The White Carnation by Susanne Matthews

sit in the car and let the EMTs do their jobs. He needed some answers; he suspected Faye had been raped and needed the doctor’s help to prove it. What he wanted done was an incredible invasion of her privacy and an abuse of his power, but he didn’t have time to find a judge and convince him, without an ounce of proof, to order the tests. Rob had to know if he was right, and this was the fastest way.
    He pulled out his wallet and the card Mira had given him and dialed her number on his cell. She answered on the third ring.
    “Hello. Dr. Kane speaking.”
    “Mira, it’s Rob. I hope I’m not interrupting anything.”
    “No, I just got the princess down for her nap. Actually, I’m glad you called. I couldn’t get you out of my head last night, especially once I got the body cleaned up.”
    “Why was that?” he asked, hoping the ME had seen what was so obvious to him now.
    “That girl looked like Faye. You must’ve noticed it.”
    He sighed heavily, pleased to have his assumption confirmed. “I did, and it came as quite a shock. The other victims just weren’t as pronounced.”
    “I know killers usually have a preferred type, but realizing this victim looked like someone I know gave me the creeps. Her hair was dyed, by the way. She’s probably blonde.”
    “Two of the others had their hair colored as well. Listen, Mira, the reason I called has to do with that research project your husband was on before you left the department. He was looking into date-rape drugs for the World Health Organization, right?”
    “Yeah, the year before we got married. He spent most of his time in Colombia. Why?”
    “Did he ever mention a drug that would not only make the victim compliant but would erase their memories, too?”
    “Yes, but it’s incredibly dangerous. An overdose can kill. Where are you going with this, Halliday?”
    “I need to know everything there is to know about it.”
    “My husband went to Colombia to look into the ramifications of scopolamine, the so-called zombie drug. It’s odorless and tasteless and leaves its victims with no memory of what happened to them. Some people think it’s just an urban legend, but he’s convinced it might be the most dangerous drug out there today.”
    “Is it injected?”
    “It can be, but when used as a street drug, it’s either put into drinks or blown into the victim’s face and inhaled.”
    “Holy shit! The stuff’s that potent?”
    “It is. It robs the victim of free will. There’ve been cases of people emptying their bank accounts, being raped or beaten, committing robbery, even murder, without any memory of it.”
    “Where does the stuff come from? Is it cooked up in a lab like meth?”
    “Not exactly. It needs some refinement, all drugs do, but it comes from the Borrachero tree, a plant found in Colombia. The street name for the drug is the devil’s breath.”
    “Why don’t they just destroy all the trees if this stuff’s so dangerous?”
    “Because like every other drug, it does have medicinal value. Scopolamine is used to treat severe nausea and motion sickness, as well as some types of addiction. They give it to astronauts. It’s usually prescribed as a patch that’s replaced every three days. It was used early in the twentieth century to make labor and delivery easier—the doctors called it ‘twilight sleep.’ Some anesthetists still add it to the cocktail they use to put people under for surgery, and I’ve just read an article suggesting it might help patients with bipolar disease.”
    “So how is it used so that memory is impaired?”
    “You have to understand the brain is relatively uncharted territory for doctors. We know a lot about it, but there’s still a lot to learn. To make lasting memories, your brain has to release a chemical called acetylcholine. Too much scopolamine in your system will block the production of acetylcholine. It basically prevents the brain from making the memory in the first place. It’s not a matter of