They Called Me a Fraud, So I Walked Into the Don's House novel · Chapter 3 of 24

Chapter 3: The Consult

Lenora watches Gregory try to inject Alessio with a vial labeled L-1, sees him spot her coat and say nothing, and gets his text: Come home, Len.

Gregory arrived at noon in the gray coat I had bought him for his birthday.

I watched him come up the drive on a monitor in Rocco's security room.

He carried his black medical bag in one hand and a paper cup of coffee in the other.

He looked tired and kind, exactly like the man who had kissed my forehead on Saturday.

"Stay in here," Rocco said. "If he sees you, the whole plan dies."

"What plan?"

"Mr. Carbone's. He's going to act sicker than he is."

On screen, Alessio sat in the leather chair in his study with a blanket over his knees.

Yesterday he had filled the room. Today he sat slumped and gray, and he played it so well that I almost believed him.

"Alessio," Gregory said, and put a hand on his shoulder. "You're not eating. I can see it."

"I'm tired, Doctor."

"That's the disorder. We're going to beat it." Gregory smiled the smile that had won over every donor in the city. "I brought your supplement. A stronger dose this time."

He opened the black bag.

From a foam pocket he took a small amber vial with a white cap.

I knew that vial.

He turned the cap with two fingers, left, right, left, and I had watched him do it a thousand times.

It was how he opened everything he was nervous about.

"Rocco," I whispered. "Look at the label."

Rocco leaned in. The label was a plain white sticker with a single line in black marker.

It said L-1.

"Mean anything to you?" he asked.

"I need to test what's in it."

"That's not a no."

"It's not a lie either," I said. "I won't say it until I know."

Rocco looked at me for a long moment and let it go.

On screen, Gregory drew the clear liquid into a syringe.

"A little pinch," he told Alessio.

"Not today," Alessio said.

Gregory paused with the needle in the air. "I'm sorry?"

"My stomach's bad. I'd rather you leave it with Rocco. He'll give it to me tonight."

"Alessio, the whole point is that it works faster in the clinic."

"Then you'll come back tomorrow."

Gregory's smile held. I saw his thumb press the plunger down a little.

"Of course," he said. "Whatever you're comfortable with."

He capped the needle, set the amber vial on the side table, and picked up his bag.

"Rocco!" Alessio called without turning his head. "Show the doctor out."

Rocco's face did not change. "Stay here," he told me, and walked out.

I stayed. I put my hands flat on the console to keep them still.

Gregory walked down the hall with Rocco behind him.

He stopped at the front door.

My coat hung on the rack by the umbrellas where I had dropped it, still dark with rain, with the sleeve turned out.

Gregory reached out and touched the sleeve with one finger.

He stood there for a moment.

Then he took his hand away and turned to Rocco.

"Please give Alessio my best," he said. "And if Dr. Finley turns up, tell her I'm not angry."

Rocco opened the door. "I'll tell her."

"She's been through so much."

"I'm sure."

Gregory went down the steps to his car and did not look back.

He knew.

I was sure of it.

He had seen my coat, and he had said nothing, because Gregory never reacted to anything he meant to use later.

Rocco came back in, carrying the amber vial in a clean glove.

"He left it," Rocco said. "He wasn't supposed to."

"He wanted you to give it to Alessio tonight."

"And you want to test it."

"Yes."

"How long?"

"Until tomorrow morning, if you've got a room I can use."

Rocco set the vial in front of me carefully.

"The basement," he said. "Nobody's used it in years. I'll have a lab bench in there by dinner."

"Thank you."

"Don't thank me yet, Doctor. You recognized that label."

I did not answer, and he did not make me.

My phone buzzed on the console.

I turned it over.

It was a text from Gregory, sent from his car.

"Come home, Len. I'll fix it."

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