The Unborn

Chapter 31

Mike turned left straight out of the lift, he marched down the corridor and up to the reception desk. The secretary looked up at him and smiled her usual glamorous smile.

“Hi, Detective Lynch. I didn’t know you had another autopsy scheduled in for today,” she said, flicking through her appointment book.

“Nah, not today, beautiful. I’m here to see Augie. He called me and said he had some results for me. He about?” Mike’s head turned and looked towards the rooms further down the hall.

Her smile grew bigger and she laughed, “Well that’s sure better than a nasty autopsy any day, isn’t it? I’ll just page him now for you.” She picked up the phone on the counter in front of her and hit a small green button. Mike heard her mumble a few words before she replaced the receiver and looked back at him. “You can go on through. He’s in Suite 3.”

“Thanks,” he said, heading off in the direction of the Suites. Mike scanned the numbers on each door as he walked down the hallway, there were so many doors and they weren’t numbered in sequence, which he thought was odd. He had been in Suite 2 before and yet it was not next to Suite 3, not even close. He continued down the aisle, looking left and right until he came to another corridor that ran across his path, he took a chance and made a left. A few steps further down on his right was a plain grey door, marked Suite 3. Mike knocked and waited to be allowed in.

“Ahh, Mike… Good to see you. Come on through.” Augie stepped aside, holding the door open for him and he walked through, stopping just inside.

Mike extended his hand and Augie accepted it, giving it a firm shake.

“I hope you don’t mind chatting while I finish up with a few samples I’ve been working with?” Augie asked, motioning to the washtub.

“Not at all. The mood I am in today Augie, we could talk on a volcano for all I care.” A huge smile beamed from his face.

The two walked deeper inside the room and washed their hands at the sinks before entering the autopsy suite.

“So why the happy face?” enquired Augie, pulling on a pair of latex gloves. “Not that you shouldn’t be happy. You just haven’t had a lot to smile about of late.”

“Seems like our luck is changing my friend,” he blurted out. “We got Tessa’s killer!”

Augie stood so still he looked almost frozen to the spot. “You what? Are you serious?” he looked at the excitement on Mikes face.

“Serious as they come!”

“When? Where? How? Why?” He stuttered and tripped over his words with anxious anticipation for the details. “Who?”

Mike laughed heartily and walked to a tall stool sitting a few feet away. He picked it up and brought it back to where he had been standing and sat it down. “Her name was Dr. Rose-Marie Sugars. Seems she was not quite as professional as she should have been” He cocked one leg up and half leant against the stool. Augie’s expression turned to shock.

“Rose-Marie Sugars?”

“Yup. What? Do you know her?”

“Sure,” he replied, sealing a plastic bag and placing it on a pile with several others. “The mother of our last mutilation victim. Marla Andrews.” his eyes fell to the floor. “She came in to identify the body and make arrangements to send her to the funeral home.” He paused. “She seemed so nice. Why, why did she do it?”

“It’s a long and twisted story Augie, trust me. The long and short of it is that she killed Tessa and she is going to jail!”

Augie appeared to be lost in a trance momentarily. Mike snapped his fingers in front of him and said, “Earth to Augie. You still with me?”