“No wonder my father had to give her four years’ worth of psychological support therapy.” Mark’s voice sounded distant, as if he were thinking aloud.
Earl said nothing, thinking what a wounded soul she’d been, and he hadn’t realized it.
“A wretched childhood like that,” Mark continued, “and I never had a clue.”
“How could you, being just a boy? Hell, she never even mentioned a word of it to me.” Yet I should have known, he said to himself. “But from what her parents said today, or rather, what Samantha wanted to tell me but Walter made her clam up about, I think your father had confronted Samantha head-on about what was happening.”
“What do you mean?”
“You know how we often don’t write really legally sensitive stuff in our charts?”
“Of course.”
“He hadn’t put it in writing, but the way Samantha wailed to me about what terrible things he’d said to her, and how Walter went on about having nearly sued him over it, but then backed off, I figure your dad ultimately twigged to what really might have been going on – that’s probably when he wrote Mother? in the margin – and did a follow-up visit with good old Mom and Dad where he made some pretty strong insinuations about the harm Samantha had been doing. Maybe he even threatened to report her if he ever got a whiff of any more visits to doctors over ‘mysterious illnesses.’ Judging from the fact that there were no more surgical scars from dubious operations, the ultimatum seemed to have worked.”
“Son of a bitch.”
“And here’s something else. Read the letter Kelly wrote to your father again, especially the part that says, Regarding the other two matters, we must discuss those. Whatever I plan for myself, I can’t leave and let them go unresolved.” Earl quoted it from memory. “One of the matters she intended to resolve might have been what her mother had done to her. That possibility gives credence to Braden Senior’s insinuations about Samantha.”
“That she might have killed Kelly?”
“We have to look at the possibility. Suppose on the day she intended to run off and start a new life, she finally confronted her mother. Samantha could have erupted in anger, shoved Kelly or struck her. The woman’s fuse is short. Very short. You’ve seen it. I saw it this morning. What if she accidentally killed Kelly?”
Mark said nothing.
“Hello?”
“Yeah, I’m here. It’s a thought, but something about it just doesn’t sit right.”
“What?”
“I don’t know. Something.”
“Something. That’s all you can say?”
“Let me think about it.”
“Okay, okay.” They exchanged a few more suggestions about how to proceed. When he got off the call, Earl felt impatient. He wanted to go home, return to the present, his present – Janet, Brendan, and ER – not poke around in a quarter-century-old muck of other people’s mistakes. It was all so dreary, and what difference did it really make? Kelly was so long gone.
The whole mess also reminded him how easily a life of promise and love could go wrong, perhaps the result of a single mistake or bad choice. Too often, innocence or guilt played no part. Some, like Kelly, flamed out. Others, like Chaz or the McShanes, let themselves sink inexorably into ruin.
No, he couldn’t pull out just yet and leave loose ends that one day might not only ensnare him but devastate Brendan and Janet as well.
He shivered. Christ it was cold. Either that, or he was coming down with something.
11:35 A.M.
Medical Records,
New York City Hospital
“Could I speak with you a moment, Lena?”
Lena Downie looked up from the log she’d been reviewing at one of the workstations and saw Dr. Melanie Collins standing at the counter. “Why, of course.” She walked over, holding out her hand in greeting. “What can I do for you?”
“Actually, we need to speak in private.”
“Oh!” She glanced over to where the frosted glass door with her name and title stood closed. “My own office is in use right now.” She leaned closer. “A confidential audit,” she whispered. “But we’ll use my secretary’s. She’ll be delighted to take a coffee break.”
Within a minute they were seated across a cluttered desk from each other. Lena glanced at the adjoining entrance to her own domain, making sure it was shut tight, thereby ensuring both rooms were completely soundproof. “Now what can I do for you?”
“This is a sensitive matter, but I know you’re used to dealing with confidences.”
“Of course.”
“It has to do with Kelly McShane’s murder.”
Alarm flickered through Lena, and she reflexively glanced toward her own office.
“You’re one of the best informed people in the hospital,” Melanie said, “and probably no one knows as many of the secrets in this place as you do-”
“Now really, Dr. Collins,” she interrupted, feeling most uncomfortable.
“But you are. And I’ve been deeply troubled by something these last few days that I hoped you’d help me with.”
Lena’s curiosity won out over discretion. “Oh?” she said, reclining in her secretary’s chair. Its spring-loaded back and coaster wheels caught her by surprise, nearly tipping her over.
“It has to do with Dr. Earl Garnet,” Collins went on. “He probably was already down here, helping Mark Roper out with his investigation.”
Lena simply nodded.
“Well, I’m convinced Kelly had a lover – you know how we women can intuit that kind of thing – and I told Mark Roper as much, figuring he had to know as investigating coroner, if he is to have any hope of figuring out who killed Kelly.”
Lena’s gaze once more flicked toward the adjoining door. Even with soundproofing it was definitely not the time for this conversation. “Uh, Dr. Collins, you’re talking about things way beyond my purview-”
“Oh, I know it is, Lena, but please hear me out. I’m asking because of your instincts as a woman.”
“Well, I’m very flattered, but-”
“Here’s my point. Dr. Garnet’s talked with me several times about Kelly. You know we were all friends back then?”
“Of course, but-”
“Yet he never once asked who I thought Kelly’s lover had been, although I’m sure Mark told him that I thought she was having an affair.”
“Really? You mean-” She immediately stopped herself. “Dr. Collins, this is not a conversation I feel comfortable with at the moment,” she said instead, standing to end their meeting. “Perhaps at a later time.”
Melanie seemed astounded. “But I thought you would be able to help me decide what to do. I’ve racked my brains wondering if I should go to the police or not. I mean, do you think Kelly’s lover could have been Dr. Garnet? Did you ever hear anything to that effect?”
Lena would normally have jumped at the chance to be the confidante of someone with such a juicy secret. She’d have savored poring over the story, dissecting it piece by piece, adding whatever salacious bits of corroboration she might be able to pull from her memories of Kelly McShane and Earl Garnet. Yet having him right next door, soundproofing or not, made her extremely nervous. “I’m sorry, Dr. Collins, but really, I’ve nothing to say either way. I have no knowledge of an affair between those two, and whether you act on your suspicions is a matter between you and your conscience.”
Melanie gave her an are-you-feeling-all-right look. “Of course,” she said, clearly puzzled by Lena’s refusal to discuss the matter. Getting to her feet, she shook Lena’s hand. “And I appreciate your having seen me.” With a parting smile, she left.