She sent Stanhopes mail to him and then opened up Maria Ramirezs file. Hers was much smaller and told the very clear story of how she had just discovered her issue about eight weeks ago. She saw where shed initially gone to see Fenton, and then to Ailsworth. From what she could tell, the final visit to Ailsworththe final appointment shed ever attended in her lifehad been nothing more than a back-up. Yet, the notes entered in regard to the visit stated that her condition had worsened. There were terms like hemochromatosis that sounded terrifying.

It was beyond eerie to think the doctor might have been making these notes while Maria had been getting murdered out in the hospital parking lot.

At the very end of her files, there was the same form shed seen at the end of Webbers report. It was the form and paperwork for the transplant list. Based on the dates on the form, shed been approved for the list just two weeks agoroughly a month after Bruce Webber.

Hey, Jack, where are you in those records right now?

Chapter five. Its getting a little dense.

Theres the Jack I know and love, she thought. Let me spoil the end for you. It seems Marias case was getting worse. The same day she was killed, Dr. Ailsworth put notes in her file that shed taken a turn for the worse. But before that, hed also made sure she got on a transplant list. Just like Bruce Webber.

Another connection.

And it makes me wonder if the list might be a motive. How hard is it to get on a transplant list?

Youre asking the wrong guy.

As theories and links started to patch themselves together, she went back to Stanhopes initial contact information and found Dr. Fentons number. She called it and was patched through via the receptionist within twenty seconds. When Fenton answered, he sounded almost depressed. Apparently, theyd left him in quite the funk.

Agent Gift, what can I do for you?

We just discovered that both Maria Ramirez and Bruce Webber were on a local list for liver transplants. How difficult would it be for us to get a copy of that?

Not too difficult, actually. Give me about five minutes and Ill shoot it over to you. Where do you want it sent?

Again, she gave her email address and when she ended yet another call, she was starting to feel something almost like a groove. Call after call, bits of information coming almost at will now, and things seemed to be leading somewhere. The groove was not nearly enough to erase the reality that Alex Lynch had once again called her, but it helped to keep her mind from focusing solely on it.