Page 13 of Her Last Warning
Rachel nodded."The similarities are too specific to ignore."
"Am I allowed to know who the victims were?"
"Marcy Connors and Robert Hayes," Rachel said, watching Walsh's face carefully."Would you happen to know either of those names?"
After a few seconds of consideration, Dr.Walsh shook her head slowly."I'm sorry, but neither name is familiar to me."She paused, considering."They experienced unexpected recoveries?Both of them?"
"Complete reversals of terminal diagnoses," Novak confirmed."The kind of cases that make medical journals.And they were all quite recent…just in the past few months."
Walsh's lips pressed into a thin line.The setting sun caught the silver threading through her dark hair, creating a momentary halo effect."While such cases are rare, they're not unheard of.I've documented several myself over the years."She gestured to a wall of framed certificates and awards—nice space fillers for a lobby where it was important to quickly establish your credentials.."It's actually become something of a specialty of mine, studying these outlier cases."
"Yes, we know…and that's partly why we're here," Rachel said."Given your experience in this field, we were hoping you might be able to point us toward individuals or groups who might have strong negative reactions to these types of recoveries.Perhaps medical professionals whose reputations or positions might be threatened by having their terminal diagnoses proved wrong?"
Even as the words left her mouth, Rachel felt the theory growing weaker.Walsh seemed to share her skepticism before she even answered.
"I understand the logic," Walsh said, "but I don't think you'll find what you're looking for there."She stood and walked to the window, her silhouette stark against the deepening sunset."In my experience, most medical professionals are overjoyed when a terminal patient defies the odds.It validates everything we work for."She turned back to face them."Yes, I occasionally receive angry correspondence about some of the experimental treatments I've advocated for, but that's more about methodology than results."
“Have you ever been seriously threatened in any way?”Novak asked.
“No, but there was a moment about a year or so ago when I sent an email I’d received to the police.It was threatening in nature…spewing out threats of sexual abuse.And the sender indicated they knew where I lived.”
“Did anything come of that?”Rachel asked.
“Yes, actually.The police contacted me several days later to let me know they’d linked that email to emails and texts sent to other medical facilities that leaned toward experimental measures.Two men were arrested for it.”
“Do you know if they’re still in jail?”
“I believe they were given three years each.So by that timeline, yes.I’d assume so.”
“Can we get their names?”Novak asked.
“I don’t have them,” Walsh said apologetically.
“That’s fine,” Novak said.“We can reach out to the police and ask for them.”
Rachel was about to pivot the conversation toward another angle – perhaps exploring cases where families had their hopes raised only to be devastated – when her phone vibrated.The screen displayed a number she didn't recognize.
"Excuse me," she said, standing and moving a few steps away."This is Special Agent Gift."
"Agent Gift, this is Sergeant Lane."The voice on the other end was tight with tension.She recalled Lane from the scene at Marcy Connors’s house."I wish I was calling with better news, but it looks like we've got a third victim."
“Clearly linked?”she asked.
“Looks that way.”
Rachel's free hand clenched involuntarily.Behind her, she could hear Walsh speaking quietly to Novak about recent developments in terminal care research, her voice carrying the same measured calm it had maintained throughout their conversation.The sun had finally dipped below the horizon, leaving the lobby in twilight shadows.One by one, automatic sensors began switching on the office's overhead lights, creating pools of brightness that seemed to emphasize the growing darkness outside.
"Give me the address," Rachel said, already reaching for her notebook."We'll head there now."
“I’ll text it to you after this call.”
“Thank you,” she said.With the call over, Rachel glanced back at Walsh, who was now standing near her wall of credentials, pointing out a particular certificate to Novak.Something about the doctor's perfectly maintained composure needled at Rachel.It wasn't unusual for medical professionals to develop a certain emotional distance, but Walsh's reaction to news of the murders had been almost too controlled.Not quite right.
Or maybe, Rachel thought, she was seeing shadows where there were none.The case was getting to her, making her question every interaction, every reaction that didn't fit her expectations perfectly.She'd have to be careful not to let that instinct lead her down unproductive paths.
"Dr.Walsh," Rachel said, returning to the seating area."Thank you for your time.We may need to follow up with you if anything else comes to light."
Walsh nodded, professional mask firmly in place."Of course.Though I hope you understand that I'll need to see proper documentation before discussing any patient information, should it come to that."
