Dave Zeltserman - Bad Karma

“There is nothing for you to feel sorry about, hon. You did nothing wrong. The person I am furious with is this Anil Paveeth. For him to think he can victimize people the way he does.”

Shannon hesitated, said, “Susie, I really don’t want you going back to that yoga studio. I don’t think it’s safe. I also think the incense they use has been doctored. Maybe Paveeth’s added THC to it, maybe other ingredients. Anyway I think he’s using it to weaken people’s resolve, along with the other standard brainwashing techniques they’re employing. This guy’s a chemical engineer. He’d know how to do something like that.”

She didn’t respond. Shannon glanced over and saw her brow furrowed as she sat lost in her own thoughts.

When they arrived at the hospital, they went to the ICU waiting area and checked in at the desk. The nurse brought up Emily’s record on her computer and told them that she was in surgery now but her doctor would come out later and talk to them.

They took seats and waited. Shannon could see the worry tugging at Susan’s features and spoiling her mouth. Under the fluorescent light of the waiting room, her skin looked almost paper-thin. More to get her mind onto something else, Shannon asked her what the characteristics were of a Medhorrinum remedy-type.

Numbly, she rattled off, “Intense energy, passion, outgoing, zest for life, all of which leads to them burning themselves out. Why do you want to know?”

“Just curious since I’ve been hanging out with one of your Medhorrinum patients. Hell, we might even go into business together.”

That knocked her out of her brooding and brought a bare trace of a smile to her lips. “Hon, fifty bucks you’re bluffing.”

“Mike Maguire. He’s the Boston guy I went to the ballgame with the other night. You can pay me later in services. We’ll work out an arrangement.”

“Oh no you don’t! You’re not leaving it like that. How’d you find out he’s my patient?”

Shannon couldn’t keep from smiling. “Mike’s doing a few odd jobs for me. I had him outside Vishna Yoga today taking pictures of everyone going in and out of the place. He was a bit shocked to see his trusted homeopath consorting with a known cult.”

“I bet he was!” Her bare trace of a smile stretched a fraction of an inch. “He’s a nice man. I like him.”

“Yeah, he kind of grows on you.”

Susan laughed at that. It was a sad laugh, but at least it was a laugh. “Thanks,” she said.

“For what?”

“For trying to get my mind off Emily.”

“She’s going to be okay,” Shannon said. “I have a gut feeling that she’ll be okay.”

She nodded but didn’t seem too confident about Shannon’s gut. He looked helplessly at her, wishing there was something he could do. He knew this was hard for her. It was hard for him. After Charlie Winters, they’d both reached their thresholds as far as being able to lose people close to them because of violence. He started wondering how Emily had gotten into their apartment. If those two Russian thugs had broken in as he’d guessed, they would’ve locked the door after them. So how did she get into their bedroom?

He remembered then that he still had to call Maguire’s wife in Massachusetts. It was already seven-thirty. With the two hour time difference he had to call her soon if he was going to do it that night. He told Susan he’d be back in a few minutes, then walked out into the hallway and found a quiet spot near one of the emergency exit doors with better cell phone reception.

A woman answered on the other end with a flat “yeah?”

Shannon introduced himself and told her he’d like to talk to Nancy Maguire.

There was a long pause, then the woman in the same flat voice told him that she was Nancy. “Mike told me you’d be calling,” she said. “I don’t know why you’re bothering. There’s nothing I can tell you.”

“I was hoping you might have seen or heard something the night your neighbors were murdered.”

“No. Nothing. Mike told you I was taking sleeping pills, right?”

“Yeah, he did, but if you could try to-”

“Look, you know about my pills. That’s my answer.”

Shannon stared out the glass door. Flashes of lightning showed in the distance. He listened for the rumble of accompanying thunder, but the lightning was too far off.

“I have a few other questions,” he said, his own voice flattening out to match Nancy Maguire’s. “Do you remember seeing anyone with either of the victims?”

“I told you, I was out that night.”

“Not just that night. Any night.”

There was another long pause. Then, “No, I can’t think of anyone.”

“If I were to fax you some photos, could you take a look at them and tell me if any of the people look familiar?”

“I told you, I don’t remember seeing anyone with them. Look, it’s late here, I got to get going.”

“Before you go, Mike wanted me to tell you he misses you.”

“Yeah, that’s nice.” Then she hung up. Shannon found himself shaking his head and staring at his cell phone. He put his phone away and went back to the waiting area to join Susan. Robideau was now standing next to her talking to her. Shannon joined his ex-wife. Robideau seemed surprised to see Shannon, but gave him a short nod before turning back to Susan.

“I’m sorry about your friend,” he told her.

She bit her lip, nodded. Shannon knew she was on the verge of tears. He took hold of her hand and squeezed it. Robideau noticed the gesture, excused himself and took a seat on the other side of the room.

Time dragged until a doctor came into the waiting area. He talked first with Robideau, then came over to Shannon and Susan. He introduced himself as Emily’s surgeon. “I have positive news,” he told them. “Emily’s still unconscious, and by no means out of the woods, but she’s doing much better. Her vitals have stabilized, her breathing is better and, while she has a fractured skull, the CAT scan shows no significant damage and far less swelling around her brain than we could’ve expected given the blow she received. Things are looking hopeful.”

A few tears broke loose from Susan. She wiped them off quickly. “When will you know that Emily’s out of the woods?”

“Regaining consciousness will be a big step. There’s no telling when that’s going to happen. It could be in a day, it could be longer. You just never know. The officer over there has left me his number to call when Emily’s status changes. If you’d like you could leave me your number also.”

Susan shook her head. “I’ll wait here for her.”

“That’s your choice. If you change your mind, feel free to leave your number with the nurse on duty.”

He left the waiting area, his gait showing that he’d had a long day also. A few minutes later Shannon received a call from Daniels telling him the sketch artist was waiting for him. After he got off the phone, he told Susan he had to go to the Boulder Police Station but that he’d be back as soon as he could. She nodded, signaled with her index finger for him to move closer, then kissed him lightly on the mouth. “Try not to smoke any more cigarettes,” she said.

When Shannon stepped outside, he took hold of his shirt collar and tightened it around his neck. It had gotten even colder than before. Earlier in the day the temperature had hit the mid eighties, now it was closer to fifty. Still no rain, but jagged flashes lit up the sky. He could now hear the thunder off in the distance.

At the station house, he went through several books of mug shots without any luck finding the younger Russian, Dmitry. He then worked with the sketch artist, who came up with a pretty good likeness. Shannon told him there was a good chance this one had a broken nose also. The sketch artist came up with a second drawing with the nose bandaged up and the eyes blackened.