by L Jan Eira
“Asshole,” whispered Jack to no one in particular.
Jack called Susan’s cell phone.
“I just received a visit from Rupert. He is angry that we are looking into his research. This much opposition must mean he has something to hide, don’t you think?” asked Jack.
“I don’t know. People sometimes overreact to simple requests by the police.”
“So, are we getting the research records?”
“They have to give them to us, but it looks like they will drag their feet. We’ve contacted the district attorney to subpoena the files from Rupert. It’ll have to go to court and it will take forever. But we’ll get them,” reassured Susan.
“Susan, thanks for talking to me and reopening the case. I know there’s something going on; much more than meets the eye.”
“Thanks, Jack. We’ll keep investigating. We’ll do the best we can to get to the bottom of all this.”
They hung up.
*****
5:06 PM
Clutching Mexican carryout, Jack opened the door leading from the garage to the kitchen. Claire met Jack at the door. With a kiss and embrace, she hung herself on his neck. The aroma of nachos al carbon emanated appetizingly from the bag. Claire directed Jack to the kitchen table and together they dished out supper as they conversed.
“Claire, I really believe Rupert is responsible for all this mess.”
“I know you do. How do we prove it?”
“We?” emphasized Jack.
“Sure, I’d like to help.”
“Claire, there is one thing I can’t shake off my mind. The night before John and the others were killed, we had an indoor soccer game.”
“Yes, I remember.”
“John tried to talk to me after the game about something that was bothering him. Something about work. The hospital. But we never actually talked. There was too much going on. Too many interruptions. So, John and I planned on talking the next day. The day he was—.” A long pause. A sad face. A sob. A single tear escaped and made its way down his left cheek. Jack sniffled as Claire gave his right hand a sympathetic squeeze. With his left hand, he wiped the fallen drop.
“What exactly did John tell you?” asked Claire.
“Not much. He tried to tell me there was something going on at work. I could see it was bothering him a lot. At the end of the game, normally he’d joke around and point out all my soccer blunders. That day, he was serious and quiet. I wish I had taken the time to talk to him longer.”
“It wasn’t your fault. But whatever was bothering John was probably related to his death, don’t you think?”
“I’m sure of it. But what?” inquired Jack.
“Have you brought it up at the meetings with the cops?”
“No. To tell you the truth, I forgot all about it until now. Not sure why. I’ll discuss it with them at our next meeting.”
“For now, what can I do to help you?” Claire volunteered.
“Help me think through this. How can we begin to tie Rupert to the murders?”
“Motive and opportunity; why and how would he do it?”
“I don’t know yet. I do know he was at the crime scene before the murder and him being at the hospital that early is very unusual. It cannot be a coincidence. How would he… how would anyone make a killer out of a God-fearing, law-abiding man?”
“I just thought about something when you said Rupert was at the hospital much earlier than usual the day of the murders. There have been other incidents; what do you call it, an epidemic of cardiac arrests. Was Rupert in early all those days too? Let’s look for a pattern,” proposed Claire enthusiastically.
“That’s a great idea. We’ll need to get into his office, somehow. We’ll need to trick his secretary. Are you in on this with me?”
“Of course. Till the end, my love,” she said, dramatically.
“The other thing I’d love to get my hands on is the research files. The police asked Rupert for them. According to Susan, he has to produce the records, but he got a hold of his lawyers and they’ll drag their feet. They’ll bury us in legal paperwork for months.”
“That one is even easier. All research protocols have to be approved by the IRB committee. Get the records from them.” As Claire said these words, Jack’s demeanor changed. The previously ever-present grim look that had overwhelmed him earlier began to fade.
“You know, I would have married you just for your titanic sex-appeal. But you’re pretty darn smart, too. And you can cook.” A cheesy shrimp from Claire’s plate suddenly became a projectile. With precise bulls-eye accuracy, the slug whacked Jack squarely on the tip of his nose. With catlike reflexes, he caught the piece of fish in the air and stuck it in his mouth.
“Food fight,” he yelled picking up a soggy nacho.
“You mess it up, you clean it up.” Jack reconsidered the throw. Instead, he placed the nacho in his mouth. He was a strong, well-built man, who could bench-press well over three times his own body weight. But, like most men, he hated the prospect of being defeated by a woman barely one hundred and twenty pounds soaking wet. Again.
“That is a great idea. Rupert is out of town for meetings and conferences more often than he is in town. Will you help me figure out if he is in town and at the hospital every time someone prematurely goes to meet his maker?”
“Sure. How do we do it?” she asked.
“I have an idea.” For a moment, Claire faced her plate and took a bite of lettuce. Suddenly, her face was struck by a piece of chicken.
“You asked for it, buddy. I warned you.” A tickling session ensued, one that would shortly make Jack beg for forgiveness and compassion. Claire was a world-class tickler.
She knew exactly where all the hot buttons were. It was not long until Jack was on the floor on his knees cowardly pleading for mercy. If he promised to clear the table, do the dishes and give Claire a long massage, without asking for sex, she might just consider leniency. Then again, she might not. For now, the barrage of tickles poured on incessantly at an alarming and indefensible pace.
*****
Eight days ago
September 23
7:50 AM
“Good morning, Janet,” said Jack as he entered the administration office area. Janet Boyer was a beautiful short brunette, who loved the attention she received from wearing tight-fitting clothes. Today, she was sporting tight black pants and an over-stretched red blouse buttoned-up only to mid bosom, almost revealing more than it concealed. Despite leaving little to the imagination, she managed to give the appearance of being professional and proficient at her job.
“Hello, Dr. Norris. May I get you a cup of coffee?”
“Oh, no, thanks. I just finished a cappuccino. I am interested in research. I know this office coordinates all the research projects here at Newton Memorial—”
“Here and all the affiliated facilities. Dr. Shuman is in charge of the department. He coordinates the Institutional Review Board for the entire system; there are five sister hospitals including the medical school. Newton is the largest research facility and does require most of our attention,” interrupted Janet proudly.
“I would like to research, well, medical research. What we know, what we are studying, what we need to study, and so on.”
Jack stopped for a moment hoping Janet would pipe in. She did not. She returned a look of confusion, remaining intrigued and silent.
“So, I’d like to know, if I need IRB consent for that sort of study,” continued Jack trying hard not to chuckle. This was more difficult than he anticipated. Bullshit can only get you part way into the IRB files; for the rest, you need a strategy with abundant cunning and sneakiness. However, so far, the bullshit part was not going well. Right outside the main door, Jack thought he could hear Claire’s intense but silent laughter. On the other hand, maybe what he thought he was hearing was his nerves of steel melting with his sudden lack of bravado.
“Let me get this straight, Dr. Norris. You want to know if you need I
RB permission to look over the files for all the ongoing research efforts so that you can study their content?” asked Janet, still perplexed.
“Yeah, that’s it. I want to study the studies going on and on-going here and everywhere, too.” Boy, this was tougher than he thought. Could he end up in jail for this?
A short pause later, Janet smiled, as if something clicked inside her head. Jack could almost swear, he briefly saw a light bulb over her head. On the other hand, maybe it was just the light reflection from the window behind her, announcing the beginning of a gorgeous sunny day ahead.
“No, IRB files are not confidential. Anyone can look at them anytime. Would you like to look at them here or should I make you copies?”
“Copies. Yeah, copies. Copies would be great. Wow, yeah, definitely copies. I can look at them later. After rounds. I’m pretty busy. Lots of patients to see. Yeah, copies. Please. That’d be great.”
“Okay, give me a couple of hours and I’ll have all the IRB summaries for you. And let me know if you need anything else.” Janet stood up. With a smile, Jack got up, shook her hand and turned to leave the room. Unfortunately, he tripped on a large chair and almost fell. Gathering his composure, he straightened up his lab coat and tie and gracefully walked out of the room.
“Did you hear all that?” he finally asked his wife, once out of earshot from the secretary.
“Every word.” Claire chortled. “You are some clever detective. Don’t give up your day job.”
“Was it that bad?”
“I want to study the studies you got going for my study of the studies,” imitated Claire mockingly.
“Well, who knew those things were open for anyone to see. I figured I had to outsmart her to let me have the files.”
They walked to the main elevators. Jack tried to regain his dignity, but Claire continued to tease him about his encounter with the ditsy secretary.
“Okay. Can we continue with our plan? What time is it?” asked Jack.
“It’s 8:05. She should be there by now.”
“Okay, make the call. We have to get serious. This part is even more involved and potentially dangerous.” Jack’s demeanor became stern. They walked to a phone on a desk right outside the research lab. The area was deserted. Claire dialed. Jack kissed her and left.
“This is Ruth down in the mail room. There’s a package here for one Ian Rupert. Does he work up there?” Claire tried to sound unpolished and unsophisticated. She even gave it a bit of a drawl. After a few moments, she hung up the phone and hurried to the previously agreed area.
Jack waited until Donna, Rupert’s secretary, left her desk. There was no one else around. It certainly was too early for Rupert to be in. When he was sure the coast was clear, Jack approached and sat at her desk. All items were meticulously arranged and organized. He first looked at the appointment book. Rupert was in Michigan giving a lecture. Jack took the appointment book and photocopied all the pages going back twelve months. He returned the appointment book to Donna’s desk, ascertaining that it was placed exactly as he found it.
Jack then entered Rupert’s office. The lights were off. He turned them on and closed the door behind him.
“Excuse me, but are you Donna?” asked Claire who had positioned herself as a sentinel nearby the main elevators.
“Yes. Have we met?” answered Donna inquisitively.
“No, but I have heard about you. You are Dr. Rupert’s secretary, aren’t you?”
“Yes, I am.”
“I just think the world of him. I am highly interested in research. My focus is mindfulness meditation and how it can help the healing process. You know, so many people do not care about mindfulness meditation and the existential being that is the soul. Nevertheless, if all is not properly aligned, how can we expect the sick body to repair and restore health and well-being? I believe we need to study how the soul and body interact to make us whole.”
“Let me interrupt you. Dr. Rupert is out of town today and tomorrow. If you would like to make an appointment, I would be more than happy to arrange one for you. What did you say your name was?” Donna asked. Despite the body language and feeble attempts Claire made not to allow Donna to get near the elevators, Donna slowly crept up and approached the buttons. She pushed the Up button causing the light to illuminate.
“Yes, I would love to share my ideas with Dr. Rupert. I will be back in town in two or three weeks. I will contact you then and arrange for an appointment. Can I buy you a cup of coffee? I’d love to chat with you and find out more about Dr. Rupert and his work here at Newton Memorial.”
“No, thanks. I have a lot of work to do. I must return to my office,” persisted Rupert’s assistant.
Feeling defeated and unable to delay the secretary further, Claire stopped trying.
“Well, good to talk to you. We’ll talk again soon.” Claire walked off. Soon the elevator door opened and Donna entered the car. The doors closed. Claire quickly fished out her cell phone from her purse and speed-dialed Jack’s number.
“She’s on the way up. I couldn’t stall her any longer. Sorry.”
*****
12:06 PM
Jack and Claire went out to eat at their favorite restaurant. They were excited about their recent finds and couldn’t wait to discuss them.
Jack’s cell phone rang. It was detective Susan Quentin.
“Hi Jack. I searched the county for unusual murders or homicides over the last six months. I found two other bizarre circumstances that resemble our case and the one you discovered. Then, I searched surrounding counties. Six more cases. Some committed suicide under suspicious and bizarre situations; others had murdered loved ones before dying of odd medical conditions. All these cases occurred out of town. Interestingly, none took place in the same police jurisdiction. Is this a coincidence or is it the strategy of a deranged assassin picking and choosing victims to purposefully avoid suspicion by the separate authorities?”
“Wow, this goes deeper than we thought,” exclaimed Jack. Claire looked on, puzzled.
“We contacted the families and obtained proper legal permission for review of their medical charts. Will you check these out for us? I’ll have the files delivered to you in a few hours. Will you report on your preliminary findings tomorrow morning?” implored Susan.
“Sure, I will. You can count on me.”
They hung up the phone. Jack filled Claire in on the phone discussion.
*****
3:46 PM
Jack and Claire rushed home hoping to start on the investigation right away. They were eager to analyze their ill-gotten goods.
“Let’s put everything we collected today on the kitchen table. Here is the list of all the dates of homicides and suicides we just got from Susan. Let’s compare that to Rupert’s appointment book.” Jack arranged the paperwork on the table. In silence, the couple compared the dates.
“You were right.” Claire spoke first. “Rupert spends more time out of town than in town.”
“Every time someone offs themself or others, he happens to be in Evansville. Coincidence?” volunteered Jack.
“That’s true. This is not proof positive that he is involved, but it is intriguing. What about timing? Was he in the hospital early in the day?” said Claire.
“For some of these dates, he has appointments as early as eight o’clock. I arrive at the hospital at that time every morning and I have never seen his car there that early.” Jack remained puzzled.
“But some of these cases happened in other counties many miles from here. How would he be involved? What times are these murders taking place?”
“The times vary from early morning to late evening,” answered Jack reading quickly through several pages where he had summarized the information.
“Okay, this doesn’t tell us a whole lot. He is in town, but we can’t put him at the scene of the crime. And no smoking gun in his hand. We still don’t have a motive. We may just have established opportunity,” reiterated Claire smartly.
<
br /> “This all suggests to me, he may not be working alone. Let’s review the IRB research files. That may give us some clues,” said Jack.
“Go through all these research projects and explain them to me, one by one,” suggested Claire.
And so he did. The first three folders reflected on-going trials involving gene manipulation in the pig model, in the unrelenting fight against different cancers. Jack made extensive notes about each study, including lab personnel involved, equipment required, and anticipated costs. At each turn, Jack explained to Claire the intricate workings of the particular protocol.
The first three folders consisted of several studies involving human research with a novel drug for angina, JAC272. This agent had shown significant promise in earlier short-term investigations, allowing patients to be able to perform more physical activities despite their atherosclerosis. Men with known coronary artery disease and exertional chest pains would undergo treadmill stress testing at baseline. They would then use JAC272 orally and return every six months for a repeat stress test. Each individual would serve as his own control. Jack explained that a novel therapy for angina patients would be very welcomed, especially in individuals with severe limitations who had exhausted other medical and surgical interventions.
There was an ongoing trial in humans assessing the utility of cardiac magnetic resonance and computerized tomography imaging to evaluate patients with different types of chest discomfort.
The next five folders involved different aspects of a novel agent, LFJ659, to treat heart failure. This drug offered hope for the symptomatic relief of these patients by stimulating the strength of heart contractions in the hopes that the heart would become more efficient. The folder contained information about how to surgically manipulate the rats to create a heart failure model. This would be done by dissecting the left anterior descending coronary artery, the main arterial supply to the front of the heart. This vessel would be tied off causing the rodents to have a large heart attack. With the heart muscle thusly weakened, the rats would subsequently and predictably develop signs and symptoms of heart failure, unless of course, the operation proved fatal. The surviving animals would then be randomized to receive an intravenous dose of placebo or LFJ659. The dose-determining initial research efforts had been difficult. Initial cost estimates for this phase had been underestimated and petitions were made for additional capital. Many more rats than initially estimated were necessary to complete this phase. The reason for this remained ambiguously unstated. Different protocols were now on-going to fully evaluate the effects of the drug. Rats treated with this agent over two to three weeks fared better than the control counterparts; they could walk longer distances, for longer periods, have less fatigue, and less incidence of sudden cardiac arrest. The early human phases of experimentation with LFJ659 were in progress.