BLIND TRIAL by Brian Deer (good books to read for adults .txt) 📕

at another clinical trial database as long as I live.”

Hoffman tried to sit on the table, but it tilted under his weight. “Okay, okay. You got yourself a deal. But please come back. Until you contacted this person, she probably forgot she ever had a sister.”

“What nonsense.”

“You know what folks are like when you get five minutes north of the Golden Gate. Nuts as a breakfast bar. And bear in mind this sister you’re talking about here may someday connect her sister with a company she sees an economic interest in suing back to the scrap value of Marcia’s favorite chair.”

“What nonsense. Sue over what? You people are always coming out with that drivel. Can’t buy a box of rats these days without an affidavit saying they got no fleas.”

“Rightly so. And have you any idea how many suits we’re getting? Two a week. Every week. Most over that InderoMab shit. Pardon me, product.”

“I never worked on that.”

“What we don’t need now is some trying-it-on plaintiff coming up with something on discovery about how we were nosing around out here before the vaccine was even licensed. That has the smell of prior knowledge. And prior knowledge, Trudy, can mean punitive damages.”

“Talk such nonsense. Prior knowledge of what?”

“Anything. Hostage to fortune. Could be anything in the next thirty years.”

“Ridiculous. Ben tells me none of the people he’s spoken with have raised any issues. All there is for us to worry about are those SPIRE forms.”

Time to recalibrate volume and angle. “Trudy, sweetheart, even so. Please come back to the hospital. Please. I’ve a file in my bag on the addendum to your retirement package. We can tidy up the details over lunch.”

The old girl winced as if she’d shifted in her seat. “I’m telling you, if I come back, I’m not looking one more time—not one more time—at that godforsaken database. And that’s a certain fact.”

“Sure. Fine. That’s okay by me. Doctorjee and Frank can look at it. You and me, we can talk about your package. I can tell you we may have found a tad more flexibility on the company’s side. But I gotta tell Marcia we had this meeting.”

“And she’s ignoring me.”

“No, she’s not. She’s only very busy.”

Now a long pause and sounds of the road. “Alright. Very well.”

“That’s why we’re here to help. Flew in late last night. Good. Okay. Doctorjee wants to speak with you.”

He passed his phone to the executive vice president, who was leaning across the table, sweating.

“Ahh, good morning Doctor Mayr. Now what is all this, in fact? Ms. Gelding is most perplexed.”

“So nice to speak with you again.”

“Now, Trudy, this is the second time in a week Ms. Gelding has been troubled over this issue. She is extremely busy at this juncture, with the announcement on Monday, as you would imagine, and is now somewhat agitated.”

“She needs to know.”

“Perhaps. But we do have clear lines of accountability to avoid situations like this developing. And once again they have been most unfortunately circumlocuted.”

“If Murayama’s involved, she needs to know.”

“Ahh, yes, but I should remind you that you report to me in the first instance. So, I would be most grateful if you will attend the meeting here as per Mr. Hoffman’s advice. We will anticipate your imminent return.”

Thirty-five

BEN SET the cruise control to 60 mph and the gap began to close on a cream Winnebago towing a twelve-foot speedboat at fifty. He glanced in the rearview, signaled left, drifted out, and passed without touching the gas. As the RV fell behind, he checked the mirror again, signaled right, and returned to the slow lane.

“Look, I’m an old woman and I wouldn’t be going this speed with a mattress on the roof.”

“Guess I’m pretty cautious, what with it being a new car and everything.”

“Ben, it’s a rented car.”

He let the speedometer rise by 10 mph and scanned local radio stations. Then he gazed through his Maui Jims as the landscape opened up between Novarto and Santa Rosa. He saw oak-dotted hills, and housing developments that might have been thrown up valleys from a bucket. He saw the Northwestern Pacific Railroad barrel beside the freeway as it skirted the Mendocino mountain range.

“Honestly, ma’am, I think we should turn back. Mr. Hoffman was pretty definite about that.”

“Now you look here, this is my investigation we’re talking about here. So, I’ll decide what we do, thank you. Not Theodore Hoffman, and certainly not Viraj Grahacharya. Marcia Gelding said adhere to the agreed arrangements. And the agreed arrangements are to satisfy Dr. Honda.”

“You bet.”

She cranked back her seat and adjusted a pair of pillows that she’d borrowed from her room at the Hyatt. Then she stared at the sky until her eyelids drooped and, minutes later, Ben heard soft snores. A gob of spit gathered near the corner of her lips. A pack of Dorals rested in her lap.

Asleep beside him, she looked so harmless: the sex doll was fully deflated. But he couldn’t help thinking about this lady’s motives. She’d been happy with his plan to split Sumiko from the Jap. She was another sneaky chiseler, like the rest.

As they passed the exits for Santa Rosa, his phone vibrated. Hoffman sounded madder than last time. “You listen to me now. If you do nothing else in this sorry life, you do not take the old girl to Garberville.”

“No problem,” Ben whispered. “No sweat. Got it covered. Everything’s screwed down. Trust me.”

“In case you’re missing this, I don’t care if that car turns around, breaks down, or explodes in a ball of fire. You do not take her to Garberville. Understand?”

“Sure. I got it. No problem.”

Now the landscape evolved into vineyard country, the Alexander Valley, and Russian River.

They wouldn’t go to Garberville. He could square this circle.

But first he’d call Sumiko.

SHE WAS surfing local news when Ardelia transferred his call.

“Hello Ben. Look, I’m worried. Hiroshi’s disappeared.”

“How d’you mean, ‘disappeared’?” He spoke so softly she could barely hear him. “Left town, you mean? Checked out,