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The Last Lie

Page 20

by Dana Killion


  “Caffeine is a short-term high,” she said. “The lazy way out, according to Mr. Bowman. He believes that herbal supplements can provide a safer and longer lasting jolt of energy. We use caffeine because people expect the quick hit. It’s the first layer, then the botanicals take over.”

  Someone rapped on the glass. Cai and Turow

  I stepped over and flipped the lock.

  “What’s going on?” Cai asked as soon as they walk inside.

  “Seth is locked in his office. He seems to be suffering a breakdown. I’ve told the staff to remain in their offices and lock the doors, CPD will be here momentarily,” I said, rattling off the high points.

  “Oh, come now, that seems a little melodramatic. Is it really necessary to involve them?” Turow said, condescension dripping from his voice.

  “It became necessary when your client threw ten pounds of pottery at the glass I was standing behind, after I asked him if he wanted coffee.” That wiped a little of the smugness off his face.

  “I’ll go talk to him,” Cai said.

  “No,” I put my hand on her arm. “We need to wait for CPD.” She nodded. “I don’t want to chance this escalating and someone getting hurt.”

  We heard the cops before we saw them. Michael, and three others fully equipped with bullet-proof vests and all the gear. Seemed excessive but who was I to judge?

  “He’s in the last office on the left,” I said to Michael. “It’s been quiet for the last few minutes.” We looked at other, words unsaid.

  “Do we know if there’s a key?” He looked at Olivia who shrugged.

  I pulled open drawers in the receptionist’s desk but found nothing.

  “Everyone stays here and out of the way,” Michael said to the group. “Guys, lets move.” He nodded to the officers. Then to me, his eyes deep on mine, “You okay?”

  I nodded, and he walked down the hall.

  We could vaguely hear the officers from where we waited. Knocking, talking, but it was impossible to make out what was being said or who was saying it. We waited, looking at each other with shock and confusion over what was happening. Eventually the voices got louder. I couldn’t tell if they’d picked the lock or Seth had opened the door, but Seth’s was the voice piercing the silence.

  “You can’t do this!” he screamed. “Don’t touch me. It’s not safe. You’re not clean. I can see them, I can see the maggots that have infested your soul. Eating away at the decay inside you.”

  Two officers held Seth by the arms as they marched him, handcuffed down the hall. He twisted in their grasp. Another followed behind. Michael stopped in the reception area as the officers moved to take Seth from the building.

  Turow stepped over to speak with his client but was met with a string of obscenities. “Okay, I’ll follow you,” he said to the cops, shaking his head and not knowing what to do any more than the rest of us did.

  Michael stayed behind as the officers led Seth to a waiting police vehicle, and likely to the hospital. Cai, Olivia, and I stood open-mouthed, shocked by the scene and not sure what to make of any of it.

  “Any idea when this break from reality started?” Michael asked.

  Before anyone could respond, we heard voices in the hall outside of the office.

  “What is this? Where are you taking him?” a male voice, loud, insistent, and familiar.

  A moment later Aaron Nadell burst through the doorway.

  “What in the hell is going on around here?” he demanded, looking immediately to Michael for an explanation. “Why isn’t anyone answering the phones? Where is the girl? The desk girl?” He threw out questions, irritated that we weren’t answering fast enough.

  “And you are…?” Michael said.

  “This is Aaron Nadell. Seth Bowman’s financial partner,” I said.

  Nadell looked at me for the first time, recognition and confusion crossing his face. As I swung my eyes to Michael, I saw Olivia seizing with anger. Her eyes were slits, her mouth drawn into a tight line, her hands clenched into fists. I stepped toward her. She swatted me away.

  “It’s him! He’s the one to blame!” she screamed, her voice filled with rage. Everyone turned in stunned silence, the confusion even deeper, all eyes on the young woman.

  Nadell stepped forward coming at Olivia. “What the hell are you talking about? Who are you?”

  Cai put a hand on Nadell’s arm cautioning him to stay calm, while Michael moved to get between them if needed, and I tried to figure out what craziness had overtaken everyone. Olivia however, would not be silenced.

  “All you’ve ever cared about was money. Your position,” she said, her voice dripping with accusation and hatred. “You’re the one who swapped ingredients for the cheaper product. You’ve been lying and hiding it from Mr. Bowman. Just to make more money. Just so your stupid IPO could make you millions more. You’ve never cared about anyone. You haven’t cared about your customers. And you haven’t cared about your daughter!”

  Nadell stopped, his face changing from confusion to awareness in an instant before he looked longingly at the door.

  “That’s right, you coward. Your daughter. Me. The one you’ve refused to acknowledge for the last twenty-two years.”

  35

  The morning had just become an episode of Maury Povich.

  As Olivia ranted, Nadell shot back his denials, accusing her of being as insane as Seth. The room erupted in a mass of voices and bodies.

  Michael stepped in front of Olivia to prevent the incident from escalating further as Cai ushered Nadell out into the hallway.

  “Coward,” she screamed as he left, flailing at Michael’s chest, an immovable object in her path. As he attempted to calm her down, I saw that Martin had left the conference room and was now standing back, shell-shocked at the scene before him. Others poked their heads around doors trying to understand the chaos.

  Weren’t we all? I stepped closer to Olivia and put my hand on her back.

  “Olivia,” I said softly. “You need to calm down. This is Officer Hewitt. He’s my friend. He’ll listen to anything you have to tell him. But we can’t hear you if you’re screaming.” I said, gently putting my arm around her shoulder. “Let’s go somewhere and talk to him.”

  She slumped forward against Michael’s chest, but stopped fighting. Sobs shook her body. And she nodded, allowing me to take her under my arm.

  Michael looked at me, eyebrows raised, as confused as I was. “It okay, I’ve got her,” I said.

  He nodded. “Bowman’s being taken to Northwestern for evaluation. I want Nadell and her in for a chat. Let’s sort this mess out.” Michael said to me. “You’ll bring her in?”

  “We’ll be right behind you, but first I’m getting her an attorney.”

  I led Olivia to a chair and gave her a box of tissues and a bottle of water.

  “Martin,” I said. “I’m going to take care of Olivia. Give me five minutes to get her out of the building, then send everyone home. Do you still have my card?” He looked at me blankly. I pulled another out of my bag and handed it to him. “Pull yourself together.” He nodded.

  Keeping an eye on Olivia, I stepped into the hallway. No sign of Cai or Nadell. I then phoned an attorney friend and explained the situation as best I could in three sentences. Luckily, he agreed to meet us at police headquarters.

  Olivia and I walked the two blocks to my parking garage and headed south. She was quiet on the ride, her anger and tears had morphed back into the attitude that she normally carried as her mantle. I wasn’t sure which was more helpful. She said nothing as we made our way out of the Loop and I let her sit silently with her thoughts. It was better if she said nothing further to me. Given the anger that she’d clearly harbored for a long time, I couldn’t help but wonder how far that anger had taken her. Her description of her father as a loser who walked away before she was born, came back. Was it possible that Olivia was the one extracting her revenge? How had Nadell not known she was his daughter?

  We were led to
a small beige conference room in police headquarters after we arrived. Michael was nowhere in sight. And neither was my attorney friend. Olivia plopped down in the plastic chair crossed her arms over her chest and stared at the floor. I excused myself, sent Brynn a text that I wouldn’t be back for another few hours, I’d explain later, and then went to find Olivia a Coke. She had a feeling she was going to need the caffeine. A few minutes later I returned, a soda in hand for her and hot tea for myself.

  “Andrea, there you are.” My friend Scott Price stood in the hallway looking for our conference room. He was a tall, spindly guy, who carried an old briefcase, that wouldn’t close and looked to be half his weight. I led him further away from the room, so we could speak with a tiny bit of privacy, then fleshed out the details of the situation.

  “She sounds like one angry young woman,” he said, speaking factually not in judgement.

  “Sullen, certainly. Moody. But outright hostility that’s not something I’ve seen until this morning.” But clearly she was capable and probably deserving.

  “Parental abandonment. Withdrawn love. Classics.” He lifted his eyebrows.

  “That doesn’t mean she’s done anything. I’ve heard from a few sources that Nadell has been putting pressure on the company to tighten its finances. Let’s not jump to anything just yet,” I cautioned.

  “You don’t think our friends at CPD are going to jump there?” He let me answer the question for myself. “Why don’t you introduce me to my client?”

  Price was already two moves ahead and like it or not, he was right. He opened the door, and I followed behind him. Olivia was in the same position I’d left her. Slumped in her chair. Petulant, angry, foot bobbing restlessly.

  “I figured you could use a drink,” I said, setting down the can in front of her. She nodded, noticing we weren’t alone. “This is Scott Price, he’s an attorney and a friend of mine. He’ll sit in with you while the detectives ask their questions.”

  “So, I’m the guilty one now?” Olivia shot back, her voice full of hostility.

  Price pulled out a chair at the head of the table next to Olivia. “It’s nice to meet you Olivia. I’m here to make sure that you say what you want to say and don’t inadvertently say something you didn’t mean. That you’re not pushed into saying anything and, in case you happen to need it, you have legal protection. I’m here to work for you and only you.”

  Good. Price was treating her with respect and kindness, just as I knew he would. It was important that this first impression be the start of trust between them. Many attorneys would either treat her like a dumb kid or as if they were waiting to rush out and plug the meter because the next client was waiting. Hopefully, she wouldn’t need him beyond today.

  “How much do you charge?”

  “Today, nothing. Let’s get through this conversation with CPD, see if there’s anything unexpected, and we can decide from there if you need my services any further. Does that sound okay?”

  Olivia nodded and mumbled thanks as she popped open the soda and took us swig that had to be half a can. I guess I should’ve gotten two. The door opened, and Michael entered, accompanied by one other detective. Introductions were made, and the detectives took seats opposite Olivia.

  “Good, I see you found something to drink,” Michael said to Olivia, smiling and trying to keep the tone light. “Olivia, you made some allegations at the office. I think it would be helpful if we could talk about that in more detail. It sounded like you have information that you wanted to share about Mr. Nadell’s instructions. Can you tell us about that?”

  Again, Olivia nodded. Michael turned to me. “I’ll wait outside,” I said.

  “I want you to stay,” Olivia said.

  “It’s better if I don’t. Mr. Price will take care of you,” I said, trying to keep my voice light and upbeat. But I knew that Olivia had made herself a target. What I didn’t know was how aggressively Michael would pursue that line of questioning.

  36

  I sat in the reception room nursing my tea, my mind tangled with thoughts. Had people really died because of cost-cutting? Olivia’s accusation had been about swapping ingredients. Either she knew something and hadn’t told me, or she was letting her anger get the better of her imagination. I thought about Seth, how he had seemed out of touch with reality. Was he having a reaction to his antibiotic? Was he hallucinating? Was he experiencing the side effect of belladonna poisoning?

  I pulled out my phone and dialed my friend Henry at the lab.

  “I’ve got a few more questions about the testing you did for me. Can you spare a minute?”

  “We on the clock?” He laughed. “Just kidding. What do you want to know?”

  “We’re trying to figure out how and why belladonna got into these drinks. Is it possible that it might have been confused for something else? I guess that’s the first question. Or would it have been added for a specific effect on the body?”

  “Well, it’s hard to know what the intent was. In terms of confusing belladonna for something else, I guess that would depend on the form it was in. Was it belladonna in plant form where both the leaf and the root are used? Or some kind of processed tincture? My first assumption would be it was in a liquid form because the drink itself was the delivery mechanism. This wasn’t some kid who ate a couple of the berries out in the forest. Occasionally, ointments are made using belladonna, but my guess is were talking about a tincture.”

  “So, drops of some kind added to the bottles or into the ingredients during processing,” I said, confirming what I’d already assumed.

  “That’s what I’m thinking. Process of elimination would be to separate the raw material and test those. If you find belladonna, then you go deeper into how that was processed. Basically, reverse engineer the stuff. If you want to test raw materials, we’ll need to get you help with the sampling.”

  At this point that would be better left to CPD’s crime lab.

  “Is there any legitimate reason for ingesting belladonna?” I asked, wondering about Olivia’s accusation. She’d specifically said Nadell had swapped ingredients. “I believe you said it’s historically been used as a pain reliever and a hallucinogenic. What about today?”

  “This is outside the realm of traditional medicine, but my understanding is that some in the alternative health world, and I’m talking people who are pretty out there in their views, are using it as a sedative. I’ve heard of people using it to stop bronchospasms—which happens in asthma and whooping cough, Parkinson’s disease—things like that. It works to block some of the functions of the nervous system. Which I guess, in some cases is thought to be a good thing but obviously that’s dangerous territory. I wouldn’t go DIY on that although some in the homeopathic crowd seem unconcerned.”

  “Can you tell me about the hallucinogenic effect? Is this seeing things, or does it lean more toward paranoia?”

  “Oh, you want to get specific with your high,” he laughed. “What I understand is that the high is described initially as euphoric but then there’s a crash. Like everything, it depends on dosage, body weight, the usual.”

  Euphoria? Interesting. A terrifying idea crossed my mind. Was it possible that was the intended effect? Could belladonna be not a contaminant, but an active ingredient? My mind raced. It was an ugly thought, but given the lies, and the amount of money at stake I couldn’t dismiss the idea.

  “Do you know if this poison would come up in an autopsy tox screening?” I asked, thinking of Kelly Cavanaugh.

  “Verify this with the ME, but probably not unless they were looking for it specifically.”

  “Henry, I want to go back to another aspect, and you may not know the answer, but do you have any sense of whether this is an inexpensive stimulant? I guess I’m wondering if it’s possible that belladonna was substituted for something else, whether that was to save money or because another ingredient that did the same thing might have become difficult to get? I know it’s asking you to speculate, but humor me, help me bra
instorm a little. I won’t quote you.”

  I heard him exhale as he considered the question.

  “That’s hard to say; I guess that depends on what effect you’re trying to get. There are a number of compounds that could be used for either the hallucinogenic quality or pain relief if that was the desired result. As far as pricing goes, that’s relative and I’m not up on the market, but when you can walk into some of the big-name pharmacies and find homeopathic remedies containing belladonna for a couple of bucks, it can’t be that pricey. I know I’m not being very helpful, but I don’t have enough data to answer that.”

  I thanked him and ended the call. I needed to speak with Michael again about Kelly’s autopsy. Cai and another attorney I didn’t know were walking toward me, deep in conversation. They stopped speaking the minute they saw me, then stood huddled before going their separate ways. Cai walked over and sat down next to me with a sigh.

  “This isn’t going to screw up our friendship is it?” she asked.

  “No, of course not. Obviously, it’s going to fuck up Seth’s situation, but you and I will be fine.”

  “I miss you. I haven’t been to Nico in almost two weeks. I’ve got five cases I haven’t been able to tell you about. And,” she leaned over to whisper. “I’m dying to know if your cop friend has been able to use his handcuffs, off-label.”

  Only Cai could choose a day like this for innuendo. “Miss you too.” We laughed. “Well, we should be able to get back to normal socializing soon because it looks like your client list is about to get shorter,” I said.

  “It does, doesn’t it? Turow’s walking into a mess. Whatever the hell is going on here is not my forte.”

  “Nope, I don’t see any IPO’s in VTF’s near term future. Speaking of acronyms, what about Nadell? I assume he was on the horn to his high-powered legal team in about half a second.” She nodded. “Did he know? About Olivia I mean?”

  “Hell if I know. By the look on his face, I’d say this was a problem he thought he buried long ago. Look, I’m going to go through withdrawals here pretty soon so let’s figure out when we can come out of our respective corners.”

 

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