they find out, they’ll never let her go, because once they have the secret, they’ll want to keep it secret.”
“ I don’t understand,” Peeps said.
“ Think about it, Joe,” Mouledoux said. “Just imagine for an instant that you could make a concoction from this woman’s blood. One shot of this stuff and you’re young again, maybe immortal. You think people are gonna want this?”
“ Well, yeah!”
“ Everybody’s gonna want it. They’d kill for it.”
“ I can see that,” Peeps said.
“ And nobody would ever die.”
“ So?”
“ I’m afraid,” Shaffer said, “that Detective Mouledoux is right. A secret like this has to be locked away.”
“ Because?” Peeps said.
“ Because,” Mouledoux said, “if nobody ever died, we’d run out of food pretty quick. The world wouldn’t be able to keep up. There wouldn’t be enough houses, cars, schools or anything else you can think of; the world would run out.”
“ So they’d lock her up?” Peeps said. “And nobody would get it?”
“ Oh people would get it,” Mouledoux said. “If your last name was Clinton or Kennedy or Bush or Obama, you’d get it. Or if you had a billion bucks, you’d get it. Or if you maybe knew or blew the right people, you’d get it. But us ordinary folks, we wouldn’t get it. Do I have that about right, Dr. Shaffer?”
“ That’s not for me to say.”
“ But you want it for yourself, right?”
“ That thought hadn’t entered my mind.”
“ Then why’d you call us?” Mouledoux said.
“ We had a gunshot wound,” Shaffer said. “It’s the law.”
“ No, you had Dr. Romero call my partner, because you thought we’d cooperate, that we’d hop to and pick up Dr. Eisenhower, who apparently has committed no crime, done nothing wrong.”
“ For her own protection,” Shaffer said.
“ And what did you want us to do after we picked her up? Take her to the cop house, book her? Or did you want us to swing by here and drop her off?”
“ I’m not sure I appreciate your tone,” Drake the lawyer said.
“ And I don’t understand why you’re even here, because for the life of me I can’t see how the hospital can suffer any liability over this.”
“ We pronounced her dead,” Dr. Jordan said. “We we’re going to send her off to the county morgue.”
“ She could sue,” Drake said.
“ Alright, you’re only interest in Dr. Eisenhower is her safety and the hospital’s liability. I get it,” Mouledoux said. “I don’t believe it, but were going to go along with you anyway, because this is too big to get out. She can’t have gotten far, we’ll pick her up and we’ll bring her back. It stinks, but we’ll do it.”
“ We’re going to go along with them?” Peeps was getting it now.
“ Yeah, Joe. It’s best.”
“ I’m glad you understand,” Shaffer said.
“ So, who you gonna call after we bring her in?”
“ Nobody, we just need to contain this.”
“ And those tests I was talking about?”
“ Only if she wants them,” Shaffer said. “This is a hospital, not a prison.”
Mouledoux didn’t believe anything coming out Shaffer’s mouth. The doctor was exuding anticipation. The man had the pasty white skin of those painted vampires he’d seen on the street last night and like Dracula, the man wanted her blood. He wanted to be young again. Who wouldn’t?
The lawyer too. He wanted the woman’s blood as badly as Shaffer. Mouledoux could see it in his eyes. Romero wanted it as well. That’s why he’d called Peeps. They were hoping Joe would round the woman up, bring her back and keep his mouth shut for old time’s sake. Peeps probably owed Romero some favors and Shaffer knew it, otherwise they wouldn’t have brought him in. Dr. Jordan, she seemed sincere, but they couldn’t keep her out of it, because she’d treated Eisenhower.
Maybe he could trust her, but the others, not a chance.
He tapped Peeps on the arm, got up. Peeps got out of his chair too.
“ Maybe she’s running, but maybe she’s not. Maybe she’s still in the hospital somewhere or maybe she just walked on home. You got an address?”
“ Yes, she lives on Putnam, off Washington, by San Rafael Park; 581 Putnam Drive.”
“ That’s maybe a thirty minute walk, maybe a little longer. Chances are we’ll probably find her there if we leave now.” He turned to go, then turned back to Shaffer. “This is a big hospital and there’s a good chance she’s hanging around here someplace, you should check.”
“ We will, but I think she’s gone. I hope you find her before word gets out and somebody else does.”
“ We’re the only ones who know,” Peeps said. “If none of us talk, how can the word get out?”
“ Oh, somebody else knows,” Mouledoux said.
“ He’s right,” Shaffer said.
“ Who?” Peeps said.
“ Whoever made her this way,” Mouledoux said. “He knows. Some scientist somewhere, operating out of a secret lab, or maybe some top secret government types. Somebody. Somebody did this to her and she probably knows who.” Mouledoux was at the door. He opened it, held it for Peeps.
Mouledoux retraced his steps and in a few minutes they were in the parking lot. There was a ticket on the ride. Mouledoux laughed.
“ What’s so funny?” Peeps said. “You’re the one who signed it out.”
“ Swell.”
“ Don’t worry, I’ll handle it.”
“ Thanks.” If there was anyone who could get a parking ticket fixed, even parking in a handicapped zone, it was Peeps. “Christ, one woulda thought the meter maid woulda seen it was one of ours.”
“ They don’t pay them to think.”
Ten minutes later they pulled up in front of Eisenhower’s two story house. There was no car in the driveway. However, the blinds were open and Mouledoux could see a big screen TV on inside.
“ Think she’s home?” he said.
“ Hard to tell.” Peeps said. “TV could be to fool anyone thinking of breaking in.”
“ Let’s find out.” They got out of the ride, went to the front. Mouledoux rang the bell and got no joy. He tried again. Still no joy.
“ Don’t look like she’s here,” Peeps said.
“ No, it doesn’t.” Mouledoux went to the gate to the side yard. It wasn’t locked. At the side of the house, he saw a side door for the garage, tried it and found it unlocked. He shook his head, entered.
“ We got no warrant,” Peeps said.
“ This woman’s in trouble,” Mouledoux said, “and it’s our job to help if we can.”
“ You’re saying we shouldn’t do what you said, you know, take her back the hospital.”
“ Fuck no. I find her, I’m gonna advise her to get a one way ticket to Rio and to never come back.”
“ But what about the chaos you said would happen?”
“ It’s gonna happen anyway.”
“ I don’t understand.”
“ You think that lot back there can keep their mouths shut? Christ, that Dr. Shaffer promised Eisenhower he’d keep her secret, then as soon as he possibly could he has Romero call us and he spills his guts. If he can’t keep his word to someone he respects and used to be in love with, you think we can trust him just because he says we can?”
“ I hadn’t thought about it.”
“ And that fucking lawyer. I’ll give you odds he’s got a half dozen P.I. s on the job looking for her.”
“ Look.” Peeps pointed.
