“Jackson was released about twenty minutes ago,” he said, referring to one of the morning’s cases. “That’s it, but we’ve already got one for tomorrow. The guy they had on life support from the shoot-out over the weekend.”
“What’s on your schedule for the rest of the afternoon?”
I asked. “And that reminds me, I thought you had court in Petersburg.”
“The defendant pleaded.”
He glanced at his watch. “About an hour ago.”
“He must have heard you were coming.”
“Micros are stacked up to the ceiling in the cinderblock cell the state calls my office. That’s my agenda for the afternoon. Or at least it was.”
He looked speculatively at me.
“I’ve got a problem I’m hoping you can help me with. I need to track down a prescription that may have been filled in Richmond eight or so years ago.”
“Which pharmacy?”
“If I knew that,” I said as we took the elevator to the second floor, “then I wouldn’t have a problem. What it amounts to is we need to organize a telethon, so to speak. As many people as possible on the lines calling every pharmacy in Richmond.”
Fielding winced. “Jesus, Kay, there’s got to be at least a hundred.”
“A hundred and thirty-three. I’ve already counted. Six of us with a list of twenty-two, twenty-three, each. That’s fairly manageable. Can you help me out?”
“Sure.”
He looked depressed.
In addition to Fielding, I drafted my administrator, Rose, another secretary, and the computer analyst. We assembled in the conference room with lists of the pharmacies. My instructions were quite clear. Discretion. Not a word about what we were doing to family, friends, or the police. Since the prescription had to be at least eight years old and Jill was deceased, there was a good chance the records were no longer in the active files. I told them to ask the pharmacist to check the drugstore’s archives. If he was uncooperative or reluctant to release the information, roll that call over to me.
Then we disappeared into our respective offices. Two hours later, Rose appeared at my desk, tenderly massaging her right ear.
She handed me a call sheet and could not suppress a triumphant smile. “Boulevard Drug Store at Boulevard and Broad. Jill Harrington had two prescriptions for Librax filled.”
She gave me the dates.
“Her physician?”
“Dr. Anna Zenner,” she answered.
Good God. Hiding my surprise, I congratulated her. “You’re wonderful, Rose. Take the rest of the day off.”
“I leave at four-thirty anyway. I’m late.”
“Then take a three-hour lunch tomorrow.”
I felt like hugging her. “And tell the others mission accomplished. They can put down the phones.”
“Wasn’t Dr. Zenner the president of the Richmond Academy of Medicine not so long ago?” Rose asked, pausing thoughtfully in my doorway. “Seems I read something about her. Oh! She’s the musician.”
“She was the president of the Academy year before last. And yes, she plays the violin for the Richmond Symphony.”
“Then you know her.”
My secretary looked impressed.
All too well, I thought, reaching for the phone.
That evening, when I was home, Anna Zenner returned my call.
“I see from the papers you have been very busy lately, Kay,” she said. “Are you holding up?”
I wondered if she had read the Post. This morning’s installment had included an interview with Hilda Ozimek and a photograph of her with the caption “Psychic Knew All of Them Were Dead.”
Relatives and friends of the slain couples were quoted, and half of a page was filled with a color diagram showing where the couples’ cars and bodies had been found. Camp Peary was ominously positioned in the center of this cluster like a skull and crossbones on a pirate’s map.
“I’m doing all right,” I told her. “And I’ll be doing even better if you can assist me with something.”
I explained what I needed, adding, “Tomorrow I will fax you the form citing the Code giving me statutory rights to Jill Harrington’s records.”
It was pro forma. Yet it seemed awkward reminding her of my legal authority.
“You can bring the form in person. Dinner at seven on Wednesday?”
“It’s not necessary for you to go to any trouble – ” “No trouble, Kay,” she interrupted warmly. “I have missed seeing you.”