Page 20 of X-Ray in the Xanth (Lovely Lethal Gardens Rewind #3)
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D oreen woke up the next morning with the name Eli running through her head again.
She had done some preliminary research into the name but hadn’t come up with anything, either as a missing person or even as a student who went to school here.
She sent Nan a quick text, asking if she knew of an Eli in town from way back when who might have been physically or even mentally challenged.
Nan called her back, her tone lively with curiosity. “That’s a very broad spectrum you just asked me for.”
“I know,” Doreen admitted, with a laugh. “I couldn’t really make it much clearer.”
“You couldn’t make it less clear,” Nan teased, with a laugh. “Now, do you want to explain?”
“All I can tell you is the conversation I had with a woman down at the park, where we found the body.”
“Ooh, now that’s interesting.”
“I don’t know how interesting it is, but it seems to me that somebody should have missed this man.”
“I’m sure somebody did,” Nan declared. “Still doesn’t mean that whoever did is still around.”
“I know. I know,” Doreen muttered, “and, of course, as the years go by, we lose more and more people who can give us answers.”
“Exactly,” Nan stated, “so, we have to be on this one fast.”
“I’m trying,” Doreen replied. “I was down there earlier at the park with Mack, talking to that one older couple. Then yesterday I went back and spoke to this middle-aged lady about it, but the only lead I’ve gotten so far is the first name Eli.”
She didn’t mention Meghan’s name or how the wife of the older couple seemed to just disappear, as if she was afraid Doreen would want to talk to her—which of course was true.
That was just one of the things she was tossing around in her mind.
Apparently she was now getting a bad name for interfering in people’s lives, and that’s not what she wanted.
Yet, if they had any answers, Doreen needed to hear them.
“Earth to Doreen,” Nan said in exasperation.
“Oh, sorry,” she muttered, giving herself a headshake. “I just drifted off there.”
“Yeah, I know,” Nan stated. “Now, when do you need answers on this Eli person?”
“Yesterday,” Doreen replied cheerfully.
“Of course, of course, silly question. Look. I’m just heading to breakfast, so I can bring up the topic while I’m there, see if anyone knows of anyone named Eli who went missing many, many years ago.”
“And he would be close to sixty maybe sixty-five now, if he’d lived.”
“Right. I guess you could always talk to one of the mental health centers around town.” Then Nan disconnected.
“Yes, but…” What did mental issues mean?
Did Eli have ADHD, or did he have a split personality?
Was he bipolar? Or was it not a mental illness but a physical disability?
Or was it just the perception of being off ?
What did that mean today? The way people viewed disabilities back then compared to today was a completely different issue.
As Doreen made coffee and scrambled a few eggs over a piece of toast, she wondered about all the people out there in the world and how people’s perceptions changed over time.
Of course, so many people worldwide didn’t have the benefit of the mental health clinics and free medical care that happened up here.
It all just left her with even more questions, as she went back to her computer and started searching.
When Dr. Elizabeth Harley called her a little later, Doreen smiled into her phone. “I’m really glad to hear from you. I was getting quite bored.”
“Ha,” Elizabeth said. “So, you’re right. We do have a first go-round, where the remains first ID’d as the senator’s daughter could be those of Sandy Wayne—the young woman you contacted me about.”
“Oh my. Really?”
“Yes.” Elizabeth went quiet. “We have contacted the family, looking for current DNA from them. Once we get that, I’ll compare the two samples, and I will get it done as fast as I can.”
“Right, back to that DNA process.”
“Yes, indeed.”
“Do you have any idea how many rape kits haven’t been processed for DNA, due to budget limitations?”
“I have no idea. I know it’s a huge problem in some places, but I don’t think it is here.”
“Okay, that would make me feel better.”
“Why?”
“If I wanted to help in that area, with a donation, I just wondered where the money could best be used.”
“I have to admit that’s a heck of an idea,” Elizabeth replied, her voice rising.
“If you do want to do that, I know some people I could put you in touch with. The hospital is also always looking for money, and I’m sure women’s shelters and various places could always use a little bit of extra funding. ”
Doreen added, “The challenge is that there are also animal shelters that need the funding, but I’m trying to look for places and issues that get overlooked, you know? That’s what I’m wondering about right now.”
“Keep wondering, and I’m sure you’ll come around to your passion project,” Elizabeth shared. “I’ve let Mack know about the potential match, but we’re waiting for DNA from the family because of the problems the first time around,” she added, “so it’ll still be a while.”
“Okay. Presumably the family is coming back up to visit?”
“I believe they are planning on flying in this evening,” Elizabeth shared, “and we’ll go from there. It’s so sad to think that maybe their missing daughter has already been buried and misidentified, while they’ve been out looking for her all this time.”
“And, if so, we’re still missing the senator’s daughter,” Doreen pointed out.
“I know, and that just aggravates this situation even more. Maybe, while you’re bored, you can go find that person too.”
“Ha. It wasn’t exactly boredom that brought this one into our life, but I hear you.”
“I’m glad you’ve got nothing better to do with your time,” Elizabeth muttered, “but I’ve got to run.” And, with that, she ended the call.
Her strange comment left Doreen staring down at the phone. Mack called a few minutes later.
“Did I call you first or did Elizabeth get there first?” Mack asked.
“Elizabeth got there first,” she confirmed, with half a laugh. “Then she suggested that it was a good thing I have all this free time on my hands, suggesting that I should go find the senator’s daughter’s body too.”
At that, Mack snorted. “She really doesn’t know what you do, you know?”
“Of course not,” Doreen muttered, “and, for a lot of people, I don’t do anything.”
“I guess that’s what they would see, not having all the information to make a proper decision,” he replied. “Does that bother you?”
“No, I don’t think it bothers me.… I could let it bother me, but I can’t be bothered to let it bother me.”
“Okay, that’s a good answer,” he said. “As long as you keep solving cold cases, I’m not sure any of these comments will get to you anyway.”
“Especially if you let me stay busy on these cold cases, but that’s a different story.”
“Ah, here we go again.”
“Not necessarily,” she replied, with a chuckle. “I’m just trying to figure out what this Eli may or may not have to do with anything.”
There was a moment of silence. “Eli?” Mack asked in an odd tone.
“Yeah, Eli.”
“What Eli?”
“What do you mean, what Eli?” she asked, then shook her head. “Oh, I didn’t tell you.”
“No, apparently you didn’t,” he stated in exasperation. “Do you want to fill me in now?”
“I just went back to the park. I was feeling really caged in,” she began, “and so I went back and just walked around. An older woman approached me, talking about how bad it was that a grave was right there all this time and how sad it was for some to think that their loved one could have been left like that.” Doreen took a moment, then took a deep breath.
“Anyway, after chatting a bit, I realized she’d been in the area a very long time, so I asked if she had any ideas of someone she’d lost touch with or who may have gone missing.
The only name she could come up with was Eli.
It took a bit more conversation, but, as it turns out, this Eli was a very tall man.
She had lost touch with him, as everyone did, because he was unloved in the sense that she thought he had some mental problem or disability.
He also had several broken bones, leg bones, and they didn’t necessarily think that he was all there. ”
Dead silence came from the other end of the call. “Good God,” Mack muttered.
“I know, but I wasn’t expecting to come up with somebody who was feeling guilty because of this.”
“No, of course not. Look. You’re just triggering something here for me. I’ll call you back.” He quickly ended the call.
Doreen frowned, wishing he had been a little more forthcoming, but that was Mack. So she would just take what she could get and would let him be who he was. Which, honest to God, she was pretty lucky that he was who he was.
Knowing that now she would have to sit here and wait, which would drive her nuts, she turned her attention to the other topic, absolutely delighted to think they may have already found out the remains ID’d as the senator’s daughter were really this other young woman, the Sandy Wayne from Solomon’s files.
Doreen knew it would be a while to get the DNA confirmed, but still, it was something to consider as almost solved.
Once again, they had answers, just not solid answers, not matching answers, and not enough of them. Not yet.
She pondered that as she flipped through this morning’s local printed newspaper.
There was no mention of the body found in the park, not even a mention of any remains being found.
Which was a bit of a surprise to her. Of course, there was no mention as of yet of the identity of the woman who had been misidentified as the senator’s daughter. It was too early.