by JA Konrath
“Dr. May, let me introduce my daughter, Dr. Theena Boone.”
Dr. Boone was around Bill's age, in her mid-thirties, dark and shapely. She had a smaller version of her father's Greek nose and enough hair on her head for several women. The soft black curls rested on her bare shoulders, and the neckline of her dress made eye-contact an effort.
“A pleasure, Dr. May.”
Bill took her hand and responded in kind.
“Please sit, Dr. May.” Dr. Nikos pulled out a chair for Bill. “I have to be social for a little bit.”
Dr. Nikos and Manny blended into the gathering crowd. Bill sat and faced the woman. He'd neatly slid from one uncomfortable situation into another. Small talk wasn't one of his strengths.
“Your father is an excellent speaker.”
To Theena's credit, she seemed completely at ease. As if suddenly being forced into conversation with a complete stranger was normal for her.
“He believes all Greeks should be outspoken; the result of seeing Zorba too many times.”
Unlike her father, Theena didn't have the slightest trace of an accent. Her voice was low, but soft in an undeniably feminine way.
“He does remind me a bit of Anthony Quinn.”
“Don't let him hear you say that; he'd be insufferable. I'm to understand that you'll begin your investigation tomorrow?”
Bill nodded. “It's not an investigation, really. All I do is review your testing and give a preliminary report to the committee.”
“But you have the power to stop the process before it gets to that, correct?”
“Yes.”
She took a sip of wine, leaving the tiniest trace of red lipstick on the glass. The rim had a complete circle of half moons around it, like a deliberate design. Bill thought of his own wine, back at the other table. A nice Merlot would take off the edge.
“I've seen Dr. Nikos lecture before, but this was the first time he introduced Manny. It's incredible.”
“Yes, we're all terribly excited. Manny especially. This drug has done wonders for him.”
“Was he the first human test subject?”
Theena's demure expression flickered.
“Actually, no. There was someone else who began the program at the same time as Manny. But there were... complications.”
“Something to do with the drug?”
“No, nothing like that. It was a personal matter. The N-Som worked fine.” Theena smiled. “I hope you aren't ignoring Mrs. May to be sitting here with me.”
Bill automatically looked at his wedding band.
“She... died last year.”
“I'm so sorry. Was it sudden?”
Bill almost blurted out a yes. He caught himself in time.
“She was sick for a long time.” The image of Kristen, lying in the hospital bed, filled his mind. “And you? Is Mr. Boone off mingling?”
Theena wiggled her large diamond ring. It caught the light and winked.
“Last I heard he was in Texas. I kept the name because anything is preferable to Stefanopolous. So, how does one get a job at the FDA?”
Bill thought about the long, boring version. After completing his studies at the University of Chicago and his internship at RushPresbyterian, Bill was undecided between a residency or private practice. He'd known from a young age that he'd be an M.D., but when the day finally came he realized that he enjoyed learning about medicine more than actually practicing it.
Congress made the decision for him. The year was 1992, and they'd just passed PDUFA—the Prescription Drug User Fee Act, which authorized the FDA to charge drug sponsors for their services, expediting the approval process. Suddenly CDER, which had been impossible to break into, had hundreds of openings for reviewers. Bill had leapt at the chance.
“I was just in the right place at the right time. How about you? You're a chemist, right?”
“Actually, I'm a pathologist, like my father. Specializing in neuropathology, of course.”
Bill's confidence slipped another notch. Beautiful, and a brain surgeon.
“Exciting work?”
Theena laughed, a rich, warm sound.
“I think I've developed a permanent squint from looking in the microscope so often. No, it's not what I would call exciting. But it's not without rewards, either. What time shall we expect you at DruTech tomorrow?”
“Whenever is convenient.”
“Anytime is fine. Research continues around the clock. Your predecessor preferred to work during the night shift.”
Bill raised an eyebrow. “My predecessor?”
“The prior CDER agent. Did you ever find out what happened to him?” Theena studied Bill's face. “You have no idea what I'm talking about, do you? He was sent by the FDA last month to review some preliminary research, worked with us for a week, and then left without a word. A Dr. Bitner?”
Bill knew Michael Bitner. They'd golfed on several occasions. He'd have to give him a call, find out what had happened.
“Someone call the police!”
The cry came from the other side of the banquet room, followed by shouts for a doctor. Bill hurried through the crowd, Theena on his heels. The activity was centered around the Men's Room. Bill had to shove gawkers out of his way to get in.
“I'm a doctor! Give me some room!”
At first, all Bill saw was blood. It took his brain a second to register that under all that blood was Dr. Nikos.
Theena screamed.
Bill knelt down, soaking his pants leg. He automatically reached for the carotid artery, then stopped his hand when he saw the gash in the doctor's throat, deep enough to expose the esophagus. Dr. Nikos was gone, long beyond anyone's help.
“Over here! There's another!”
Bill was ushered over to a second pool of blood. In the center of it was Manny. His tuxedo shirt was shredded, over half a dozen wounds covering his abdomen and chest. A scalpel handle protruded from his sternum.
“Tried... tried to save... da...”
Manny coughed, spitting red. Bill tilted Manny's face to the side so the blood didn't run down his throat. His pulse was strong, but when Bill tore off Manny's shirt he didn't hold out much hope. The guy looked like a lasagna.
Bill left the scalpel embedded, concerned that removal would cause more bleeding. He enlisted four guys with cloth napkins to keep pressure on Manny's many wounds. He also put Manny's feet up on a chair to stave off shock.
The paramedics arrived shortly thereafter, intubing Manny and carting him away.
Bill looked around the room, trying to spot Theena. He went back into the banquet hall, the crowd parting for him when they noticed his bloody clothing. He checked her table, the hotel lobby, and finally the parking lot.
She was gone.
Chapter 2
Bill was in the shower when the phone rang. He let the machine pick it up, holding the curtain partially open to hear who it was.
“Bill, this is Theena Boone...”
Bill grabbed a towel and hurried out of the bathroom. The fact that Theena was attractive and single wasn't lost on him, but Bill tried to rise above that and convince himself his concern was professional. She'd just lost her father.
“Theena?”
“Bill. Hello. I... was wondering what time you were stopping by DruTech today.”
The question caught him completely by surprise.
“I wasn't planning to, actually. I figured, because of yesterday— how are you holding up?”
“I'm strong, Bill. Dad raised me that way. He also wouldn't want this to interfere with our work. N-Som was his dream. Now that he's gone, it's even more important that I finish what he began.”
Tough lady. Bill wondered how much of it was genuine, and how much was bravado.
“How's Manny?”
“Surprisingly well, for fifteen stab wounds. Collapsed lung, perforated small intestine, internal bleeding. He needed over sixty stitches, but is listed as stable.”
“Have the police found anything?”
>
“Manny said there were two attackers, both with ski masks on. No leads yet. Are you coming?”
Bill glanced at the clock on the nightstand. “I can be there by ten, if that's okay.”
“That's fine. I'll meet you in the lobby.”
Theena hung up. Bill dried off and went into the bedroom. He noticed a spring in his step that hadn't been there a few minutes ago. Being honest with himself was a trait Bill nurtured, and he knew he was excited to be seeing Theena again so soon.
Admitting it brought guilt. He glanced at his wife's side of the closet, full of clothes. Kristen's presence was still there; her plants that Bill carefully maintained, their wedding pictures on the walls, the Hummel figurines she collected. The casual observer couldn't have guessed that the condo had been occupied by a single man for more than a year.
Bill dressed in his best suit, a dark blue Armani pinstripe. He could tie a Windsor knot with one hand in complete darkness, but he still preferred the solace of a mirror. There was a tinge of red in his blue eyes; something he hadn't been able to get rid of since Kristen got ill. He used some Visine, then combed his light brown hair and noted that he'd need a trim soon. After a quick electric shave he was in his Audi and on the way to DruTech Industries.
The weather was unusually tame by Chicago standards, especially this late in the fall. At every crosswalk there was at least one person in shorts, and the few jackets Bill saw were draped over shoulders rather than being worn. The sun felt good on his face for a while, but he eventually pulled down the visor when the glare became too much.
He played stop and go, eventually reaching I-90 and the path to the suburbs. Traffic was hellish, made even worse by the omnipresent construction, which had closed one lane off with orange cones. Bill had lived in the Windy City his entire life, and he'd never been on the Kennedy Expressway without suffering some kind of delay. The trip took seventy minutes, ten of which were spent on the off ramp to Schaumburg.
DruTech occupied an impressive five story building off a frontage road parallel to the expressway. It was sandwiched between a water reclamation plant and an AM radio station. Bill parked in a lot that was nearly empty. The front entrance was located between two water sculptures, marble and cascading, vaguely Roman in theme.
The lobby was expansive, the size of a small movie theater. It continued the motif, with polished terrazzo floors, white columns, and a front desk located under an arch. There were two elevators next to a small cafe, which was dark and quiet. In fact, Bill didn't see any people anywhere, other than the security guard.
He was sitting behind the desk, dressed in a gray uniform which fit a little too tightly. Before Bill had a chance to say a word the guard had a black phone in his hand.
“Good morning, Dr. May. I'll tell Dr. Boone you've arrived.”
“Thank you.”
Bill busied himself with wrinkle patrol, the trip having done cruel things to his suit. He was checking his hair in a chrome garbage can when Theena arrived.
Her white lab coat ended several inches above her knees, under which the hem of a short black skirt was barely visible. The doctor's face was carefully made up, her lipstick a more conservative shade than the previous night's. She didn't seem bereaved in the slightest.
“Hello, Bill. Thank you for coming.”
A handshake led to an awkward, but welcome, hug.
“If there's anything I can do.”
She pulled back and smiled. “Welcome to DruTech. Let me show you around.”
She took Bill by the arm and led him through the empty lobby. He commented on the dearth of people.
“Oh, that's Albert's doing—Albert Rothchilde. He insisted everyone take the day off due to yesterday's tragedy. Just a security guard and us today.”
“I've met Albert. Cheerful guy.”
“When the stock is up, yes. How much do you know about DruTech?”
“A bit. DruTech is a subsidiary of American Products. They make dish soap.”
Bill, like millions of other Americans, had a box of it at home.
“Correct. They lead the industry in environmentally conscious cleaning agents. Soaps, cleansers, whiteners, stain removers. A.P. also has a large share of the waste disposal market; biodegradable plastic garbage bags and such. DruTech was bought out by A.P. ten years ago, based on the strength of one of my father's patents.”
“Pain-Away.”
She flashed Bill an appreciative smile.
“A skin absorbing analgesic. Doing a great business with athletes and the elderly. Albert is President of A.P., and is also the supervisory head of DruTech.”
“He runs both, personally?”
“I know, he seems too young. After his parents died, he did away with the committees. He's very hands-on, and both companies are flourishing under him.”
They stepped into a chrome elevator and Theena removed a plastic card from her coat pocket. She stuck it in a slot under the call buttons, and a green light flashed. The lift descended.
“Upstairs is all corporate office work. It's downstairs where we have all the fun.”
She winked. Was she flirting with him, the day after her father was killed? Bill wondered if this was her coping mechanism. He cleared his throat.
“Is N-Som the only drug you have in development?”
“There are others; an experimental burn cream, a decongestant— but N-Som is the main focus.”
“How many people are working on it?”
“Six, plus Manny.” Her smiled faltered. “Five, now.”
There was an uncomfortable silence.
“It feels better, to talk about it. Grieving is a process that takes time.”
“Grief?” Theena's face was caught between a smile and a snarl. “My father was a brilliant scientist, and the world will mourn his loss. I have a mixed opinion. He... he did things.”
Before Bill could ask what she meant, the doors opened and she was walking briskly down the hallway. He followed, her words hanging in his head like a crooked picture.
The decor had changed drastically, all antiseptic white tile and harsh neon lights. It reminded Bill of a modern hospital.
“There are over a dozen rooms down here.” Theena spoke without facing him, her demeanor no longer playful. “Labs, offices, the computer center, two gyms, more medical equipment than an urban emergency room. And this.”
She opened a solid white door and held it for Bill. Inside, rather than an office...
“It looks like an apartment.”
Bill took in his surroundings. It was a fully furnished studio, complete with kitchen, den, and dining area. A stereo, cluttered with CD cases, and a pizza box on the TV gave the impression it was in use.
“Manny's room. This allows us to closely monitor him, while also giving him a semblance of normalcy. My father's idea; allow the NSom test subject to go about daily life while taking the drug.”
Bill looked at a window. The sun peeked through the curtains, which was impossible.
“Fake view. It's a television monitor, can simulate all kinds of weather.”
She picked up a remote control and pointed it at the window. She switched from morning to night, a soft crescent moon replacing the sun. Another switch and it was day again, but overcast and drizzling.
“That's impressive.”
“I can also switch it to play movies, cable, pay per view. Even porn. Do you enjoy pornography, doctor?”
Bill faced her. Theena was unreadable—he couldn't tell if she was amused or sardonic.
“I don't have much of an opinion on the subject.”
Theena moved closer, into his personal space. Her breath was warm and smelled of mint.
“I've studied the neurological effects pornography has on the human brain. You've heard the old story, that men are turned on visually, while women are stimulated emotionally? Not according to my research. I've found that men and women get equally excited, mentally that is, while viewing pornography.”
“Interesting.�
�� Bill felt his collar get a little tighter, and he fought the urge to pull at his tie.
“No one else seemed to think so, and I lost my funding. I think this country places too much importance on sex. It's a natural, necessary, biological process, but we keep it behind closed doors. No good comes from repression, don't you agree?”
Her smile sent a shock through him.
“I, uh, agree. Repression isn't a good thing.”
“It's different in Europe. More relaxed. There is no shame in a naked body. No shame in being open about your sexuality. Have you been with a woman since your wife died?”
Bill blushed. He was at a loss for an answer. The truth was he hadn't had sex in over a year, but that wasn't any of Theena's business. She may have born in Europe, but Bill hadn't had that luxury. Her bluntness made him uncomfortable, and if that was an indication of his own repression, so be it.
Still, he was flattered to be hit on. If, indeed, that's what she was doing.
Theena touched his hand. Bill's ears burned.
“Would you like to see Manny's bedroom?”
He fought the urge to take a step back.
“Dr. Boone—Theena, I find you very attractive, but I don't think this is the right time.”
“Do strong willed women scare you, Bill?”
“No. But I wouldn't want to take advantage of your situation.”
She moved closer, her hand touching his hip, her long curly hair brushing against his neck.
“But I'm the one in control, Bill. How could you be taking advantage of me?”
Damn good question.
“Your father just died. You're confused.”
“He really wanted N-Som to be approved.”
Bill pushed her at arm's length.
“Is that what this is about? Theena, my job here is to review your research and based on that...”
Theena began to laugh. Her abrupt change of character was shocking.
“What's funny?”
“Sorry, Bill. I was just messing around with you.”
“Excuse me?”
“I wanted to see how you'd react, that's all. It's strange to find any gentlemen left in this profession.”
Bill blinked. He blinked again.
“This—this was a put on?”
