Fourth. Nothing suspicious-sudden infant death syndrome, certified by
your friend Stephanie and backed up by a Rita Kohlet, M.D.”
“She’s the head of the General Pediatrics division. Stephanie’s
boss.
She was originally their doctor, was out of town when Chad died.”
“Uh-huh. Well, it all looks kosher. Now, in terms of the parents,
here’s what I’ve got so far. They live out in the West Valley and pay
their property taxes on time-lots of taxes, cause they own lots of
property. Fifty parcels.”
“Fifty? Where?”
“Right where they live-the entire surrounding tract is theirs.
Not bad for a college teacher, huh?”
“College teacher with a trust fund.”
“No doubt. Other than that, they seem to live pretty simple and
straight. Charles Lyman the Third drives a I985 Volvo 240 four-door,
received a speeding ticket last year and two parking citations, all
paid. Cindy Brooks Jones drives a Plymouth Voyager van and is pure as
the driven snow, infraction-wise. Ditto your surly nurse, if she’s
Victoria June Bottomley, DOB 4124/36, with an address in Sun Valley.”
“Sounds like her.”
“So far, Beaver Cleaverland.”
“You obviously didn’t get my message.”
“No. When and where?”
Around eleven. I left it with Rick’s sister.”
“I didn’t get any emergency call.”
“That’s cause I did a one beeper,” I said. “Respecting your business
procedures.” I recounted the suspicions my talk with Cindy had aroused
and my call to South Carolina.
“Joe Sleuth,” he said. just can’t control yourself.”
“Hey, with your fees, I figured anything I could do myself would be a
bargain.”
He grunted. “Knowing me is a bargain. Pneumonia, huh? So what’re you
saying? Her lungs clog, it messes her plans up, so she fucks up her
kids’ lungs-whatchacallit, projecting?”
“Something like that. On top of that, she was trained in respiratory
therapy.”
“Then why would she move away from respiratory stuff? Why the stomach
problems and the seizures?”
“I don’t know, but the facts remain: Lung sickness disrupted her
life.
And/or gave her a lot of attention.”
“So she passed it on to the kids in order to get more attention for
herselst Or got mad at being sick and took it out on the kids?”
“Either. Neither. Both. I don’t know. Maybe I’m just blowing air-no
pun intended.”
“That comment about being nuts. You think she suspects she 5 under
watch?”
“It’s possible. Or maybe she was just playing around with me.
She’s on edge, but who wouldn’t be, with a child constantly sick?
That’s the problem with this whole case-anything I see can be explained
several different ways. What does stick in my mind is the way she
blushed and fiddled with her hair when she talked about the army. I’m
wondering if the pneumonia story could be a cover for a psychiatric
discharge or something else she doesn’t want coming out.
I’m hoping the army can confirm it, one way or the other.”
“When’s the army gonna call you back?”
“The guy I spoke to didn’t commit himself. Said their health records
that far back aren’t computerized. Would health data be included in
the military data banks Charlie’s hacked into?”
“Don’t know, but I’ll ask him.”
“Thanks.”
“How’s the baby doing?”
“Full recovery. No neurological problems that would have caused her to
seize. Stephanie wants to watch her for a day or two.
Mom says she wouldn’t mind going home, but makes no effort to push
it-Miss Compliant, doctor knows all. She’s also claiming Cassie’s
talking more since I met her. She’s certain it’s something I did.”
“The old kiss-up?”
“Munchausen moms are notorious for it-the staff generally loves
them.”
“Well,” he said, “enjoy it while it lasts. You dig up some dirt on
this lady, she’s not gonna be kissing you anywhere.”
After he hung up, I took the mail, the morning paper, and a month’s
worth of bills to a deli in West L.A. The place was nearly fullold
people hunched over soup, young families with small children, two
uniformed policemen at the rear joshing with the owner, mountainous
sandwiches sharing table space with their walkietalkies.
I sat at the corner table at the front, to the left of the counter, and
had smoked turkey on onion roll, cole slaw, and Dr. Brown’s CelRay