Chapter Seventeen

"You," the man calling himself Robbie said, "are fantastic. I really can't believe my luck, getting to spend such an evening with you tonight!"

"You're pretty cute yourself!" Carly told him. "And I guess I'm a lucky girl, getting to spend the evening with you, such a...such a stud to see me safely home!"

"Are you ready to go?" he asked her. "I suggest one more drink. I'd like one more. What do you say?"

He thought he was getting her inebriated. Kevin was playing his part well. She was sure that "Robbie" had no idea her drinks weren't alcoholic drinks at all.

"One more!" she said. With her elbow on the bar, she set her chin on her knuckles and stared into his eyes. "With you," she whispered, "one more!"

Robbie called for Kevin. Kevin cheerfully assured him he'd have two more drinks right over.

"A man who loves all the old Beatles tunes!" she said. "You know, I do meet a few people who barely know who they are!"

"And Bowie. You love Bowie," he said.

Kevin brought their drinks. "Now, lass, you're sure you're doing all right?" he asked.

"Oh, I am lovely. And I have this lovely gentleman to see me home!" she told him.

"And I'd love to pay up for the lady and myself," Robbie said. "We'll head out after this!"

"I'll get the counting," Kevin said.

Carly looked at Robbie and said, "I didn't mean for you to pay for my drinks all night! I can take a part of that bill—"

"No, luv! I'll be taking the bill!" he told her. "For the pleasure of your company, of course, I'll be taking the bill!"

She finished her drink quickly, glancing over at Daniel. He had played his own game all night. But he'd been watching.

Waiting.

She swallowed down the last drink quickly, causing Robbie to laugh softly. "I need a wee minute here!" he told her.

"As long as you like!" she assured him.

But after she spoke, she began to rise. She had flirted and fawned over him long enough. It was time to find out the truth. Of course, if she discovered he was just a nice guy trying to get a new conquest into bed, she was going to feel like a complete fool.

But...

No. There had just been something too similar in the video footage. The man had been staring at the hospital. Watching? Waiting? And when the security guard had approached...

He had done something. Slipped off an excellent mask, rubbed away makeup—makeup and a facial prosthetic?

And come to look far too much like the man with me now.

She glanced in Daniel's direction. He had seen her rise.

"All right, we've paid the price!" Robbie said, placing bills on the bar.

She felt her phone vibrating but even as it did, he took her arm. There was no way she could reach the phone without him seeing whatever might be on it.

"You can walk all right?" he asked her, oh, so caringly!

She gave him a brilliant smile. "I can. With you by my side. And with all this terrible, terrible stuff going on, again, I am so lucky, so, so lucky to have such a strong and cool guy seeing me home!"

"It's nothing to help such a beautiful lass!" he assured her.

They stepped outside. He stopped about ten feet from the door, staring back into the pub.

She hoped Daniel wasn't obviously following them.

But he was not. Robbie seemed to be assured they were alone.

And it had grown late. The streets were quiet with only a few couples and groups moving about.

"I am glad you drank a lot," he murmured.

"Pardon?"

"I mean, I'm so glad you were free and easy and able to enjoy the evening," he said.

She suddenly felt someone at her side.

Keith.

"Lass, lass, he's turning you off the street. We'll be in the darkness behind the kirkyard, and then on to the small side street where the van comes. I've seen it! A gray van and driven by the bloke with him the other night, that Cullen fellow."

She couldn't answer him. She wanted to let him know Daniel would be coming behind them.

"Lass...that's the van just ahead," he told her.

It was. It might be time to drop the charade and pull out her Glock. But she still couldn't guarantee he was "Dr. Gleason."

And Daniel was behind her. Almost...almost. He just had to do something that would give him away...

Almost, almost, almost...

Luke arrived at Kevin's and hurried in. Carly hadn't responded to his call but Daniel had.

He'd let Daniel know they had discovered the house where surgery was now planned since the island "hospital" had been abandoned. They had confessions on tape from Lily Connoly and "Rusty Teller."

But they didn't have "Dr. Gleason" and an unnamed accomplice.

Daniel had informed Luke that he and Carly were at Kevin's, watching out for one another. Carly was with a man.

One she suspected. And she was playing the game.

Before Luke could reach the bar to speak with Kevin, he felt a strange touch on his shoulder. It was Keith.

"Come, come now! He is taking her along the street and the van is there, I saw it! He means to take her tonight."

"Does he suspect she's law enforcement?" Luke asked. If so, she could be in serious trouble. "Keith, we found their lair, their surgery. They can't go there—"

"But we don't know if they burke their victims right there in the van," Keith told him.

No, we don't.

"Daniel is following her," Luke told Keith. "And now we must do so. Show me the same route?" he asked.

Carly was good; she was competent. She was all right.

But the best cop or agent in the world could be taken. They both knew it.

"This way!"

Keith hurried along the street and then off it.

The great and ancient walls surrounding so much of Edinburgh seemed to be gray and miasmic with the night. Stars dotted the sky, but clouds covered the moon. Streetlights seemed distant.

They hurried along. Luke still couldn't see Carly with the man who might be the killer. But in another minute, they saw someone walking ahead and hurried to reach him.

Daniel swung around as they neared him, his weapon out.

He lowered it as he saw Luke and Keith.

"Where are they?" Luke asked Daniel.

"They must have taken a turn somewhere," Daniel said. "I couldn't follow too closely—he was watching. But he hadn't done anything yet! I think ahead, just ahead...there's a twist in the road and the walls that seem like solid walls and aren't quite on par..."

Luke let his strides grow longer. Carly could be in trouble.

"Ah, cool!" Robbie said. "See that? Me mate, Cullen, he's just ahead. We'll hop in the van, he'll give us a ride home."

"Stop!"

Carly was surprised to hear a female voice calling out.

She turned around as Robbie did, his arm around her now.

There was a woman standing behind them. In the darkness, Carly didn't recognize her at first.

And then she did.

It was Milly. Milly Blair.

Nurse Milly Blair.

Did she think she was a vigilante, and she could come out and save women from whoever was taking them?

"What the hell are you doing here?" Robbie demanded. His hold on Carly had grown fierce.

"Saving your arse!" Milly shouted in return.

"You're ruining a smooth operation," he told her furiously.

"No, no, listen to me! This has gone too far. Stan, she's FBI!"

"FBI?" He sounded disbelieving at first.

"FBI! She's been at the hospital talking to Forbes!"

It was over; no waiting on this. No choice. She dug in her purse for her Glock but even as she drew it out, Milly Blair aimed a weapon at Carly.

"You need to get this over with—fast! Get her off the street."

He still held Carly's one arm. Fiercely. She suddenly felt something against her side.

A knife.

"Do it!" Milly screamed.

"Do it? I'll shoot Milly, and I am a crack shot!" Carly snapped.

"So shoot her," the man who had now been called "Stan" by Milly turned to her with a broad smile. "FBI! So, well done! You played me, and I have been one hell of a player."

"Okay. I'll just shoot you," Carly said, aiming the Glock at him.

"Hmm. Think about it. Can I stab you right in an indispensable organ as you pull that trigger? Then again, you shoot me, Milly shoots you."

"What? After you told her to shoot me?" Milly demanded. "You shut up. Oh, yeah, you are the great Dr. Stanley Morton, thrown out of a hospital for letting too many living donors die when part of a liver or one kidney being given shouldn't have taken their lives. And you still think you're so hot—so hot that you had to play the part of Dr. Harold Gleason—who was a damned good surgeon until his death. You would let her shoot me? What an ass. Oh, Carly, you are going to die but...guess what? I'm no silly little nurse, and I should never have had to take any guff from that bitch, Dorothy Norman. Never. And now I see I've been working on this with a pure idiot! I have my medical degree—I received my license as a medical doctor, but this idiot wanted me to play the nurse. Guess what, Stan? I don't need you anymore. Because you're stupid—"

"Lily will never help an idiot like you!" Stan shouted. "You need me! She will only find customers for me!"

"But you've ruined everything tonight!" Milly raged. "And you know what, Carly FBI? You know how we got to be...who we are? People! They are idiots. The world needs more who are willing to donate their organs after death. You see, I have done a service—"

"I'm confused," Carly said, playing for time. Daniel was behind her. But...

What was he going to do? How would they end this? Milly was a wild card.

She had never fallen under suspicion!

Would she shoot to kill, perhaps kill Daniel before Carly could shoot her—and evade Stan's knife?

The question raged in her mind.

And then...

She hadn't seen him. Milly certainly hadn't seen him.

But Luke was behind Milly, the nose of his Glock pressed against her temple.

"Drop the weapon, Milly," he said.

Milly froze.

"You drop your weapon. I will shoot Carly."

"I don't think so. Carly will shoot you first."

"He'll stab her to death."

"No, he won't," Luke said. "He wants to live. He has an ego the size of the moon. He believes that as long as he's breathing, he will be clever enough to get himself out of prison and start it up all over again."

"Not true. Don't you understand? He was a surgeon, but I'm as talented and able as he is. I have been all along. All right, it was fun to be Burke and Hare, but that wasn't the point. He was in it just for the money. I wanted to save lives—"

"By taking lives?" Carly demanded incredulously.

"I took lives that didn't matter for those that did!"

"You did? I saved those people. You were only sometimes an able assistant!" Stan shouted.

"Not true!"

"You weren't even there half the time!"

"Because you used me!" Milly cried. "I was saving the right lives, you just wanted money! Burke and Hare—and I should have been—"

"I'm afraid you weren't either," Luke said. "Naturally, Lily Connoly considers herself to be Hare now, I believe. She'll start to tell everything—to make sure all the rest of you hang for the rest of your lives in prison."

"No!" Milly cried.

She raised her hand. She was going to shoot. "Donate any of my organs that are good!" she said suddenly. She twisted her gun to aim at herself.

"No! You don't have to do that!" Carly cried to her.

Luke moved to grab her gun, but it was too late.

Milly had aimed at her own temple.

And fired.

As she did, Carly twisted out of Stan's hold, her Glock directly on him.

He started to laugh.

"You're under arrest," Carly told him.

"Fine," he said with a shrug. "But you were right, so right. I will get out and I am a great surgeon! Unappreciated by some—adored by those I have saved!"

"And what about those you murdered?" Luke asked.

"Well, Milly was right about one thing. They really didn't matter. More important people needed what they had to offer."

There were sirens in the night. Luke kicked Milly's gun out of the way and walked toward Carly and the man who had apparently gone by Dr. Harold Gleason at one time and was now either Robbie or Stan.

"Drop the knife," he said.

The man shrugged and dropped the knife.

"Down on the ground. Hands behind your back. Carly, cover me."

Luke cuffed him and as he did so, Carly asked, "Luke, Daniel! He was behind me. Where is he? Nothing—"

"No, nothing happened to him. We had to split up. Daniel is after the man in the van," he said. As he stood over Stan, he told her, "The surgery has been found. It was empty—except for the parents we finally found of the children who had been with Marjory's children. It's over. Burke and Hare! This operation—at the upper level—was this fellow, Cullen, Milly, Vince and Lily Connoly. Burke and Hare and Hare and Hare and Hare. But it's a done deal. The money pipeline has been cut dry. This is finally finished."

Even as he spoke, Daniel appeared with the man she had been introduced to as Cullen. He'd been cuffed, and Daniel ordered him down on the ground with Stan.

"Mason and Della are here," Luke told Carly.

Sirens were loud in the night, and they were fast. There was no help for Milly Blair; she had aimed true at herself.

Carly wasn't sure what would happen, if the woman's organs could be donated. At the end, her last words had been to give her organs.

But could that change anything? No one, no matter what their knowledge or degree, had a right to play God, to decide who lived and who died.

They had taken lives they thought were...

Not worthy.

They had stolen those lives. And no one had that right; no one had the right to judge the heart and soul of another human being when it came to the precious things that could be given...

They did not have the right to decide life or death.

Campbell arrived with the first of the cars.

"Didn't we just do this last night?" he asked dryly.

Luke was glad to see Carly manage a smile.

"Well, you know. Can't let the grass grow under your feet."

"No. We can't do that," Campbell agreed. "Do your reports at the house. Call it a night—we now have all the players. Good work, good work! And...thank you!"

After the night in hell, there was something wonderful when they reached the house.

Jordan had already been released; he was waiting for them at the table. He'd brewed coffee and tea and set out shortbread for them to enjoy while each wrote up their report for the night.

They couldn't have been happier to see him well, out of the hospital—and not in a jail cell. He was ridiculously grateful to all of them.

Mason and Della joined them, and they learned they had finally managed to discover and arrest the last of the would-be Holmes Society killers who had been operating in France.

"And we came right here!" Della said. "We're still trying to piece it all together."

"There wasn't a Burke or a Hare," Luke explained. "There were several pathetic pawns, down-and-outers or those who were terrified for loved ones—to do their bidding. But there were a few major players. Rusty Teller, or Vince, and Milly Blair at the hospital. Milly was a shock. She hadn't been on our radar at all. The best we've figured is Lily had a transplant years ago. An illegal transplant. She paid a fortune and lied to her husband. She learned then, however, that there was a way to recoup her fortune by becoming a broker in organ transplants herself. Somewhere along the line, she and the man Angela just informed us is really Stanley Morton, a surgeon who lost his job for losing patients—came in contact. Stanley left the States, took on the esteemed identity of a man who had died far from home with no relatives, and came to Scotland to start over. But his attitude kept him out of the hospitals, and he met Lily and...Burke and Hare began with a little help from Milly, Vince and the man Cullen, the first friend Stanley found in Scotland. There is going to be so much for the National Crime Agency to sort out. So many charges that must be decided. But that's not for us."

"No," Mason said, "that's not for us."

"Well..." Jordan said, wincing. "I am Police Scotland."

"And," Daniel added, "I'm National Crime Agency."

Luke grimaced. "Sorry, guys! All those charges will fall on you two to file."

"Not to worry. That's really all up to the legal world here," Jordan assured him.

"Oh!" Della said. "The couple discovered in the house were Celia and Ted Smith, from the Shetlands. That's why they weren't on our radar. They had been planning a move to the mainland so when they disappeared, their neighbors thought they had completed the move. They have been reunited with their children and will be able to head back soon."

"They didn't do any of the killing, did they?" Carly asked.

Mason shook his head and quickly told her, "She is a pediatrician. Different from a surgeon, but that wasn't what they wanted from her. She and her husband were to watch over the patients—the ones that organs were transferred into—and keep them alive. That's something else up to the legal community, and I don't know how they'll handle it. You can't return a liver to a dead man or woman, or a heart, or lungs, or kidneys."

"Who did do the...physical killing?" Carly asked.

"Well, your two men. Stan and Cullen," Luke said. "Even Jared Stone was just a pawn, just the man who was to get a woman to the van. And while we don't know and may never know, it's my belief that Milly was the one to lure the men to their deaths."

"And Dorothy Norman?" Jordan asked.

"I think that might have been Milly—with a little help from her friends," Luke said. "But...all this will take time to completely unravel."

"Truth and court dates...we're talking lots of time," Mason said. "But I have good news for our little Blackbird division."

"Oh?" Carly asked.

"A few tie-up reports, and we're off!" Della said.

"Off...of?" Luke asked her.

"Ordered to take some vacation time," Mason said. "Wherever we want to go."

Carly smiled, glancing at Jordan and Daniel. "I love Scotland. I will always love Scotland with all my heart. Right now..."

"Beach?" Luke asked.

"Not just a beach!" Carly said. "A charming seaside village. I was thinking Italy. They have some great places on the coast. Days of just lying in the sun, jumping in the water—"

"I want a Jacuzzi!" Della said.

They all laughed and then Luke sobered, looking at Jordan and Daniel. "I..."

Daniel laughed. "We have both been given vacation time, too, but closer to home. We may be needed—and, of course, when we get to the trials, you will be called back. But I... I may be going with you."

"What?" Carly asked.

Daniel laughed. "Well, not on vacation with you, Carly, or a Jacuzzi with you, Della. But the powers that be are working together. I am a Scot, but they feel they can have a representative of the National Crime Agency be part of Blackbird—an international law enforcement entity, though its base and origins are America." He looked from Luke to Carly and they both understood why immediately.

Daniel had loved working with Keith. He had learned to use the strange ability he had; he didn't want to go back.

He felt the need to be with those who shared it.

"All right, then! Come the morning, plan the vacation. But now let's clean up."

Jordan and Mason carried the cups to the kitchen.

"And something else that's incredibly important," Carly said.

"What's that?"

"Find Keith MacDonald and thank him. And then we must also find the lovely woman who helped us at the very beginning, Kaitlin Bell. We need to make sure she knows how grateful we are for her help, just as we must let Keith know how grateful we are to him."

Daniel smiled. "And they will be pleased. They witnessed this horror before and could do nothing. Now, they have helped in a different time and place, but I think it will help them both!"

"All right," Carly said, rising. "I'm for bed! Oh, how rude! Mason, Della—"

Jordan, coming back from the kitchen, glanced in Carly's direction. "I do have a home here and I can go to it. Oh, I will be buying an alarm as soon as possible. I just wanted to thank you all tonight—"

"Jordan, we're fine. We're in the last room of the house. No one goes anywhere, not tonight!" Mason told him, coming up behind Jordan.

Good-nights went around. And they began to peel off, heading to their separate rooms.

And when they were in theirs, Carly turned into Luke's arms. "We... I can't believe it's really over, and we have all the puzzle pieces falling in."

"We do. And we get to go on vacation!"

"Vacation. Hey, do you think that..."

"We'll be able to just enjoy the sights and sounds, the art of Italy! Italian food, a beach... Yeah, well, you know, not forever. But do I think we will really, truly, get a few days? Yes! When the paperwork is tied up here. And we will need to come back when our players go to trial. Because they can never, never be let out!"

"Of course. Luke, we also need to go by and thank Kevin and Catherine. They were the real deal. Oh! And Dr. Forbes. We might never have discovered the truth without him."

"Right. One might first suspect a doctor there—but it makes far more sense that such a killer might be someone who would never be hired at a place where the mission was to save lives—all lives—and not just the lives of those who had money or prestige."

"We will get it all in," Carly said.

"Shower?"

"Shower!"

She headed in. He followed. And it was amazing. Soap, suds, the feel of someone you loved, and loved you in return, against you.

Later, as they lay curled together, Luke said, "It's amazing."

"What's that?"

"Being with you."

"May I return the compliment?"

He grinned, turning to her. "But I was thinking...on bad days, being together seems to alleviate the worst. And on good days...the celebration of touching you is purely amazing."

"And I am grateful beyond measure that we have what we have."

He curled an arm around her. Smiled.

And slept.

Thanking everyone and making plans wasn't going to be quite as easy as Carly might have hoped. Despite all the help that MacDuff and Campbell intended they have, there was paperwork, mounds of it, and that took the morning.

When they left, Jordan stayed behind. He still had work to do regarding what had been done to him, papers to fill out so that his name was fully cleared.

They were sorry to leave without him, but when they did, Daniel said, "I'm sorry Jordan isn't with us today, but...you do realize that it's going to be easier to say thank you to spirits when all of us can see the spirits."

"He has a point!" Carly told Luke.

"That he does," Luke agreed. "But we do have a few of those still living that we need to thank, too."

It was just after noon when they were able to get to the hospital and see Dr. Forbes—and Dr. Douglas as well.

They learned that life was going to be painful for Ewan Connoly, but he had truly been oblivious to what his wife had been doing. The future would be hard for him and his son; however, Westin Douglas informed them his father was going to do all that he could to help his old friend.

But they were grateful, and the doctors were grateful. It was still good to see them.

They decided to have lunch at Filigree and hoped to find Kaitlin Bell.

They did. And since they were a group, it was easy to speak with her and explain all the pieces that had been identified and fit together to make the picture whole.

Carly thanked her especially. She had been a beginning for them in knowing what paths they needed to follow.

They headed to Kevin's, where, again, they were able to thank Kevin and Catherine. And Kevin assured them he and his livelihood—the pub—thanked them in turn.

They hadn't seen Keith yet and Carly knew they must.

They headed for the dark paths and streets that led behind the kirkyard.

And there, they found him. He'd been waiting for them.

"So, my friends, I... I have been blessed to see you, to be a part of this!" he told them. "And I was hoping..."

"What's that, Keith? What can we do?" Carly asked him.

"I've had a strange feeling. Will you come with me to Arthur's Seat at Holyrood? I've a feeling, well... I needed to see you. But I wish we might go there."

And so, they did.

When they arrived, the sweeping green of Arthur's Seat seemed especially beautiful, dotted here and there with wildflowers. Keith thanked them again, and they insisted once more that he had been the help they needed.

And then Carly knew. He stood before them, the soft feel of his hands on her shoulders, and he told her, "It has come full circle. I have done what I was meant to do."

She wasn't sure why but she felt tears sting her eyes.

"Be happy for me!" he said.

And she nodded. "I am!"

He waved to the others and stepped back on the highest point. He gazed at them all, smiled and waved.

The he lifted his arms, and it seemed the sun burst a little brighter, sending a special ray down to kiss the earth.

And then Keith was gone.

And while tears still dampened Carly's eyes, she was glad. So glad.

Luke's hands fell on her shoulders and she knew. He would always be there with her. They would both miss Keith.

And they would also be happy. They had finished a case. Keith had finished his mission, and it had taken decades. He would go on.

And find his own peace and happiness.