Terminal

In the hall, Sean had to scurry to keep up with Janet’s pace.

“I’m anxious to talk with you,” Sean said, coming alongside. “In case you couldn’t guess.”

“I’d love to chat,” Janet said, “but I’m really busy. Report’s coming up and I’ve got to finish these medications.”

“The indictment against Forbes was handed down by the grand jury,” Sean said.

Janet stopped and gave him a big, warm smile.

“That’s great!” she said. “I’m pleased. And I’m proud of you. You must feel vindicated.”

“As Brian says, it’s an important first step,” Sean said. “The indictment includes Dr. Levy, although she hasn’t been seen or heard from since Mason’s mea culpa news conference. No one knows where the heck she is. The indictment also includes two clinical staff doctors and the director of nursing, Margaret Richmond.”

“It’s still all so hard to believe,” Janet said.

“It is until you realize how thankful the Forbes medulloblastoma patients have been,” Sean said. “Up until we put an end to it all, they’d given over sixty million dollars in essentially unrestricted donations.”

“What’s happened to the hospital?” Janet asked, eyeing her watch.

“The hospital is in receivership,” Sean said. “But the research institute is closed. And in case you’re interested, the Japanese were fooled by the scam as well. They had no part in it. Since the lid blew off, they cut their losses and ran.”

“I’m sorry about the hospital,” Janet said. “I personally think it’s a good hospital. I hope they make it.”

“One other piece of news,” Sean said. “You know that crazy guy that caught us on the beach and scared us half to death? His name is Tom Widdicomb, and he’s crazier than the mad hatter. He’d kept his dead mother in a freezer at his house. Seems he thought she was telling him to put all advanced breast cancer patients to sleep with succinylcholine. The mother had had the same disease.”

“My God,” Janet said. “Then that’s what happened to Gloria D’Amataglio.”

“Apparently so,” Sean said. “And a number of others.”

“I even remember Tom Widdicomb,” Janet said. “He was the housekeeper who bugged Marjorie so much.”

“Well, apparently you bugged him,” Sean said. “Somehow in his distorted thinking, he decided that you had been sent to stop him. That’s why he was after you. They think he was the guy in your bathroom at the Forbes residence, and he definitely was the person who followed us into the Miami General morgue.”

“Good Lord!” Janet exclaimed. The idea that a psychotic had been stalking her was terribly unnerving. It reminded her again of how different her trip to Florida had been from what she’d anticipated when she’d decided to go.

“Widdicomb will be tried,” Sean continued. “Of course he’s pleading insanity, and if they bring the mother in the freezer in to testify, he won’t have a problem.” Sean laughed. “Needless to say it’s because of him that the hospital is in receivership. Every family that lost a breast cancer patient under suspicious circumstances is suing.”

“None of the medulloblastoma cases are suing?” Janet asked.

“Not the hospital,” Sean said. “There’d been two entities: the hospital and the research center. The medulloblastoma patients will have to sue the research center. After all, at the hospital, they got cured.”

“All except for Helen Cabot,” Janet said.

“That’s true,” Sean agreed.

Janet glanced at her watch again and shook her head. “Now I’m really behind,” she said. “Sean, I’ve got to go. Can’t we talk about all this tonight, maybe over dinner or something?”

“Not tonight,” Sean said. “It’s Friday.”

“Oh, of course!” Janet said coolly. She thumped her head with the heel of her hand. “How stupid of me to forget. Well then, when you get a chance, give me a call.” Janet started down the hall.

Sean took a few steps and grasped her arm, pulling her to a stop.

“Wait!” he said, surprised at her abrupt end to their conversation. “Aren’t you going to ask me about the charges against you and me?”

“It’s not that I’m not interested,” Janet said. “But you’ve caught me at a bad time, and of course, you’re busy tonight.”

“It’ll only take a second,” he said with exasperation. “Brian and I spent most of last evening bargaining with the State’s Attorney. We got his word that all charges against you will be dropped. As far as I’m concerned, in return for testifying, all I have to do is plead guilty to disturbing the peace and malicious mischief. What do you think?”

“I think that’s great,” Janet said. “Now if you’ll excuse me.” She tried to get her arm free, but Sean wouldn’t let go.

“There’s something else,” Sean said. “I’ve been doing a lot of thinking now that this Forbes thing is out of the way.” Sean averted his gaze and shifted his weight uneasily. “I don’t know how to say this, but remember when you said you wanted to talk about our relationship when you came down to Florida, how you wanted to talk about commitment and all that? Well, I think I want to do that. That is, if you’re still thinking about what I think you were.”