“That’s fine. In the meantime, we’ll perform the brain scan and have the results read. By end of day today, we should have a pretty good assessment of the situation.”
The doctor nodded goodbye. Harry slumped back into his chair. He ran his fingers through his hair. “Shit. Now what do we do?”
Sandy was equally glum. “Maybe we should tell the doctor about Jeremy’s situation. If we explain why we need Elizabeth’s bone marrow, maybe it can be extracted while she’s in this state.” Sandy’s voice was hopeful.
“Let’s wait until Mrs. Caldwell gets here. She’ll be the one who has to make the decision. What an awful choice to have to make, especially for your own child.”
Harry looked up at the television. The early news was starting. A caption ran across the bottom of the screen: Jordano Funds to face indictments. Sandy saw it as well.
“Harry, what does that mean? The company is facing indictments? Are you affected?”
Harry didn’t know what to say. With everything else that was happening, he had kept most of the situation at work to himself. He didn’t need or want another sore point between them.
“Yes, I probably will be.” He looked down at his shoes. “I haven’t told you about this because I figured you had enough on your mind. But the SEC has been investigating the firm. Jack Walsh has been providing inside information to them about activities at the company.”
“Jack has been doing what? Why would he?”
Harry shrugged. “I don’t know. Jack really hates Kaspar, more than anyone realized. But it gets even worse.” Harry told Sandy about the conversation with Jack in his office, how he admitted to the affair with Julie Monroe, and the decision to kill her.
Sandy became very pale. “What is wrong with him? How could Jack do something like that? How could he hurt his friends?”
“I don’t know. But the worst part is that the AG’s office offered immunity from prosecution as part of the deal for Jack’s cooperation. If that agreement is broadly written, then Jack may not face any charges.”
“Oh my god.” Sandy buried her face in her hands and started crying.
Harry didn’t try to console her. He had learned his lesson earlier that day. Sandy didn’t want any comforting from him.
Chapter 56
Tuesday, November 18
Nick’s day went by very slowly. The whole office was waiting for word about the indictments. He tried to keep busy with routine tasks, but his mind kept wandering to the Jordano case, and all the twists and turns the investigation had taken. He was still in shock about Jack Walsh’s role, and still pissed that he might get away with it. He called Devon at 4pm and asked her to come by to talk.
“Hi Nicky.”
For a moment, Nick flashed back to Ellie. “Nicky” had always been Ellie’s nickname for him. He almost said something to Devon, but caught himself. No sense bringing up his dead wife with the new girlfriend.
“How’s your day going?”
“Really slow.”
“Same here. I think we’re all on edge, waiting for word on Jordano. It’ll be good to know the charges and who’s been indicted.”
Devon moved further into Nick’s cubicle. “It’s really exciting though. I’m so glad that I was part of the team.”
“Me too.” Nick paused. “I was thinking. With the investigation winding down, maybe we could take a long weekend. Go up to Vermont for a couple of days. Just to get away.”
“That sounds great! I would love to do that. We could get cozy in front of a fire, have some wine…” Devon came closer and lowered her voice. “And I could fuck you until you can’t walk.”
Nick was momentarily speechless. “I’ll start looking for a place immediately.”
Devon laughed and covered her mouth. “I’m being naughty.”
Nick leaned forward and gave her a quick kiss. “That’s okay. I like naughty.”
Nick’s phone ringing interrupted them. It was Pete Mitchell.
He shushed Devon, and picked up the phone. “Hi Pete. Any news?”
Nick listened for a minute, then said, “That’s great, Pete. Thanks for the call.” He hung up.
“Pete heard from the Attorney General. They’re charging all Jordano managing directors with fraud and conspiracy to commit fraud. Almost eight-hundred counts, one for each of the shareholders they attempted to defraud with bogus transactions to fix the Sierra Health error. The other members of the management group, senior vice-presidents mostly, will be charged with lesser crimes.
“Wow! What kind of jail time and penalties do they face?”
“Up to ten years in prison and a million dollars in fines for each of them. Plus the SEC will seek punitive penalties, probably in the hundreds of millions of dollars, to help provide restitution to all shareholders who were harmed by the company’s actions.”
“Wow! You must be so proud! I’m so happy for you.”
Nick flushed. “Thanks. It’s been pretty stressful, but this makes it worth it.”
“What about Jack Walsh?”
“He hasn’t been charged with anything. The police are still trying to place him on that garage roof, but so far they can’t. They showed the witness some photos, but he couldn’t pick him out.”
“That sucks,” Devon replied. “He shouldn’t get away with this.”
“Maybe the police will find some new evidence. In the meantime, I need to call some country inns in Vermont. What did you tell me you wanted to do again?”
Devon leaned close, wrapped her arms around Nick’s neck, and whispered into his ear.
“That’s right. Now I remember.”
Devon punched him in the ribs.
“Ouch! Not so hard.”
“You deserve it. Now make that reservation.”
*****
Harry was pacing back and forth across the visitor’s lounge when Mrs. Caldwell arrived. Sandy had gone to the cafeteria to get a coffee and something to eat.
“Mr. Wainright?”
Harry turned and saw the elderly lady. As before, her hair was perfectly coiffed. White gloves covered her veined hands. She wore a light blue dress that hung loosely on her frail frame. “Hi, Mrs. Caldwell. I’m glad you made it.”
“How’s Elizabeth? Has the doctor talked to you yet?”
Harry didn’t want to have this conversation. He shouldn’t be the one to deliver the bad news. “Yes, he spoke to me about an hour ago. You should really talk to him directly to get an update.”
“What did he say?” Mrs. Caldwell pressed. “Please tell me. I know this is very serious.”
Harry took a deep breath. “They pumped Elizabeth’s stomach, but she was in pretty bad shape when she got here. The doctor is very concerned. He told me they would perform a brain scan to see if there is permanent damage.”
The elderly woman kneaded her hands. “Oh dear. Can I see her? Is she awake?”
“I’m afraid not. Elizabeth is in a coma.”
Mrs. Caldwell swayed as if she was about to faint. Harry reached for her arm and guided her to the nearest chair.
“Would you like some water, Mrs. Caldwell?”
“Yes, please.”
Harry walked across the room to the water cooler, grabbed a cup from the holder, and filled it. He returned to the elderly woman and handed it to her. “Here, drink this.”
Mrs. Caldwell took a long sip, her hand trembling slightly. She gave the cup back to Harry. “Thank you. You’ve been very kind.”
At that moment, Dr. Harris appeared in the doorway. “Mr. Wainright?”
“Yes, Dr. Harris.” Harry gestured towards Mrs. Caldwell. “This is Elizabeth’s mother.”
The doctor came across the room and pulled up a chair to sit across from her. “Mrs. Caldwell, I’m Dr. Harris. I treated your daughter when she arrived at the emergency room. It appears she ingested a large number of sleeping pills. That suppressed her heart rate, and the blood supply to her brain was adversely affected. We performed a brain scan, and the results were d
iscouraging. I’m afraid your daughter doesn’t have sufficient brain function to lead a normal life. I’m very sorry.”
Mrs. Caldwell began crying quietly. Sandy entered the room and immediately realized what had happened. She sat next to Mrs. Caldwell and put her arm around her shoulders, handing the elderly woman a tissue.
“I realize you need some time to process this news. It’s never easy,” Dr. Harris continued. “As Elizabeth’s next of kin, you will need to decide which course of action we will take.”
“What options do I have, Dr. Harris??”
The doctor looked down at his hands. “We can discuss the options for her care tomorrow, but please take some time first to absorb this news.”
Mrs. Caldwell nodded slightly, with her hands in her lap. “Can I see her?”
“Of course. I’ll get one of the nurses to bring you. We can talk later.”
“Thank you, Dr. Harris, for doing all that you could.”
Harry watched the doctor leave the room.
It must be incredibly difficult to deliver news like that, he thought. Dr. Harris did it about as well as could be expected. A combination of truth and empathy.
“Mrs. Caldwell, this is my wife, Sandy. I should have introduced her earlier.”
“Thank you for your kind gesture, Sandy. It’s difficult news to receive.”
“I understand, Mrs. Caldwell. I can’t imagine.” Sandy looked at Harry with tear-brimmed eyes.
A nurse called from the door. “Mrs. Caldwell?”
“Yes.” The elderly woman stood slowly. “Again, thank you both for helping me and Lizzie. I truly appreciate it.” She grasped each of their hands and then walked slowly towards the nurse.
After she was gone, Harry and Sandy looked at each other. They were drained. Harry was the first to put in words what they were both thinking.
“I know this sounds mercenary, but we need to find out whether the bone marrow transplant can be done with Nora in this condition.”
Sandy’s eyes blazed. “It’s not mercenary or unkind, Harry. Our son’s life depends on it. Let’s make it happen.”
Harry nodded.
Chapter 57
Wednesday, November 19
Harry called into work again. With the announcement of indictments, he knew the office would be chaotic. He told his admin Nancy to call only if it was absolutely necessary.
He didn’t really care about the legal charges, or his own welfare. His sole focus was Jeremy, and the bone marrow that his son needed from Nora. Mrs. Caldwell had asked Harry to attend a meeting that morning to discuss Nora’s condition. He had agreed to be there, although it was unusual for a non-family member to be present. Mrs. Caldwell felt that Harry should be there to represent Jeremy’s interests.
Arriving at the hospital with minutes to spare, he got directions to the Gifford room. Mrs. Caldwell was already there, seated next to a rotund woman. Patty Shapiro, the hospital’s patient advocate, introduced herself to Harry. The woman appeared to be in her early thirties and had a kind face and soft voice. Harry figured those were requirements for her tough job.
“Good morning, Ms. Shapiro.” He took a seat across from the two women.
“Good morning, Mr. Wainright. Mrs. Caldwell told me about the situation with her daughter, Elizabeth, and your son Jeremy. That’s why you were invited this morning.”
“Thank you, Ms. Shapiro. I understand this is a very delicate situation. I want to be considerate of Mrs. Caldwell’s difficult decision, but I need to protect my son’s interests as well. He needs a bone marrow transplant immediately. His life depends on it.”
“I understand, Mr. Wainright.”
Dr. Harris bustled into the room. “Good morning, everyone.” He took a seat next to Harry. “Should we begin?”
“Yes.” Ms. Shapiro turned to the old woman.
“Dr. Harris explained the care options to you last evening, after your visit with Elizabeth. Based on the tests that have been performed, Elizabeth demonstrates minimal brain function. It’s very unfortunate, but the doctors believe there is very little chance of recovery.”
Ms. Shapiro said this as kindly as possible, but it was still difficult to hear. Harry felt a lump in his throat and he blinked several times to keep tears at bay. He knew the struggle that Mrs. Caldwell was feeling.
How can you let a child go? How can you accept that they die before you? It just wasn’t right.
Ms. Shapiro continued. “If you choose to keep Elizabeth alive, she will be transferred to a long-term care facility. She will remain on a respirator, but it is not likely she will regain consciousness.” She reached out and held Mrs. Caldwell’s hand. “If you choose to let Elizabeth go, it will be very gentle. She will simply drift off. She won’t feel any pain. It will be like going to sleep.”
Mrs. Caldwell looked at Ms. Shapiro, then at Harry. Her eyes were wet, but tears didn’t spill out.
“As you can imagine, I didn’t sleep very well last night. I spent most of the time thinking about Lizzie, both the good times and the bad. She was a remarkable girl in many ways: bright, kind, and thoughtful. After several difficult teenage years, I thought that she had made it. She went to college, got her first job. But then she married that...” Mrs. Caldwell couldn’t continue for a moment before she regained her composure. “Her unhappy marriage started a downward spiral that Lizzie couldn’t escape from. When she moved home after leaving her husband, she told me she was pregnant. I thought maybe a child would be a blessing. When Lizzie said she was going to give the child up for adoption, I knew in my heart it was the wrong decision. I pleaded with her to reconsider, but she wouldn’t hear it. Lizzie became so depressed after the baby was born and the adoption finalized. The doctors called it post-partum depression, but I believed it was more than that. Deep down, I don’t think she ever really let that child go.”
Mrs. Caldwell turned to Harry. “That’s when she started her search to find her son. Lizzie became obsessed with it. I didn’t know that she’d found Jeremy. But I knew that once she had, she couldn’t give him up again. She would be relentless.”
Mrs. Caldwell turned to address Dr. Harris. “Jeremy Wainright is my grandchild. He has leukemia and is very ill. Jeremy needs bone marrow from my daughter, and he deserves to live a full and healthy life. Elizabeth can finally help her son, and take care of him. I want you to do whatever is necessary to save him. After that, I will let Lizzie go.”
Everyone sat quietly for a moment. The profound words from the mother of a child who would soon be dead had touched them deeply. They understood the sacrifice that Mrs. Caldwell was making.
Dr. Harris cleared his throat. “I will carry out your wishes, Mrs. Caldwell.” He turned to Harry. “Mr. Wainright, I’ll need the name and phone number of your son’s oncologist. I’ll contact him immediately so we can discuss the timing of the transplant.”
Harry tried to speak, but he couldn’t trust himself to not break down. He reached across the table and covered Mrs. Caldwell’s hands with his own. His eyes conveyed his thanks. The elderly lady patted Harry’s hand. “No words are necessary, Harry. Can I call you Harry? Please call me Judy.”
Harry smiled briefly and finally found his voice. “Of course. Jeremy will be so excited to learn he has a new grandmother. Would you like to meet him?”
“Yes. That would be wonderful.”
Chapter 58
Thursday, November 20
The news about the Jordano indictments struck the Boston financial community like a winter blizzard. The federal charges sent a chill through the boardrooms and penthouse offices of each mutual fund company in the country. Hasty meetings were scheduled with their boards to reassure them that a similar problem couldn’t occur at their company. Each firm reviewed their compliance procedures to ensure that the most rigorous standards were in place. The entire industry was on high alert.
The morning dawned cold and clear. Nick had spent the night at Devon’s place. They ordered Chinese, and settled on the couch t
o watch Strangers on a Train. Nick liked the movie, but he enjoyed having Devon snuggling up next to him even more. He softly massaged her neck and back. Devon’s arm rested on his leg, and at times she slid her fingers along his inner thigh. Nick had difficulty keeping his mind on the movie.
He slipped out of bed and went to the bathroom. Devon was sound asleep, her arms thrown haphazardly over her head. Nick remembered last night’s lovemaking. His body ached in all the right places. After showering, he went into the living room and turned on the morning news. The reporter, a woman with glasses and short blond hair, stood in front of Jordano Funds headquarters on Franklin Street. She was describing the charges that had been issued by the Attorney General’s office. A short clip showed Kaspar Jordano as he walked briskly across the sidewalk to a waiting car. He seemed to be snarling at the reporters who were running after him, hoping for a brief comment. The TV reporter wrapped up her story with the timetable for court appearances for the major players scheduled in the upcoming week.
I’d like to be there for that, Nick thought.
Nick heard Devon yawn and get out of bed. “Morning, sleepyhead.”
Devon paused at the doorway. “Good morning, sweetie. Did you sleep well?”
“Yes, after you wore me out. You sure have a lot of energy.”
Devon laughed. “I am a lot younger than you. And I’m at the peak of my sexual prowess. No sense in wasting it.”
“I agree. Feel free to use it on me whenever you need to.”
Devon waved at him as she headed to the bathroom. “You’re terrible.”
Nick pointed towards the TV. “I was just watching the news. They’re talking about the Jordano indictments. Kaspar and the managing directors will be in court next week for their first appearance. I’m going to try to be there.”
“Do you think Pete would let me go too?” Devon called from the bathroom. “I’d like to see what happens.”
“We can ask. Maybe the whole team can go. After all, you guys did a lot of the work that made the indictments successful.”
“That would be great! Like a school field trip.” Devon brushed her teeth and rinsed. She joined Nick on the couch. “But do you know what would be more fun?” She nuzzled Nick’s neck and nibbled at his ear.
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