Supreme Justice

Chapter Fifty-three

When her phone rang, Daphne Haggard was getting ready to leave the police station to join Brett for dinner at Inverness ’s only Thai restaurant before attending a student production of Frost/Nixon. She checked her watch and debated whether to take the call. Her sense of duty trumped her hunger pangs.

“Is this Detective Daphne Haggard?”

“Speaking.”

“I’m Jim Haynes, an orthopedic surgeon in Madison. I understand you’re looking for the name of one of my patients.”

“Does this concern an orthopedic appliance made by Orthosure?”

“Yes.”

“Thank you for calling,” Daphne said excitedly. “I am very interested in identifying your patient.”

“What’s this all about?” the surgeon asked.

Daphne told him how the appliance was discovered.

“God, that’s terrible,” Haynes said.

“It is, and I’m hoping you can give me the information we need to identify the victim.”

“I can definitely do that.”

Dr. Haynes gave Daphne a name and said that the patient would be twenty-eight now. They talked a few minutes more before Daphne thanked the doctor and ended the conversation. It was too late to do anything tonight, but Daphne finally had a name.