Terri worried about all her patients, especially Jennifer, and wouldn’t let herself become careless even in the face of good results. She missed Abbie and worried that she’d been ignoring Matt. There had been no further phone calls and Matt had followed her enough to feel she was safe.
Since Terri couldn’t concentrate, she grabbed the stack of journals from the credenza behind her desk. She’d put aside those articles she needed to read in depth and scanned the rest. As she paged through an international medical news magazine, she saw the letters BCG and stopped to read the small item. The article cited an uproar from patients and physicians when Cambridge university officials halted a promising trial of BCG vaccine in advanced lung cancer. They gave no details. Terri assumed that this was Philip Howard’s study. She’d met him several times at international meetings.
I’ll have to give him a call and see what’s up.
After a firm knock on her door, Evan entered.
Terri hadn’t seen him before in other than a lab coat, but his meticulous custom-made Wilkes Bashford suit and stylish silk tie did not surprise her.
She started to say something humorous, but Evan’s demeanor made her reconsider.
“What is it, Evan? You certainly have my attention.”
Evan looked around the room and over his shoulders. “I think someone was following me.”
“You saw someone?”
“No. I just sensed it. I don’t know what I’m doing here, but I couldn’t think of anyone else to talk with.”
“That sounds ominous.”
“Look, Terri, I’m about as grounded a man as you’ll ever meet. Maybe that makes me boring, but it also makes me reliable and unlikely to speculate. We’re in the BCG business together, and now we’re in clinical trials, so I’m not about to ignore anything, however trivial, that might impact our patients.”
“You’re making me nervous.”
“We talked about the neurologic problems in our mice, Lisa’s death, and the security at PAT, the missing emails, and the questionable ethics of David Birch and Kendall Pharmaceuticals.”
“Yes. Those unexplained problems in your mice were troubling,” Terri said, “maybe we should have done more.”
“We all agreed with David and the study looked so promising that...”
“Damn it, Evan. You’re driving me crazy. Get to it, please.”
He told Terri about the reports of amyloid protein deposits in the brains of his mice, the destruction of residual tissue making further study impossible, and that his last batch of affected mice was missing.
“Maybe I’m naïve, but here’s the kicker. All the BCG in storage at PAT is missing.”
“Missing? What do you mean, missing?”
“Gone, Terri. Nothing’s left. If I were you, Terri, I’d put my stock of BCG at San Francisco General under heightened security before it too disappears.”
This is insane, Terri thought. What in hell is going on?
Chapter Forty-Four
Terri’s receptionist knocked on the door. “I have Becky Norton on the line.”
“Terri...I mean Dr. Powell, I need to talk to you.”
“Terri is fine, Becky. What is it?”
“I still can’t sleep. It’s driving me crazy.”
“Did you try the sleeping pills?”
“They didn’t do a thing for me. I even doubled and once I tripled the dose, but I still can’t sleep.” Becky paused. “Did I do something bad by taking so much?”
“No. Have you noticed anything else? How do you feel?”
“I feel great. I just can’t sleep for more than a few minutes and when I do, I have the world’s worst nightmares. They’re so intense that sometimes I can’t tell if it’s a dream or a hallucination.”
“Stay by the phone,” Terri said. “I’m calling the sleep clinic to see if they can get you in for a study tomorrow. I’ll see you afterward.”
“You got to do something. This insomnia is killing me.”
Terri set up Becky’s appointment and as she hung up, her receptionist said, “I have a Doctor Henri Charles on the line. Should I put him through?”
Terri recognized the name at once. She knew him from his BCG studies at Laval University in Quebec and heard his presentations at several academic research meetings.
“Dr. Charles, it’s a great pleasure to finally meet you, if only on the phone.”
“The pleasure is all mine,” he said with a precise French accent. “I tried to meet you at several meetings, but couldn’t get past your fans. Are you coming to New York for the national meetings?”
“Yes. Let’s make it a point to get together. How can I help you?”
The line remained silent for a moment. “I see from your research protocol that you got your BCG from Alamand Laboratories in France.”
“Yes. David Birch made the arrangements.”
“This may sound a little odd, but would it be possible for us to have a sample of your BCG vaccine for analysis? We’ve conducted extensive quality control studies on our product and I’d like to compare it to the Alamand BCG.”
“Why don’t you get it from them?”
“They won’t release it...for ‘proprietary reasons.’”
Terri shifted in her chair.
He’s not telling me something.
“Let me be frank, Henri. I know you only by your reputation as a scientist, but I have the sense that you’re holding something back.”
“I’m sorry, Terri...may I call you Terri?”
“Of course.”
“We’re in the midst of studying our different strains. We may have a problem with one.”
“What kind of problem?”
“I’m afraid I can’t say at this time, but I can’t see how it could affect you as your BCG came from a different source.”
“I don’t know, Henri. If Alamand has proprietary concerns, think of what PAT and Kendall Pharmaceuticals would say if I let you have a sample.” Terri paused a moment. “I’m sure my contract prohibits sharing any of this material without the specific approval of PAT and Kendall.”
“We may have a significant problem with our BCG strain five. It’s unlikely to affect you, but you never know what basic science research might reveal that could impact in other areas. If I were in a Phase I clinical trial with patients, I’d want to know everything possible about my vaccine.”
“Okay, Henri, but I need to discuss it first with David Birch.”
“Can you do that today?”
“Is it that urgent?”
“Today, please,” begged Henri. “This could turn out to be important for both of us.”
Today? Terri thought. Why so soon? Important for both of us?
“I’ll do the best I can.”
“Please, Terri. I’ve spent my entire professional life doing research to help people, If Laval’s BCG is causing problems, we’ve got to know before anything untoward happens. I have a reputation for honesty and integrity. Talk to people who know me and you’ll see you have nothing to fear from me.”
An hour later, Terri had David Birch on the line. She repeated Henri’s request.
“Absolutely not, Dr. Powell. Kendall Pharmaceuticals has millions into this research. They’re not going to release a molecule of information that could find its way to a competitor.”
“Henri Charles is not a competitor and I’m sure he’ll sign any release necessary to protect Kendall.”
“I can’t believe you’re so naïve. First, you don’t understand the lengths corporations will go to obtain proprietary scientific data, and second, you don’t know how paranoid Kendall has become. They’ll never permit it, and I agree with them. Don’t make me remind you of the consequences to you personally, and professionally, if you fail to meet the requirements of your contract.”
“I suspected that this was a fool’s errand, David, but now you’ve pissed me off. I’m going to think about this.”
“If I don’t get your word right now, I’m going to rec
ommend to Kendall that they remove you as principal investigator. Let’s see how that looks on your résumé.”
“You may be inured to the cut-throat work of commercial industry, but I work for the University of California. I think their philosophy is closer to mine then to Kendall Pharmaceuticals.”
“Don’t do this, Terri. I’m warning you.”
Terri hung up without a word.
When she returned to her office, Terri called Laval University. When she got Henri Charles on the phone, she said, “Give me a specific delivery address, Henri. I’ll overnight the specimen to you.”
“Thank you, Terri,” Henri said. “You won’t be sorry.”
“If I get canned, I hope you have a position for me at Laval. I speak Canadian, eh!”
Henri laughed. “You’ll hear from me soon. I hope it’s good news.”
“I hope so, too.”
When Karl Muller reviewed the day’s tapes and overheard the telephone conversations between Terri and Henri Charles, and Terri and David Birch, he knew it was too late to do anything about the BCG shipment.
That fuck’n’ bitch Terri Powell is going to screw us all. The people at Kendall are going to blow their stack. Maybe they’ll listen to me this time.
Chapter Forty-Five
When Matt came over for the evening, Terri was sitting at the dining room table with stacks of forms, loose leafs, and her bound study protocols. Her laptop sat next to her as she worked the printed material and the Internet.
She looked wide-eyed at him. “The Internet is great except when you can’t find exactly what you need.”
“What is it?” he said placing a kiss on her cheek.
“I can’t find anything on that French laboratory that supplied the BCG to PAT.”
“What else? I know you. There must be more.”
Terri paraphrased her conversations with Henri Charles and David Birch.
“Birch actually threatened you?”
“Why do I always have to learn the hard way when it comes to people? Lisa knew the truth. Why didn’t I listen?”
“What are you going to do about Henri’s request for the BCG? There’s a lot at stake.”
Terri stared at him as if he knew. “It’s on its way to Laval University. This whole thing is a mess. If Henri can give us any insight into our vaccine, I’m going to take it.”
“What’s going to happen when PAT and Kendall discover what you did?”
“I’m not sure that they can do anything. My motives are pure and I’m acting in the best interest of the university, the study itself, and most especially, our patients.”
“Will the university stand behind you?”
“I don’t know. I may have the angels on my side but not the attorneys.” Terri stared at Matt, and then her eyes filled. “I don’t know what I’ll do if they toss me off this study. I’ve invested too much of myself as a scientist and as a physician in this work. These patients depend on me—I can’t abandon them now.”
“That’s not going to happen,” Matt said hugging her.
“Here’s something else you’ll find interesting. Evan Klack thinks someone followed him when he came to see me today.”
“These people are no better than the mafia. I’ll talk with Shelly, although off hand, I’m not sure there’s anything we can do.”
Terri slept about three hours that night. She was still yawning as she sipped from her large coffee mug. On her way to the office, she kept looking into the rear view mirror to see if someone was following.
After the nurse put Jennifer in the examining room, Terri entered and they hugged.
“You look fantastic,” Terri said.
“I’m feeling good, but perhaps a bit more fatigued. I’m not sleeping well.”
“It must be going around,” Terri said. “I got only a few hours last night.”
“Maybe you’re working too hard.”
Terri examined Jennifer and afterward they sat together in her office. Terri thumbed through Jennifer’s chart.
“How are my tests?”
“Well, they’re not normal, and I don’t expect they’ll be for a while. That platinum did a number on your kidneys.”
“What should I do?”
“You’re on a special diet and I’m giving you supplements to compensate for the minerals your kidneys can’t manage.”
Jennifer looked into Terri’s eyes. “What about the melanoma?”
“I can’t find a sign of it. We couldn’t have hoped for more. Let’s hope the effect of the vaccine lasts.”
Jennifer smiled. “You won’t give a girl a break, will you?”
“I’m protecting both of us, sweetie.”
“I don’t believe this,” Richard Kendall said on the conference call with David Birch, Woody Hawkins, and Karl Muller. “We’re on the brink of success and this woman is going to screw us.”
“She threatened to send a specimen of the BCG to Laval University,” David said. “We can’t let that happen.”
“It’s too late,” Karl said. “It went out yesterday. They must have it by now.”
“Where do we stand with the FDA and fast-track approval?” David asked.
“We’re great with them, but they won’t act until the study’s over. Moreover, if we have Terri Powell removed as principal investigator, and especially if she makes a flap, the FDA’s going to back away from approval. That could set us back years.”
“We can increase the pressure on her. What if she should have an accident?” Woody asked.
“I’ve got to go now,” David said, “I don’t want any part of this.”
“Goodbye, David,” Richard said, “but you’ve been part of this from the onset. Just remember that we’re trying to do some good with this project. Look what it’s done so far.”
After David’s line clicked, Woody said, “What do you want us to do, Richard?”
“I think Dr. Powell’s under too much stress. Perhaps she needs a vacation.”
“It’s not going to be easy,” Karl said. “The good doctor has been cautious and she has her cop friend looking out for her.”
“If you can’t do it, Karl,” Woody said, “I’ll send someone who can.”
“I’ll take care of it.”
“And Karl,” Woody said, “do it right this time. Goodbye.”
After Karl hung up, Richard said, “Can he do it?”
“He’s done much more for me in the past,” Woody said.
“What about our ace-in-the-hole?”
“He’s watching too. If the circumstances are right, he can solve two problems for the price of one.”
As Terri prepared to leave for the day, her secretary buzzed. “I have a man on the line. He won’t identify himself. He’s says it’s important to speak with you.”
“I’ll take it,” said Terri pushing the flashing button on her phone.
“This is Dr. Powell. How can I help you?”
She heard nothing. “Is anyone there?”
The electronically distorted voice startled her. “We warned you, Doctor. Now you’ll learn the hard way.”
“Who is this?” she said into the silent phone. She felt stupid for asking the question.
As Terri reached for the BMW’s ignition switch, her hands shook and she was breathless. Was it fear or her race through the parking garage?
When she turned her head and looked back at Abe Cohen, he was still standing by his Volvo waiting for her to leave. His protective cloak enveloped her.
The need to protect women must be encoded on the ‘Y’ chromosome, Terri thought.
Abe tapped on her window and when she rolled it down, he asked, “Are you sure you’re okay? Can I drive you somewhere? Can I call someone for you?”
Terri smiled at Abe. “Are you married? Do you have children?”
Abe smiled. “Married for thirty years. Three beautiful daughters.”
“They’re lucky women. I’ll be fine. I’ll call you and take you to lunch next week.”
&n
bsp; “You don’t have to.”
She reached out and squeezed his arm. “I just want to say thank you for caring so much for a stranger.”
Terri rolled up the window, turned her head, and backed out. As she drove up the ramps following the exit signs, she kept her eye on her rearview mirror.
Chapter Forty-Six
The phone shattered Terri’s deep sleep. She reached over Matt’s snoring form to grab the handset.
“Dr. Powell?”
“Yes. What is it?” Terri’s mind flashed to Abbie. “Is it Abbie? Is she all right?”
“This is San Francisco General Emergency. We have your patient, Becky Norton. Let me get the ER doc on the line.”
After a moment she heard, “Dr. Powell, I understand that you’re taking care of Becky for advanced malignant melanoma?”
“Yes. She on our Phase I study. Except for sleep problems, she’s been doing well and has no further evidence of her disease. What’s going on?”
“Her boyfriend brought her in an hour ago. She looks terrible.”
“What do you mean? I saw her two weeks ago and she looked great.”
“She sure doesn’t look great now. She’s psychotic with active visual and auditory hallucinations and it looks like she’s lost a tremendous amount of weight. What do you want me to do?”
“I’ll be right in.”
Terri couldn’t suppress her panic as she drove over the foggy Bay Bridge into the city.
When she arrived in the ER, the nurse walked out to greet her. “We had to put her in our most distant room, she was screaming so much.”
Terri could hear the screams well before she opened the door.
Becky’s arms, legs, and upper torso were strapped to the gurney as she strained against the leathers and screamed. Terri had an immediate, “get-me-out-of-here” reaction, but walked instead to Becky’s side.
“Becky—Becky, it’s Terri, Dr. Powell. Can you hear me?”
Becky hesitated a second then resumed her screaming.
Terri turned to the nurse. “Have you given her anything?”
A Simple Cure Page 20