Crescent City Chronicles (Books 1-3)

by Judith Lucci

  “As several of you may not know, Alton Ochsner was a right-wing conservative, anticommunist who had a proven, long standing relationship with the U.S. military and the FBI. In fact, it was widely believed that Dr. Ochsner was project chief in virus development for military applications. There was also a rumor that he was a CIA operative," Robert announced.

  Alex smiled to herself, and figured Alton Ochsner couldn't have been a close friend of the liberal, democratic Bonnet family, probably the most powerful political family in Louisiana. She doubted the Bonnets’ ever interacted with the archconservative Dr. Ochsner on a social level. Robert's dad just wouldn't have tolerated it. She could hear him now raving about those pea-brained, right wing, conservatives. She smiled at the memory, a memory from the good days. He must be dying now with the tea party movement, she thought to herself.

  Yvette interrupted and assessed her friends around her and their reactions to Dr. Mary's Sherman's story. She decided to continue. "You're correct, Robert. There's believable, credible evidence that Ochsner's project was supposed to be about developing a vaccine against SV-40 to help prevent soft tissue cancer in children who were administered the Salk-Sabin vaccine against polio in the late 1950s and early 1960s. This vaccine was mistakenly grown on cancer-causing, diseased monkey kidneys. However, evidence suggests that Ochsner's true project was more akin to a 'New Orleans's Manhattan Project' and was really about developing a secret biological warfare agent to use against Communism. It’s clear that Sherman and Ferrie conducted research in the irradiation of Simian Virus 40 or SV-40 in a secret lab. In fact, it is believed that the burn wound on Dr. Sherman's arm was most likely caused by the linear accelerator, a radiation machine, located in a subbasement of Charity Hospital. Some speculate Dr. Sherman had to die because of the burn, which couldn't be explained, and that she was actually killed by members of INCA. In short, the project was transformed into an effort to create a cancer-causing biological weapon to assassinate Fidel Castro and all the communists in Cuba and Latin America." Yvette looked around, noted the response of her friends, she added, “And there you have it!”

  Alex felt her mouth gape open. She hoped she didn't drool. This story was amazing, kind of like a bad mystery or something. But, her judgment was kicking in. Maybe it was true, particularly if Yvette was onboard and knew the story.

  “Why, what do you mean, ‘children exposed to the polio vaccine’? I’m totally confused.” Alex’s voice was uncertain. She was intrigued and needed answers.

  Robert sighed audibly and continued. “There is some evidence that the polio vaccine, the Salk-Sabin vaccine developed in the 1950s, was grown on the kidneys of monkeys. Unfortunately, it was learned, after a few years, that many of these monkey kidneys were tainted with multiple cancer-causing organisms and were, in fact, diseased. This spoiled or tainted vaccine suggested that there could be a huge increase of soft tissues cancers in the future – soft tissue cancers such as breast, lung, stomach, and so on.”

  “Robert,” Alex exclaimed, her face flushed with excitement. Her heart was beating rapidly as her imagination jumped ahead. “Do you realize what you said? You’ve suggested the U.S. Government knowingly grew a vaccine for children on diseased monkey kidneys that could cause cancer in the future. Is that what you are saying? Do I understand this correctly?” Alex was full of uncertainty and hoped she had misunderstood.

  Yvette and Robert nodded in unison and Yvette spoke, “Yes, Alex, that is exactly what we’re saying. There is credible evidence to support these claims as well.”

  Alex felt as if the wind had been knocked from her lungs. She was breathless, speechless and couldn’t respond. Oh my God, she thought to herself. Just think of the increases we have seen in the last 40 years in these exact types of cancer. Her mind was spinning with the implications. She looked over at Jack who was looking as pissed as she had ever seen him. His face was dark and foreboding. She had a deep sinister feeling that what they were saying was true but her mind refused to accept the enormity of it.

  Robert glanced at Maddy and Alex carefully and continued, “In response, the Federal Government started to put aside huge funds to prepare for a cancer epidemic when the recipients of the Salk-Sabin vaccine became of age. You may remember from your history that President Richard Nixon declared the ‘War on Cancer’ just about the same time. Many people believe he did this because the medical community suspected there would be a huge, exponential increase in cancer due to the fact that the Salk-Sabin vaccine was grown on cancer-infected monkey kidneys."

  Maddy, who was clearly upset, spoke for the first time. “Well, they were right on with that. There has been a dramatic increase in all of these types of cancer. I see it every day in my work, just as most of us do. This story terrified me, and I for one hope it’s just that, a story, a bit of fiction, the fodder from which great novels are born.”

  “Of course there has been a huge increase in breast and lung cancer as well," Yvette added. "Not to mention the increase in stomach and other soft tissue cancers.”

  Alex was fit to be tied and exclaimed, “What the hell! Do you support the claim that the U.S. Government mistakenly grew the polio vaccine on monkey kidneys that were tainted with cancer and then distributed it to millions of American children so that the country could go broke fighting the cancer epidemic?”

  Robert’s voice was quiet and sounded remote, far away, as if in a deep well or cave as he responded. “Yes, that is exactly what we are saying, and what’s even worse, there was a political decision to distribute a second batch of tainted vaccine to children after they knew the virus had been contaminated with cancer-causing organisms. That is absolutely what I am saying. It is pretty well documented, although the U.S. Government has never admitted to any wrongdoing in this matter,” Robert added as he ended on a low note.

  Alex was outraged and blustered, “You’ve got to be kidding! This just couldn’t be true. This sounds like some third world country story or some story about a dictator in a political state who was trying to kill children, a country in anarchy or civil war, or ethnic cleansing.”

  Robert nodded, “Yes, you might think that but there is no evidence to support that it didn’t happen, unfortunately. Many people think it is absolutely true.” He shook his head sadly and stared at the floor.

  Alex was dumbfounded. “But, but, why? Why inoculate millions of American children with bad vaccine? Americans would never stand for this in 2013. Never!”

  Maddy was pensive and added, “I’m sure this was kept quiet, as it still is. Right, Yvette?”

  Yvette nodded, “Yeah, pretty much. It didn’t make the front pages of any newspaper. Times were different then, as we can all imagine. And there was no Internet or social media or YouTube to allow the story to go viral in minutes.”

  Alex and Maddy shook their heads, still bewildered by the story. Alex thought about her mother who had become ill at 13 with an unusual form of childhood cancer and suffered neurological damage. Of course, she had suffered from a mild case of polio as a child. Didn't Simian Virus cause neurological injury? I have to check. Her mother had never recovered and the damage had caused her massive depression and anxiety all of her life. It still did. Her mother couldn’t live as a normal person.

  And, then, of course, there was her father, Louis Destephano, a man she barely knew. The thoughts of her father, who had deserted her when she was barely four years old, still weighed heavily on her to this very day. A massive feeling of rejection overcame her and she shook it off. She wondered if there was a connection between the vaccine and her mother’s illness. She’d damn well find out. Soon. Could the Sabin-Salk vaccine have deprived her of her mother’s love most of her life? Could the greed and avarice of the Government have robbed Alex of her mother and Louis Destephano of his wife? Oh my God. I can’t think about this now, Alex thought. I have got to back-burner this for now. But, she promised herself, she would revisit it soon.

  Yvette continued, "And it gets worse. Sherman and Ochsner were
weaponizing SV, or Simian Virus 40 to kill Castro and the communists.”

  Robert nodded, “They were weaponizing Simian Virus to kill Castro and the Communists in Cuba and all over the world. And they were doing this in New Orleans.” The thought was so ridiculous and even comical and Alex almost laughed out loud. Her mouth gaped open. She was incredulous, and skeptical and to say the least. She sat there and gawked at her friends.

  After a period of silence, Alex found her tongue and it was acid-sharp. “I can hardly believe what you are saying. This story sounds like a made-for-TV movie. It’s hard to imagine our government being a party to anything like this.”

  Robert nodded at her and said, “I agree Alex, it does sound like a movie but I can guarantee you the story is unfortunately true.”

  Alex was still unable to buy in to the story. “The idea of the United States Government growing a vaccine to inoculate millions of American children against polio on diseased, cancer-riddled monkey kidneys is just beyond my belief. I don’t buy it. Period. It’s dumb.”

  Yvette’s impatience was palpable as she drummed her well-manicured nails on Alex’s glass end table. She glared at her hostess and said in a scathing voice, “For God sakes Alex, grow up, join the real world, and join the planet. There is nothing, absolutely nothing, Robert and I are making up. What we are stating is well documented in the medical literature, mentioned in medical textbooks, and described on a website developed by the United States Government that talks about a link between soft tissue cancers and the polio vaccine. Of course, they take no blame for the debacle. No blame at all, but why would we expect them too?”

  Alex was silent, a bit taken back by Yvette’s biting comments.

  Maddy Jeanfreau, stunned by the bitterness between the two women asked timidly, “Is there more to this story or is that the end of it?”

  Yvette eyed Alex and Maddy and said, “Yeah, there is more to the story if you would like to hear it. I am happy to share if you can handle it and not get pissed off. Some of it is speculative but still considered absolute truth by many people. Robert, perhaps you would like to continue. You are less confrontational by nature than I am."

  Robert looked uncertain. He didn't want to cause a catfight between two of the women he respected the most in the world. He remained silent for a moment and was about to speak when Alex interrupted him, her voice apologetic.

  Alex had tears in her eyes as she addressed Yvette. She was so tired that she was losing it. “Yvette, I’m so sorry for my behavior. I can hardly believe I was so rude. The story just seemed so far-fetched that I guess I didn’t want to believe our government would orchestrate, or even participate in, such a heinous crime. Please forgive my irritation and bad behavior and for heaven sakes, if you meet my grandmother in the next few days, don’t tell her!”

  Yvette smiled and teased, “Of course I am tattling to your grandmother. I plan to let her know what a horrible, deplorable, and disrespectful hostess you are. Now, can I finish the story or perhaps Robert would you like to finish it?"

  Robert gestured for Yvette to continue and said formally, “Dr. Charmaine, I will defer to you since you have published on the sad part of our nation’s public health history. You’re the expert in this case."

  Yvette grimaced and said, “Yeah, and that article just about ruined my career at the CDC. Fortunately, I had a lot of good folks who respected my work and went to bat for me. By the way, we do still believe that we have freedom of the press, right? Sometimes I’m not so sure.”

  “Hell yes we do!” Jack Françoise roared, recovered from the altercation between Alex and Yvette.

  Alex smiled as she remembered how Jack had suddenly disappeared from the living room, supposedly for more coffee. He was famous for disappearing whenever he noticed two women disagreeing.

  “Okay, Jack, I’m ready to hear the rest of this tawdry tale. Now! If I don’t get my carcass home soon, my husband will be calling you to come find me,” Maddy threatened as she yawned and checked her watch. “It’s really getting late.”

  Alex nodded her head in agreement. She was dead on her feet.

  Jack was agreeable. “Okay. Just remember what I’m telling you I’m picking out of my brain from 40 years ago. Robert, you and Yvette chime in whenever you need to. I’ll probably forget stuff or leave it out.”

  “Will do,” Yvette promised as Robert nodded his head in agreement.

  Jack began in his typical police “state the facts” style. “The murder of Mary Sherman is multifaceted and remains so to this day. As Robert said earlier, Dr. Ochsner was clearly tied to a conservative group that was focused on eliminating communism from the globe. Dr. Sherman’s murder is also tied into the Kennedy assassination, the death of Lee Harvey Oswald, David Ferrie, and the other notorious criminals of that era. There was, in fact, a mice lab located on Louisiana Avenue. Dr. Sherman oversaw it, and it is believed that David Ferrie performed experiments on the mice using cancer-causing agents in an effort to perfect a cancer-causing organism. There is also credible evidence that the CIA, or whatever they were called back then, had planned to assassinate Fidel Castro using cancer-causing monkey cells. This plot fell to pieces after Dr. Sherman’s death.” Jack looked around at his audience for their reactions.

  Alex sighed deeply and sat down.

  Maddy looked surprised, and Robert and Yvette’s faces remained impassive.

  Jack continued, “It is also true that there was a heavily guarded linear accelerator located somewhere uptown that was used to mutate the virus. It is also believed by some that the linear accelerator was the cause of Mary Sherman’s death.”

  “I’m confused, Jack," Alex ventured. “How did the linear accelerator hurt Dr. Sherman?

  “Good question. It burned her. There is a theory that somehow Dr. Sherman was burned by the accelerator while working on the virus and because of that, she had to disappear or be killed.”

  “Because of the burn?” Maddy arched her eyebrows in disbelief.

  “Yeah, there weren’t that many linear accelerators around then. So the theory suggests Mary Sherman was killed because of her massive burns from the accelerator.”

  “Wow, is that pretty far-fetched or what?” Alex wondered out loud.

  Robert nodded at her and said, “Not so much really, Alex. Mary Sherman was murdered on the day the Warren Commission was scheduled to hear additional testimony on the death of President Kennedy. There is considerable belief both Dr. Sherman and Oswald, who was on both the payroll of the CIA and the FBI according to records, played a huge part of what was happening with the monkey lab in New Orleans."

  A silenced engulfed the group as they considered the possibilities of what could have and most likely did happen 50 years ago in New Orleans. As Alex had suggested, it did seem like a fairytale, a very sad and clandestine ending to Camelot.

  Finally, Maddy stood and said, “It was a lovely evening, guys, but I’ve got to head out. Alex, you are a magnificent hostess and your house is beautiful. I may come one day and steal your silk painting!”

  “Don’t even think about it,” Alex warned. “I'll hunt you down and hurt you.”

  “Yeah, right, I’m scared to death,” Maddy said, grinning.

  “I’d listen to her if I were you, Maddy. She sounds like she means it.” Yvette warned. “I’ve gotta go too. I’m right after you, Maddy. I need to stop by the hospital on my way to the hotel. Jack, how about you? Can I get a lift to CCMC in your great, big, Cadillac police mobile?”

  Jack was accommodating, always willing to share and show off his big silver Cadillac. “Absolutely, Dr. Charmaine. Always happy to cart the CDC around. Robert, what about you? Are you headed out?”

  “Yes, I am. I want to help Alex clean up a bit. I’ll be leaving shortly.” He turned to Yvette and said, “If you need me, just call my cell phone. Let me know how things stand at the hospital. Hopefully, it’s quiet.”

  “Will do, Robert,” Yvette said as she kissed him on the cheek and hugged Alex and Ma
ddy. She looked at Alex and said, “Wow, it’s been a great evening. You’re the best, and I won’t rat you out to your grandmother, unless, of course, you make me mad. It was a super time.”

  “Thanks, you all. You’re the best. We had a great evening,” Alex replied, secretly glad they were all leaving. She was exhausted. It was after midnight. She couldn’t wait to get in her bed.

  Chapter 22

  As Alex and Robert stood at the door, bidding their guests goodnight, Alex realized that Robert had his arm around her shoulders. Hmmm, she thought. I hope Yvette noticed this. Alex had a sneaking suspicion, as women intuitively do, that Yvette was interested in Robert and even though she had no claim to him, it made her mad. Damn, she thought. Am I jealous? Were they an item a long time ago?

  She leaned back and embraced the warmth and gentleness of Robert’s touch against her bare arms. Being in Robert’s arms felt right and wonderful most of the time. But when it didn’t, well, I just can’t think about this tonight ... I’m much too exhausted to analyze this again. Alex was far too tired to analyze the complex and emotionally vacillating relationship the two of them shared.

  Robert was a great help in cleaning up the dishes and Alex was relieved and grateful. As they worked silently, both caught up in their thoughts, Robert said, “You know, Yvette never did say what she was thinking?”

  Alex looked at him quizzically, “What do you mean?”

  “Remember, she said she had an idea, and then asked us if we remembered the story of Dr. Sherman. It was the same time Jack jumped out of your leather recliner.”

  Alex smiled as she remembered. “And Yvette ate him for lunch. She has a bit of an acid tongue, doesn’t she? I’d hate to get on her bad side.” Alex gave Robert a shrewd look as she waited for his reply.

  He laughed out loud. “You would hate it. I’ve been on her bad side and it’s not a happy place to be. Anyway, she never said what she was thinking. She never put Mary Sherman and the polio virus in perspective.”