"What's the name of this drug? " '"Triptolinic diethylamide." She spelled it for him. "TPD for short."
"And it makes you crazy? " "According to the FDA it does. Research was discontinued because of psychotic reactions in primates. ' "So if Lathram is dosing people with this stuff, why hasn't some medical examiner picked up on it? " "Because nobody's looking for it. Nobody even knows it exists. Gerry, thousands upon thousands of compounds are tested every year. Maybe one out of ten thousand ever reaches the public. It was an investigational drug that was dropped because of side effects. That's it. Goodbye.
Sayonara. On to the next compound, and nobody gives the losers another thought." '"So how'd Lathram get hold of this . . . " He glanced at the sheet.
"TPD? " '"His brother. Oliver used to work for the company that was investigating it." Gerry straightened and leaned forward in his chair.
All the old suspicions he'd been trying to put to rest were dancing through his head again.
'"And you think he dosed Marsden with this stuff? " "I know it! " '"Did you see him do it? " "No, but I saw the puncture wound in his thigh." She went on to tell him about seeing the bottle of TPD on Lathram's desk this morning along with an implant and something called a trocar.
"But couldn't Lathram have simply given him a shot of something? " '"Not there. And Duncan never gives injections. He has one of the nurses do it. I tell you, Gerry, Senator Marsden is Lying down the hall with an implant full of TPD in his right thigh. I've got to get it out! " "Okay. Slow down for a second here and let me think." He leaned back again, trying to remain calm, to contain the excitement racing through him. This was heavy. A prominent, well-connected area surgeon and a very visible U. S. senator. Headline-grabbing stuff. It had the makings of a major case. Or a major embarrassment.
If only Gin had actually seewz Duncan insert the implant.
"Do you think Marsden's in any immediate danger? " Gin hesitated, then, "No. Duncan's gone for the day. I think he wants to choose a specific time and place. Remember how both Allard and Vincent had their mishaps while the cameras were rolling. I think that's what Duncan might be waiting for."
"But why, Gin? We're missing a motive here. Why should he want to do this? " "He hates the Guidelines committee and what it's trying to do."
"So do lots of other doctors.
But they're not, " "No. Listen. It's personal with Duncan." She went on to tell him about the stories in the Post and the Banner, and told him that Schulz had been on the original Guidelines committee.
Bingo!
That was the link he'd been searching for to connect the four legislators. She also told him of her call to the Virginia Board of Medical Examiners.
By the time she finished he was convinced, but that wasn't enough.
He'd have to convince Ketter.
"Okay, look. Since the senator's in no immediate danger, we can take a little time to build a case here." werry, '"Hear me out. We'll have someone keep an eye on the senator's home, make sure nobody's nosing around it. Meanwhile, don't you do anything to alert Lathram. " '"Don't worry." '"Don't give him a chance to cover his tracks. I want him to think he's in complete control, that everything's status quo.
And you keep your distance. No more Nancy Drew stuff. Leave the rest to me." He wanted Gin out of harm's way. No telling what Lathram would do if he felt cornered.
"Okay. But are you sure the senator's going to be all right? " "Gin, " he said, 'right now I'm not sure of anything. But I want to get moving on this and I don't make these decisions. I've got to build a case and bung it to the SSA, and he may have to take it higher. And the sooner I get moving on it, the better." She gave him the year and the months when the newspaper articles appeared, then said, "Keep me informed, okay? " "Don't worry. But one thing that can't be mentioned, now or ever, is how you got into Lathram's locked drawer.
Understand? " "I got it. And I'm sorry. Really."
"Accepted. Talk to you later." He sat for a long while after he hung up, making notes, organizing his facts, consulting his computer for the personal database he'd built on Dr. Lathram.
Gerry was wired. He knew this could mean big things for him. He wasn't going to let this one get away from him, either. This was his baby. It meant a lot of extra work in the short run, but in the long run . . .
breaking a case of this magnitude could make a career.
And it looked pretty solid. The good doctor had access and opportunity.
Gerry had to document his motive.
He put in a call to research for any information anywhere on Duncan Lathram, MD, with special attention to links between Lathram and any of the fallen legislators. Gerry wanted those clippings in hand when he brought the case to Ketter.
Gerry was surprised when an interoffice envelope from research appeared on his desk less than half an hour later. So soon?
Quickly he shuffled through the sheets, mostly photocopies of old newspaper articles with Lathram's name highlighted along with those of Lane, Allard, Vincent . . . and Schulz.
Here they were, villain and victims, all neatly crossreferenced in the pages of the Post. A long way from an open and-shut case, but these plus Gin's statement about the neurotoxin ought to be enough to get things rolling.
He headed for Marvin Ketter's office.
Ketter stood at his window, staring down at the rush hour traffic on EYE Street. His brow was furrowed in concentration, drawing his bushy eyebrows into a continuous line. Gerry knew he was trying to make up his mind.
A cautious man, Ketter. Too cautious. Afraid of making a mistake.
But no way was Gerry going to let him take a pass on this one.
"Look, " Gerry said, wandering the room, looking for a way to tilt the SSA his way. "Lathram has motive, means, and opportunity. What else do we need? " "It's all circumstantial. ' '"Four members of the old committee are down or out. Dr. Panzella all but saw Lathram stick one of these implants of his into Senator Marsden.
How long do we wait? ' ""All but saw' isn't quite the same as seeing.
You know that, Gerry.
And Marsden wasn't a member of the original committee. So there goes your motive."
"But he's chairing the new committee. Gin's right. I know she is."
Ketter's eyebrows reached for his hairline. "Gin? " "Dr. Panzella.
We went to high school together." He didn't want Ketter to know it was more than that. "That's why she came to me.
Look, don't tell me you don't know in your gut there's something wrong here." Ketter patted the sprawl of papers Gerry had put before him.
"Trust me, Gerry. There's nothing I'd like better than to uncover something like this. It would be good for both of us.
Gerry took his turn at the window, watching the cars.
Ketter wouldn't get off the damn fence, even though a coup like this would move him up and put Gerry in this very office. Gin would be proud of him, Senator Marsden would be grateful, and he'd have more time to devote to Martha. And to Gin.
Christ, he wanted this.
"So what do we do? Wait until Senator Marsden keels over? " "If he does, at least we'll know what to look for, and where to look for it.
" Gerry shot him a skeptical look.
"I know, I know, " Ketter said. "That won't do Marsden much good. But I won't go offhalf-cocked and embarrass the Bureau." All right, Gerry thought. If reason doesn't work, how about a threat?
"I know one thing, Marvin. Anything happens to Marsden, Dr. Panzella's going to be screaming bloody murder. She's on Marsden's staff. Don't think she won't tell the press and Congress and anyone else who'll listen that she warned the FBI but we ignored her. You're worried about embarrassment, think about that." Ketter's eyebrows met again in the middle as he rubbed his jaw.