“I’m talking about weeks from the initial symptoms to death,” Bob said. “It was more like having the flu or something similar, but instead of starting with a fever it began with some variation of rapidly progressive cognitive decline, or mood changes, or muscle spasms. One case even started with difficulty walking.”
“That’s incredible,” Jack said while shaking his head. “I’ve never heard of anything like this or even close to it.”
“Nor have I,” Bob said. “That’s the point. That’s why I’m relieved you two are here in case I’m missing something.”
For several beats, everyone just stared at one another. There was something distinctively unnerving about the sudden appearance of multiple cases of rapidly progressive dementia in relatively young people. It was Melanie who broke the ice by speaking up. “I hate to spoil the party, but we have to get underway with the two autopsies. Maybe I shouldn’t have, but I scheduled office visits to start at half past one. So, I need to show our visitors where the gowns and aprons are stored.”
“Don’t bother,” Bob replied. “I’ll show them while I get mine. You go ahead and wheel Ethan Jameson out from the cooler. The Stapletons and I will move him over onto the autopsy table once we’re suited up.”
“Consider it done,” Melanie said agreeably, turning around and heading in the opposite direction.
Inside the changing room, Bob opened the appropriate cabinets for Laurie and Jack to take what they wanted. As they were doing so, Melanie appeared in the doorway.
“We’ve got a serious problem!” Melanie announced in a dramatic voice, emphasizing each word.
“What’s up?” Bob asked. He was in the process of tying his surgical gown, but he stopped in the middle of making his bow. Knowing Melanie as well as he did, he sensed immediately she was dead serious.
“Ethan Jameson’s body is gone.”
“What are you talking about?” Bob questioned. The idea was so preposterous that he thought she had to be making an inappropriate joke, which wasn’t like her.
“Jameson’s body is gone,” Melanie repeated in a more forcefulmanner. “It’s gone. It’s not in the cooler. Stanley Kramer is still in there, but Jameson is gone. His gurney is empty.”
As if he didn’t believe what he was hearing, Bob quickly finished tying his bow, then literally pushed past Melanie. Walking around the autopsy table to reach the cooler’s door, he pulled it open. Immediately he could see that one of the two gurneys was empty. He lifted the edge of the sheet covering the remaining body and immediately recognized Stanley Kramer, the previous night’s death. Letting the sheet go, he stepped back out into the autopsy room, closing the cooler’s door behind himself and turned to look at Melanie.
“What possibly could have happened?” he questioned with a confused expression.
“I’ve no idea whatsoever,” Melanie said. “It was there when I wheeled Stanley Kramer in last night.”
“Did you hear anything from the Jamesons yesterday? Particularly from the mother, Arlene?” Bob asked as his mind frantically searched for some plausible explanation. Mrs. Jameson had been persistent in her interest to get the body released so funeral plans could be finalized.
“Not a word,” Melanie said. From her expression it was obvious she was just as confused as he by this unexpected development.
“When you got here this morning, was anything amiss?” Bob asked. “Anything at all? How about the doors? Were they locked?”
“There was nothing unusual,” Melanie said. “And yes, the front doors were locked as they always are. The one thing I didn’t check was the freight door. I’ll do that right away!” Without another word, she left the room.
Turning to Jack and Laurie, who were now outfitted in surgical gowns and leaning up against the autopsy table, Bob said, “I’m sosorry about this weird, unexpected situation. I can assure you that nothing like this has ever occurred in the six years I’ve been county coroner. I’m at a total loss of how it could have happened.”
“Don’t be concerned on our behalf,” Laurie said. “We’ve had a few mix-ups about disappearing bodies at the OCME, so it happens. Take your time. We can entertain ourselves while you do what you have to do.”
“Any chance one of the local funeral homes came and got it because of mixed messages?” Jack asked.
“There’s only one local funeral home, called Ames and Sons,” Bob said. “But they don’t have access. At least I don’t think they have access. You’re right, though, I should check.” He got out his phone and as he put through a call, Melanie returned to report the freight dock was locked up tight.
Bob’s conversation with the funeral home was quick and to the point. They’d not had anything to do with Ethan Jameson as of yet and were awaiting a call from Bob to initiate their involvement. They hadn’t been in contact with the Jameson family since the day of Ethan’s death. Terminating the call, Bob asked Melanie if she’d quickly check the office’s tiny pharmacy, which was in a locked metal cabinet in a locked storeroom off the procedure room.
“Good idea,” Melanie said as she again quickly exited the autopsy room.
“If someone was raiding your office for drugs, why would they take a body?” Laurie asked out of curiosity. It didn’t make sense to her.
“I have no idea,” Bob admitted. “I’m truly at loss here and grasping at straws.”
“I’ve got a different take,” Jack said. “It seems to me the only reason for the body to have disappeared would be to keep it frombeing autopsied.” As if it were yesterday, Jack could remember an OCME case involving a xenograft liver transplant patient where the transplanters didn’t want it to be discovered. Similar to this occasion, the body had seemingly vanished into thin air. Solving that complicated case had ultimately required a trip to Africa, of all places.
“That’s an interesting thought,” Bob said, giving the idea its due. “Are you thinking the pest control people might not want us to figure out what the particular pesticide was involved?”
“Something like that,” Jack said with a shrug. “But perhaps I’d be thinking more about the family. Do you know if either the mother or the father have any particularly strong feelings, religious or otherwise, against autopsies?”
