by D P Lyle
“That’s why the digitalis levels were so high?”
“Exactly. What you have here is the digitalis and amphetamine killing the appetite, the thyroid boosting metabolism, and the diuretics causing weight loss through dehydration. So people taking it feel hyped up, and they do indeed lose weight.”
“That’s what everybody says.” She sipped her coffee. “Two of our surgical nurses are on the same program.”
“Better tell them to stop or they’ll end up like Valerie Gilroy. Or maybe not so lucky.”
“It really is that dangerous?”
“Extremely. Low potassium and magnesium makes the heart jittery. Sets the stage for a handful of dangerous arrhythmias. Throw in digitalis toxicity and an amphetamine, both of which can produce deadly rhythms, and you have a combination that’s a ticking time bomb.”
“Why would he give them this?”
“Stupidity. Greed. Take your pick.”
“Shouldn’t he know this is dangerous?”
“File it under a little knowledge is a dangerous thing. He might only know that the side effects of these drugs produce what he wants . . . increased energy, decreased appetite, and weight loss. He’s not medically trained and has never treated anyone with arrhythmias or dig toxicity or electrolyte imbalances. Doesn’t truly understand the consequences of his actions.”
“So you think this might be an innocent mistake?”
“No. There’s nothing innocent about this.”
“Hmmm.” Jill tapped her pen on her desk. “Maybe he knows more than you give him credit for.”
“How’s that?” I asked.
“Apparently his program is three or four weeks on the pills and then a few weeks off. Wouldn’t that allow the levels to rise enough to produce the effects and then fall, preventing them from getting too high?”
I thought about that for a beat and then nodded. “Which means he knows exactly what these drugs do and how they accumulate in the body.”
“That would make sense.” She dropped the pen on her desktop and folded her hands before her. “What are you going to do about it?”
“Have another talk with Nicole and Amanda, since they both refused to stop taking this crap. Armed with this information, hopefully they’ll see the light.”
“But Morelli is still out there pushing this stuff. What can we do about that?”
“Maybe if I confront him, let him know that I know what he’s up to, he’ll stop.”
She looked at me for a minute as if considering what I’d said. “Somehow I don’t read him that way. I think money is more important than safety, and I think if anything he’ll try to hide what he’s doing.”
“But we have the proof now.”
“Do we?” she asked. “Would any of this hold up in a court of law?”
I started to say of course it would, but then I realized that Jill was right. We didn’t get any of the pills directly from Julian, so they could have been tampered with after they left his office. I didn’t for a minute believe that was the case, but I could easily see that a defense attorney would argue that. Perhaps successfully.
“Maybe I’ll have a chat with the president of the Suffolk County Medical Society.”
“Dr. Bernard Bernstein? I don’t think he’ll be much help.”
“Why not?”
“He and Julian Morelli are friends. Went to school together at Princeton and then Yale.”
“How do you know that?”
“Dr. Bernstein was on staff here once. Before he semiretired and took his position as president of the society.”
“Even so, with something like this, I don’t see how he could turn a blind eye.”
She shrugged as she studied me. “Are you sure this is a fight you want to take on?”
“Do I have a choice?”
She thought about that for a minute and then said, “Not really.”
Was this a fight I wanted to jump into? No. Did I really have a choice? Not to my mind. Could this blow up in my face? Absolutely.
Then again, if it did, it did. I knew I couldn’t stand by and watch Julian Morelli harm anyone else.
First, do no harm.
Did I have enough evidence to point the finger at him? There’s no doubt that at least three people who were taking his magic pills had significantly and dangerously deranged blood chemistry. Young Valerie Gilroy almost lost her life. To me this was fairly strong evidence, but whether it would impress the medical society or a court of law was a different story.
I needed something else. I needed to determine where these pills were manufactured. Did Julian whip them up himself or did he buy them from some wholesaler? From the parent companies in Europe? I couldn’t imagine any legitimate company, US or European, putting out a product like this? Digitalis leaf? That hadn’t been used in medical practice for forty years. Amphetamines and thyroid extract? Insanity. Since it would be very unlikely that any legitimate manufacturer would create these little poison packets, they must come from StellarCare, the Star in Healthcare.
How was I going to uncover that? Only one answer came to mind. Divya. She could probably charm the information out of somebody at StellarCare.
I had left Jill’s office and was now sitting in my car in the ER parking lot. I picked up my cell phone to call Divya but hesitated as I watched a car swerve into a nearby parking space. A man jumped out, circled the car, and then helped a very pregnant woman from the passenger’s seat. The woman, dressed in a nightgown, one hand pressed over her abdomen, the other clutching the man’s arm for balance, shuffled through the double pneumatic doors that led into the emergency room. I could tell by the man’s wide-eyed expression that this was their first. They would remember this day forever.
I dialed Divya’s number. She answered after the first ring.
“Where are you?” I asked.
“At your place. Trying to get some patient notes typed up, but it’s not easy with Evan going on and on about the van.”
“I need you to do something.”
“Away from here?”
I laughed. “Yes.”
“Gladly. What is it?”
“Do you think you could charm some information out of someone at StellarCare?”
“Charm?”
“Charm, trick, cajole. Whatever word you want to use.”
“I’m flattered that you think I’m charming, but what exactly do you need?”
“I’m heading over to chat with the president of the Suffolk County Medical Society. I need you to uncover where Julian Morelli gets his pills. Does he buy them somewhere or manufacture them himself?”
“I see. You want me to do some undercover work?” She laughed. “Steal the secret codes?”
I heard Evan in the background ask, “Undercover work? Sounds like a case for Lawson, Evan R. Lawson.”
“Do you see what I’m dealing with over here?” Divya said.
“Actually, you might want to take Evan with you.”
“You can’t be serious. How on earth would Evan be of benefit?”
Again, Evan chimed in. “Because I am a master spy. You need information? I’m on it.”
“There is little doubt that you need to be on something,” Divya said. “Perhaps some medication to help with your delusions.”
“You two knock it off,” I said. “Evan might be a good distraction if nothing else. He can create chaos without even trying. While he’s doing that, you might be able to sort out the right person to give us the information we need.”
She hesitated for a minute and then said, “I hate to admit it, but you might be correct.” She sighed heavily. “I don’t look forward to this, but we will see what we can discover.”
“Where are we going?” I heard Evan ask in the background.
“Let me go brief Mr. Bond on our mission,” Divya said. “I’ll call when we know something.”
Chapter 36
Divya and Evan approached the reception desk at StellarCare. A tanned, fit blonde smiled at them. Her nam
e tag read BRITTANY.
“How can I help you?” Brittany asked.
“I am Divya Katdare from HankMed. I would like to—”
Evan cut her off by extending his hand and saying, “Evan R. Lawson, CFO of HankMed.”
Brittany shook his hand. “You guys were at the open house the other day.”
“That’s right,” Evan said. “I loved those oxygen chambers.”
“Aren’t they great? I use them all the time. A few minutes in there is better than a cup of coffee.”
“Can I hop in one again?” Evan asked.
Brittany smiled. “Usually you have to make an appointment for the oxygen chambers, but since you’re associated with a local medical practice, I think I can squeeze you in.”
“Please do squeeze him in somewhere,” Divya said, glaring at Evan. Then to Brittany she said, “Is one of your nutritionists available?”
“I think so. Let me go check.” Brittany stood, circled her desk, and disappeared down a hallway to her left.
“What are you doing?” Divya asked.
“Nothing.”
“Did you completely forget why we are here?”
Evan shook his head. “No. You’re trying to get information. I’m trying to get oxygen.”
“What happened to Lawson, Evan R. Lawson?”
“He thinks better with oxygen in his brain.”
“I suspect your brain has plenty of oxygen,” Divya said. “Air anyway.”
Before Evan could respond, Brittany returned. Another blond woman was with her.
“Cindy?” Evan asked. “Good to see you again.”
Cindy laughed. “I hear you need some more oxygen.”
“Absolutely.”
“Come on. I’ll get you set up.”
Divya watched as Cindy and Evan walked toward the stairs and then disappeared down them. At least he was out of her hair for a while.
“Tracy Byrnes can chat with you,” Brittany said. “She’s one of our best nutritionists.”
“That would be excellent.”
The phone rang. Brittany picked it up and listened for a second, before saying, “Let me look that up for you. Can you hold on just a sec?” She put the call on hold and then looked up at Divya. “I need to handle this. Tracy is down in her office. Next floor. If you take the stairs and then turn right, hers will be the second office on the left. Her name is on the door.”
“Thank you,” Divya said.
Tracy Byrnes was young and fit, like everyone else that worked at StellarCare. She was also pleasant and obviously bright. Divya went through her cover story. HankMed was interested in nutritional counseling and treatment for some of their patients. Many of them had heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and the usual lifestyle diseases and might benefit from StellarCare’s programs.
“We would love to work with you and help your patients in any way we can,” Tracy said.
“I was here at the open house the other day,” Divya said. “This place is very impressive. And busy. I didn’t really get a chance to see how your programs worked. I thought I would take this opportunity to do that.”
“We try to give our clients comprehensive yet personal service. We tailor our treatments to the client’s individual needs. Maybe better control of their cholesterol or blood sugar. Maybe weight loss and blood pressure control through diet and exercise. We even have a smoking-cessation program.”
“Let’s say I have someone who needs to lose fifty pounds. What type of program would you design for them?”
“It varies from person to person, but in general we would perform cardiac stress testing and extensive blood evaluations. Those that are referred by physicians, such as your patients, often have already had these tests. If so, we don’t duplicate any of that.” She smiled. “We try not to waste money here.”
“Commendable. Especially in the current climate.”
“We then place the client in an aggressive dietary program with control of calories, fats, sugars, and carbohydrates. We call it our Take Control program. We design an individual exercise regimen for each client. Some only need walking, while others need more extensive workouts.”
“Sounds perfect,” Divya said. “What about vitamins and supplements? I understand you use those also.”
“Very much so. We have our own brand of vitamins and minerals as well as herbal medicines, many of which come from ancient Chinese traditions. Others are more modern.”
“Such as?”
“Most people are deficient in vitamins and some of the minerals. Particularly things like magnesium, zinc, and chromium. We test for these and then prescribe supplements that fit the person’s individual needs. We are all about treating patients as individuals.”
“That’s always the best medicine,” Divya said. “Do you use branded products or do you have someone that makes them for you?”
Tracy smiled. “All of our formulas are proprietary. I can only discuss them in general terms, but I can’t talk about specifics.”
Divya nodded. “I understand. I was simply wondering if you purchased them somewhere or produced them here at the clinic.”
“I’m not at liberty to discuss that. I’m sure you understand.”
“Of course.”
“Is there anything else you’d like to know about us?”
Divya asked a few more generic questions and got equally generic answers. Finally, Tracy opened her desk drawer and pulled out a stack of cards. She handed them to Divya.
“If you have any patients you think we can help, give them my card and I’ll personally take care of them.” Tracy stood, indicating the meeting was over.
As Divya came back up the stairs, she saw Evan standing in the reception area talking with Cindy.
“Ready to go?” Divya asked.
“How did your meeting go?” Evan asked.
“Just fine.” She smiled at Cindy. “I think we’ll be able to work together.”
“That’s wonderful,” Cindy said. She turned to Evan. “Be sure to tell your patients about our oxygen treatment.”
“I will. And I’ll come back again, too.”
“Just let me know and I’ll set it up.” Cindy nodded to Divya and headed toward the stairs.
They walked outside. As they crossed the parking lot, Evan asked, “What’d you find out?”
“Only that the products they use are proprietary.”
“Not where they are made?”
“Ms. Byrnes wouldn’t talk about that.”
They climbed in Divya’s SUV and she cranked up the engine.
“So you didn’t really find out anything?” Evan said.
“I discovered that they use noncommercial proprietary meds. I’m just not sure where they are manufactured.”
Evan held up his cell phone. “I want you to say something.”
“I don’t think so.”
“Come on. Just say, ‘Evan R. Lawson is a superspy.’”
She looked at him. “Why would I do that?”
“Because I am.” He held the phone close to her. “Go ahead. Say it.”
“I’m not going to play your silly game.”
“Okay, but you’ll never know what I found out.”
“What?”
“Say it.”
“No.”
“Have it your way.”
“What do you know?”
Evan shook his head. “I only report to those who believe I’m a superspy.”
“You’re impossible.”
“No. I’m a superspy.”
Divya took in a deep breath and exhaled loudly. “Okay. You win.”
Evan held up his phone. “Go ahead.”
“Evan R. Lawson is a superspy. Now tell me what you found.”
“Just a sec.” He pressed a couple of buttons on his phone.
Evan R. Lawson is a superspy.
“Perfect,” Evan said. He twisted in his seat to face her. “I know where they make their meds.”
“Where?”
“
Here,” Evan said. “They make them at StellarCare.”
“And you know that how?”
“Cindy told me.”
“She just up and told you that?”
“I had to use my charm.”
“Charm? I’m not sure that’s one of your qualities.”
“But I did find out what we came here for.”
“How did you accomplish this amazing feat?”
“Small talk. Chitchat. I just brought up the fact that many of our patients could use a weight-loss program, and from that, we began talking about vitamins and minerals and all that stuff. When I asked her where these vitamins and minerals came from, she said Dr. Morelli designed them himself and that they mixed and packaged them in a clean room in the basement.”
“This is hard for me to say,” Divya said. “But I’m impressed.”
Evan flipped open his cell and pressed a button.
Evan R. Lawson is right.
He pressed another button.
Evan R. Lawson is a superspy.
“Enough of that,” Divya said. “Now buckle up.” She settled the gearshift into reverse and backed from the parking space. “But good job anyway.”
“Lawson, Evan R. Lawson, at your service.”
“I’ll call Hank and tell him what we found.”
“We?”
Chapter 37
The Suffolk County Medical Society nestled just south of the Long Island Expressway near its intersection with Route 454, the Veterans Memorial Highway. I had taken Route 27 west out of the Hamptons and veered north on 454. As I blew past the Long Island MacArthur Airport, my cell phone buzzed. It was Divya.
“He makes this stuff at the clinic,” she said.
“I’m not surprised. I can’t imagine any legitimate manufacturer putting this combination together.” I swerved to avoid getting clipped by two teenagers in a jacked-up pickup truck. Obviously not paying attention, probably texting, and driving much too fast. Not that I wasn’t breaking the speed limit, just that they had shattered it. “Did you have any trouble getting the info?”
“Believe it or not, it was Evan.”
“Really?”
