamas, taking Shaina with him so she could recover from her carjacking ordeal and the death of her mother.
″Hi, Belmont -are you all still in the Bahamas? ″ I asked him. ″How is Shaina doing? How′s her recovery coming?″
″Shaina′s doing fine. But I′m calling about something else. Did you hear about what we found out about Jana′s autopsy?″ Belmont′s voice rose with emotion. ″Goddammit, they′re not going to get away with this. Someone in the police department is going to pay!″
My mind flailed about, trying to figure out what the heck he was talking about.
″Wait a second-slow down, Belmont,″ I said. ″What are you saying about Jana′s autopsy? What′s happened, exactly?″
″We just heard back from the firm we hired to do a second, private autopsy on her,″ Belmont said. ″They told us that Jana′s body was mutilated. ″
″Mutilated? I don′t understand. The police already did a standard autopsy. Is that what you′re talking about?″
″Something was done to her body after the police autopsy but before we got the body, according to my people. While she was still in the custody of the medical examiner′s office, someone surgically removed some tissue from her body.
″They stole her heart valve. It′s missing from her body.″
Chapter 31
Foot Detox
Foot detoxification supposedly works by removing toxins from your feet. Sometimes people use pads on their feet and sleep in them overnight. There are also detox baths, which are available in spas and in stores.
Most doctors and scientists seem to believe that foot detoxification is another method for separating you from your money.There′s little evidence to support the claim that foot detoxification removes impurities from your system.
– From The Little Book of Beauty Secrets by Mimi Morgan
″What?″ I asked, not sure exactly what I′d heard. ″Somebody removed Jana′s heart valve? Wait a minute-are you sure that wasn′t part of the medical examiner′s autopsy procedure? Sometimes they remove body organs, don′t they?″
″Of course they do,″ Belmont replied in an impatient tone. ″But this is not standard procedure. My lawyer told me heart valves can fetch up to ten grand on the black market, even from… even from cadavers. I guess when they use cadaver valves in research, med schools don′t ask too many questions.″
″So-″
″So somebody in the medical examiner′s office thought they could make a quick killing by taking the heart valve from my sister′s body.″
″Have you told the homicide detectives about this yet?″
″I′m not going to waste my time talking to those clowns,″ he replied. ″If they have to learn this from me, they′re incompetent. I don′t want any of them anywhere near her.″
″I understand,″ I said, reaching for a notepad and a pen on my desk. ″Is it okay if I jot down some notes about this conversation, Belmont? I might run a story about what′s happened.″
″Be my guest,″ he replied. ″You can write that I′m suing the city of Durham for all that Podunk city′s worth, just to show them they need to learn how to do their jobs better. How do I even know the police have arrested the right suspect when they screw up Jana′s autopsy like this? Who stole her heart valve? I mean, it′s nothing compared to her murder, but they′re a bunch of damned incompetents, in my opinion. You always get the D team in the government.″
″What′s happening these days with Jana′s widower, by the way?″
″Widower? Hah! That′s a kind term,″ Belmont said. ″I′ve tied up Gavin′s insurance settlement in court. I don′t think that blondie girlfriend of his is going to wait around long enough for him to become a rich man.″
After getting the name and number of Belmont Miller′s lawyer, I decided to put in a call to Luke. But for that I′d need to screw up some major courage.
″I′m not talking to you,″ Luke said when he picked up the phone.
″I can hear that.″
″Just so we′re clear.″
″We are,″ I said. ″I was just wondering if you heard about Jana′s heart valve being removed during the autopsy. Supposedly by someone in the medical examiner′s lab.″
A pause. Followed by ″You′ll have to ask them.″
″You′re in charge of the investigation, Luke. What do you say?″
″On the record? No comment.″
″And off the record?″
″Make a Xerox and tack it up on your cube.″
″C′mon. This could screw up your case against Antoine Hurley real bad, couldn′t it? The defense could have a field day with the fact that Jana′s heart valve was stolen while the county had custody of her body. It won′t exactly take a Dream Team to make that argument.″
″Since when did you become the spokesman for the defense of Antoine Hurley?″
″For the defense? Luke, Jana′s family told me about her missing heart valve. Her brother, Belmont Miller, is the only spokesman I know about today. But for Jana, not for Antoine Hurley.″
When Luke stayed silent, I went for blood. ″And while we′re discussing Jana, Luke, what′s your reaction to the new independent lab evidence about the bullet that killed her?″ I asked. ″That the bullet came from outside the car. And if that turns out to be true, then Antoine couldn′t have been the shooter the way you′ve been saying. ″
″Kate.″ Luke′s voice was venomous. ″I said, ′No comment.′ What word did you not understand? No comment. No how, no way.″
I didn′t have a chance to come back after that, because Luke hung up.
That went pretty well, I thought, slumping back in my chair. Luke was saying that by showing Antoine′s side of the story, I was trampling on the prosecution′s side of the case.
When it came to identifying Jana′s murderer, I only hoped I wasn′t in danger of trampling on the truth.
Chapter 32
Banish the Clumps
Don′t forget to use a lash comb after you apply your mascara. There′s nothing tackier than clumpy, caked mascara.
– From The Little Book of Beauty Secrets by Mimi Morgan
As if I didn′t have enough on my plate, Beatty chose that exact moment to bug me about my weight-loss series.