John Locke - Lethal Experiment

“I promise.”

“Good,” she said. “Now go spend some quality time with Addie. She sounds adorable. And, Dad?”

“Yes?”

“I’m happy for you. And I love you.”

“I love you too, Kitten.”

I clicked the phone off and Dr. Hedgepeth said, “As I suspected, you’ve got the heart of a lion.”

I nodded.

“Any pain since the test?”

“None.”

“Any stomach discomfort?”

I shook my head. “Not yet.”

“Food poisoning can take up to forty-eight hours to hit,” he said.

“What’s the average?”

“Six to eight.”

“So it could still be that,” I said.

“Yes, but we pushed you pretty hard on the treadmill. And you aced it. Even in the early stages of food poisoning I would have expected some abdominal cramping. Makes me think it’s not food poisoning.”

He handed me a piece of paper with a name and phone number.

“A shrink?” I said.

“In case you want to see someone here, instead of your home town.”

I pocketed the slip of paper and shook his hand. “You’re young, but you’re good.”

He winked. “That’s what they all say!”

Chapter 6

“You know anything about this kid Charlie Beck? His father’s a big-time attorney in Darnell.”

I was on the phone with Sal Bonadello, Midwestern crime boss and my sometime employer.

“I know people who probably know him,” Sal said.

Okay, so I promised Kimberly I wouldn’t run a credit or background check on her new boyfriend. But I never promised not to ask around.

“Kimberly’s usually a great judge of character,” I said. “But something bothers me about this kid. For one thing, he’s old enough to drink legally.”

“That’s a small town, Darnell,” Sal said. “People talk. I’ll make some—whatcha call—inquiries.”

I thought about the way Sal might ask around. “I don’t want to make a big deal about it,” I said, “and I especially don’t want Kimberly to find out that I’m the guy trying to get the information.”

“Hey, I got a girl of my own. I’ll take care of it.”

“Thanks, Sal.”

“You still comin’ to my party?” he said.

“I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

“You bringing that new girl? The one lives in New York?”

“We’re going dress shopping later today,” I said.

“Dress her up hot,” Sal said.

“She’d look hot in a flour sack.”

“Flour sack’s fine. Make sure it’s a small one.”

“I’ll keep it in mind.”

“What about the blond that works with you?”

“What about her?”

“She comin’?”

“To the party? No way.”

“Did you invite her?”

“I did.”

“Maybe I should—whatcha call—extend a personal invite.”

I thought about Callie dressing up, attending a social event. Gorgeous she is. But, “She’s not a people person,” I said.

“Unless it comes to killing them.”

“Unless that,” I said.

“If a kid’s gonna get in trouble in Darnell, West Virginia, it’s gonna be at the Grantline Bar & Grill.”

“So?”

“So I know the bartender, Teddy Boy. He owes me, big time.”

“I’m not ready to have Charlie’s legs broken. Not yet, anyway.”

“All I’m sayin’, Teddy Boy knows what’s what. If your kid’s been in the bar, he’ll tell me. If she goes in, he’ll keep an eye on her.”

“Kimberly’s only sixteen,” I said. “You’re not going to find her in a bar.”

“Darnell’s Darnell,” Sal said.

“Meaning?”

“You been there?”

“No.”

“Nothing to do in Darnell but drink, drug and fuck.”

“Excuse me?”

“Hey, no offense,” Sal said.

I thought about what he’d said, and how parents never think their kids would take the wrong path.

“Maybe you better call Teddy Boy today,” I said.

“I’m on it,” he said. “Hey, you know those midgets?”

Sal could change subjects faster than a Congressman.

“Victor and Hugo?” I said.

“The same.”

“What about them?”

“They’re coming to my party.”

“I’d heard that,” I said.

“In the flesh.”

“I’ll try to shake off that image,” I said. “You better tell your boys not to make fun of them. They’re pretty formidable.”

“Hey, they been warned. Those midgets brought down Joe DeMeo.”

“They prefer the term little people,” I said.

“I prefer big envelopes.”

Sal was referring to the contribution envelopes his underbosses and special guests were expected to bring to his party.

“I been good for you,” he said. “And this here, with your daughter, that’s another example. Charity—whatcha call—begins at home.”

“In this case, your home.”

“That’s what I’m sayin’. So surprise me,” he said. “In a good way.”

Sal’s world is a rough one, where loyalty is measured in cash or body count. I make it a habit to kick back more than my share of both.

“Surprise you?” I said. “Sal, I’m going to amaze you!”

“All I’m askin’,” he said.

Chapter 7

The office of Ms. N. Crouch, MD, was located in Newark, New Jersey, corner of Summer and Seventh, off Interstate 280. Ms. Crouch shared an office condo with a pediatric psychologist named Agnes Battle. Agnes was working the reception desk when I walked in. She pointed me to Ms. Crouch’s office, and I went in.

Ms. N. Crouch stood and extended her hand to greet me. We identified ourselves and she gestured in the general direction of her seating area and said, “Please make yourself comfortable.”

I did a quick survey of the office. Deep plum was the dominant color, except for the far wall, which was faux-finished in light brown with delicate black threading, to resemble cork. On this wall hung several professional certificates, including a diploma from the University Of Pittsburgh School Of Medicine. Everything felt crisp and modern, save for the antique wooden coat rack in the entryway corner.

I chose a plush, high-backed leather throne chair and settled in.

Ms. N. Crouch said, “Dr. Hedgepeth mentioned a possible psychosomatic pain?”

If Darwin, my government facilitator, knew I was seeing a psychiatrist, he’d put an assassin on me. With that in mind, I was reticent about jumping right into things. I sat quietly and stared at her.

She had on a layered skirt, navy, with a matching jacket she wore opened. Her blouse was cream-colored silk, with a round neckline. A cable-wrapped, white gold necklace dangled in two strands and rested modestly at the center of her chest.

“Mr. Creed, you can remain silent if you wish. But just so you know, I get paid either way.”

With that, she went quiet and stared back at me. It has been my experience with women that they don’t like to remain quiet for long periods of time. Which is why I was surprised that she allowed us to sit there in total silence, staring at each other, for the next twenty minutes.

Finally, I said, “I believe I like you, Ms. Crouch.”

“I’m glad to hear it, Mr. Creed.”

“Call me Donovan.”

She nodded, and we remained silent until she realized it was her turn to speak.

“Donovan, in one way my profession is similar to that of a dentist.”

“How’s that?”

“Like your dentist, I can’t begin helping you until you open your mouth.”

I nodded.

She continued, “There are several chairs here, from which a patient can choose. I purposely stay out of the selection process because the chair choice tells me something about the patient.”

“Uh huh.”

“For example, the chair you selected tells me you’re accustomed to being in control, which often indicates trust issues. You’re obviously finding it diffi cult to let your guard down enough to discuss your personal life with a complete stranger.”

“Good point,” I said. “So tell me a little about yourself, and then we won’t be strangers.”

She smiled. “With all due respect, Donovan, this session is about you. It would be highly unprofessional of me to discuss my personal life with you. More importantly, the less you know about me, the easier it will be for you to share your feelings.”

“Fine,” I said. “Don’t tell me. I can find out anything I need to know about you by looking around the room.”

“Really, you’re that perceptive?” she said.

I noted that Ms. N. Crouch was on the edge of mocking me, despite her best effort to keep all emotion out of her voice.

I stood up. “Shall I demonstrate?”

“If you feel it necessary.”

“Your face tells me you’ve been beautiful your whole life, but you’re older now, in your late fifties, and your clothes and hair style reflect your acceptance of that fact. You’ve aged gracefully, and you believe you’re smarter than your friends, even those who have surpassed you professionally. You keep but one picture on your desk, two young boys who appear to be Japanese-American. They’re your sons, but neither you nor their father is in the picture. If your husband had taken it, you’d be in the photo with your sons. If you’d taken it, he’d be in it. If your husband were dead, you’d have his picture on your desk to honor him. But there is no picture of the husband, which tells me you’re divorced. Based on your current age, and the age you had to be to give birth, these pictures are at least ten years old. You haven’t updated them because they remind you of a happier time.”

I looked at her to see if she was impressed. If she was, she was hiding it well. But no matter, I’d only just begun.

“You struggle to remain proper at all times,” I continued, pointing to her diploma. “You hide behind the name N. Crouch because you think Nadine pegs you as a hick from the sticks. You suffer from feelings of inadequacy because your contemporaries graduated from prestigious colleges while you were stuck at the University of Pittsburgh School Of Medicine. You feel you haven’t lived up to your potential.”

“Why’s that?”

“There are no books or articles on display, which means you’re unpublished. What kind of big money psychiatrist is unpublished at your age?”

N. Crouch pursed her lips. “I see,” she said. “Anything else?”

“Your sons are off in college or working and they don’t call as often as you’d like. To compensate, you keep two dogs as pets.”

“What,” she said. “Not the breed?”

I smiled. “Akitas,” I said. “Japanese dogs brought to our shores by returning American servicemen, after WW2. Twin dogs from the same litter.”

I bowed and sat back down on the leather throne chair. I may have smirked.

“That’s amazing, Mr. Creed,” she said. “Truly remarkable.”

“Why thank you, Ms. Crouch.”

She said, “You took all the evidence on display and managed to get every single fact wrong. Every fact but one.”

I smiled and said, “Bullshit.”

N. Crouch stood. “I’m in my early sixties, not fifties. I don’t think I’m smarter than my friends, though none have surpassed me professionally. The pictures on the desk are my sister’s adopted children. I’m not divorced because I’ve never been married. I’m not from the Midwest, I’m from Miami. My contemporaries didn’t graduate from prestigious colleges because psychiatrists graduate from medical schools, not colleges. Speaking of which, Pittsburgh Medical happens to be the number one medical school in the country. In 2005 alone they received one hundred and eighty NIHA’s—that’s National Institute of Health Awards—totaling more than seventy-six million dollars.

“And by the way,” she added, reaching into her lower desk drawer, “I don’t hide my first name and I am published.” She held up a book titled Cognitive Remediation in Neuropsychological Functioning and pointed to the author’s name: Nadine Crouch, PhD.

She stopped for a minute and said, “What are you grinning at? You look like the village idiot.”

Then it hit her.

“Shit,” she said. “You just got me to tell you all about myself.”

“Don’t take it too hard,” I said.

“You probably already knew about the book.”

“I Googled you before setting the appointment.”

“I’m going to have to keep an eye on you, Mr. Creed,” she said. “You’re quite the manipulator.”

“Thank you.”

“You take that as a compliment?”

“What’s the one thing?” I said.

She looked puzzled.

“You said I was wrong about everything but one.”

She smiled.

“Wait,” I said, sharing the smile. “I know what it is. I was right that you’ve been beautiful your whole life.”

She grinned, and I cocked my head at her.

“Ms. N. Crouch,” I said. “Did you just wink at me?”

And thus began my professional relationship with Nadine.

Chapter 8

The word on Teddy Boy Turner was that the gambling bug bit him long before he scored the bartending gig at the Grantline Bar & Grill in Darnell, West Virginia. As a teenager, he mowed lawns and washed cars until he amassed enough money to start betting the sports book.

In gambling, winning early in life usually leads to financial ruin down the road, and Teddy Boy’s experience was no different. His current losing streak had put his life in serious jeopardy. He was deeper in debt than his Grantline salary could ever pull him out—to Salvatore Bonadello, no less, one of the biggest and most notorious crime bosses in the country.

Teddy Boy lived in the constant fear that one day soon the goons would walk in around closing time and demand payment. He was prepared to get a broken arm or leg, maybe some cracked ribs. What he wasn’t prepared for was a personal phone call from Sal Bonadello himself.

According to Sal, the call went this way:

“I been looking over your account,” Sal said.

“I’m doing my best, Mr. Bonadello. I just need a little more time.”

“How would you like your—whatcha call—slate cleared?”

Teddy Boy thought about that. “I can smack someone around with a baseball bat for you, but I’m not a professional,” he said. “I never took a life or nothin’.”

“Naw, not like that,” Sal said. “I need some information and a favor. You do a good job, maybe I wipe your slate clean. How would that be?”

“It’d be like getting a new lease on life, Mr. Bonadello. Not to complain, but I’m working day and night just to pay the vig. I haven’t been able to make a dent in the loan.”

“You know this kid, Charlie Beck?”

“Everyone knows Charlie.”

“He a friend of yours?”

Teddy Boy paused. “Not unless you say so, Mr. Bonadello.”