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second miscarriage. He had done wrong, and it would eat at him until his death. |
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He would tell Terry what he'd learned about BiOmega and the machinations of Julius Wick and his wife. They couldn't offset his own guilt, but at least they could put the whole awful business in some perspective, maybe redirect her outrage. For what that was worth . . . |
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As they rode to the hotel, Calvin wondered where it would all end. He recalled reading someplace that seventy-five percent of the marriages in which a child died eventually ended in divorce. He suspected that his confession tonight would raise those odds. |
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They arrived at the hotel at nine-thirty. Terry unpacked her things, then stretched out on one of the twin beds. |
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Calvin poured her a glass of wine. She took a sip and relaxed against the pillow. She closed her eyes and let out a deep breath. He moved to the foot of her bed. |
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"Terry, I have something more to tell you . . . A couple of weeks ago I told you about how a research lab had buried some waste in the backyard." |
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The look in her eyes asked why he was bringing this up again. |
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"The water tests you had done turned up negative. Well, Mitch Tojian did a more comprehensive analysis and . . . they found something. An artificial hormone made in a lab back in the early seventies . . . the same chemical that they found in Matty." |
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Terry's hand moved involuntarily, spilling some wine on her wrist. |
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"It was also found in the miscarried fetuses." |
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There was a long hush. Then Terry made an inarticulate sound, as if trying to formulate words. Calvin rushed on as she pressed her face into the pillows. He told her the details of the dump and the cover-up. He showed her photocopies of their deed and the Newsweek story on Julius Wick. |
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"He was hand-picked for a prestigious job by the president just a few weeks ago. I believe they wanted to buy our place before word got out that this . . . stuff was in the water. Which explains the inflated offer. And the suddenly-endowed job at twice my salary. It was all a setup. Vile, vicious conspiracy and setup . . ." |
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