Overkill(30)

“And you read the parts she’d highlighted.”

“Twice.”

“When did you last sleep?”

Zach opened his eyes. “What?”

“You heard me.”

“She left my house about, uh… I don’t know. After reading the transcript, I booked my flight, packed, and drove to Atlanta. Left my car in a remote lot at the airport and slept for a few hours at one of the hotels there.”

Bing said, “Then took an early flight to New Orleans, went to the hospital and had your meeting, then back to the airport for a return flight to Atlanta.”

“Picked up my car and drove here,” Zach said testily. “Which I’m beginning to regret. I came to you for advice, and you’re talking like a damn travel agent. What am I supposed to do, Bing?”

Unfazed, Bing said, “Well, first thing I advise is that you get some rest. You’re too exhausted to think through a dilemma like this. Have you eaten?”

He waved that off. “Ms. Lennon is afraid that Clarke will get word of what she’s after and take off to parts unknown. In which case, she’ll have lost her shot.”

“How determined is she?”

“I think she’s made it a mission, but she hasn’t told me why.”

“It’s her job.”

“Yeah, but I get the sense there’s a personal slant.” He only realized as he spoke the words that he had sensed that about Kate. Her packaging was petite, but she had a crusader’s persistence.

“Is she a man-hater?” Bing said. “Blames us all for the sins of a few?”

“No, she’s not like that.”

“What is she like?”

He had hoped Bing wouldn’t ask, but now that he had, he hedged. “All business, articulate, smart. She’s doing this covertly. Says her success depends on secrecy. First wind of it, and Clarke would take to the skies, which is why she wants my decision sooner rather than later.”

“Then tell her later. For crissake, Zach, this is a decision nobody should ever have to make. Tell this Lennon woman to back off. Give yourself a day or two.”

“I would. But in a day or two, the dilemma I’m faced with could be the hot topic on every TV talk show. Dr. Gilbreath said her staff was all aflutter over me being there. She reminded them of the strict privacy policy, but I was relieved as I left the building not to see news vans parked outside.

“I’m certain Doug will learn that I was there. He’ll go apeshit.” He lowered his head and rubbed his gritty eyes. “I admire the guy, Bing. I was in that room for five minutes at the most. When I came out, I was weak in the knees. Came close to losing it in Dr. Gilbreath’s office. I expected it to be awful. But it was worse than awful. Much worse.

“Doug lives with it, day in, day out. He’s hands on. Rebecca’s fate should lie with him, not me. We could have guardianship switched over to him, but could we do it secretly? I doubt it. That’s the hitch. The gossip-mongers would be clamoring to know why now? That might get Clarke’s antenna up and blow any chance Ms. Lennon has of getting another indictment.

“Besides that, I wouldn’t want the publicity for Doug or me. The rumors and speculation circulating all over again? No thank you. What if someone at the facility was low enough to leak pictures of Rebecca to the media? God, I can’t bear the thought. Dr. Gilbreath has faith in her staff’s commitment to the patients and their privacy, but I’m afraid it would go right out the window if enough money was offered.”

Zach noticed that Bing hadn’t chimed in for a while. He was tugging on his lower lip, seemingly deep in thought.

“Are you listening?” Zach asked.

“Yes, and I’m paying attention. I’m just thinking about all the lives that continue to be wrecked because of that Clarke shithead. I’d love to see that Lennon woman come through.”

Zach hadn’t yet forgiven Kate for sending him the trial transcript, although he’d learned a lot from reading it. She had highlighted the prosecutor’s opening statement and closing argument. She’d highlighted the defense attorney’s fiery rebuttal. Also highlighted were the testimonies of Calvin Parsons and Theo Simpson, who’d steadfastly denied that Rebecca had been a victim.

She’d also highlighted the testimonies of the doctors who saw Rebecca when she arrived at Emory’s ER, as well as the testimonies of specialists who assessed her condition after they brought her out of the coma.

He said to Bing now, “The trial transcript didn’t make for light reading.”

“I’m sure it didn’t. But it spurred you to drop everything, come down from your mountain hideaway, and go see for yourself the damage that degenerate did to Rebecca.”

“What are you getting at?”

“Like the Lennon woman says, Clarke will remain free unless you—”

“Bing, I can’t. Whenever I heard of taking someone off life support, I thought of turning off a ventilator. It’s horrendous even to think about flipping that switch, but at least it’s over in a matter of minutes. Less.

“Rebecca isn’t on a ventilator. Do you know what I would have to authorize? Removal of the feeding tube. No more fluids.” Zach leaned forward, propped his elbows on his knees, and covered his face with both hands. “It could take days. Is it any wonder that Doug is so opposed to it? Who could bring themself to do that? I just can’t.”