Page 36 of Inevitable Secrets

“Ah, okay,” Taylor said and she looked down and started reading the papers. “Wait, this one says blunt trauma. I thought it was an overdose. Doesn’t blunt trauma mean he was struck?”

“It says on both of these that the toxicology is the same,” Derrick said as he looked over her shoulder at the documents, “and that it is most likely the ultimate cause of death. But in the original it states that the trauma is premortem.”

“Premortem? Like before he died,” Taylor asked looking up to Henry, who nodded. “So maybe he got high and hit his head?” she murmured.

“Maybe,” Henry agreed, “but Cedric was found leaned back on a couch. That much is in both reports. And from what I have read there was no blood on that couch. And, there is this,” he said pointing to a paragraph on the original report.

The lower second molar was missing; due to the minimal amount of blood it appears to have been removed postmortem.

“Removed postmortem? Does that mean…” Taylor asked without finishing the question.

“Someone removed his tooth,” Henry nodded, “after he was dead. Therefore, he was not alone.”

Taylor looked at Henry and then at Derrick. “I feel like the deeper we dig the more questions I have.”

“That is generally the way things unfold,” Henry assured her, “and then suddenly they all start fitting together.”

“If they could start fitting together now that would be great,” Taylor muttered.

“Where do we go from here, Henry?” Derrick asked.

“We go talk with Dr. Parker.”

Eleven

Being nearlyeight in the evening, the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner’s office was quiet, no office chatter or hustle in and out. But Dr. Greg Parker, or Parker as everyone called him, was in his office, as he was every evening until about ten o’clock. Henry had discovered this routine of his through some research.

And that was exactly where Taylor found the good doctor as she peered through the small window in his office door. He was bent forward, looking closely at his computer screen, squinting most likely in order to see the words easier.

Taylor stepped away from the window and knocked. “Come in,” Parker called, his tone muffled through the door. Taylor opened it slowly and peeked around the open door hesitantly. The man before her just stared at her, his eyes widening as he seemed to realize who she was.

Or maybe she was in the wrong room.

“Dr. Parker?” she asked as she made her way a little further into the room.

Parker blinked a few times, then he squinted at Taylor, and finally he spoke.

“Taylor Preston,” Parker said in bewilderment, rising to his feet to greet his surprise guest. “I’ve seen you so much in the news lately, I was having a hard time believing I wasn’t imagining you,” he explained.

“Hello,” Taylor said, smiling as she made her way further inside, shutting the door behind her. “It’s actually Taylor Preston-Fletcher,” she corrected.

“Oh, of course,” Parker said, looking flustered and more than a little starstruck. “Please, have a seat,” he said gesturing to the seats across from him. “What brings you by here today?” he asked like he was a jewelry store clerk and not a fully accredited doctor.

“Thank you,” Taylor said sitting herself in front of Parker’s desk. “I was hoping you could help me, Dr. Parker.” Taylor explained, giving him a look Derrick had called her damsel-in-distress look. He said when she gave it to people they tripped over themselves to help her, and so she was testing it out now. And it seemed to work.

“I am not sure how, but I certainly will try,” Parker answered quickly, seeming very eager to help in any way.

“That would be wonderful, thank you,” Taylor said, smiling at him sincerely before she opened her handbag and retrieved some papers. “I was looking at my uncle’s autopsy report,” she said, taking the report and placing it on the desk, “and I had some questions.”

“Cedric Preston,” Parker said, nodding, retrieving the papers. “Well, with the amount of drugs that were in his system that was a pretty cut-and-dried autopsy. It just wasn’t possible for anyone to survive,” he stated and slid the papers back to Taylor.

Taylor nodded, “Yes, I suppose not.” Taylor flipped through the report and then slid it back across the desktop to him. “So the trauma to his head was in no way a potential cause?”

Sweat broke out over Parker’s brow. “Uh, what…what trauma?”

Taylor reached into her bag again and pulled out another set of papers. “See, I was comparing the report released to the public to this report, which is time stamped before that one. And in this earlier one,” she said as she tapped the papers she had slid his way, “you stated there was trauma to the back of Cedric’s head. A good deal of trauma, too,” Taylor said, turning the pages and running her finger down the words. “It says, and I quote ‘a large blunt trauma to the posterior occipital region’,” she said looking up calmly. “So Dr. Parker, I wanted to know what the fuck it was all about,” she explained and sat back in the chair, awaiting explanation.

Parker swallowed and Taylor watched the pulse bounce quickly in his throat. “I’m not sure—”

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