Page 34 of Death on Riddle Road

I slowed, contemplating the image of uniformed guards looming over hospice patients, watching them consume each palliative drug.Perhaps frisking them for any drugs they were secreting away in anticipation of a miraculous cure, to be followed immediately by a new career of drug-selling.

Clara pushed me ahead of her to keep me going.

“Pick up the phone.That’s all Dova has to do!”

Berrie’s voice stretched to keep up its volume as we gained distance.Perhaps that’s why Berrie went back to the simplistic slogan.

The result was my image of the uniformed guards now blended with Dova picking up a mammoth, filigree phone suited to a ritzy society dame in a black and white movie.

“Bye, Berrie,” Clara called cheerily, still pushing me.Lower, she said, “Pick up the phone and, what?Dova’s Frankfort and D.C.connections would have us carted off to jail?”

I chuckled.“Berrie’s delusions — of grandeur several times removed and of paranoia — have run away with her.”

“Or maybe it was her wishful thinking running away with her,” Donna said as we reached her.“She’d love to see the two of you cut down to her size.But she’s not wrong.Dova Dorrio does have connections.Including our esteemed congressman.”

Her tone turnedesteemedon its head.

“You’re not impressed by that connection?”I asked.

“No.He mistakes his own lack of foresight or imagination for having principles.Thinks he’s rock-solid, but only his head is.Securinghisgoodwill was a cake walk for Dova.She’s very good with people.”

“What do you mean by good with?”

“Just what I said.”And she wasn’t saying any more on that topic.

Clara said to me, “The Dorrios have a history of influence in the state, especially this area.”

“An ever more distant history,” Donna said.“Some would call it turnabout being fair play.”

“How?”Clara asked.

“All the times that branch of the family — most recently represented by Derrick’s father and mother — was holier-than-thou, and now it’s them bringing the wrong kind of attention to the name.You should talk to Derrick’s parents, Yale and Beverly Dorrio,” Donna said.

That was already part of our plan for the day.“What do you know about them?”

She slanted me a look that said,That’s for me to know and you to try to find out.

She then changed the subject, leaving no room for appeal.

“I will say, Berrie’s not entirely wrong about the other aspect.The drugs,” she clarified.“Plentiful and powerful.Which is why they have considerable security.That, after all, is what could attract thieves.So they’re very open about keeping a strict guard on them.The individual carers can’t access the drugs and even the nurses have limited access by predetermined timed locks.It was part of what they set in place to get approval to add hospice care at Kentucky Manor.

“But restricting access to the patients was never a consideration.The opposite, in fact.The idea is to let family and friends visit with as few limitations as possible, as long as the patient wants them to visit.”

“Did Derrick want visitors?”I asked.

Donna clicked her tongue.“I did not know the details of his short time there, Sheila.Why would I?”

Because she knew everything, even though she often chose not to share.

Then she unwittingly confirmed my premise that she knew everything.

“I do, however, know the carer who was assigned to him,” she said casually.“She drew the assignment because she has considerable experience in hospice care.Understandably, they did not want to expose someone new to the complications of his particular situation.I suggest you talk to her.Her name is Rose Gleiner.”

Clara expelled a discontented breath.“We know her name.She wouldn’t talk to us.”

“Oh?”

I confirmed, “Not a word.Except that it wasn’t what she was used to and she didn’t like it.”