“You’re wrong, Nora,” he said. “I know what I’m doing. You’ll see.”
Lisa heard him walk into the room where she was sitting. She remained huddled in the chair. He either didn’t notice her in the darkness, or he was so preoccupied that he didn’t bother to acknowledge her. He went to the door, opened it, and left. Lisa saw him holding a business card in his hand.
Chapter 9
Lisa’s father called Graham and arranged to meet him at the park by the river. It was an inconspicuous place with wide grassy fields that stretched for several miles along the near bank. A wide concrete barrier provided a defense against the flooding that happened like clockwork each year. Lamps stood along the barrier at regular intervals, illuminating the area with yellow light.
When Lisa’s father arrived, the location was deserted because the weather was so cold. He left his car outside the pavilion at the far end of the park and walked until he arrived at the designated meeting place, a cluster of oak trees with Spanish moss hanging on their branches. He sat down on a bench to wait. Graham was nowhere to be seen, but it wasn’t long before Lisa’s father heard the sound of footsteps.
He turned. Graham emerged from the trees. He was wearing an enormous coat over his suit with the collar turned up around his neck. His head was bare. The glow of the lamps reflected off his scalp through his sparse hair. He stuck his hands in his pockets and directed his attention toward the opposite shore of the river, even though nothing was visible in the distance except an orange mist fed by the cloudy billows drifting out of the towers of the oil refinery.
“So, Andrew,” he said. “What’s this about?”
Lisa’s father hesitated. He wanted to prove Nora wrong, but now that Graham was standing in front of him, he realized he was taking an enormous risk, and he found he couldn’t speak.
“I hope you enjoyed the wine I sent to your lab,” said Graham, shuffling a step nearer. “It’s the only vintage I've ever cared for. As strange as it sounds, it has a lot of sentimental value for me. I purchased a case of it with a dear friend of mine many years ago, but there are only nine bottles left now. I bring them out on special occasions. You should feel honored that I spent two of them on you.”
“Graham, I’m not coming to work for you,” said Lisa’s father. “If you agreed to meet with me because you thought I had changed my mind, then I’m truly sorry. There are extenuating circumstances that you know nothing about.”
“Then enlighten me,” said Graham.
Lisa’s father didn’t like the greedy look in Graham’s eyes.
“What I’m about to tell you is highly confidential,” he said.
“Of course,” said Graham. He sat down beside Lisa’s father, slightly too close for comfort. “I understand. Discretion is my specialty.”
“All right,” said Lisa’s father. “I have a patient who’s taking the drug you’re working on. She’s only received one dose, but she’s continuing to decline. It’s not looking good. At this point, I don’t know if she’s going to make it.”
Graham’s eyes widened with horror.
“You’re experimenting on a living human being?” he said.
“I’m not experimenting on her,” said Lisa’s father. “I’m trying to save her life.”
“This is incredible,” said Graham. “I’m shocked. I can scarcely believe my ears. You? Of all the people in the world, you’re the last person I would have expected to do something like this. You’re committing a horrible crime, and if I don’t report you, I’ll feel personally responsible. The rules are there for a reason, and the penalties are severe. There’s no way an ethics committee would approve of what you’re doing.”
“Graham, my patient doesn’t have any other options,” said Lisa’s father. “I know you’re under no obligation to help me, but she’s my friend, and she has a family. If there’s anyone in the world who deserves a second chance, it’s her.”
“I hate to be the one to tell you this, but life’s not fair,” said Graham.
“Well, I’m trying to make it fairer,” said Lisa’s father. “Please just hear me out. You must have conducted some preliminary research, or you wouldn’t be sure the drug actually works. If you’re aware of anything that might be helpful from a clinical standpoint, I would be grateful. I won’t blame you if it doesn’t work out.”
“So you’re basically asking me to tell you everything I know with nothing in return?” said Graham. “My boss would have a serious problem with that. What if you stole our data and got all the credit? No, it’s too much of a liability.”
“I’m not trying to make a name for myself,” said Lisa’s father. “I’m just trying to help her. Even if I wanted to publish a case report about her, I couldn’t without ruining my credibility. There’s absolutely no danger. You have my word.”
“I believe you, but I’m not allowed to reveal any information,” said Graham. “I have a better idea, Andrew. Maybe we can both benefit from this situation. My boss might consent to an arrangement in which we share information. How does that sound? I could tell you what I know, and you could tell me what you know.”
“But I don’t know anything,” said Lisa’s father.
“That’s okay,” said Graham, nudging him. “Just between the two of us, we’ve already gotten some exciting results from animal studies. We’ve achieved remission in over forty percent of our treatment group, and we’re currently trying to identify the therapeutic dose and the common side effects. The whole thing is fascinating. I can probably get you a copy of the data if my boss doesn’t object.”
Lisa’s father thought it was strange that Graham had changed his tune so suddenly, and he was surprised by his offer. He studied Graham’s face for signs of deception, but Graham’s direct
