Petals & Bullets

40 - making love

SERA

There is a faint scent of disinfectant circulating in the air. Luca and I follow Detective Lombardi and a tech down a flight of stairs into the morgue. The solid construction of the stairs muffles our footsteps, and the air grows colder, creating an eerie and solemn feeling.

We reach the lower level and gain access through reinforced doors leading to the morgue area. The medical examiner is sitting at a workspace in the lab area and doesn't look up from the paperwork, even when our footsteps come to a stop. He has striking white hair with stubble along his face, and a pair of bifocals rest on the bridge of his nose.

"Detective Lombardi, I've told you many times. I don't have anything to tell you." The medical examiner speaks, still refusing to look up.

I don't like how rude he's being.

"Than I would hope you'd be willing to talk to me," I say with assertion in my voice, keeping in mind that this man concealed my mother's pregnancy for money.

The examiner lifts his head and his eyes betray him instantly, as if he's just seen a ghost. "W-who are you?" He then looks to Luca, who holds an unwavering, icy glare.

"My name is Seraphine Hanada, daughter of Himari Hanada." I respond and I see the guilt that flashes in his eyes.

He clears his throat, trying not to let his voice quaver, even though the tension in the air is escalating. "Look, I really have nothing to say to any of you." His tone is firm. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have very important work to do."

"Dr. Mitchell, I don't think you realize the severity of this situation. Mr. Di Vittorio and Miss Hanada are very busy themselves and on top of that, they're very influential people and I mean very. So, if you think Tim Corwin has made life difficult for you, you don't want to find out the consequences under the Di Vittorio name." Detective Lombardi tries to get him to grasp the gravity of the situation.

"One call and I can wipe your existence from this earth." Luca's words are laced with certainty as he holds his phone up in the air.

Dr. Mitchell's face falls at the uncertainty of who we might be and the battle within himself over whether he should tell us or not. When he hesitates, I glance over at Luca and right before he can press the call button, Dr. Mitchell lets out a shout. "All I want in return is for me to be able to live a comfortable life. For years, Mr. Corwin and his wife have threatened me. What was I supposed to do? I have kids and grandkids."

"What happened?" I push.

"He paid me. He found out where my family and I lived and used it as leverage. The man had people stationed outside my house all the time and work." Dr. Mitchell acts like a victim but we know his darkest secret. The man was no better than Corwin and besides that, Corwin lacked that kind of influence or authority back then. Dr. Mitchell has been involved in a criminal enterprise, accepting payments to fraudulently alter death certificates—a major corruption within the justice system. "Your mother was indeed pregnant but there was no record of her confirming that at her regular physician's office. Which is why it was easy to forge the documents for Mr. Corwin."

And get paid.

I start to feel the rage inside of me want to take over. My mother and my unborn sibling didn't deserve to die. I've moved on from the heartbreak of not having my mother growing up and knowing I could have had a sibling is now a reminder I will never get to experience that kind of family life.

Finding Corwin is my priority, but Veronica is also on my list.

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