by Jon McGoran
“Look, I’m not saying a lot of police aren’t corrupt, or stupid or hateful, but they followed the lead. It didn’t pan out. And DeWitt called, too. She got the same result.”
“So what?” I looked to Rex for support, but he was staring at the floor in front of the desk, listening, hearing us out. “Whatever,” I said, looking back at Jerry. “Why would he have a bracelet from that hospital, then?”
Jerry rolled his eyes. “I don’t know. Maybe it’s fake, to get drugs or something.”
“Did he have any drugs in his system?”
Rex shook his head without looking up. “No,” he said. “Doc told me they checked.”
Before Jerry could continue, I said, “Isn’t it conceivable that maybe this hospital is lying?”
“Why?” Jerry said, but then his face changed, as if he started actually wondering about it. Then he looked at his watch and shook himself out of it. “Shit, I got to go get those case files.”
My heart sank as he started pulling his coat on.
“Look,” I said. “Maybe you’re right. Maybe the bracelet was fake and it was about drugs, and maybe he sold them instead of taking them. But that would mean he got his drugs from OmniCare illegally, right? Wouldn’t that make them look bad? That could be something they’d lie about, isn’t it?”
“And what would that prove?” he said. “Nothing.”
“Unless we can figure out what else might have killed him, they’re going to pin it on Doc. And that bracelet is our only lead.”
I could see Jerry was thinking about it, but he was also headed for the door. As he yanked it open and hurried out of the office, I followed close behind.
Ruth was standing outside the door, startled as Jerry barreled past her. “There’s someone here to see—”
Jerry waved her off. “Can’t. I’m already late.”
I followed him, with Rex close behind us. “And what if he was a patient there?” I said. “What if they treated him and did something wrong and that’s why he died? What if they killed Cornelius and they’re letting Doc take the fall?”
Jerry paused, his face conflicted. “Look, all I know is, the lawyer said it was a dead end.”
“Right, and now she’s a dead end, and Doc is in jail.”
Jerry opened the door and paused halfway through it as the cold air rushed in. “Look, I’ll ask DeWitt’s assistant if we can get the ball rolling on filing a subpoena.”
“A subpoena? DeWitt said that could take weeks, and it was hopeless anyway. She said the hospital can just say there’s nothing to subpoena.”
“Sorry, kid,” he said. “I’m as worried about Doc as you, more even, but that’s the best we can legally do.”
Then he was gone.
I turned to face Rex. “We need to go out there. Now. Doc needs our help.”
“We can’t, Jimi,” he said, shaking off a yawn. “DeWitt was clear about that. Us getting involved like that could screw everything up for Doc.”
“What she was clear on was that she didn’t have time to do it herself,” I snapped. I felt bad badgering him. He looked so tired. But he still looked a hell of a lot better than Doc. “And Doc was out on bail when she said that. Now he’s back inside. Things are already screwed up for Doc—now. And we need to help him, now.”
He took a deep breath, then nodded as he let it out. “Okay. Maybe. But Gellersville is in the middle of nowhere, with no Levline or anything. We have no way of getting out there right now.”
“I’ll drive,” said a vaguely familiar voice, coming from behind Rex.
When he turned around I saw who it was, and I gasped.
CHAPTER 16
Claudia?” I said, stunned. “Oh my God!”
The last time I’d seen her, she was just about to have her splice reversed by Doc. Except, as I’d just discovered the day before—and as I could see for myself, now—it had been too late after all.
In ways, she looked just as I remembered her: slim and achingly pretty, with large, gray-green feline eyes and a spray of spots from her forehead into her hairline. But the last time I’d seen her, she’d been traumatized and afraid, drawing on an impressively deep well of strength, but close to exhausting it. Now she looked strong and confident—happy, even. But worried, too.
She smiled when she saw me, broad and bright, adding an extra sparkle to her crystalline eyes. “Hi, Jimi.”
She slipped around Rex, glancing up at him as she did, and hugged me tightly.
“You look great,” she told me as she stepped back.
“You, too,” I said. “Really.” She had on a tight blue sweater and jeans under a smartly tailored Nanoma overcoat that matched her eyes. “I just found out your fix didn’t take. All this time I’d thought…”
She put her hand on my arm. “It’s fine,” she said. “It’s good, really. I’m glad it didn’t take.” She shook her head. “I was…freaked out, at first, alone and then with GHA and the riots and everything. But I got spliced because I wanted to. I’m happy.”
“Good,” I said. “Then I am, too.” I stepped toward Rex and put my hand on his back. “Have you two met?”
“No,” she said. “I’m Claudia.”
She put out her hand and Rex’s enveloped hers.
“Rex,” he said.
“Doc has told me a lot about you.”
“You know Doc?” he said.
“Yeah. We’ve kept in touch the last few months.”
“Really?” I had not seen that coming.
Her face turned serious. “That’s why I’m here. I heard he was in trouble and I want to do whatever I can to help.” She pulled out a set of car keys. “You want to get to Gellersville? I’ve got a car out front. Fully charged. If Doc needs help, let’s go.”
It was the last Friday of winter break, and my mom had just left town until Sunday night. Gellersville was a hundred miles there and a hundred miles back. This could work.
I turned to Rex. “Are you coming with us?”
The look on his face made it clear he had misgivings. But he nodded.
As we headed for the door, Pell called out, “Hey!”
We stopped and turned to see her coming up behind us with a white paper bag. “Might as well take the muffins.”
“Thanks,” I said with a smile.
When we got outside, Claudia headed for a very nice, very new Jaguar. “Holy crap,” I said. “This is yours?”
She smiled, bashful but not embarrassed. “It was a birthday present from my parents.”
Rex grunted. “Wow. That’s quite a gift.”
“So…” I paused, trying to process this new information about Claudia’s family’s financial situation.
She gave me a shrug, unapologetically acknowledging that yes, she was kind of loaded. “So, hop in.”
I turned to Rex. “You want shotgun?”
He yawned and shook his head as he reached for the rear door. “Actually, do you mind if I stretch out in back?”
* * *
—
As we took the Roosevelt Smartway to the Schuylkill Smartway, the car was virtually silent except for the soft sound of the tires, like two pieces of paper barely touching.
Rex was less silent. By the time we were headed west on the Pennsylvania SmartPike, he was snoring lightly.
Claudia kept one hand casually resting on the wheel, even though the car was in Smartdrive, like she enjoyed the feel of it. She reached the other hand into the paper bag and started eating one of Pell’s muffins.
Rex let out a soft groan as he adjusted his position, and Claudia looked over her shoulder at him.
“I guess he was really tired,” she said.
“He and Jerry were up all night trying to keep Doc out of jail,” I said, grabbing a muffin, too. “Then they went with him to turn himself in.”
“That must have been intense.”
“Yeah, I think it was.”
She shook her head. Then, after a few seconds, she looked over at me, smiling. “So…how lon
g? You and Rex?”
I looked back to make sure he was sleeping. “Hard to say, really. How much do you know about what happened after you and I parted ways?”
“I saw you on the news. And Doc filled me in on a few things.”
“So you know what happened at Pitman? What Haven really was? And what happened to my friend Del?”
“Yeah,” she said, her voice dropping to a whisper. She put a hand on my arm. “I’m so sorry. That must have been awful.”
“It was.” I looked away, for some reason embarrassed about this next part.
“What?” she asked, nervous laughter creeping into her voice.
I let out a sigh. “So, Rex and I got close out there. And right when everything was coming to a head, I found out I actually knew him from before, from when we were little. His name was Leo Byron, and he was one of my best friends. He moved away from our neighborhood and I never saw him again. Well, not until he was Rex.”
“What?” Claudia looked incredulous. “And he didn’t tell you right away?”
I shook my head. “Nope. It was only a few days, but he actually didn’t tell me until after I’d already found out.”
“That’s…that’s kind of awkward. Why?”
“I don’t know. He says he was embarrassed at first, or just weirded out. And I guess I understand that. Then, after we got to know each other, it was just too awkward, and I guess I understand that, too. But it’s bizarre. I mean, we were, like, best friends. At least as close as Del and I were.”
“Wow. So…how’s it going now?”
“Good. I guess. Great.” I peeked over at him. His breathing had quieted, but I was pretty sure he was still asleep. “I’ve only seen him a couple of times since then, briefly. He’s mostly been out of town.”
“Where?”
I could feel myself blushing. “Well, interesting you should ask. He says he can’t tell me.”
She turned and stared at me with one eyebrow raised, long enough that even though the car was driving itself I started to get nervous. “Really?”
I nodded. “He’s a really nice guy,” I added quickly. “And I’m sure if he says he can’t tell me where he was it’s for a very good reason, but…”
“Hmm.” She moved the rearview mirror and studied him in it. After a few seconds, she grinned. “Well, he’s hot. I’ll give you that.”
We started laughing, but trying to keep quiet, which made it even funnier. When we finally stopped, I whispered, “Yeah, there is that.”
For a few minutes we didn’t talk, then Claudia turned and looked at me solemnly. “My name has always been Claudia, and I promise you: we’ve never known each other before.”
We laughed some more. Then I said, “So, um…I met Brian.”
She looked at me, truly embarrassed this time. “I know. I know,” she said, shaking her head. “Ruth told me what happened at Doc’s clinic.”
I nodded. I wasn’t surprised word had traveled.
“Ugh. He’s the worst. Manipulative, controlling, deceitful, and a coward, too.” She shook her head. “Just so you know, it wasn’t obvious at first. He seemed like a nice guy. We’d been going out for a few months when I told him I was thinking about getting spliced.” She laughed. “He freaked out about it at first, saying stuff like ‘What about college?’ and ‘You’ll never get a job.’ ” She shook her head at the memory.
“Well, he probably didn’t know any chimeras,” I said quietly as I remembered saying those exact same things to Del. “Maybe all he knew was what they tell you in health class. And he was worried about you.”
“You’re too easy on him.” She laughed, then caught herself. “Sorry, I forgot. You didn’t want your friend Del to get spliced. And I know it didn’t…work out.”
“It’s okay. Sorry I was so judgy back then,” I said—even though it crossed my mind that if he hadn’t gotten spliced, Del might still be alive.
“No,” she said. “You weren’t being judgy. You didn’t think your friend should get spliced, and maybe you were right about that. But you didn’t judge the other chimeras. You didn’t judge me. You tried to help me. I wish more people were like you.”
“I was judgy. I might have hidden it, but I was.”
“Well, you hid it pretty well, as far as I could see. Maybe that’s just as important.” She paused. “I think Brian was worried about losing me, maybe. Which he should have been, really. I was already starting to realize he wasn’t the guy I thought he was, you know?”
I nodded.
“Anyway,” she went on, “he decided he was going to get spliced with me. I told him he shouldn’t do it just because I was, but he insisted, said he wanted to do it for him. I asked him if he would still want to do it even if we ever broke up, and he said yes. And I asked him about his parents, you know? Because my parents were pretty cool about all this, but his parents…I mean, I don’t think they’re H4H or anything, but one thing they’re not is cool. He said he didn’t care what his parents thought. I was starting to think maybe I was wrong about him again. Maybe he was more like who I thought he was to begin with. And then we went to the genie.”
She got quiet for a moment, remembering. “I went first. And after I got my splice, after I’d already started sweating it out, when it was his turn, he freaks out and bolts. He said he changed his mind and he left me there. And then with GHA and the riots, I freaked out, too, started second-guessing everything.” She shook her head, her eyes welling up. “The genie was great, though. Alfredo. He tried to help, but he wasn’t a fixer or anything. He just did what he could, you know? He gave me a splice, and took good care of me while I finished sweating it out. And at the end of it, I mean…it was a pretty good splice, I think.”
“It was a fantastic splice. You look amazing.”
“Well, thanks, but I mean I felt good, physically. I felt strong and healthy. It’s a big adjustment, for sure, and it was really upsetting to find out the law had passed just as I was coming through the other side. But…I think if I had gone to get spliced on my own in the first place, the way I had planned, I think I would have been okay. I would have been upset about GHA and the riots and all, but I don’t think I would have freaked out like I did.”
She leaned over and squeezed my hand. “I know that in the end I didn’t get my splice fixed, and I’m glad I didn’t, but that doesn’t lessen how much I appreciate what you did for me that day. You saved my life from those H4Hers, and you kept me calm, enough that when the fix didn’t take, I had it together enough to realize I never actually wanted it to.”
“I’m really glad you’re happy,” I said, putting my hand over hers. I glanced out the window, watching the patchy brush whizz past us. “So, you’ve been keeping in touch with Doc? What’s that about?”
She nodded. “After Doc gave me the fix, I figured if I had to sweat it out, I’d rather do it at home than in Jerry’s basement, you know? Doc said it would be a little while before things kicked in, and he was busy trying to save poor Ryan. My dad was back home by then so I called him to come and get me. When I got in the car, he just looks at me and says, ‘Hey, you got spliced. Looks awesome.’ Then I told him I had changed my mind and was having the splice reversed, and he looks at me again and says, ‘Right. Well, that’s awesome, too.’ ”
“Wow,” I said. “He sounds kind of great.”
“Kind of,” she said, with a tiny bit of an edge. “It can be a bit much. Luckily, my mom’s not quite as laid back, so they mostly balance each other that way. But she was in Switzerland giving a lecture while all this was happening. Anyway, so I’m lying on the sofa, exhausted and starting to notice that nothing’s happening. I had told my dad about Doc, about where he lived, and after a couple of hours, my dad goes and sees him. The next day, Doc came to our house and he looks me over and he frowns. He’s clearly upset. He puts a hand on my shoulder, and says, ‘I guess we were too late after all.’ I didn’t know what to think. I was already having second thoughts about my second thoughts, but most
ly I was just tired. Anyway, my dad smiles down at me and says, ‘Don’t worry, pumpkin, it’s a good splice. You’re healthy and you look great. It’s all good.’ And then he starts asking Doc more questions about his research.”
She saw the expression on my face and said, “I know, right? I love him to bits, but in case you’re wondering: yes, there is such a thing as too chill.”
We both laughed.
“So, as Doc’s leaving, he and my dad get into this deep conversation about some new procedure Doc is working on, with, like, stem cells and umbilical-cord blood and stuff.”
“Yeah, Doc told us about that.”
“Well my dad was kind of geeking out over it. He’s mostly into computers and engineering, like me, but he’s interested in all sorts of other stuff, too. He’s oblivious sometimes, but he’s really smart. They stayed in touch after that. Anyway, my mom got home that afternoon, and she decided that between my splice and Brian and all the craziness here with GHA, we needed to head out to the West Coast for a couple of months, take some time to recalibrate, as she put it.”
I grinned at the annoyance in her voice. “You know, Claudia, a lot of people would be just fine with a little recalibration like that.”
“Yeah, I know,” she said. “And she was right. I kind of needed it.”
“What about school?” I asked.
“They set me up with a tutor. Dad and Doc kept in touch the whole time we were away, though, and I’d chat with Doc when he called. He mentions the big guy a lot,” she said, tipping her head back toward Rex. “Doc thinks he’s pretty impressive.”
I smiled. “I think so, too.”
CHAPTER 17
For most of the trip, Claudia and I listened to music, a mixture of oldies and newer stuff. After an hour, though, she opened a map on the dashboard and turned the music off.
“So the SmartPike goes pretty close to Gellersville, which is in two exits,” she said. “But OmniCare is actually slightly closer to Belfield, which is the next exit. Either way we have to drive a few miles of local roads to get there, which could be a little rough going.”