Warren Murphy: Bottom Line

still weeping.

"He has suffered much already," Chiun said. "Whatever days are left to him will be lived with the knowledge that he killed his own sons." He glanced toward Remo. "And without extenuating circumstances."

Ruby shook her head.

"No," she said. "No way."

"What do you mean," Remo asked.

"Maybe you let it go like that but I don't," Ruby said. "Life ain't that cheap." She turned to a table

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behind them and fumbled with a glass. Remo looked at Chiun and shrugged.

Her right hand behind her, Ruby walked to the bed where Lippincott still sat.

He paid no attention as she unbuttoned the cuff of his shirt and slowly pulled up his left sleeve. When she had exposed his bicep, she took a hypodermic syringe from behind her, jammed it into his muscle arid squeezed.

Lippincott jumped at the shock. He slapped at his arm but Ruby had already removed the syringe.

"What?" he sputtered.

Ruby stared down at him, her eyes flashing.

"You wanna know what?" she said. "Just a little magic medicine from Dr. Gladstone's house of horrors."

"But what?"

"I don't know. I didn't bother to ask," Ruby said. "But some of her experiment stuff. Maybe it makes you afraid of the dark and you'll die some night when the bulb hi your nightlight burns out. Maybe it makes you afraid of high places and someday you'll be up on one of your skyscrapers and you'll get afraid and figure out the best way down is to jump. I don't know, sucker. I hope it makes you afraid of money 'cause you'd deserve that one." She looked across at Gloria. "I'm just sorry, lady, that I didn't save enough for you, too. But I wouldn't wanna hurt the doctor's baby."

She walked back to Remo and Chiun.

"Now we're done," she said. "Let's go."

In the hallway, she dropped the hypodermic into her purse. They walked in silence down to their car, parked in front of the mansion.

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As they were getting into the car, Remo asked her:

"What was in the syringe?"

"Water," Ruby said. "But Lippincott there doesn't ever have to know that."

"Do you think there is any kind of drug that would make him want to buy a painting of me?" Chiun asked.

"There's no drug that strong," Remo said.