Gardener straightened. “From the last person who’d met the monster we’re chasing. How does it work?”
“They constantly monitor the rate and rhythm of the heart and are able to deliver therapies by way of an electrical shock.”
/> “In other words,” inquired Reilly, “it can start the heart if it stops?”
“Yes,” replied Jackson. “Or the other way round, if you’re devious enough. And someone has been, looking at this lot.
“ICDs normally include wires, which pass through a vein to the right chambers of the heart, usually being lodged in the apex of the right ventricle. The most recent development is the subcutaneous ICD, which is what we have here. Current state-of-the-art electronics and batteries have enabled an implantable device to deliver enough energy to defibrillate the heart without the need for a lead in or on the heart. This prevents the risk of lead-related problems or dangerous infections. They are normally positioned just under the skin, outside the ribcage.”
Gardener digested the information before firing off an order at the doctor. “Cut it out.”
“Pardon?”
“Take it out of her mouth.”
“I’m not sure I should...”
“This is a murder investigation,” said Gardener. “And you’re helping me with my inquiries. Now cut it out.”
Jackson obviously thought better of any further objections and did as he was told. The procedure lasted five minutes. When he’d finished, he laid the device out on a bench.
“Do you recognize it?” Gardener asked.
“In what way?”
“The manufacturer? Do you use them here in the hospital?”
Andrew Jackson donned a fresh pair of gloves and examined the small unit, before holding it out to Gardener.
“There should be a serial number here, and a name. As you can see, someone has removed it. What’s this all about, Mr Gardener?”
“Pain, I should think. Judging by what you’ve told me, one of these things can deliver quite a shock.”
“Good God,” he said, turning back to the body. “What kind of a monster are you hunting?”
The doctor leaned in closer to Knight and peered into her mouth.
“Every one of those wires is connected directly into her teeth. And her teeth have been filled, which means he must have placed them on the ends of the nerves. Jesus Christ! The poor girl must have hit the roof.”
“She did,” said Gardener, still reliving the scene. At the time he had no idea what was causing the pain, or how severe it must have been. Now that he knew, he still couldn’t imagine it.
“I’ll ask you again, do you recognize it?”
“Why do you keep asking me that? What do you mean?” asked Andrew Jackson.
“Just that. Do you recognize this device? Is it something you would you use in the course of your duty?”
“A heart surgeon certainly would, but I’m not a heart surgeon. If you’re asking me whether or not it came from this hospital, I couldn’t say, but I will make some inquiries. There are a lot of manufacturers of these sorts of device, and they all differ in some way.”
“I’d like you to do that, and tell me as soon as you know.”
“Are you implying that a doctor from this hospital could be responsible for such a hideous crime? Quite frankly, I find that hard to believe. Doctors save lives, not take them.”
“Would you agree that to do something like this,” continued Gardener, “you’d need extensive medical knowledge? In fact, that it would require surgical skill to use the device in this manner?”
Jackson did not seem to want to answer his question.
“Well?” Gardener pushed.