Covert Reich by A. K. Alexander Read Free Book Online Page B

and baby charts matched up in any way. Kelly sifted through her theories, most of which were conspiratorial and bizarre. But at the end of the trail, she was no closer to making sense of anything, leaving her frustrated and confused.
    She put Syd away and headed toward her car, when she spotted a familiar face—Dr. Tamara Swift, her vet. Tamara was tall and thin with long blonde hair, which she always kept pulled back and tucked under a ball cap. She had warm hazel eyes and a golden glow, likely due to her time spent outdoors. If she hadn’t been a vet, Kelly was certain she could’ve made one heck of a volleyball player. The moment Kelly saw Tamara, an idea began to form. “Hey Tam,” she said, quickening her pace.
    “Hey there.”Tamara took a step back. “Wow, Kel. You okay? You look a little…”
    “I know,” Kelly said holding up her palms. “I can’t go into it right now. But I, um, need a favor.” Tamara had become more than Kelly’s vet over the years, she was also a friend. In fact, Kelly had introduced Tamara to her husband who Kelly had interned with. She’d been in her wedding.
    “Sure,” Tamara replied.
    “It’s dicey.”
    “How do you mean?”
    “I need some blood work sent in for a couple of tox reports.”
    “Something wrong with Syd?”
    “No,” Kelly replied.
    “What do you need then?”
    Kelly sighed. “I can’t go into details here, but if I can get you the blood, can you help me?” For a second, she started to rethink her request. Could she get her friend into any trouble? Or worse, would she be putting her in any kind of danger? She shook her head. “You know what, Tam, never mind. It’s silly. I never…” Kelly closed her eyes and fought back tears.
    Tamara put an arm around her. “Hey, hey, Kelly…what’s going on? It takes a lot to make you cry. Hell, I remember last year when you broke two of your ribs after Syd dumped you going over that double oxer.” Tamara pointed to the jump arena. Kelly couldn’t help but laugh. “No tears then, right? I mean you kept saying how you were fine and you could get right back on, until you nearly passed out.”
    “That hurt like hell,” Kelly said, smiling.
    “Okay, so what’s this all about?”
    “I don’t really know to be honest with you.”
    “Let’s start with why you want the tox reports.”
    Kelly knew if she was going to ask Tamara for help, she owed it to her to tell her everything she did know. She quickly shared yesterday’s story with her friend…trying hard not to get upset all over again.
    “So, your friend, Jake, the pathologist, he was murdered after he warned you there was something sinister about this girl’s death?”
    Kelly nodded, feeling drained. “Yes.”
    “What about the police? Did you tell the detective who interviewed you last night about any of this?”
    “I told him Jake and I were going to meet to discuss some patient cases.”
    “I don’t understand. Why didn’t you tell him what was really going on?” Tamara asked.
    “Because it sounds crazy, doesn’t it? The detective was kind of, I don’t know…not a jerk, but also not exactly gentle. I mean he was prying and asking things about my sex life.”
    “Why?”
    “He thought I was hooking up with Jake, I guess. Look, I know I need to tell the police, but I needed a sounding board first to hear me out and let me know if this whole thing is as crazy as it sounds.”
    “It does sound a bit strange, but you’re a grounded person, Kelly. You’re a respected doctor. The police might find it odd, though, so I can understand where you’re coming from.”
    “Do you see why I want some kind of proof there is something behind the deaths of these pregnant women, something Jake got killed over?”
    “And you think the tox reports may show something more?”
    Kelly shrugged. “After hearing Jake talk about this, I don’t know if I can trust the tests that were already run, and I don’t know if everything was done thoroughly. I