Chapter 26 #2
Now she only needed to decide if she should delete the data files from her computer, or whether that would make her look suspicious.
Deciding it wouldn’t look suspicious if she stuck with the story that John Doe had washed out, she sat at her desk and powered up her computer.
The police would never even know to ask about John Doe, wouldn’t be looking for those files.
Not unless Lisa Cooper or Hogarth said something.
She wasn’t worried so much about Lisa. As she tapped on her keyboard, she acknowledged that Dr. Cooper had been subdued and even cooperative since Christmas.
She could only speculate why, but she suspected that the young woman had discovered Dr. Hogarth’s true colors. Charline shuddered.
Before she got past a review of the files in her database, her phone rang again.
“Detective Warnecki here, Dr. Morneau. I’m calling you as a courtesy to let you know I’ll be over to your office within the hour to review all your files having to do with the EM HGH Research Study.”
“All the files?”
“Yes. I’ll download what you have onto a zip drive. Dr. Hogarth told me you also have paper files as a backup.”
“Yes. Can I ask what this is all about?” She decided to pretend Hogarth never called her with a heads-up. She was getting very good at pretense, a disquieting thought. “I thought you concluded your investigation.”
“It was reopened. We were given a surveillance video by Dr. Hogarth recently. That’s all I’m going to say right now. Have the files ready. And Dr. Hogarth mentioned that I should ask you to include the data and files for your research subject, John Doe.”
Boom.
Charline felt nauseated and dizzy. No amount of suspicion, preparation, or expecting the worst had prepared her for the actual knife-stab by Hogarth.
“Are you okay?” Wendy, her assistant, asked.
“Yes.” It was her knee-jerk response. “No. The police are coming to the office to investigate the theft of the serum…” She didn’t know where to go with her explanation.
She couldn’t admit to any trepidation, any fear of being found guilty.
“I … don’t want to divulge—give them the John Doe data.
His privacy …” It was lame, but Wendy caught on at the mention of privacy.
HIPAA had made them all paranoid about subjects’ privacy, and especially any John Does.
“Then you shouldn’t hand them over unless the police have a warrant for those files in particular. That’s the law.” She looked almost angry. Then her face brightened as Charline silently thanked her for her unquestioning loyalty.
“But … even with a search warrant, they can’t find what’s not here.” She raised a conspiratorial brow.
Charline wanted to launch herself into a fierce hug, but she held herself to an equally conspiratorial smile.
“You’re brilliant. I’ll remove what I can.
” She didn’t tell her friend that she’d already planned to remove every last mention.
She hoped she didn’t have to tell the woman not to mention John Doe to the police unless asked point blank.
She said, “Besides, John Doe is washed out as a subject, so we’re not using his data in the study’s analysis.”
“I didn’t realize.”
Charline nodded. “Let me get to work. The police will be here soon.”
Wendy left the office and Charline sat in front of her screen, staring at the file icons flashing at her.
She dreaded telling Trent, but she would have to because she’d need to keep all that was left of the records at his place until the police investigation was over.
Or she’d need to go over there and destroy them, and collect her equipment and supplies, along with the last of the serum that she had stored there.
She dreaded that most of all. It would signal the end of their association.
She didn’t want to think about the unlikely event that they might search his place too.
She sat at the computer as the room grew dark, staring at the John Doe files on the screen.
While she contemplated her reluctance to hit the delete key, her cell phone rang.
It was Trent. At least she hadn’t needed to call him, he’d called her.
She needed to tell him about Detective Warnecki’s impending visit. She would force herself to do it.
“This is it, Doc.” Trent said. She sensed his excited tension right away.
His adrenaline was in high gear. He must have just come off the practice field.
She pictured him in Ralph’s office, sitting on the table.
“We have a legit shot at the Super Bowl. I’m counting on you and your serum.
What do the latest test results show? Am I slipping? Do I need another full dose shot?”
“How do you feel? Your own sense of your pain and performance are as good a barometer as any.”
“I feel freakin’ fantastic, strong, but I want the numbers from you.”
“There was only a slight diminishment in the effects of the serum on your tests, but we knew the high levels would decline. They’ll continue to decline and, along with it, your strength and performance.
Maybe the shoulder pain and brittleness will return, but I predict that won’t happen for six to eight weeks at the rate we’re seeing. ”
“Then I should make it through the Super Bowl in prime condition.”
“Yes.” She took a breath. “I’m glad you called, I need to talk to you about something.”
“What’s wrong?”
“It’s the investigation into the serum theft. It’s been reopened. Hogarth gave Detective Warnecki a surveillance tape. Neither of them will say what was on it. But whatever was on it was enough for Warnecki to not only reopen the investigation, but he’s also called in the Boston police.”
“Shit.”
“They’re coming to my office to confiscate files. Warnecki asked for the John Doe files specifically.”
“As long as they don’t find anything you’re okay, Charlie. The files are all at my place, right? You have no files or serum at home, do you?”
She shook her head. “No.” she lied. She still had some serum at the house, for her mother and Suzette. “Everything’s at your place.” She bit her lip. “But what if—”
“They won’t look at my place.”
She wasn’t so sure, but she heard the commotion outside her office in the lab.
“I have to go. They’re here.” She hung up without a goodbye.
Then she hit the delete key.
She stood as Detective Warnecki opened her office door and walked inside.
An older, grumpy-looking man in a black overcoat that almost reached the floor accompanied him.
He must be the city detective. In spite of her nervous twitch at the fact that they hadn’t knocked, she pasted a smile on her face and was about to greet them. But then another man followed them in.
Hogarth.
With Dr. Jonas Nowell, the president of the board of trustees.
She didn’t know how the reality of this moment could be so much worse than she’d ever imagined, even in her most anxious moments.
“Dr. Morneau.” Warnecki nodded and introduced the city detective, whose name she forgot immediately. She turned her attention to the others.
“Dr. Hogarth. Dr. Nowell. I’m surprised to see you here.”
“Of course we came,” Hogarth said. “We’re here to support you.”
Jonas gave her a sympathetic look. Or so she thought. He said nothing.
Warnecki said, “We have a warrant. Dr. Hogarth has it.”
Hogarth smiled.
“Is this your computer?” Warnecki said.
“Yes.”
The city detective moved into the room, unplugged her computer and picked it up off the desk. “You take the paper files. If there are any. I’ll get whatever she has on the computer.” He looked at her. “Deleted files and all.”
The sting of his words made her blood freeze and her face heat up. Stay calm. Damn Warnecki said they were only making a copy of her files on a zip drive. Either he’d lied or this Boston detective was taking over and playing hard ball.
“Of course.” She turned to Warnecki. “Anything in particular you’re looking for? The paper files?”
“John Doe. Dr. Hogarth has led us to believe he might have something to do with the theft.” Warnecki walked to the nearest file cabinet, pulled it open and started looking through the folders.
“I don’t see how. John Doe washed out of the drug trial. He’s no longer a subject.”
Warnecki stopped and looked at her.
Hogarth said, “What are you talking about, Dr. Morneau? That can’t be true—”
“Dr. Hogarth, with all due respect, you aren’t aware of the day-to-day matters of the study.”
“When were you going to tell me this?” Hogarth postured, hands on hips, speaking louder than he needed to.
Dr. Nowell waved a hand. “Calm down, Hogarth. It was a long shot that this John Doe matter had anything to do with the theft of the serum.”
“Before I go wasting my time looking for files, Dr. Morneau, tell me if you have anything on this John Doe here?”
She shook her head.
“Shredded?”
“I . . . I’m not sure. The files were purged.”
“Okay. We’ll see what we can find on the computer, see if there’s anything to the John Doe theory before we go further.”
“Can you tell me what you’re thinking? What your theory is?”
Warnecki snapped a look at Hogarth. Hogarth shook his head violently.
“You’ll have to ask your boss about that.” Warnecki slammed the file cabinet drawer shut and walked out of her office empty-handed.
She turned to Hogarth, but before she could ask him, he threw up his hands.
“It’s need to know. You don’t need to know.” He spun on his heels, grabbed Dr. Nowell’s arm, who frowned severely, and exited in a rush.
All the air in her lungs rushed out of her at once. She sat on the edge of her desk, to wait for the shaking to stop.
Had she just dodged a bullet? Or would the other shoe be dropping when they cracked her computer? What would they find?
They would not find out who John Doe was. She was careful to never keep that information anywhere except on the paper files that he’d signed. And they were at his penthouse safe and sound.
For now.