How the hell did the killer get ahold of heparin? Unless the killer required it for some reason. Nora logged into the FBI database and looked through drug theft reports in the area. Hospitals kept track of their medicine, and certain drugs were flagged if inventory was off. But either heparin wasn’t flagged, or no one had stolen it recently.
Nora also knew some hospitals weren’t so good at record-keeping; if a small amount went missing they might not have noticed, or didn’t want to file the paperwork. But this suggested to Nora that the killer had access to medical supplies …
She picked up the phone while pulling the Langlier file from her desk. She was reading the notes when Quin finally picked up.
“Quin Teagan, at your service.”
“Quin, it’s Nora.”
“You’re back.”
“Yes, and I need information about Langlier. They stored cancer-fighting drugs at their warehouse, correct?”
“That’s their bread and butter,” Quin said.
“What other drugs?”
“I don’t know-it’s in my report. They gave me a list-I attached it.”
“I can’t find it-”
“I’m not home right now. If it’s important, I can be home in thirty.”
Nora heard a male voice in the background. “No, no-here! Found it.”
Quin read the list of losses. The drugs were listed in alphabetical order, and there were only five.
Heparin was third on the list.
“Thanks, Quin.”
“Oh, sure, I solved the whole case,” she said sarcastically.
“You might have, with your detailed reporting. I know now where the killer got the blood thinners used on Payne. Keith Coffey alerted me that the drug used wouldn’t be easy to get, and so I thought of Langlier-”
“But Langlier was nearly two years ago!”
“Speaking of Langlier, there was a triple possible suicide at Rose College today.”
“Suicide?”
“Possible. Or murder. The students who died were definitely involved with the arsons, but I think there’s one more student or former student involved, and I have a line on her. It’s one of the victim’s former roommates.”
“Good luck. This is fantastic.”
“Enjoy your date.”
Nora hung up and pulled all the background reports Duke had run for her. She yawned and her stomach grumbled. She packed everything into her briefcase and walked to Jason’s office. She glanced in. Jason was alone. “Where’d Duke go?” she asked.
“He had a call.”
“Tell him I said good-bye and I’ll see him tomorrow.”
Maggie opened the door to Donnie’s cage and let him walk around. She hated keeping him locked up like a prisoner, but she couldn’t risk him getting away. She didn’t know exactly how the police had tracked down the other ducks, but it had something to do with an implant, according to the news. She didn’t know where it was, had inspected Donnie carefully, and she didn’t want to hurt him. He was the innocent victim in all this. It wasn’t his fault those people had experimented on him. He’d done nothing wrong.
Tears welled in her eyes and she dry-heaved as she remembered what the cruel cops had done to all those ducks. They’d gotten off on it, the sadistic bastards. Snapping their delicate necks like tree branches. One after another after another …
But it was all done on the orders of that bitch, Nora English.
Maggie had gone a bit too far when she threw the soda can at Nora at Lake of the Pines, but Maggie had never been so close to her before. She’d wanted to cut her so bad it hurt, make the federal agent suffer for the pain she’d caused the movement. The pain Nora English had caused
The cause was more important than any one person. Maggie had killed fighting for what was right, and she would die for it. Some ideals were bigger than individuals. Bigger than her life. What was guilt but a judgment by a corrupt judicial system? Had any of Maggie’s comrades been
Donnie waddled over to the sink she’d filled with water. He drank, then jumped in. Maggie smiled. She wished she’d taken two ducks. She would have taken them all, but she hadn’t known the feds were going to torture and murder them. She’d kept Donnie because he was injured, that brute Scott had just stuffed the ducks into the cages as if they were children’s toys, not nature’s creatures. His wing was broken, and Maggie couldn’t free him without chance of survival.
And yet, he was the only one who had survived.
Maggie picked up her favorite knife and stared at the blade. Under the light, the blade looked angelic, sparkling, blinding. She turned it and it was dull again.
She took out her special stone and sharpened the knife slowly, with sure, firm purpose. Sharpening her blade calmed her like nothing else. The
She’d used this knife on Jonah Payne. He didn’t understand, but she didn’t expect him to. He’d died because she needed practice. She had to have it perfect.
Nora English would pay for her actions. For putting innocent people in prison, for slaughtering Donnie’s winged brothers and sisters, for working for the corrupt system and against nature. Nora English was very much part of the bigger problem.
When Maggie was done with her, Nora would beg to die. And Maggie would let her do just that … eventually.
Jonah Payne had not been her first kill, and Nora English wouldn’t be the next.
Someone else had to come first. Someone who had hurt her. Someone who’d turned people against her.
Maggie didn’t like it when people didn’t do what they were supposed to. When they didn’t do what she wanted them to do.
She’d learned a lot since the first time she’d killed. That time … that was messy. She missed Clay sometimes, but he’d deserved it. He was going to leave her.
