As soon as Liu had pried Forrest’s death grip from the front of his shirt, he got out of the room as quickly as possible. Being choked by a man he’d assume to be at death’s door had shaken him. He stood in the corridor of the hotel while he regained his composure and pulled himself together. “Did he actually hear what I said, or was it just a reflex? If it had been a reflex, it was a pretty lucky shot,” Liu mused as he leaned his back against the corridor and waited for his heart rate to slow. Before he went back to Forrest’s room to make sure, Liu decided he needed a drink. He knocked on Dr. Phorrestson’s door and waited.
“Is something wrong with Mr. Forrest?”
“No. I just wanted to let you know I was going down to the bar for a drink. If anything should happen, ring me on my cell phone.”
“Why would you think anything would happen to Mr. Forrest? Like I told you before, he should be coming around by morning.”
“For someone in a coma, as Mr. Forrest is, would it be possible for him to reach out and grab something?”
“What do you mean, Mr. Liu?”
“I know that some people have been known to move, but to what extent? Would they be able to reach out and grab something and hold on to it?”
“Well, Mr. Liu, that all depends on how much brain damage the patient has suffered, or how long the brain has been deprived of oxygen. According to Dr. Mobley’s reports, the first stroke Mr. Forrest had affected the left side of his body, which suggests damage done to the right hemisphere of his cerebrum. There have been documented cases of people being in a coma for as long as nineteen years and coming out of it. That’s not to say Mr. Forrest will, but as I’ve said, if these new stem cells work, he should be waking up by morning. If not, then he may never wake up. As to him grabbing and holding on to something, I think it’s possible but highly unlikely. Why, has he experienced anything that might suggest he’s coming out of the coma?”
Liu mulled that thought for a while. “No,” he lied. “I was just curious. I’ll be back shortly.”
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After several shots of scotch, Liu’s confidence returned. He went back upstairs to Forrest’s room. Closing the door he turned and stared at Forrest, determined to find out if he’d been faking. Liu watched the respirator piston rising and falling with a steady rhythm. He picked up a metal kidney dish from the crash cart near Forrest’s bed. Holding his hand high above the dish, Liu let several pound coins drop in it. Forrest didn’t flinch.
“Mr. Forrest. It’s John Liu. You can stop pretending now,” he said in a loud voice. Forrest didn’t respond.
Cautiously, Liu approached Forrest’s bed. “We’ll see if you’re faking,” he said and took the hypodermic needle Dr. Phorreston had given him earlier. Glancing over his shoulder toward the door, Liu stuck the needle in the back of Forrest’s hand and wiggled it around. Forrest still didn’t respond, but a drop of bright red blood pooled on top of Forrest’s hand where Liu pulled the needle out. He yanked a tissue from the box on Forrest’s nightstand and dabbed the blood away.
Liu glanced across at the respirator. The setting was on full assist. He pressed his lips into a thin line and narrowed his eyes. Again, he glanced over his shoulder toward the door and turned the respirator off. Immediately the diaphragm dropped all the way to the bottom of the glass cylinder. Forrest’s chest fell with it. Liu kept an eye on his watch and another toward the door. He waited. One minute passed. No response from Forrest. Liu’s heart began to pound. He waited another minute. Still no response.
Liu groaned and turned the respirator back on. “I don’t buy it, old man. Either you’re faking, or you slipped something in my drink when my back was turned. If I find out you did, orders or no, I will switch the machine off, and you will die.”
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“So, the same people who tried to poison Missy also killed Tina?” Donna asked.
“According to what Sam found out, there was cocaine in her blood and urine, but that’s not what killed Tina. Sam also found cerbera, using the same method he did to detect it in Missy. Tina was dead before her killer injected her with the cocaine.”
“What about the Wilson murders? Do you think that was the same people?”
Sir Richard shook his head. “No, Ricky. I don’t. Tina didn’t shed a single drop of blood. It seems whoever killed Kevin and Linda wanted it to appear as brutal as possible.”
Donna sighed. “Well they certainly succeeded in that task. What about my research, Sir Richard. We may have to end up using the EHG and CTZ5 on Alan if what we’re trying doesn’t work.”
“I’ve spoken to Gary, and according to him, until I can get you an active sample of the HIV1, you’re at a stalemate. Why don’t you take a few days off? I can set up a small lab for you here in the apartment. You could still communicate with Gary as you’ve done before when you were in America. Ricky can stay here with you. Going back and forth to the Centre is too risky, especially now.” The last thing I need is to have Ricky, Sam, and Jared at the same place at the same time!
“What are you going to do? Isn’t it risky for you, as well, Sir Richard?”
“I’m moving operations, as well. I will still appear to be at the Centre – with a little help from Gary - but I’ll actually be here. That is, unless Mum has turned my old bedroom into another torture chamber,” he teased.
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Before he left for Langston Castle, Sir Richard had met with Gary and discussed what they found out from Tina’s post-mortem. Gary hadn’t seemed overly surprised that Tina died from cerbera poisoning and not cocaine as Sir Richard was letting the police believe. Like Sir Richard, Gary knew if Forrest had been responsible, to tell the police, otherwise would not solve anything. When possible, they would conduct a more thorough investigation, of their own.
Between them, Gary and Sir Richard decided, as soon as the police had released Tina’s body, private services would be held for her in the church, at Corbridge, and then her body would be buried in the cemetery there. They would not be publishing the event.
Although Sir Richard had given them their orders, Gary knew, eventually, Sam would corner him and ask about Donna. For that reason, he had been purposely avoiding Sam throughout the day. Gary was almost to his car when Sam caught him. “Gary, I need to talk to you.”
Gary groaned. “What is it, Sam? If this is about Donna, I can’t tell you anything.”
“Did she tell you why she wanted me off the project?”
“No, Sam, she didn’t, but since she’s the one who asked for you to be put on the project, it’s her right to ask that you be taken off.”
“Are you allowed to see Donna, or am I the only person banned from her royal presence?”
“You haven’t been banned, Sam. If you had, you would be back in your apartment, at Whitley Bay or confined to the Centre.”
“Are you going to see her, now?”
“Yes, Sam. I’m having dinner with her and Richard, and then I’m coming to the complex.”
“Gary, if you won’t tell me where Donna is, would you at least help me prove something?”
Gary forced the air from his lungs. “What, Sam?”
“That I was drugged when I took Joyce back to my apartment, last night.”
Gary narrowed his eyes. “You took Joyce back to your apartment last night – when? I thought you were at the carnival with Donna.”
Sam arched an eyebrow. “You mean Donna didn’t tell you what happened?”
“No, Sam and I really don’t want to know.”
“Well, I need you to know. I’m not proud it happened, and I don’t think I would have had sex with Joyce if I hadn’t been drugged.”
Gary held up a hand. “Whoa! That’s more than I needed to know. I’m not interested in your mating sessions with Joyce or any other woman, Sam, but what makes you think you were drugged?”
“Because I almost made the same mistake with Ruth Clarke, here at the Centre. I was pissed off with Donna, but I stopped when I realised how close I was to doing something stupid, and I didn’t want Ruth. I want Donna. I love her, but last night, with Joyce, I couldn’t stop myself. It was as if I wasn’t thinking or couldn’t think. Gary, you have to help me. This isn’t fair. Donna wouldn’t even let me explain.”
“What do you expect me to do Sam? Get Ian to take a blood sample and run a chromatograph on you. I don’t have time. I have to go.”
“I’d rather you did it, that way you can see for yourself, and you can tell her for me. She won’t see me. She’s being just as stubborn about seeing me as Jared is about seeing her. They are one in the same when it comes to forgiveness. I love Donna, Gary. I might make her think I’ve cheated on her, but I swear, I would never go through with it.”
“OK, Sam. If you want me to do it, you’ll have to wait until I get to the complex, tonight. Now, I have to go. Try and stay out of trouble between now and then – OK?” Gary closed the door and pulled away.
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Instead of going back to Triplet Hall to get his things, and then go to the complex as he’d been ordered to do, Sam went back into the Centre and looked up Ruth. Like Jasmine, she didn’t give Sam the warmest of welcomes, but she did agree to drop by his office on her way home. Joyce saw Sam go into his office and knocked on the door. “Sam, can I talk to you?”
“About what, Joyce? I’m a little busy right now.”
“Well… about what happened last night, at your penthouse.”
“I suspect we were manipulated by a pro, but until I can prove it, I’d appreciate it if you would drop it. As far as I’m concerned, it didn’t happen.”
“Did you tell Donna, about it?”
“No, and you’d better not either until I’ve figured out why it happened. Now,” he said, ushering her out the door. “I have an extremely important meeting with someone. We’ll talk later.” Sam practically shoved her out the door. As she was leaving, she met Ruth in the corridor.
“I thought you were on your way home,” Joyce said.
“I was, but Sam asked me to stop by his office. He said he had something important to ask me.”
Joyce arched an eyebrow. “Really? So the important meeting is with you,” she muttered under her breath.
Ruth frowned. “Excuse me?”
“Oh – nothing. I was just thinking out loud. Could I have a word with you when you’re done talking… with Sam?”
“Sure. Why don’t you grab us a cup of coffee and wait for me in the cafeteria?”
“OK,” Joyce smiled. “Thanks, Ruth.” She was about to walk away; when she realised Sam hadn’t closed his office door. She grinned and pressed her back to the wall, leaning her head so she could eavesdrop on their conversation.
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Sam waved Ruth to a chair in front of his desk. “Ruth, how would you feel about having dinner with me tonight, at my penthouse?”
“Aren’t you concerned that Donna will find out?”
Sam snorted. “Won’t make any difference either way. At the moment, we’re not together, but I’m hoping you can change that.”
“Oh – and how’s that?”
“Be at my penthouse in an hour and I’ll tell you.”
“Sam, in case you haven’t looked at your schedule, I’m on call tonight.”
Sam took out his cell phone. “Easily arranged, when you’re the boss,” he grinned. “Hi, Julie, it’s Sam. I need a favour, Babe.”
“Sam, you always need favours. What do you need now?”
“I need you to swap with Ruth and take call tonight.”
“Oh really – do you? What’s in it for me – you?”
Sam cleared his throat and chuckled. “I’m afraid I’m off the menu, but I’ll find another way to compensate you.”
“Like what – a date with Richard Triplet?”
“I’m afraid I may not be able to deliver on that one either. How about I talk to Sir Richard and get you added to my senior team? It comes with fringe benefits.”
“Would I be able to spend more… quality time with you.”
Sam swallowed hard. “Oh yes – you definitely would.”
“What time do I need to be there?”
“As soon as you can, Babe. Ruth and I have to be somewhere by six.”
“I’ll be there, but you’d better deliver. I want VIP quarters next to yours.”
“Can’t promise that much, but I’ll do my best. Thanks, Babe,” Sam said and ended the call. “Settled – do you want to leave your car here and ride with me?”
“No, that’s OK. I’ll take my car. I promised I’d have a coffee with a friend before I left. Go on ahead. I won’t be too long.”
“Thanks, Ruth.”