Evil in the 1st House (18 page)

He kicked the gun under the desk just as the door opened and a nurse appeared. She stared at Lowell and Gloria for a few moments.

Lowell looked up at her. “We need some help here.”

“I'll get the head nurse.” She quickly left the room.

Lowell stood and scooped up the gun using a tissue, careful not to leave any prints, put it back in the desk drawer, and then went back to Gloria and wrapped his arms around her. The door opened and several people came in, including McFarley.

The head nurse entered. “What's happened here?” she bellowed.

Gloria started to speak. “I…”

“There's been a terrible accident,” said Lowell. “Dr. Williamson went over to close the window and tripped.”

The nurse looked out the open window. There were several people surrounding Williamson's body. “Oh my dear, God!” She turned to another nurse. “Olivia, please call the police.”

Lowell saw McFarley hurry out.

The nurse picked up the phone. “This is Nurse Johnson. What's the status on Dr. Williamson?…I see…Let me know when the police arrive.” She hung up and turned toward Gloria. “Your husband is dead. He landed on his head and apparently died instantly.”

Gloria fainted into a heap.

Chapter Forty-four

Lowell picked up Gloria and carried her to the couch. The nurse took her pulse on her wrist and neck.

Gloria began to come around. “What happened?'

“You fainted,” said the nurse. “Can you sit up?”

“I think so.”

With Lowell's help she managed to get into a seated position. The nurse handed her a glass of water and applied a wet cloth to her forehead.

Gloria sipped the water. “I'm feeling much better, thank you.” Color was starting to return to her face.

The door to the operating room opened and a man wearing scrubs and gloves came out. “What's going on here?”

The nurse walked over to him. “Dr. Meltzer, there's been a terrible accident. It's Dr. Williamson. He's fallen out the window. I'm afraid he's dead.”

“What?” said Meltzer, the shock quite obvious on his face. “Dead? But how is that possible? Who was here when it happened?”

“We were.” Lowell extended his hand.

The doctor took off his glove and shook it, without thinking. “Who are you?”

“David Lowell. I'm a private detective hired by Dr. Williamson to find the whereabouts of his wife.”

“Wife? I didn't even know Ethan was still married.”

Gloria sat forward. “I'm Mrs. Williamson. We've been apart for many years but never divorced.”

Meltzer sat in one of the chairs. “I don't know what to say. Ethan was my friend. I just can't believe this has happened.”

Lowell took Gloria's hand and patted it. She smiled weakly.

The door to the operating room opened again and a young woman in scrubs came out sobbing. As she ran past, Dr. Meltzer called out. “Maria?” But she continued out the door of the waiting room.

Lowell watched. “Maria Rodriguez, I assume?”

“That's right,” said Meltzer. “But how…”

“I don't think she's coming back.”

“I don't understand.”

Lowell turned to the doctor. “I'll explain it all to you in due time. Right now we have another problem that must be addressed immediately. There's a very sick boy in that operating room.”

The doctor looked at him, his attention scattered. “Yes, I was about to assist in a transplant.”

“Doctor, what are the options for a heart transplant when a potential donor dies suddenly?”

The doctor sat back in the chair and removed the second glove. “While other organs such as kidneys can be kept ready for some time, a heart transplant must occur within about four hours of the removal of the organ.”

“Dr. Williamson was an organ donor. You'll find that in his records.”

Meltzer shook his head. “The closest transplant center is in New York. We would have to hurry to secure Dr. Williamson's organs, especially the heart, to make sure it can be donated in time.”

“You have a patient right here who's on the list of recipients, but without a proper donor.”

Dr. Meltzer looked surprised. “But I don't understand.”

Lowell tugged on his ponytail and tried to word his response carefully. “Actually, if you examine the donor you'll find that he's a perfectly healthy young man.”

The doctor looked at him incredulously. “What are you talking about? I was told the boy had late stage brain cancer with very little time left. I have to look into this.”

He went into the operating room and returned a few minutes later.

“I don't know what's going on here, but I was brought in to assist in a heart transplant, and now I find that my donor is, in fact, perfectly healthy. This is most irregular.”

“I believe you will find Dr. Williamson's blood type is a match for his son. Can you do the operation?”

“I can. But I don't know if I should. There's something very amiss here.”

Gloria stood unsteadily, walked over to him and took his hand. “My boy is dying. Without this transplant he won't last much longer. He's on the list of recipients, and his father is a donor.”

Meltzer went to the computer and opened a file. “Yes, I see that the boy has been on the list of recipients for the last year. But I'm not sure about the legality of all of this.”

Lowell took out his cell phone. “Perhaps I can help.”

He called Melinda. “It's me. I'm at the hospital in New Jersey and there's been a terrible accident. Dr. Williamson fell out of a window and is dead. I have Dr. Meltzer here and I need you to talk to him. We need to transplant Williamson's heart into his son Edward as soon as possible, and there may be some legal problems you should discuss with Dr. Meltzer. The boy's mother is here and prepared to okay the operation.”

He handed the phone to Meltzer. After a brief conversation and a number of
grunts
and
I sees
, he handed the phone back to Lowell.

Meltzer turned to Gloria. “And you're his mother?”

“Yes.”

“And you agree to this operation?”

“Absolutely.”

“Well, this is most…fortuitous.” He picked up the phone and pushed two numbers. “Get me Dr. Williamson's medical records and a release form for a heart transplant STAT. And I need someone who can assist in a transplant.” He was about to hang up. “Oh, and get me an anesthesiologist.”

He hung up. “You know there is no guarantee that his body will accept the new heart, although being a parent increases the chances that the HLA markers will match. The boy's chest cavity appears to be large enough to accommodate his father's heart.” He turned toward Gloria. “Even if the operation is successful your boy will probably have to take autoimmune drugs for the rest of his life.”

Gloria nodded.

“They're very expensive,” said the doctor.

She sighed. “I hadn't thought of that.”

Lowell took her hand. “Please don't worry about that now. One thing at a time. Let's just get through this procedure.”

Another nurse brought up the necessary paperwork for Gloria's signature.

Dr. Meltzer went into the operating room and returned about fifteen minutes later. He shook his head. “I'm not completely satisfied that everything is on the up and up. I don't know what's going on. It isn't like Edgar to make such a grievous mistake. But I've seen the medical situation, and that boy in there desperately needs a new heart soon or he will die. His father has suddenly become a donor, and there is nothing else I can do but perform this operation. The blood work shows compatibility and there is every possibility that it will be successful.” He headed toward the scrub room. “Now if you'll forgive me I have a transplant to see to.”

Chapter Forty-five

The operation was a success. Edward was in recovery and doing well when Lowell and Melinda came in the next day.

Gloria and Kevin were sitting in the waiting room. She stood and walked over to Lowell.

“May I speak with you over here for a moment?” she asked.

They walked over to the window. The hospital grounds were vast, with rows of trees and roaming meadows spread out over a dozen acres.
To have a backyard like this,
thought Lowell.

Gloria took his arm. “I haven't told Kevin about how his father died.”

Lowell nodded.

“I was wondering if you had any advice. I mean, how do I tell my boys that I killed their father?”

Lowell sighed. “You didn't kill him. It was an accident. You didn't set out to do him harm, you just reacted to the situation. I don't think you ever do tell the boys about your part in it. I know it's going to be difficult to live with this hanging over your head for the rest of your life, but truthfully, what would be the point? It would upset them both and do nothing to change the situation.”

“But…” she began.

Lowell held up his hand. “Only you and I know what happened. I've told my daughter, but she was acting as council and anything I said is attorney-client privilege and will never be repeated. You did what you had to do to save your child's life. Things occurred because of your husband's actions and it is his karma that they turned out the way they did. The spiritual bank books had to be balanced, and your husband's transplanted heart kept your children alive and your family together. There's nothing to be gained by confessing now, except a somewhat selfish desire to cleanse yourself of something that doesn't need cleansing. This will all work itself out through the years and future lifetimes.”

“It will be hard. I'm a very honest person.”

“I know,” said the astrologer. “But who would benefit from it? If you were removed from the home, these boys wouldn't have a parental figure to help them as they enter adulthood. They both will need you very much, Edward especially.”

She nodded. “I suppose you're right.”

Then she dropped her hands into her lap. She looked down at them, seeming quite sheepish once again after her burst of strength and conviction the day before. “I don't know how I'm going to raise them. Edward's medication is terribly expensive, even if I can get health insurance.”

“First things first. Get Edward on the road to recovery and then we'll deal with everything else. I want you to come to my office in a few days.” He motioned to Melinda. “I'd like you to talk to my daughter for a few moments.”

Melinda walked over. “Mrs. Williamson, how are holding up?”

“Gloria, please. I…I don't know how I'm holding up, to be honest. This has all been so much to take in. Until a few weeks ago, I hadn't seen my husband or my other son for almost fifteen years. Now I suddenly I have my boy back with me. And Edgar is…”

She closed her eyes and shuddered. “Oh, I'll never forget that moment when I realized that he meant to take my Kevin's life.” She opened her eyes and looked at Lowell. “No, I won't tell the boys what happened. You're right. I did exactly what I had to do. Sometimes it's just that clear, isn't it?”

“Sometimes,” said Lowell. “My daughter will take care of your legal matters in the aftermath of your husband's death and the transplant. She specializes in criminal law, and will see you through the next few weeks. Once this is all behind you, she'll recommend someone who would be better for your day-to-day matters.”

Melinda took out her card. “Call me anytime you need me. This may not go away for some time, and you will probably be called in again by the authorities. I'll be there whenever you're being questioned. And I'll also look over the legal papers.”

And there would be questions, many of them.

As they were leaving Lowell handed a check to Melinda. “I want to give you another retainer to act as Gloria's attorney.”

“Dad.”

She looked at it. It was made out in the amount of five dollars.

“Is that okay?”

She smiled. “That's fine.”

Chapter Forty-six

Lowell entered Roland's office. The lieutenant was slugging down a cup of coffee, a grimace on his face. “Awful stuff,” he said as Lowell sat.

“Want some?” asked the cop.

Lowell shook his head.

“Oh that's right,” said Roland. “You never drink it after noon.”

Lowell smiled. “There are some exceptions. But not today, thank you.”

“What can I do for you, David?”

“I have some information that might be valuable.”

Lowell told Roland about Williamson's almost confession to hiring McFarley to murder Karen's uncle. He also told him about the thumb drive and questionable genetic patents.

“What I know about genetics wouldn't fill a match book,” said Roland. “I'll leave all that up to the DA's office. I catch killers and jaywalkers. Let someone else deal with the twenty-first century. So Williamson's dead. What a strange turn of events, wouldn't you say?”

Lowell shrugged. “It was an untimely death.” He left out any mention of Gloria's role in his demise.

“Yes, but it seems quite fortunate for his son.”

“Yes,” said Lowell, “it did work out strangely balanced in some ways.”

“You still have a problem on your hands, you know.”

“McFarley.” There was disgust in Lowell's voice.

Roland looked troubled. “McFarley is a tough case,” he said, as he downed the last of his coffee. “We've had no luck finding him, and from what I can gather, he was very indebted to Williamson.”

Lowell uncrossed his legs and stretched them out in front of him. Lately his right knee and hip had been giving him some trouble and he frequently needed to extend that leg out. “You didn't learn anything at the hospital?”

“No,” Roland ran his hands through his hair. “Not much. Apparently Williamson saved his life years ago when he was badly cut up in a street brawl.”

“That's when he got the scar on his face?”

“That's right,” said Roland. “Williamson stitched him up and prevented him from bleeding to death. He didn't charge him. Ever since then McFarley has done favors for the good doctor. In fact, Williamson had scheduled plastic surgery to fix the scar.”

Lowell nodded. “I guess that'll have to wait. So what now?”

The policeman leaned back in his chair. “Now you have to watch your back.”

“For how long?”

The cop wasn't enjoying this at all. “I don't know.”

“You know, Phil, I can't live in fear for the rest of my life.”

“I know. But there's little else we can do. It could take years to catch him.”

Lowell thought for a moment. “How devoted do you think McFarley was to Williamson?”

“No way of knowing. I suppose he felt some loyalty, though how much honor a professional killer and low life like him can have is a good topic for debate. You're gonna have to be careful until we can get him.”

“And how about my extended family? If he's angry enough about the doctor's death, he may try to take it out on those closest to me.”

Roland frowned. “It's a tough business you're in, as you know.

Lowell got up and walked to the window. Roland's office looked out over the busy side street. People were scurrying here and there, caught up in their own personal dramas. He turned to Roland.

“Phil, we've known each other for some time now. Have you ever wondered…”

“If it's all worthwhile?” asked the cop.

Lowell nodded.

“David, I chose this profession for a number of reasons. I like being an authority figure and I get a lot of pleasure out of helping others. And frankly, I'm not cut out for much else. This is what I'm good at. Also the pension and benefits are better than I could have gotten in private work. I'm not sure why you do it. You've obviously got more money than you need and could choose a different path.”

“I suppose there are a number of reasons. Sarah has appointed herself my shrink. Maybe you should ask her.” He laughed.

Roland smiled. “We'll keep the APB on for McFarley and I'll keep you posted if we hear anything.”

Lowell got up to leave. “That's not good enough.”

Roland nodded. “I didn't think it would be. Be careful, you've got a viper on your trail.”

Lowell had his hand on the doorknob. He turned back to the policeman. “You can't live in fear.”

“No,” said Roland. “That's not living at all.”

Lowell nodded to Roland, opened the door, and left.