What’s that?”
“If we went back to bed and you taught me how to become a ‘senior SEC investigator’.” Devon emphasized her remark with air quotes.
“I’m shocked! I thought you liked working under me.” He stood up quickly, pulled Devon to her feet, and flung her over his shoulder.
Devon yelped and tried to wiggle free.
“I’ll teach you a few things.” Nick dropped her onto the bed and pinned her hands. “Now, where to start.”
Devon giggled. “Start anywhere you’d like.”
*****
Harry and Sandy drove into Boston to meet with Dr. Snow, Jeremy’s oncologist. The weekend traffic was light and the trip took less than forty minutes. They parked in the Children’s Hospital garage and walked across Longwood Avenue. They could hardly contain their excitement. Dr. Harris had spoken with Dr. Snow after Mrs. Caldwell agreed to have Elizabeth’s bone marrow donated to Jeremy. As Elizabeth presciently announced before trying to take her own life, she was a near perfect match.
The doctors agreed that the timing was ideal. In about one week, Jeremy’s treatment cycle would be completed. Then the bone marrow transplant could occur. Harry and Sandy had explained the process to Jeremy the previous night so he’d know what would be happening. He was scared, but he seemed relieved that his treatment would be over soon.
*****
The meeting with the doctor had an air of celebration. The nurse who had met Harry and Sandy on prior visits with a subdued and serious demeanor had a broad smile on her face this time.
“Mr. and Mrs. Wainright! Such happy news! I’m so glad for you and your son.”
“Thank you,” Harry responded. “We’re thrilled.”
The nurse led them to Dr. Snow’s office. She knocked on the door and opened it for them. “Good luck, and congratulations again.”
Dr. Snow stepped out from behind his desk. “Mr. and Mrs. Wainright, please sit down.” He pointed at the small leather couch. “We have a lot to discuss. Jeremy will be admitted to the hospital on Monday. He’ll be here for approximately two weeks. During that time, the chemotherapy treatment will continue. The purpose is to kill the remaining white blood cells in Jeremy’s body. After that’s been accomplished, we can transplant the bone marrow from the donor. Jeremy will be monitored closely for any signs of rejection.”
“How dangerous is the procedure?” Harry asked.
The doctor crossed his legs. “It’s fairly straightforward. The greatest risk to Jeremy is infection. After the chemo has removed all of the white blood cells from his body, his immune system will be very susceptible. It’s critical that he remain in a sterile room where we can minimize air transfer and human contact. All medical staff will be gloved and masked to lessen the chance of infection.”
Sandy cringed. “Does that usually work?”
“Yes, this approach has been very successful. We’ve gotten very good at this process. There are usually few complications.”
Both Harry and Sandy breathed a sigh of relief. Harry asked, “I know that you’ve spoken to Elizabeth’s doctor. Do you have any concerns about the bone marrow you will be receiving from her?”
“We’ve already confirmed that she’s a match. While we’re waiting for the actual transplant, it’s critical that Elizabeth remain in stable condition. We don’t want her to be spiking a fever, or have any other signs of illness. That would be catastrophic. If she shows any signs of illness, we’ll need to wait until she’s recovered before performing the transplant. That will be dangerous for Jeremy, because the longer his immune system is in a compromised state, the greater the chance of infection.”
“Can the bone marrow be extracted now and stored until Jeremy’s body is ready to accept it?”
“No, that’s not the best alternative. We want the bone marrow to be as fresh as possible. That will give Jeremy’s body the best chance of accepting it. Bone marrow that has been stored, even for relatively short time periods, can degrade. We want to avoid that situation, if possible.”
“That makes sense,” said Harry. “What time should Jeremy be here on Monday?”
“Plan to be here at 8am. You’ll have to go to Admitting when you arrive. I’ll tell the nurse to prepare the necessary paperwork.” Dr. Snow rose from his seat. “I’m very optimistic.”
Harry reached out and grasped the doctor’s hand with both of his own. He was unable to say anything.
Sandy embraced the doctor in a long hug. He seemed surprised and a bit uncomfortable. “Thank you for everything, Dr. Snow.”
“You’re welcome, Sandy. I’ll see you and Jeremy on Monday.”
Chapter 59
Monday, November 24
Nick and his team filled the back row of Courtroom Four in the federal courthouse. The bailiff had just announced the arrival of Justice Henry Chamberlain, who would preside at the preliminary hearing. Nick saw Harry Wainright and Kaspar Jordano sitting at the defense table. Their high-priced lawyers sat between them. The body language of the two men was very telling. There was no dialogue between the defendants; in fact, neither man would make eye contact with the other. Nick wondered if there’d been a falling out among thieves.
The bailiff called the court to order. The judge asked the prosecutor, Sarah Monetti, to read the charges. As she did, Nick looked down the bench at Devon. She seemed enthralled and engrossed by the proceedings. Nick had booked a room at a romantic bed and breakfast in the Green Mountains near Lake Champlain for the upcoming weekend. He was looking forward to being away for a couple of days. He believed something good was happening. He hoped Devon was feeling the same way.
Nick’s attention returned to the drama in the courtroom. The judge was asking the defendants how they responded to the charges levied again them.
“Not guilty,” said Kaspar Jordano.
“Not guilty,” said Harry Wainright.
The judge imposed bail of one million dollars on each defendant. Nick knew that Harry and Kaspar would have no difficulty in paying it. The judge set a court date for late March, four months away, but no one expected it to go to trial. There was already discussion of plea bargains in the works.
When court adjourned, Nick and the others filed out of the courtroom and gathered in the hall. Sam suggested an early lunch at Jimmy’s restaurant, smacking his lips in anticipation.
“I’m ready for some lobster claws,” Sam smiled. Nick didn’t argue. Pete had agreed the team could take a long lunch.
The group moved towards the elevator. Nick sidled up next to Devon and slipped his hand into hers.
“Looking forward to the weekend?” he asked quietly.
Devon looked mischievous and gave his hand a squeeze. “Absolutely. I have a lot of fun things planned for you, mister. I can’t wait.”
Nick smiled. “Sounds great. I can’t wait either.”
The elevator door closed behind them.
Epilogue
Three years later
Harry stepped out of Carson Federal Prison in Alexandria, Virginia, and began to walk towards the outer gate. The minimum security prison had been his home for the past two and a half years, after he had agreed to a plea bargain that required prison time and a substantial fine. The time had passed slowly. But the day had finally arrived.
He didn’t resent it. He had broken the law, and he decided early on that he would face the consequences. It was tough when he learned that Kaspar Jordano had gotten off with a slap on the wrist: a one year suspended sentence and a million dollar fine. It took a while, but Harry was finally able to let the anger go.
His best day in prison was hearing about Jack Walsh’s conviction for kidnapping Julie Monroe. Jack had made a big mistake: his immunity agreement covered his actions beginning on October 17th, the date when the Jordano management team had first met to discuss their plan to deal with the Sierra Health error. That was also the day that Jack had murdered Julie Monroe, so he couldn’t be charged for that crime. However, Jack had assaulted and kidnapped
Julie on October 16th. That was the day before the immunity agreement became effective.
Harry had heard that Jack screamed at the jury when he was found guilty.
The judge had given him twenty years. Harry had done his part to ensure Jack’s conviction. He testified, recounting the conversation when Jack boasted about getting away with everything. Harry felt a small bit of satisfaction when he learned about Jack’s reaction, and knowing that he had been put away for a long time.
Harry stepped through the outer gate and felt a thrill course through his body. Sandy and Jeremy were leaning on the hood of her Volvo with big smiles on their faces.
It had taken a lot for Sandy to forgive him.
She had moved out after Jeremy’s bone marrow transplant, when it became apparent that his health was returning. But Sandy still showed up at the courtroom each day during his trial. Harry really appreciated that. After he started his prison term, Sandy had written him a letter each week for four months. The letters expressed emotions that surprised Harry. Then Sandy showed up on visitor’s day. They had a long talk. She wanted to try to work things out. Harry was surprised again, but happy.
After that, Sandy and Jeremy visited once a month. Jeremy seemed to grow another inch each time he saw him. Today, his t-shirt was doing a poor job of containing his broad shoulders. Harry remembered his son three years earlier, when the leukemia was ravaging his body. He was so small and frail then. He gave thanks every day that the bone marrow transplant had been successful.
The best news: Jeremy had shown no sign of relapse at his six month checkups. Harry occasionally said a silent prayer for Nora.
He wasn’t sure what he would do next. He was banned from working in the financial services industry for the next five years. Prison had provided plenty of time to think about his options. He kidded Sandy that he might go on the speaking circuit like Michael Milken. Preaching the evils of greed and excess, so common in the financial world, seemed like a good way to give back in a small way.
Harry hugged both of them and his family returned the embrace.
It felt good.
He turned to take one last look at the prison.
“Let’s go home.”
Shell Game Page 26