She saw the pain on Shannon’s face and felt a twinge of guilt that she quickly stifled. She had discovered Shannon’s weakness. Maybe the others were equally as vulnerable. She began to entertain the hope that Sabrina and her family would leave if they were sufficiently provoked, but an enormous amount of medical equipment was delivered to the house that afternoon, and she gave up in despair.
Her father made sure everything was perfect. The room that had belonged to Lisa’s grandmother was transformed into a bleak sickroom. The furniture was removed to make a space for a hospital bed, and the paintings that had adorned the walls were taken down. From Veronica’s room at the other end of the hall, Lisa could smell the stench of disinfectant. She opened the windows to let in the odor of the sea and sat there shivering on the bed, staring at the empty beach and wishing she were somewhere else.
While she watched, a strange car pulled into the driveway, and a woman climbed out. She was short and stout, and her hair was pulled back into a rather severe bun, but her face looked pleasant enough despite her serious expression. She removed a suitcase from the trunk, strode up to the house, and rang the doorbell. Lisa heard Richard’s voice floating up through the air.
“Agnes,” he said. “Thank you for coming.”
“Not so fast,” she said. Her voice was confident to the point of being harsh, and Lisa wondered how Sabrina would react to a personality almost as overbearing as her own. “I’m not entirely sold on the idea. Are you out of your mind?”
“Probably,” said Richard, “but Sabrina is stubborn, and she’s not going to take no for an answer. I tried to talk her out of it, but she wouldn’t listen.”
“So what’s in it for you?” said Agnes.
Lisa had been wondering exactly the same thing, and she couldn’t make up her mind about Richard’s character until she knew the answer. She suspected he harbored a perverse curiosity about the drug due to his former association with Peterson, but she hoped there was a more innocent explanation.
“It’s simple,” said Richard. “Arthur and I have been estranged for longer than I care to admit, and this is an opportunity for me to spend some time with him.”
“By killing his wife?” said Agnes. “I’m not sure that’s the best approach, especially if you’re trying to establish a lasting connection with him. Let’s talk about him for a minute. Is he really on board with this whole thing, or is he just going along with it because he doesn’t know what else to do?”
“I’m afraid the latter is significantly more likely,” said Richard. “Either way, he won’t jeopardize his relationship with Sabrina for any reason. He’ll support her no matter what she decides to do.”
“I see,” said Agnes. “He’s afraid of losing her, and you’re afraid of losing him. That’s a nasty game she’s playing, and I don’t like it. What’s she got on the doctor?”
“Andrew?” said Richard. “Nothing, as far as I know.”
“Come on, Richard,” said Agnes. “Don’t be naive. It doesn’t make sense for someone in his position to take such a horrible risk. She’s got to be holding something over his head, and I want to know what it is. I’m perfectly capable of keeping it a secret if it’s of a personal nature, but I’m not staying here unless I know nothing shady is going on.”
“I don’t know what to tell you,” said Richard. “I understand why you’re concerned, but Andrew is one of the most conscientious people I’ve ever met. He doesn’t have anything to offer Sabrina, so he’s letting her call the shots instead. It’s a compassionate decision, even if it’s stupid. You’ll see what I mean once you meet him.”
Their voices faded as they went into the house. Lisa got up and closed the window. If Agnes started investigating, it wouldn’t take her long to discover the truth, especially if she questioned Sabrina. After a while, Lisa heard Richard and Agnes talking again. They had come upstairs to inspect the sickroom.
“I like everything except the curtains,” said Agnes. Lisa imagined her standing there with her arms bent at the elbows and her fists resting on her chubby hips. “They’re too flimsy for my liking. If Peterson’s still keeping tabs on your family, we need to do everything in our power to prevent him from spying on us. I’m surprised you’re not taking more precautions. Don’t you realize we’re playing with fire?”
“Literally, perhaps,” said Richard.
“I’d hate to see this place reduced to a pile of rubble,” said Agnes. “I’m not convinced Peterson’s really out for the count. I’d feel a lot better if I could get my hands on a copy of his brain scan. Apparently, the doctor who arranged his compassionate release is currently being investigated for malpractice. That’s suspicious if you ask me.”
“I agree,” said Richard. “The whole thing is too convenient. I tried to find out where Peterson went, but the information was confidential, for obvious reasons. He doesn’t have a family. His wife died years ago, and his daughter disowned him. He’s probably in a nursing home somewhere, but that wouldn’t necessarily stop him from causing mischief if he were so inclined.”
Lisa heard them walking downstairs. Until Agnes’ arrival, she had been able to dismiss Richard’s cynical remarks as paranoia. Now, she wasn’t so sure. She hoped Agnes wouldn’t agree to stay.
∞∞∞
Richard and Lisa’s father went to the hospital the next morning to discuss the protocol for synthesizing the drug. Richard found himself anticipating everything that could go wrong. He didn’t reveal his concerns to Lisa’s father, but he was in a miserable state of anxiety by the time they arrived at the laboratory, which was located in a narrow rectangular building behind the main tower of the hospital. Richard kept a sharp lookout for anything suspicious and breathed a sigh of relief
