Buck Fever (30 page)

“Delayed reaction from the war perhaps? These men were called upon to be brutal one minute and perfect gentlemen the next.”

Hermanski sat into his leather desk chair. “Fuck. Now what do I do when he comes back? Have him arrested? What if he didn’t do it? What if—”

“But what if he did?” Dingman said, starring.

Hermanski picked up his desk phone, dialed the Troy-police investor’s number he kept nearby and related information that Dingman provided.

“They’re putting out an all-points bulletin on him, and coming over to give me protection. I don’t feel good gentlemen. I suggest you leave now. This has been one ugly week in my life.”

“I understand,” Dingman said. “Let us bug out.” He jabbed his elbow into Porter’s side and followed him out the building.

~ ~ ~

“Was that necessary? Where did you get the information that Lacarter was a trained assassin, and what’s this bullshit about a silent kill?” Porter asked, as the two reporters entered the rental car.

“I stretched a bit. Well actually, I found it on the Internet. Does not matter; we did our job and probably saved Hermanski’s life.”

“Or, destroyed an innocent man in the process.”

“Then it is my bad, eh?”

~ ~ ~

“What are you working on?” Dingman said, turning onto the freeway toward Detroit.

“Just trying to make sense out of our discussion at the hotel bar yesterday afternoon. My notes are a little lacking,” Porter said.

“You were a bit whacked after four martinis, eh?”

“I needed them; it’s been one stressful week.”

“Let us give Bob Sanguini a call and see what is cooking in West Branch?” Dingman took out his cellphone. He put the conversation on speaker.

“Hello, Louis. I recognized your caller ID,” Sanguini said.

“Hi, Bob. I have Jeb with me. We have had a challenging week here. Let me fill you in...” Dingman said and explained the events since leaving West Branch on the helicopter.

“Unbelievable. The bizarre deaths in Detroit and West Branch are creating quite a local buzz. Everyone’s suspicious of anyone with red eyes. The DNR halted hunting in this area through the end of the season and have the deer herd isolated and confiscated the one at the restaurant. Turns out Miss Kottle was the only one that had meat from it. West Branch has become a ghost town—just locals, no tourists. It will get interesting when Sulkin returns, especially if he still has amnesia. The sheriff is talking about a warrant for his arrest over the Lickshill incident.”

“Yes, we heard that Lickshill’s body is missing. Sulkin said some crazy things on the helicopter about making sure the government could not find his experiments. Perhaps those statements are related to the missing body.”

“Maybe. They did find the body, though. It was stuffed in the bottom of a casket in the showroom at the funeral home. The bedding was placed over the body so no one noticed it until a foul stench in the room led one of the sales associates to search the caskets. The sheriff is not sure he can charge Sulkin with any crime, but the family is threatening to sue the funeral home. The body was not embalmed completely and starting to decompose. Due to the possibility of further infection, it was confiscated by police and is being transported to the Michigan Disease Control Center in Detroit.”

“Whew, glad we weren’t there to see that,” Porter said.

“We have a lot of work to do to get this story out by year’s end. We need to dig into every historical reference to Ergot poisoning and see if we can make a connection.”

“Let me know how I can help. I can provide you with the local color.”

“Okay, thanks. I will send you a draft in a week or two. Bye,” Dingman said, ending the call.

“With Lickshill’s body coming to Detroit, we have a better chance of tying it into our story,” Porter said. Dingman nodded.

“When we get to the MDCC, you can have the car and take Katie home or wherever,” Dingman winked. “I am going to update Pillbock and see what the research department can uncover for us.”

“I don’t think Katie’s going to be in the mood for...ah...romance for a long time. I’m not sure she’ll want to be involved in rehashing this whole experience for a story, now that she’s become a central actor in it.”

“That is what will make this a story to remember. She will become a celebrity. Major news networks will scramble to interview her.”

“She has never liked the limelight; I’m not sure she could handle all that.”

“If you want this story to impact your career, you will talk her into it.”

Porter fidgeted as Dingman exited the freeway and entered Jefferson Avenue near the Times building.

Chapter 61

T
hree women and two men, wearing blue sweat suits and carrying plastic hospital bags waited in line in the nurses’ ready room. A nurse briefed them regarding building security and removed their plastic wristbands.

“Do you know who is playing this weekend?” Lopez asked Sulkin, standing in front of him.

“You’re kidding, right?” Sulkin said, acting offended.

“Sorry. Is there a problem?”

“Not if you think losing thirty years of your memory is a good thing. I don’t have a clue where I’m supposed to go. I have a brother coming from Jackson. Guess I’m going to live with him for a while.”

“Sorry, I still don’t understand.”

Katie Kottle chatted nonstop with Sissy Montagno about her pending baby. Mandi Hermanski looked bored.

“People, please stop talking. The doctor is here to brief you,” the nurse said, as Dr. Grace walked into the room.

“I know you are all anxious to leave and get on with your lives. There are a few ground rules I would like you to follow. First, if you feel as though you are relapsing into physical symptoms you experienced recently, call the hospital immediately. I don’t anticipate any follow-on issues, but we do not have all the facts related to this infection. Also, you are going to encounter news about events at the hospital that may seem foreign and disturbing to you. Please call the referral number listed on the checkout sheet if you wish to talk to me.”

“I heard that a patient committed suicide and some preacher killed himself in the hallway. Is that true?” Lopez said.

“What? Oh, my God,” Kottle said.

“You’re kidding. Could that have happened to the rest of us? What if we all go home and get so depressed that—” Sissy Montagno said, rubbing her stomach.

“Yes, we had several incidences where this disease became uncontrollable, but I can assure you that they were unique circumstances. You will probably hear about it on TV or read about it in the newspapers.

“What am I supposed to do now? You’ve taken away my life and left me a middle-aged man without a livelihood. I’ve got to start over,” Sulkin said.

“I understand your concern. Your memory could return within several days. We will stay in daily contact with you until you fully recover.”

“When can I come and pick up my husband?” Sissy Montagno asked.

“We are transferring Mr. Montagno to the Troy Beauford Hospital. He should be out within a week.”

“He’ll be at the Troy hospital? That’s great; then I can visit every day.” Her faced beamed contentment.

~ ~ ~

The waiting room door opened. Lopez walked out to greet his wife with hugs. Sulkin embraced his brother, patted his baldhead and began to ramble about his missing life. Mandi Hermanski stepped slowly up to Jack. She hesitated, then grabbed his neck and hugged tightly. Sissy Montagno walked up to the hugging couple and waited silently for a ride home. Kottle saw Porter standing behind Lopez and darted into his arms.

Chapter 62

J
ack Hermanski held Mandi’s arm as they walked toward the rear patio door of their home. Rusty barked from inside. Mandi wavered, her legs wobbled.

“You okay?” Jack said.

“Just a little tired, but I’ll be fine. I’m not looking forward to seeing the house. If I really did all those things you say, it must be quite a mess.”

“Let’s take it one day at a time. See, Rusty’s waiting to see you. Here boy.” Jack opened the patio door as Rusty rushed toward them. He stopped abruptly in front of Mandi, lay down and whined, then ran off into the living room.

“He’s afraid of me now, the little shit. He knows I’m going to beat the crap out of him if he messes up one more thing in this house.”

“Take it easy, he’s just confused. You two need to make amends. Go into the living room; I have a surprise for you.”

Mandi staggered past the kitchen and entered the living room. Rusty growled and retreated into a hallway.

“Oh, Jack, it’s beautiful. I love the carpet, and the drapes are perfect.”

“It took some finagling, but the insurance company paid for everything. See, your life is going to be normal in no time. By the way, I have something to tell you. It’s about Dillon and that lousy sister of his, Nora.”

“What? Dillon is the only one of your friends I get along with. He—”

“He stole fifty thousand from the company, and Nora apparently helped pass the money through petty cash.”

“You’re kidding, so what happens now? How did you find out?”

“Actually, George noticed it. Since the deer incident, he’s been able to add numbers in his head and...that’s not all. He thinks Dillon may have tried to cover it up by trying to kill him. George didn’t see anyone, but he remembers his head being forced down and then pain in his neck.”

“Oh, my God, where is Dillon now?”

“Cops are looking for him; he probably left town. Nora is still in jail.”

“I can’t believe this. So much has happened in the past two weeks. How could Dillon do such a thing?” Mandi sat into a chair by the picture window and reached down to stroke the carpet. “It’s got a nice texture. How about a Martini?”

Jack laughed. “That didn’t take long. See if you can make friends with Rusty while I take Sissy home.”

Mandi looked up and nodded as Jack walked toward the kitchen to retrieve his car keys.

~ ~ ~

“Are you going to be okay?” Jack Hermanski asked, as he guided Sissy Montagno on the walkway to her house.

“I think so,” she said rubbing her stomach.

“They are moving George to Troy Beauford tomorrow. I’ll pick you up, and we can go visit him. Okay?”

“I would like that a lot,” Sissy said, unlocking the door.

Chapter 63

S
leet danced off Lucinda Lopez’ coat as she guided her husband, Harry, up the steps to their Port Huron house. She reminded him that the steps were slippery. He carried his journal and note pages under his right arm while clutching the hospital bag with his left hand.

“I think it’s time we moved back to Ann Arbor. I have a lot of research to do. If my theories are correct, they could revolutionize physics. Michigan could become the university of choice for gravitational exploration.”

Lucinda stated concern in Spanish.

“You worry too much,” Harry said, and laughed. “I
am
normal, and these formulas
are
beginning to make sense. I don’t completely understand what I wrote, though. That’s why I need to be around other smart people that can make sense out this.”

Lucinda chirped more Spanish. Her hand shook as she mentioned Greppleton’s name.

“Don’t worry; no more hunting.”

Chapter 64

C
lustering snowflakes batted Katie Kottle’s eyelashes as she opened the door to her apartment and glanced at the lone couch fronting a TV. Porter stood behind her.

“Let’s go to your place; it’s too lonely in here,” she said, patting white flecks from her cold face.

“Do you think that’s wise? You’ve been through a lot and—”

“And what? Don’t you love me anymore? You think I’ve changed don’t you? You’re afraid that Rachel will surface at any moment, and you can’t handle that.” She turned to look at him and stroked her face, feeling for a mole.

“I...I just need to get adjusted to all of this, just like you do. I still love you.” Porter grabbed her arms, pushed them to her side, and kissed her forehead.

“You don’t even want to kiss me on the lips,” she said and broke away from his grasp. She walked to the couch, sat down and covered her face with a pillow.

“No, that’s not it; I just need some time, and so do you.”

“Go, just go.” She lifted an arm and waved without looking up.

“Okay. I’ll pick you up at seven AM. You be ready to go. We’ve got a front page story to write and ten days to do it.”

Porter walked closer and patted her shoulder. She grabbed his hand and looked up, smiling.

“Make it eleven o’clock and we can have lunch together. Remember the doctor said I shouldn’t work until one o’clock.”

“Okay, see you at eleven.”

Chapter 65

“There she is, the woman of the hour: Katie Kottle,” Cory Pillbock said, as Kottle and Porter entered the briefing room next to Pillbock’s office. Dingman waved from his standing position next to a white board with storyboard notes attached. Two other men sat at the long oak table with old news articles, notepads and Disease Control Center documents spread out near laptops in front of them.

“I told you he would be happy to see you return to work,” Porter whispered. Katie hesitated and proceeded to a chair. Porter followed, setting next to her.

“Are you ready to get back to work; are you excited? I’m excited,” Pillbock said. “How are you feeling?”

“I feel fine. Let’s get this story finished and out the door,” Kottle said, beaming. She opened her shoulder bag and slipped out her laptop and several notepads.

“That’s my girl.”

“You go,
girl
,” Porter whispered.

Kottle rolled her eyes at the two men sitting across from her as they acknowledged her presence.

“Hi, I’m Joe Chekless; I just started last week,” one man said.

“Casper Jordan, here, you saw me downtown,” the other man said.