Gallery of the Dead

Eighty-Two

Hunter and Garcia had gone back to their office at the Police Administration Building and by lunchtime, the information on which health-insurance company each of the four victims had a plan with had come back to them. For the first time they seemed to have caught a real break.

Kristine Rivers had a student health plan with Direct Healthcare. Albert Greene had a senior-citizen policy with Cambridge Health Plans. Linda Parker was with Prime US Healthcare Services, and Timothy Davis with AtlantiCare Health. All four of those companies were subsidiaries of the GlobalAmerica Health Group. Their records shared not only the same central database, but they could all also be accessed via the Optum integrated information and technology platform.

‘So you think that the killer is finding his victims through their medical records?’ Captain Blake asked.

‘Right now,’ Garcia replied, ‘it seems like our best bet, Captain.’

‘And how is he getting to the database?’

‘Two ways of doing it: internally — if the killer works for any of the companies under the GlobalAmerica Health Group, or for a medical establishment, like a hospital or a clinic with access to this Optum platform, and externally — by hacking into the system from the outside. What we’re doing,’ Garcia explained, ‘is checking to see when was the last time that any of the victims’ medical records were accessed. With that, there’s a chance that we’ll be able to follow some sort of digital trail and figure out who accessed them. It can take a while though, if we ever get anything.’

Captain Blake took a step back from Garcia’s desk and regarded both of her detectives for several seconds.

‘When was the last time you had a day off?’ she asked.

‘What?’ Garcia came back.

‘A day off. When was the last time you had one?’

Garcia looked at Hunter for help.

‘I’m not really sure,’ Hunter said. ‘A while ago. Why?’

‘Have you two looked at yourselves in the mirror? You guys could audition for The Walking Dead right now and get the part, do you understand what I’m saying? You have been on this case for about a week now, isn’t that right?’ The captain didn’t give them a chance to reply. ‘And just before that you were on that triple-homicide case, weren’t you? The one in Bixby Knolls?’

‘That’s correct,’ Garcia confirmed. ‘The father who raped and murdered his three daughters.’

‘Well, so that’s it,’ Captain Blake said, her voice as commanding as it had ever been. ‘You guys are taking the next two days off. I don’t really give a damn about what Adrian Kennedy or the FBI has to say. This is a joint operation, which means that you are still under my command. You were supposed to take a break after the Bixby Knolls murders anyway, so finish whatever it is that you are doing here today, then go home and get some sleep, and take the next two days off. From what you told me, unless this killer gives you a brand-new victim, there’s nothing else you can do, other than wait for Cyber Crime.’ She paused by the door to their office. ‘It’s not a request.’