35. Nicolette
Nicolette
B ack in my car, I drove a few streets up before pulling over to retrieve the phone from my back.
For grins, I hit the power button but the cracked screen remained black.
I searched for the power port and another wave of excitement lit me up inside.
It was a standard USB Micro-B port. I needed to get this phone plugged into my laptop.
I already had recovery software, and I was hoping the memory on the phone wasn’t destroyed.
Ispedto the library,knowingI couldn’t go through this stuff at Riot’s house yet. Isentall the photosI’dtakento my email so I could go through them on a larger screen.
When I entered the library, my phone rang. I answered after seeing that it was Dr. Moore.
“Dr. Moore, thank you for calling me back.”
“What can I do for you, kiddo?” He sounded like he was in the car.
“The cancer drug trial thatthey’rerunning at the hospital. It’s with Echidna Pharmaceuticals, right?”
“Yes, I believe that’s the one.”
“How far along is it?”
“It’s already in the FDA’s hands for approval.I’mheadingto a conference now wherethey’regoingtogo over the results. I hear the latest trialswerequite a success.”
“And what happens if the drug getspassed?”
“Then it goes into mass production.”
“And Echidna Pharmaceuticals’ stock?”
He paused, taken back by my change in direction .
“Well, I would imagine that stock wouldbecomeextremely valuable.”
“And its shareholders?”
“Would stand to make a heck of a lot of money.”
I gleamed with validation. “Dr. Moore, I think the success of the drug is a little premature.”
“Oh?”
“The trial volunteers. The ones from Godot. There is a good possibility that they’re still addicted to that Chimera drug I’ve been looking into.”
“Well, everyone’s drug tested at the beginning to make sure they’re eligible for the study.”
“With a urine sample?”
“I would assume so…”Doubtcrept into his voice.
Ishookmy head as if he could see me.“The resultsareno good then, Dr. Moore. Your DEA consultant? Hesentme a note saying that their investigation into Chimerawasdroppedbecause itwastoo hard to trace and track since it doesn’t show up on standard urinalysis.”
Dr. Moore was quiet. “Nicolette, if that’s true, there are going to be a heck of a lot of angry people and very disappointed investors.”
“Do me a favor. Keep this discreet. If youhaveto, only bring it up to someone you know you can trust.”
Hesighed.“Be careful, Nicolette. Therearea lot of things that go into these trials. A lot of money and that means powerful people. Just be careful, okay?”
In the library, I opened my laptop and fished out the charger to my Kindle. I plugged it into my computer and opened the recovery program.
Iwasno Brennan, but Ihadpickedup some basics.
Itwasstandard recovery software available to the everyday Joe Schmoe.
Of course, most of itwentto use by people whodroppedtheir phones in the toilet or suspicious spouses checking into their partner’s whereabouts.
Itwasn’tsophisticated by any means but anything could help .
While it ran in the background, I opened up my email to scan the photos I’d sent. First, I caught the shareholder report for Echidna Pharmaceuticals. I eagerly opened it up and started scanning the names. I knew that it wouldn’t say Redeemer’s Church but I was hoping I could recognize something.
Vanguard
Dodge & Cox
Fidelity International
Typhon Industries
I paused, a memory pulled at me. Jeremy’s face popped into my head, shaking hot sauce onto his breakfast plate.
Something Industries? Titan? Triton, maybe?
IsearchedTyphon Industries andfoundvery little information.
Therewasonly an old, outdated website thatread Typhon Industries - Property & Wealth Management.
Itlisteda PO Box in Charleston and a phone number.
I copied and pastedthe phone number into another tab andsearched.
A few mismatchescameup before Iscrolleddown to discover itwasa Baltimore area code.
The hair on my neckbristled.
“Gotchya,” I whispered to myself.
Imovedback to the recovery software. Therewasn’tmuch, but itwasable to recover a few photos and voicemails.
A tender smilehitmy lips when IheardRiot’s younger voice, full of bright enthusiasm. The voicemailwaschoppy but still audible.
“Hi Mom,we’vegotour home opener this Friday if you and Bren want to come. I can reserve tickets for you in the friends and family suite. Justletme know by Thursday, okay? Love you!”
I pressed play on the second one which was from a day before she died.
“Grace, I need to talk to you,”the familiar voicesaidin a rush.
“I know you think you know whatyou’redoing but please, we need to talk.
Before you do anything. Please, just don’t do anything stupid , Grace.
”The threatechoedunderneath the tone so violently that I could hear it even through cutting in and out.
Isavedthe file in my email drafts.
I clicked through a few photos. Most were of the church services or events, and most were heavily pixelated. I scanned the dates and pulled up the ones from the week she died.
“Shit…” The photos were dark, almost black. There were splotches of light here and there. It wasn’t the software. Wherever the photo was taken was just dark.
I frowned and ran the program again before pulling up my email to go through the photos of the documents.
The crime scenewasgrizzly but Emery Plainbottomhadbeenright.
Grace’s bodywaslying on her back in the doorway between the kitchen and the dining room.
Therewereblood smears on the door jamb and more photos of the trails like Riothaddescribedfrom the family room to the kitchen.
He’dbeen right about those. If shewasstill alive after Riotleftthe house, itwaspossible shedraggedherself into that final position.
But somethingbotheredme about all the blood spatter around her. I could see a chairknockedover in the dining room and her phone in the corner, alreadysmashed.
Iclickedon the next file. Itwasa close-up of Grace Asher’s head and shoulders on the medical examiner’s table.
Shelookedcold and my heartachedfor Riot and Brennan.
She mighthavegonea little crazy, but shewasstill their mother.
A sense of intrusionplaguedme to beexaminingher like this but my journalistic instincts wouldn’tletme stop now.
I almost clicked off when something else in the photo caught my eye. I zoomed in and my blood ran cold.
“Holy, shit…” I hit the print button.
Slamming my laptop shut, I scooped everything in my arms up and ran to my car.
I had to get home to Riot.