The doctor stood at the end of the bed studying the chart for April Weston. He lifted a few pages and then let them fall, his head shaking with confused disbelief. The drug levels were impossibly high and the combination was not something the average person even knew how to mix. On top of all that she showed indication of having been extensively sexually assaulted.

Wayne Jenner or no Wayne Jenner, he wasn't going to risk his career hiding this from the authorities. He checked the drips and the monitors then dimmed the room light and hurried down the hall to the nurse's station.

"Doctor, there's a call for you on line two."

He dropped his clipboard on the counter and reached over for the telephone.

"Doctor Crest."

"Wayne Jenner, Doctor. How is our patient?"

He felt a sliver of sweat run down his side and he licked dry lips. Did he say what he should or did he lie and pray for time? "Mr. Jenner. Miss Weston's toxic results came back today..."

"Yes, and?"

"Sir, she was full of a recipe of drugs that require an extensive knowledge in chemistry. Have you any idea how... or where?"

"I asked you how she was."

"Mr. Jenner, our internist specialist examined Miss Weston and found she was also the victim of some extensive, very aggressive sexual activity. Her injuries in that area are massive.

"I will ask one more time and then I will see that you are out of that hospital before morning. How. Is. Miss. Weston?"

"In light of what I just described, she is in critical shape and her recovery, as I mentioned previously, without all this other information I might add, is doubtful."

"Doubtful? What the hell is that? Will she recover or not?"

"My professional opinion... no. And I would point out that by law I will have to report the cause of death as I described, Mr. Jenner."

"Pack your bags, Doctor."

"Don't you dare threaten me, Mr. Jenner. Everything is on record here in the hospital and it's not just me that has access to that information."

"We'll see." The line went dead.

The doctor hung up slowly and stood staring at the clipboard.

"Something wrong, Doctor Crest?" The station nurse looked up from her keyboard.

"Anne, I want you to call the police and ask them to send a detective to my office, I'll wait there."

"Police! Doctor- what's wrong?"

"Just make the call Anne." He picked up the clipboard and went to the elevators.

Carl left Wayne's office almost rubbing his hands. He leaned into the doorway of the staff break room and called for his two buddies. Together they marched out of the building and climbed into the company Range Rover, spraying a bit of stone as they tore down the drive.

"You're kidding!"

"Nope. Jenner wants us to do the doc. Apparently, he's gonna report what happened to Weston to the cops."

"Shit, that means we'll be in the soup as well."

"That's why we're gonna do this doc and as insurance, we're gonna finish Weston as well."

"Did he say that?"

"It's what we're gonna do, alright!" Carl spun the wheel and the vehicle heeled over as it took the sharp turn onto the highway.

Doctor Crest finished writing on the tablet and sat back, rereading it. He breathed in heavily and then signed the sheet. It might well be the end of his career anyway, once the police initiate an investigation, he thought. Jenner couldn't make it any worse for him. He looked around the office and wondered what would happen to some of his private stuff.

He got up and began taking down his certificates and personal pictures, then he found an empty carton in the cupboard and began stuffing other things into it, things that would only be tossed if left behind.

Post cards from ex patients, thanking him for making their futures possible or blessing his talent, which gave them more time to live and hope. A golf trophy plaque that he won for coming last in an inter hospital tournament, depicting a cartoon golfer hammering a ball into a hole with a massive driver.

The three men came quickly up the stairs and waited until the floor was clear before hurrying down to the room occupied by April Weston. Slipping inside, one watched the corridor while the other two moved to the bed and placed a pillow over her face. April didn't even struggle; she wasn't even aware that her life was slowly being suffocated away.

"She's done. Let's get the doc."

The phone rang and he picked it up.

"Doctor Crest."

"Doctor, there are three gentlemen here to see you."

"Yes, I was expecting someone; send them down please." He replaced the phone. Three? What were they expecting? He set the carton on the floor and looked around again. How to greet them? Standing? Sitting? He swore to himself over his silly behavior, he was a professional, he would greet them professionally. The door opened without a knock and the three men stepped inside.

"Doctor Crest?"

"Yes- uh... are you the police?"

"You could say that." Carl moved swiftly to the desk and grabbed the doctor about the neck in an iron grip. One of the others selected a gold coloured letter opener from the desk and skillfully slipped it into the doctor's chest just below the heart. His eyes bugged and he tried to struggle but the wound was almost instantly fatal and he could only recall the silly golfing cartoon before he expired.

------------------------------

"That was Maurice on the phone." Gretta said standing in the kitchen doorway with her hand propped on one hip. "A doctor at St. Simon was found murdered in his office."

Arny waited, holding up his hands. "And?"

"His patient was also dead, she had been suffocated."

He stared at her and the suddenly felt a click and his mouth dropped open. "April Weston."

"This is not a coincidence, Arny. Jenner made an executive decision right after we left."

"But why kill her? What could she say that would... ohhh, shit..." he slapped his head. "She was the subject of that face book stuff, the management of feisty females. You were right."

"Jenner was cleaning up his own mess before I started nosing too deeply."

"Still, to kill her and her doctor!"

"Because of what he knew." She opened her cell phone and dialed a number. "Danny, guess who? I know my favours are expired but I need one more... a big one and I promise you won't be sorry."

Arny's head snapped up and he gave her a worried look.

--------------------------

Arny sat with his arms crossed, his face set stubbornly and his eyes straight ahead. The car raced along the same route taken previously and there was no mercy for anyone who slowed them down. Gretta slalomed through the highway traffic and had to take the exit on two wheels or need to drive another few miles before being able to get off. He said nothing. Normally he would be all over her driving, with little difference, but he would at least feel involved.

This was Gretta on one of her vengeance endeavors. What bugged him the most was her unexplained promise to the mysterious Danny she kept calling for information. What had she said, eleven years? Had Danny been in the picture all that time? He'd never heard of him before this project.

The road twisted through the farmland again and soon they came screaming up to the entrance to Balsam Grove. Gretta slammed on the brakes and sat staring through the windshield, barely breathing.

"This is a bad idea." Arny ventured, finally.

"Stay here then. I'm getting that stamp and if necessary, Jenner too."

"Gretta, let CONGA do this! They can handle the whole thing through the authorities and there'll be no need for you to go swinging through any trees."

"I'm fed up with battling Jenner over and over and this time he took it too far."

"Christ, Gretta, both he and Gravestone have tried to kill you a dozen times over, why is this so special?"

"You didn't read the hospital reports that Danny sent me. Jenner didn't just have April killed, he had her debased beyond belief."

Arny sputtered his exasperation. "All the more reason to let the authorities deal with it!"

She turned to him and locked eyes. "I'm doing this, Arnold. Don't get in my way." The door opened and she was gone, striding up the long drive, vengeance incarnate.