Page 124 of Three for a Girl

“And once the goods were delivered and I got my money, I gave Ellen and Kerion their share. It’s a big business. Organs are always in high demand, and there are people that are willing to pay the earth for a chance to save their loved ones.”

“Marcy didn’t qualify for your out of hours service?”

“Her parents can’t afford a sandwich let alone illegally sourced kidneys.”

“How many people are in the woods?”

“At least forty.”

Chad’s jaw dropped. “Forty? How could you get that many in six years?”

Carter barked a laugh. “You think I’ve only being doing this for six years? I refined it with Ellen and Kerion, we were much more efficient, but I’ve been doing this much longer than six years.”

“How long?”

“I’ve always loved rare cars, even as a junior doctor. Like anything, it was a learning curve. I got better at it, learned on the job.”

“What do you mean?”

“When I started this, I focused on the vulnerable. They didn’t bat an eyelid about climbing into the car with a complete stranger. I offered them food, or toys, or sweets, and they were beside themselves with excitement. Their drugged-up parents didn’t give a shit about them, left them to wander the streets. They didn’t care if they came home or not … some didn’t even report their kids missing.” Carter clacked his tongue, grinning at Chad. “I went after kids like you. I took them, and nobody cared, because nobody cares about kids like you. You’re a dirty stain on society that everybody prefers to be scrubbed out, no questions asked.”

“Why didn’t you keep on like that?” Chad gritted his teeth. “Why didn’t you carry on scrubbing outusstains?”

“Because these dirty little children had dirty little bodies, and weak little organs. They were broken through and through, and no use to anyone. I needed better bodies, better organs, and Ellen and Kerion attracted them with their healthy lifestyles and fitness regimes. Once the perfect body had been found, Ellen asked them to meet, and the rest you can guess.”

“Andrew made up Nina—”

“Yes, she would’ve been perfect.”

“But she wasn’t real. He played Ellen at your own sick game.”

“We’ll never know what she told him before he killed her. Whether she named me or not, whether he knew—”

“He knew, he was waiting for you the day he jumped from the bridge. If we hadn’t have showed up—”

“Then it’s a good job you chased him over the edge then isn’t it? Otherwise I might not be here now, satisfying your gut feeling, and is the truth satisfying, Chad?”

“Not really.”

“Why? Because you know you can’t do anything with it. I’d deny everything.”

“I could tell my DI about the woods—”

“Which I’ll say have nothing to do with me, and if you accuse me, I’d ruin you. I would say you were intoxicated the day you almost crashed into me. I’d say you were raving, and ranting dressed in your pajamas, no shoes on your feet. I’d say you burst into an operating theatre, terrifying my nurses. I’d say your boyfriend had strangled you with your consent and that was why you’ve got bruises on your throat. Who would put their trust in you?”

“No one.” Chad whispered.

“Exactly, but people put their trust in me every day. Doctor Carter. A hero. The whole country knows about your neglectful mum. You have no idea which punter of hers was your dad. No one at school liked you, your teachers labelled you a problem child.”

“I worked my way up from that beginning.”

“And got captured by a killer. A killer you continued to visit. A killer you were obsessed with, so much so that when someone was inspired by him and his spree, everyone suspected you.”

“The truth came out in the end. Everyone knows now that it wasn’t me. I wasn’t following in Romeo’s footsteps. Holly Stevenson had a vendetta.”

“It doesn’t matter if she did, it’s all out there. She dug it all up and showed everyone your skeletons, and no matter what you do, you’ll never be able to bury them again. What kind of detective are you to be taken by two different serial killers?”

“I should’ve known better with Marc, I shouldn’t have gone—”

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