by Robin Cook
“Thanks.”
Chapter 29
OCTOBER 18, 2007
THURSDAY, 10:32 P.M.
NEW DELHI, INDIA
Juggling all her injection paraphernalia, Laurie made her way to one of the plane’s lavatories. After locking the door, she spread out her gonadotropin pharmacopeia on the tiny shelf. She deftly filled the syringe with the prescribed amount of follicular-stimulating hormone and then equally deftly gave herself the subcutaneous injection on the anterior aspect of her thigh. Ten-thirty p.m. Indian time was only an hour later than noon in New York City, which was when she gave herself her shot each and every day. At that moment they were flying over northwestern India, soon to begin their approach into New Delhi.
Finishing with the injection, Laurie regarded herself in the mirror. She looked terrible. Her hair was an absolute mess, and the dark circles beneath her eyes were drooping down in the direction of the corners of her mouth. Worst of all, she felt just generally dirty. But no wonder. First there’d been the overnight flight to Paris, during which she’d managed to sleep only a couple of hours. Then there’d been the three-hour layover, which was mostly needed to get to the next departure gate. And then there had been this current eight-hour marathon. What had her irritated was Jack, who had no trouble sleeping. It just didn’t seem fair.
Laurie picked up the debris from her shot and poked it into the trash. The used needle went back into her purse, where she carried the medications and the fresh syringes. She didn’t want to be irresponsible. She washed her hands and again looked at herself in the mirror. It was hard not to, since most of the wall behind the sink in the Lilliputian bathroom was a mirror. She couldn’t help but wonder what effect this sudden trip was going to have on her infertility saga. She had absolutely no idea why she’d not gotten pregnant so far, and hoped the travel wouldn’t add to whatever her problem was.
She opened the door and stepped out. Sensing that between her reaction to Jack’s sleeping and her pondering her inability to get pregnant, she was getting herself worked up, she made a conscious effort to calm down. She hoped that over the course of the visit she would be capable of keeping her fragile emotions in check so she’d be able to provide the support Jennifer needed, which was the major stimulus for making the trip. At the same time, Laurie admitted to herself that she was also there to appease her own conscience. Maria’s passing had definitely provoked a certain amount of guilt.
Back in her seat, Laurie looked at Jack. He was still sound asleep and in the exact same position as he was when she left him five minutes earlier. He was the picture of relaxation, with a slight insouciant smile on his handsome face. His hair was certainly messed up, but since he wore it short in a kind of Julius Caesar style, it didn’t look nearly as bad as her tangled mop.
As swiftly as the irritation about Jack’s sleeping ability had come over her a few minutes earlier, now the opposite feeling surged through, bringing a smile of appreciation to her own face. Laurie loved Jack more than she had thought she was capable, and felt blessed.
At that moment the plane’s intercom crackled to life. The captain welcomed everyone to India and announced that they had begun their descent into the Indira Gandhi International Airport and would be arriving in twenty minutes.
With a surge of love, Laurie reached down and cradled Jack’s head in both hands and gave him a sustained kiss on the lips. His eyes popped open and blinked, then he returned the gesture. Laurie gave him a broad smile. “We’re here,” she said.
Jack sat up, stretched, and tried to look out the window. “I don’t see a damn thing.”
“You won’t. Remember, it’s ten-forty at night. We’re landing around eleven.”
The landing was unremarkable. Both Laurie and Jack felt a definite excitement as they exited the plane and walked through the terminal. There was no problem at passport control, nor did they have to wait for luggage since they hadn’t checked any. They were waved through customs without hesitation.
As Laurie and Jack came up the ramp outside the customs area, Jennifer began waving wildly and shouting their names. Her impatience was such that she ran down a few steps to meet them, enveloping Laurie in a hug. “Welcome to India,” Jennifer said gleefully. “Thank you, thank you for coming. You have no idea how much it means to me.”
“You’re welcome,” Laurie said, laughing, somewhat taken aback by Jennifer’s exuberance. Until Jennifer let go, she was unable to walk.
Jennifer then hugged Jack with equal enthusiasm. “You, too,” she said.
“Thank you,” Jack managed, trying to keep the Boston Red Sox baseball hat his sister had given him from falling off his head.
Jennifer transferred one arm back to Laurie’s shoulder so that she had one on Jack and one on Laurie. In that awkward configuration, they walked the rest of the way up the ramp to where Neil was standing. He had not run down when Jennifer had. Jennifer introduced them, and they all shook hands.
Laurie was instantly confused as to who Neil was, and said as much. She thought Jennifer was in India alone.
“Neil is a friend from L.A.,” Jennifer explained, still overexcited with Laurie and Jack’s arrival. “I met him my first year. He was the chief resident in the ER. Now he’s already one of the head guys. Kind of a meteoric rise, if I say so myself.”
Neil blushed.
Laurie smiled and nodded but was still in the dark.
“Listen, guys,” Jennifer said with great animation. “I’ve got to run and use the facilities. It takes maybe an hour to get to the hotel. Anybody else need to use the bathroom?”
“We used them on the plane,” Laurie said.
“Terrific. I’ll be right back,” Jennifer said. “Don’t go away! Stay right here! Otherwise, we might lose each other.”
Jennifer dashed off. The other three watched her go. “She’s really wound up,” Laurie said.
“You have no idea,” Neil said. “She’s been so excited you were coming. I’ve never seen her like that. Well, that’s not true. The last time her grandmother came to L.A. she was like that. I was with her at the airport then, too.”
“The people-watching is fantastic,” Jack said. “I’m just going to walk around this general area. Okay?”
“Okay, but don’t get yourself lost. We’ll stand here. But I don’t think Jennifer will be long.”
“Neither will I. Can I leave my carry-on with you?”
“Sure,” Laurie said. She took the bag from Jack and stood it next to hers. Both she and Neil watched Jack wander into the crowd.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Neil said. “Other than her late grandmother, you are the only one she talks about from her childhood. You must know her really well.”
“I suppose.”
“As I said,” Neil added, “I’m glad to meet you.”
“Jennifer didn’t tell me you were here,” Laurie said. She wasn’t sure how she felt about Jennifer having company.
“I know she didn’t,” Neil said, “because she didn’t know I was coming. I got here last night and didn’t meet up with her until today.”
“I also didn’t know she was seeing anyone seriously.”
“Well, don’t jump to any conclusions. I don’t even know how serious it is. I guess it’s one reason why I’m here, so as not to burn any bridges. I really do care for her. I mean, I came all this way for a grandmother. But I’m sure you know Jennifer and how difficult she can be, given her relationship with her father.”
“I’m not sure I follow.”
“You know: self-esteem issues.”
“I’ve never thought of Jennifer as having self-esteem issues. She’s bright, attractive—just a great girl.”
“Oh, yeah. She’s got them, and it can make relationships kind of bumpy. And she definitely doesn’t think of herself as beautiful as other people think she is, no way. I mean, she’s textbook with the entire recognized complex, but not without hope.”
“What exactly are you talking about?” Laurie demanded,
squaring off in front of this stranger who was openly criticizing someone she cared deeply about.
“She’s confided in me, so you don’t have to pretend. I’m talking about the abuse she suffered at the hands of her delinquent father after her mother died. I mean, she’s done amazingly well, thanks to her intelligence and general strength of character. She’s very tough, and her father is lucky she didn’t kill him, as headstrong as she is.”
Laurie was stunned. She’d had no inkling that Jennifer had been abused. For a second she wondered if she should be honest with this man or play along. She decided to be honest. “I was not aware of any of this,” Laurie said.
“Oh my gosh!” Neil blanched. “Obviously I shouldn’t have said anything. But the way Jennifer has always spoken of you as her only and closest mentor, I assumed you would have been the only one to know besides myself.”
“Jennifer never told me. Never even hinted at it.”
“Gosh, I shouldn’t have assumed. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t apologize to me. You’ll have to apologize to Jennifer.”
“Not unless you mention it. Can I ask you not to?”
Laurie thought about the request, trying to decide what was best for Jennifer. “At some point I reserve the right to tell her, if I thought it were in her best interest.”
“Fair enough,” Neil said. “But I’m here because she came to me and asked me to come with her. My first response was to say no. I had too much on my plate to drop everything and go to India. Then she walked out on me. I thought we were done. I mulled over it for a few hours, couldn’t get in touch with her, then decided to come after all.”
“Was she pleased?”
Neil shrugged. “Well, she didn’t tell me to leave.”
“That’s all you got for coming halfway around the world?”
“She’s prickly. But it’s a good thing that I did come. Today, in the Old Delhi bazaar, trying to catch up to her to let her know I was here, I came upon a man trying to accost her in the worst possible manner. He seemed too well dressed to be your stereotypical thief.”
“What do you mean he tried to accost her in the worst possible manner?”
“I mean with a silenced handgun, like he was an assassin.”
Laurie’s jaw dropped open. “What happened?” she demanded.
“We have no idea what this guy’s intentions were, because out of the blue, almost right in front of me, another guy who we later realized was some kind of plainclothes policeman blew the first guy away at point-blank range.”
“What happened next?” Laurie asked. She was horrified. She’d warned Jennifer about too much amateur sleuthing, and it seemed that she’d been right.
Neil told her, how Jennifer had been thrown from the cycle rickshaw, how she’d bolted with the masses, and how he’d managed to find her hiding in a butcher shop.
“Good Lord,” Laurie murmured. She brought a hand up to her face to cover her mouth.
“It was quite a day,” Neil said. “The rest of the day we hid in the hotel. I didn’t even want her coming out here tonight, but she was adamant.”
“Jack!” Laurie called out suddenly, shocking Neil. She’d seen him emerge from the crowd and look in their direction. Laurie waved. “Come back, Jack.”
“This changes everything,” Laurie said to Neil, as Jack made his way over.
“The concern is,” Neil added, “that this possible attempt on her life is because of her activities in relation to her grandmother’s death.”
“Exactly,” Laurie said, waving for Jack to hurry.
“Neil has just told me a very scary episode that happened today,” Laurie said to Jack as he joined them. “Something that I believe is going to change our visit.”
“What?” Jack asked.
Before Laurie could begin, Jennifer appeared out of the crowd and hurried over. “So sorry, everyone. The first ladies’ room was just too crowded, so I had to find another. Anyway, I’m back.” She paused, looking from Laurie to Jack to Neil. “What’s going on? Why the long faces?”
“Neil just told me about your experience today in the Old Delhi bazaar.”
“Oh, that,” Jennifer said with a wave. “I’ve got a lot to tell you. That’s just the most dramatic.”
“I think it’s very serious and has serious implications,” Laurie said soberly.
“Wonderful,” Jennifer said, waving over her head. “I was hoping you’d feel that way. Sorry, but here come the Benfattis, who I told you about.”
“Good evening, folks,” Jennifer said, as Lucinda directed her two sons over to Jennifer and her group.
All of them introduced themselves, and hands were shaken all around.
Jennifer eyed the two boys. Louis was the older and the oceanographer. Tony was the herpetologist and the younger, and he looked more like his mother.
“Jennifer told me about you,” Lucinda said to Laurie and Jack. “She suggested that you might be willing to have a look at my husband, Herbert, before we tell them to go ahead and cremate him.”
“My understanding, at this point, is that your husband’s and Jennifer’s grandmother’s cases are strikingly similar,” Laurie said. “If that’s the case, we would like very much to check it out. Whether an autopsy might be in the offing, I cannot say. Hold off on giving them the green light with the cremation until you hear from us. We’ll be at the hospital tomorrow morning.”
“We’ll be happy to do that,” Lucinda said. “Thank you very much.”
“There’s not going to be an autopsy,” Jennifer said. “Mrs. Varini reminded me of that again today under no uncertain terms. Not unless something very unusual happens. Here in India the doctors cannot make that decision. It’s up to either the police or the magistrates. Did you hear from her today, Lucinda?”
“I did. She made the offer to take Herbert to Varanasi if I’d give the green light. Between you and me, I don’t give a hoot about Varanasi. Anyway, I reminded her my boys were coming tonight, and I told her she would hear from them tomorrow.”
“Did she threaten you at all about tomorrow?” Jennifer asked.
“Yes, something about getting a court order but not until the afternoon. I merely repeated about my boys calling her before noon and hung up. She’s very tiresome.”
Jennifer laughed. “That’s an understatement.”
After agreeing to chat in the morning, the two groups walked over to the Amal Palace Hotel area and found their respective greeters. The greeters in turn called the respective drivers, and the group went outside to wait for their respective rides.
Inside their SUV, Jennifer had taken the front seat, Laurie and Jack the middle, and Neil had climbed into the back row. Although she responsibly had her seat belt on, Jennifer had twisted herself around, facing the rear, essentially sitting on her right leg.
“Okay, you guys,” Jack said, once they got under way. “You’ve kept me in suspense long enough about whatever happened today that was scary and is going to change our visit.”
Jennifer rolled her eyes in the direction of the driver, suggesting it might be best if they held off on discussing sensitive issues until they were back at the hotel. Laurie caught on immediately and whispered as much to Jack. Instead, what they ended up carrying on was an animated discussion about India, and New Delhi in particular. They also talked about Jennifer’s imminent graduation from medical school and how she’d been considering surgery, possibly eyeing New York-Presbyterian for a residency. Jack found the view of the traffic outside the window fascinating for the entire fifty minutes.
When they pulled up to the front of the hotel, Neil called out, “Let’s all group around Jennifer as a safety precaution.”
“What for?” Jack questioned.
“It’s part of what we have to tell you,” Laurie said. “It’s not a bad idea. One can never be too careful.”
Laurie, Jack, and Neil got out of the car before Jennifer, who was cooperating under protest. When she self-consciously followed, the others
were grouped around her door as she emerged. In a tight group, they made their way inside.
“Why don’t you guys check in, and then we’ll all have a cold beer?” Jennifer said, recovering her dignity. “Neil and I will wait for you.”
As it was well past midnight, the bar crowd had thinned. There was some kind of live music, but the group was on a break. Jennifer and Neil found a table as far from the music as possible, around a bend and away from the main seating area. A waitress appeared as soon as they sat down. They ordered a round of King-fishers for everyone and settled back into overstuffed chairs.
“This is the first time I’ve felt relaxed all day,” Jennifer said. “I even may be a little hungry.”
“I like your friends,” Neil said. He thought briefly about confessing how he had mistakenly shared Jennifer’s secret with Laurie, but then chickened out. After the stress of the day, he was afraid of what it might do to her mental state. The problem was, he didn’t want it coming from anyone other than him if she were to be told, but he felt he could trust Laurie. Neil was confident he’d never do anything to make Laurie feel she had to tell.
“I don’t know Jack very well, but since Laurie thinks he’s terrific, he must be.”
The waitress brought the beers.
“Do you have any prepared finger food?” Jennifer asked.
“We do, and I can bring you a nice selection.”
Fifteen minutes later, Jennifer had a large platter of exotic appetizers, and a few minutes after that Laurie and Jack joined them. Jack took a few sips and sat back. “Okay,” he said. “You’ve all teased me enough about the scary episode. Let’s hear it.”
“Let me tell it,” Laurie said. “Then, if I have something wrong or a misconception, you can correct me. I want to be sure I understand exactly what happened.”
Jennifer and Neil both motioned for her to go ahead.
Laurie then told the Old Delhi bazaar episode, requiring only a few explanations and corrections from Jennifer and Neil. When Laurie finished, she looked at the young couple for any final additions.