Page 41

“What did you find out?” I ask, skipping the conversation starter formalities because I need to get to the heart of this matter.

“There’s a lot to unpack here. But at the center of it all is something very strange and yet completely mundane.”

“Jesus Christ, Aid, stop talking in riddles,” I spit out in frustration. Aiden tends to use his big brain to speak above people, and it drives me crazy.

“Ever hear of a plant called a euphorbia resinfera?”

“No.”

“Well, the chemicals you found are interesting in light of the other elements found. I had to do some digging, but in conjunction with other elements, it seems a strange combination because the chemicals mirror some plant elements that are also present in both samples. It’s an evergreen found in Morocco. It has the ability to numb nerves, but it also can be toxic and cause joint paralysis. There were additional traces of thyme which is commonly used in anesthetics. Neither of these is unusual to find in pain meds or anesthetics; it’s the volumes used that were unusual and the combination with those chemicals,” he explains.

“So, this is unique? Both the sample from Tina’s case and the samples found recently show this?” I ask, referring to the young woman we found in college.

“Correct.”

I pause at his answer because this only means one thing.

“Is there any doubt they are manufactured by the same laboratory? Are we talking about something so unique that there’d only be one source?”

Aiden takes a deep breath. “Yes.”

“So…” I trail off as a few pieces of information start to form a puzzle piece in my mind.

“Whoever made the drug that Tina took is still making drugs,” he agrees with me without even hearing my thought.

“Fuck.”

“Yeah, double fuck.”

“Any idea where it’s being made? Could it be related to Confervo’s medicine that they made in Geneva?” I ask.

“No idea. I think I need to call Ella,” Aiden says. I can practically hear his jaw clenching. Ella or Estella Garcia is Aiden’s ex-girlfriend. They met while working on a summer project at Walter Reed during medical school. I’ve never seen such an intense relationship form from day one. Nor have I seen a relationship go up in flames as hot as theirs. They haven’t spoken since that day and I’m honestly shocked that he’s even considering reaching out to her.

“Isn’t there someone else you can talk to?” The words leave my mouth before I can take them back.

“It’s been years. It’s fine. It’s purely for professional reasons,” he states. His words are clipped, and I know he doesn’t want my input on this.

“Fine. Let me know what you find out,” I say.

“Yeah, will do. And, Sebastian, be careful. Something about this doesn’t seem right. Whoever is producing this, they don’t want people to know it’s being administered or has been administered to people. Just…watch your back.”

“I will. You do the same.”

I hang up and immediately check my rearview mirror. No one’s following me. Why is Aiden being paranoid? No one even knows we’ve made a connection on these seemingly random cases. I push aside my feeling of unease and call my campaign manager to discuss next week’s fundraising event.

I need to focus on my Senate campaign. If we can make a connection here and share it with the police, then I guess I’ll feel slightly vindicated about all the terrible shit I’ve done in my life. And if it’s somehow related to Confervo, then maybe I save myself from being associated with a company making and distributing an illegal drug. I’m not entirely sure what is driving me to figure this out, yet my gut now tells me to keep going. Perhaps I was wrong to stop Alexis from prying into things any further, she may have been going down the right rabbit hole the entire time.

Chapter18

Alexis

My phone ringsas I’m walking up to the Longworth Building.

“Harriet?” I answer.

“Have you seen Sebastian?” she asks.

I frown. Harriet is practically his keeper. The fact that she’s calling me is…not good. Sebastian was in a mood last night. And not his normal mood. He shared so much with me. I was surprised by how forthcoming he was. And more surprised when he abruptly ended the evening. That man’s mood shifts give me whiplash.