The woman in front of him was in her late fifties, and was dressed in a long, flowing black dress. Although the black showed she was officially in mourning, Kerrin couldn't help but notice the Gucci motif emblazoned on the belt hanging loosely around her waist.
"Well, Mr Graham, I am sorry to hear of your loss. Martin was a kind man. Your sister must be devastated. I'm afraid that when you called I was rather shocked to hear of his death. I had heard that he had disappeared, but had rather hoped he had left the city and was still alive somewhere."
"Thank you Mrs Roberts. And I'm sorry about your husband. Martin spoke very highly of him to my sister."
"Can you tell me please, Mr Graham- how was it that Martin died?"
He explained the details, letting the circumstances of Martin's death sink in, and watching to see her reaction. Her face showed little sign of emotion. If first impressions counted for anything, Kerrin could see that she was a powerful woman, perhaps the driving force behind an obviously very successful man. Henry Roberts had been the Chief Financial Officer of Gen8tyx. According to Kerrin's sister, a shrewd man, quiet, but very clever.
"And do you believe it was an accident Mr Graham, or do you also believe that there was something more sinister behind it all?" the woman probed. Who was questioning whom, Kerrin briefly wondered.
"That's why I'm here. To try and find out what was going on at Gen8tyx. Frankly, Mrs Roberts, I was hoping that I could ask you some questions about your husband…"
"Naturally. Please go ahead. I shall help you in any way I can. But I think that I should tell you straight away that I do not share the paranoia that Mrs Gilbert or Mrs Calvert do. My husband died in tragic and horrible circumstances. He tried to take his own life. But then he died naturally. A massive heart attack. Whatever drove him to such desperate measures, I don't know…," her voice faltered for a second, the slightest trace of emotion rippling through her otherwise placid persona.
"I know this may be hard, Mrs Roberts, but do you have any idea why he may have committed suicide, if it was indeed suicide?"
" None…well, nothing that important. Nothing that should drive a man to such extremes."
Kerrin noticed the hesitation.
"It may not have seemed important to you, however, if your husband was depressed, perhaps…"
"My husband was not depressed, quiet yes, but not depressed. Why is it that everyone automatically assumes that just because a person is quiet that they are sad?"
Kerrin was surprised by how quickly she sprang to defend her husband, particularly as no insult or personal attack was intended. He would have to be more careful in how he chose his words.
"I'm deeply sorry, Mrs Roberts. I did not intend to infer…"
"Oh, no, please, forgive me. It's just that, well…"
"I understand." Kerrin interrupted. "As I said, it's a difficult time for us all."
Thankfully just then the maid arrived with the coffee, politely serving Kerrin first before pouring Mrs Roberts a cup of steaming Earl Grey Tea into a large willow patterned, china cup and saucer.
"Mr Graham, I think I wouldn't be breaking any confidences if I said that something was going on at Gen8tyx that Henry wasn't happy about. It caused him a great deal of stress. I tried to talk to him about it, but he said he couldn't discuss it. He would just come home and lock himself away in his study as soon as dinner was finished, and then speak for hours on the phone."
"Have you any idea who he may have been talking to? It might be relevant…"
"No, I'm sorry. I think a lot of the calls were long distance. They got quite heated sometimes. I even heard him shouting once, and Henry never shouted."
"Did he say anything at all about what was going on?"
"As I said, nothing…," she paused, as if wondering whether or not to mention it. "One night, quite late, about 11 o'clock, Mr Sonderheim came over. He stayed for about three hours, and when he left Henry came into my room and sat on my bed…we normally sleep in different rooms…he sat and looked at me for a while, held my hand, and promised that 'it would soon all be over', that we'd spend more time together, and that 'things would be better'. He said he had got a plan, a way to make sure it would all be okay. But he looked so sad. He kissed me gently, then left. A week later he was dead."
"Had it got something to do with the move to California?"
"I think so. At first we even thought about moving, but then something happened, and Henry said that we were staying put. He was going to retire after all."
"Wasn't Henry the financial genius behind Gen8tyx? I would have thought that they would really miss him?"
"Perhaps, but for some reason, I think Henry discovered that he was not really going to be needed in California after all. I suspect that is why he decided not to move."
Kerrin was beginning to warm towards Mrs Roberts. She was obviously a woman used to high standards and an expensive lifestyle, but in spite of the thick skinned exterior, Kerrin could see that she was suffering inside. He could guess that she was going to miss her husband very much.
"Why don't you think it was murder, like the others?" he asked, referring to Mrs Calvert, and Isabella.
"Of course, I have discussed it with them. Actually, they were both here two days ago for coffee. It was good to talk to somebody else who was grieving too, but Henry never had any enemies. No one would have wanted to kill him…he was so, so sweet! He has…or at least, he used to have high blood pressure. The strain of it all must have killed him."
"Am I correct in understanding that it was you who found Henry after he tried to hang himself?" he asked as delicately as he could.
"Yes. I did." She looked away, staring out of the window. Without looking back she said, "I think I would like another cup of tea. Can I offer you some more coffee, Mr Graham?", she asked, her voice trembling.
Without waiting for an answer she got up and left, not returning until a few minutes later. She had obviously taken a moment to regain her composure. The corners of her eyes were still a little red from the crying.
"I'm sorry, Mr Graham. If I may be honest…this is all rather painful for me. You asked if I found my husband hanging from a tree? Well, yes, I did. How or why he got there I do not understand."
"When was this?"
"Two and a half weeks ago. It was at night, quite late. There had been a phone call. I was in bed already, reading, when Henry popped his head round the door and said he was going back to the office…"
"…An hour or two later, I heard the dogs barking wildly in the garden. They didn't stop. I went to investigate and found them underneath the branch of a tree near the main gate. Daniel, -the maid's husband-, cut him down immediately. Thankfully he was still breathing. The ambulance turned up almost instantly and he was taken to the Mount Royal."
"Did you get a chance to talk to him afterwards,…before he died?"
"No, not at all. I sat beside his bed for two days. I slept in the hospital in a room opposite his, but he was in a coma, and he never came to. He died in his sleep."
"I'm sorry. I know this is hard. But I need to ask these questions…to try and understand what happened and why?"
The maid arrived and re-filled their cups. Kerrin was grateful for the extra coffee. He wanted to stay alert.
"May I ask you one more question, Mrs Roberts. Perhaps a rather personal one?"
"If you must."
"I was wondering if you have any financial problems?"
"To be quite honest, Henry handled all the money, well, you'd expect that wouldn't you, being an accountant! But I can tell you honestly that I am not aware of any financial problems. If there were any, Henry would have told me. Anyway, I'm sure that the money Henry made in his severance from Gen8tyx was sufficient enough to tide us over for quite a while. I got the impression that he'd done rather well out of it all. All else said, Gen8tyx seems to have looked after all of us very well indeed. I know that only last week, rather a substantial amount was deposited in his account."
; "May I ask how much?"
"No. I'm afraid you may not. I hope you will understand if I defer from sharing such private details with you, without wanting to seem rude?"
Kerrin took the hint. The interview was coming to an end.
--------------------
Shortly afterwards, as he drove out of the main gates onto the road, a lady hidden behind the trees lining the street took a photograph of his car.
It was late. The man had been in there for over an hour.
The woman looked at her watch and swore. 9.30 p.m. She should have been relieved thirty minutes ago. She was tired and hungry.
She hated the waiting. It was the worst part of her job.
Her replacement had better get there soon.
She wanted to go home.
Chapter 11
Day Nine
See View Heights
Orlando
"Darling, are you okay?" Kerrin asked his wife, genuinely missing her and wishing he was at home. He could do with a hug and a little bit of TLC. The past few days were beginning to get him down. All this talk of death was not his idea of fun.
"Don't worry about me. I'm okay. By the way, Elizabeth called. She said she's been trying to reach you on your cell phone all day. She can't get through. Can you call her when you get a chance?"
"Yes, thanks, I will. My battery is dead, and I forgot to bring my charger with me. I'll stop by a store tomorrow and pick up another one. Listen, are you sure you're fine?"
"Absolutely. I'm not saying it's good when you're away, but I'm getting a lot done. It's fantastic!"
"Nice to know I'm missed. Maybe I should go away more often?"
"Don't be silly darling, you know what I mean. So when are you coming home then? Soon, I hope?"
"Well, I still need to talk to a few more people, then I was wondering if I should fly to Arizona to see Elizabeth again. I might need to ask her some more questions."
"Can't you do it over the phone?"
"Maybe. I'll see. Anyway, after her, I've got to track down some person who seems to have disappeared."
"Why don't you call me tomorrow? It would be nice if you could get home for the weekend."
"I'll try. I'll speak to you tomorrow."
"I love you darling. Look after yourself!"
She hung up and Kerrin felt a tightness at the base of his stomach. He missed her. He would definitely try to be home for the weekend.
It was a hot night. Oppressive and close. Kerrin could feel the static in the air, and could hear the thunderstorm brewing in the background. Infuriatingly, the air conditioning unit in the room had developed an annoying clicking sound. And now he had become aware of it, no matter how hard he tried to ignore it, the tortuous clicking just seemed to get louder and louder.
Swearing aloud, Kerrin jumped out of bed and reached out to the control panel on the wall, sliding the little white button along from "Low" to "Off".
It took him a good forty minutes to fall asleep. Without the air conditioning, the heat on the third floor of the hotel slowly built up in the room, and it wasn't long before he started to toss and turn in his bed, cold sweat drenching his body and the sheets on which he lay.
Restless and uncomfortable, he quickly slipped into the same old repetitive nightmare that he always dreamt when his mind was troubled.
The car he was driving was his labor of love. The fact that it looked almost brand new was the result of all the years he had spent dutifully restoring it back to its former glory. It had been in a terrible state when he inherited it from an uncle, but after five years of hard graft it was once again in pristine condition. Kerrin was immensely proud of his efforts, and he loved to take the Morgan out for a drive in the long tree lined country lanes in the countryside around Dana's parents' farm in Pennsylvania.
The dream was always the same. Every second of it identical.
That afternoon there had been a storm, but now the skies were all clear and the air was clean and fresh.
He would be driving down the country road enjoying the scenery and the sunshine, the warm air coursing over their bodies as they swept around the bends and accelerated along the long, empty roads ahead. The storm had been over quickly. The ozone in the air mixed with the autumn smells from the farmland around, spicing it with the smell of the earth, and the sweet flavors of the wild flowers that grew so abundantly in the hedgerows on either side of the road. Kerrin breathed it deeply into his lungs.
He turned to look at Dana, sitting on the seat beside him, her luxurious long black hair blowing freely in the wind over the back of her shoulders. She smiled back, the late sun sparking in her blue eyes and twinkling back at him. She reached out her hand to Kerrin, and he took his right hand from the steering wheel to hold it.
Her hand was warm. He squeezed it lightly, and she smiled. Dana shuffled over in her seat towards him, pulling the seat belt slack so she could rest her head on Kerrin's shoulder.
He kissed her lightly on the forehead, and wrapped his arm around her before returning his attention to the road ahead.
The tractor was pulling out slowly from a blind entrance to a field. Before he passed through the gates, there was no way the tractor driver could have known whether or not there were any cars on the country road, and if there were, whether or not the car drivers would be paying attention to the road ahead instead of making love to their passengers. It wasn't the tractor driver's fault. This was the countryside, after all.
The brakes on the Morgan were brand new, the tread on the new tires deep and unworn.
Kerrin saw the tractor ahead, his body reacting instantly and his finely trained police driving skills throwing the Morgan into a swerve around the tractor on the opposite side of the road.
Dana screamed.
Kerrin gripped the steering wheel tightly, his eyes meeting briefly with the eyes of the tractor driver as they passed him by, easily clearing the tractor with a foot to spare.
Once past the tractor Kerrin looked on in disbelief as a car rounded the bend ahead, heading straight towards them. He braked hard, spinning the steering wheel quickly to bring the Morgan back onto the right side of the road.
The storm had not been hard, but the dead autumn leaves had thirstily soaked up the rain. As the car turned around the far side of the tractor, the back wheels of the Morgan fought in vain to find traction on the leaf mulch, and started to skid uncontrollably.
The Morgan spun across the road, Kerrin fighting hard to regain control. Then suddenly the tires found resistance on the tarmac, and propelled the car forward. Having over compensated too much, the car now spun around wildly in the opposite direction, its momentum carrying it broadside into the car ahead.
The front of the oncoming car smashed into their passenger side, propelling the Morgan backwards and into the hedge at the side of the road.
Kerrin was thrown violently against the door, away from the oncoming car, and the world went black around him.
Dimly Kerrin began to become aware of steam pouring from the bonnet of the Morgan. He turned his head and saw Dana unconscious in the seat beside him, her twisted body hanging awkwardly over the edge of her seat. The impact had thrown her body sideways, whipping her around violently in her seat, the seatbelt of the Morgan powerless to protect her from the spinning, sideways crash. Blood covered her legs, a shard of bent metal protruding through her thigh and poking out through her torn dress.
That's when he woke up. Screaming, and crying.
Kerrin splashed cold water onto the back of his neck and washed his face. Picking up one of the blue hand-towels from the handrail beside the sink, he wiped his face dry.
He walked back to the bed, switched on the cable T.V. and flicked impatiently through the channels without really paying them any attention.
The dream was always the same, and the nauseating feeling in his stomach when he awoke left him cold and drained. For the first few months after the crash, the guilt had been so bad that he had actually vomited when he awoke from
the nightmare, but now, years later, he was able to lie back and ride it out.
He knew the pattern the guilt took. He knew he would never be able to put the accident properly behind him. He knew it wasn't entirely his fault. He even knew that Dana had never blamed him for it.
But it seemed so unfair. Kerrin had been driving. If anyone had been guilty for the crash, it was him. Yet Kerrin walked free with only a few scratches, and Dana had been crippled, the impact forces of the two cars jostling Dana so violently that a few vital nerves in her spinal column had been damaged beyond repair.
Sometimes Kerrin would wake up and lie for hours looking across at Dana. Before the accident he had loved her more than he thought it was physically possible to love any other human being. She was his life.
But now she relied upon him so much, he loved her even more.
Yes, sometimes he felt angry at the world. Anger at himself, and maybe even a little self-hate. But more than anything he felt sad. Sad at the life that had now been denied them. The adventures they had planned so meticulously together, the mountain hikes, and cycling trips and the walks along the beach at sunset. All gone. Dreams they had made, that now belonged to another life, for another couple.
Kerrin would do anything for Dana. There wasn't a thing in the world he wouldn't give if he could just undo those few seconds in Pennsylvania which had stolen so much from them both.
Anything.
Including his own life.
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The Gen8tyx Company
Day Ten
Purlington Bay
California
David Sonderheim's office overlooked a scenic bay about ten miles outside of Carmel. His office was massive, a large window sweeping round in a giant curve, affording him an incredible view of the sea and their small harbor below. From here he could watch their guests arriving by boat, or just look at the seals bathing on the rocks beside the quay. In the background he could see the large ships heading in and out of San Francisco.
BOX SET of THREE TOP 10 MEDICAL THRILLERS Page 60