Page 24 of Savage Peril

“I’m not an expert on thallium,” Jess said. “But it’s not like you can request a blood test, as you would with a live patient.”

“Nope, I don’t have to,” Lori said. “The medical examiner will test a sample of my father’s hair. If there was thallium in his system, the test will show it.”

“It’s fortunate that hair fibers don’t decompose like the rest of the body,” Jess said. “The hair and nails last long after death.”

“The challenge is going to be obtaining court approval,” Lori said. “I’ll go see our attorney and hire him to handle the request to the court. He has handled legal matters for the family for years. I hope he will be willing to help with this.”

“Isn’t it expensive to exhume a body?”

“From what I could find out, it’s many thousands of dollars,” Lori said. “Plus, there are the attorney’s fees and the cost for the medical examiner.”

“Can you afford it?”

“Do I have a choice?”

“I don’t see why you must finance the process without contribution from the family,” Jess said. “What about your uncle Sheldon? My husband has mentioned how well he does as an investment banker.”

Lori considered that for a moment. Sheldon had prospered in his career, much more than Lori and her father had with the medical clinic. Her uncle had a more opulent lifestyle, ate in expensive restaurants, drove a new car, and lived in a home that cost millions. But Lori hadn’t begrudged her uncle his success; he’d been good to her over the years.

“I can’t ask him to do that,” Lori said. “It doesn’t feel right. Just because he has money doesn’t mean he’s obligated to finance this. I’m more comfortable dealing with this myself.”

“You’re going to let pride stand in your way?”

“I suppose,” Lori said. “We’ll see how it goes. If I get in a tight spot, then I might ask Sheldon. But I can probably take care of the cost. Even if it wipes out my savings, it will be worth it.”

“I don’t envy you this task,” Jess said. “It was very traumatic when your father died…and now this.”

*****

Lori left so Jess could get ready for work. She went to the clinic, but the environment didn’t feel the same. The thought that her father might have been murdered haunted her.

As Lori walked down the hallway to her office, an eerie feeling came over her. Danger seemed to surround her, making her shudder at the hidden threat. For the first time, she didn’t feel safe in her own clinic.

When Lori got to her office, she locked the door, then called her attorney. As calmly as she could, she relayed the nature of her business. It sounded a bit crazy, yet she had to pursue this course of action. Her attorney understood and agreed to handle the matter for her. She made an appointment to see him to discuss the details and sign the required documents.

With that behind her, Lori should have felt better, yet relief escaped her. Now that she had taken action, she would need to tell the others. She had no idea how they would respond.

Lori would need to tell her brother and her uncle, but she preferred to do that in person. She went to the nurses’ station and asked Sarah to step into an exam room with her.

Sarah’s reaction to the news wasn’t as dramatic as Lori had envisioned. She wasn’t family, so that made a difference. But she didn’t seem shocked by the notion of murder, just saddened that Lori had to face such a horrible thing.

Next was Adam. He was the on-duty doctor, so Lori waited until he had finished with his morning patients. In the privacy of his office, she told him what she intended. He asked a few questions but didn’t try to talk her out of it.

Adam was a friend, and he wanted the best for Lori. He had tried to convince her not to give in to nagging doubts about her father’s death. But once he heard the facts, Adam agreed that she was doing the right thing.

When Matt returned from lunch, Lori spoke to him in his office. She didn’t relish the idea of sharing the news. Yet Matt had been good friends with her father, and he had a right to know.

“You’re going to dig up your father’s body?” Matt said. “I find that appalling.”

“What would you have me do?” Lori said. “There are questions concerning the cause of death.”

“You really think that someone murdered your father?”

“At this point, I only have suspicions,” Lori said. “But I can’t brush those aside.”

“You have the death certificate with the cause of death determined by the coroner,” Matt said.

Lori fought back tears; she didn’t want to cry in front of Matt. She pushed away her grief, annoyed with Matt’s coldness about such a personal issue.

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