The 5th Horseman (16 page)
Authors: James Patterson
Tags: #Fiction, #Thrillers, #General, #Suspense, #antique
Kramer hoped to hell he was right.
Garza’s testimony could tip the case. This was it. Kramer smiled tightly and greeted his witness.
“Dr. Garza, you’re aware of the plaintiffs’ charges?”
“Yes. And I feel very sorry for the families.”
“I’m going to ask you specifically about the patients who were admitted by the emergency room while you were on duty.”
Kramer questioned Garza, beginning to feel better by the minute as the doctor explained away each of the patient fatalities in a reasoned, believable, authoritative voice. Garza was in a great groove.
“Do you see any pattern in these deaths, Dr. Garza? Anything at all?”
“I see the absence of a pattern,” Garza said, raking his thick hair away from his forehead. “I see the random, regrettable errors that happen every day in every hospital in the country. In the world for that matter.”
“Thank you, Dr. Garza. Your witness,” Kramer said to O’Mara.
Kramer watched Maureen O’Mara walk to the lectern, an expression on her face that cast a cold shadow over Kramer’s newborn feeling of relief. He knew Maureen. Had gone against her a few times before. She was always prepared, always smart, and a strong interrogator.
But he saw something now in her face that alarmed him.
She looked eager.
Womans Murder Club 5 - The 5th Horseman
Chapter 71
YUKI LEANED FORWARD in her seat as Maureen addressed the witness.
“Dr. Garza, Jessie Falk was your patient?” O’Mara asked. “Do you remember Jessie Falk?”
“Yes. Of course I do.”
“Your Honor, it’s been established that Jessie Falk was admitted to Municipal for cardiac arrhythmia. That her death was caused by the wrongful administration of epinephrine that caused her subsequent cardiac arrest and death.”
“Mr. Kramer?” asked the judge.
“That’s fine, Judge.”
“So stipulated.”
Yuki felt the tension in the air, imagined the expectation and dread of the dead woman’s husband, a young man sitting only three rows ahead of her.
“Dr. Garza, how did Mrs. Falk die?”
“As you said, she had a heart attack.”
“That’s true, Doctor. But what I mean is, can you describe her death so that we can better understand her last moments?”
Larry Kramer rose to his feet immediately. “Objection! Your Honor, Counsel is trying to prejudice the jury. This is outrageous.”
“Your Honor, I’m merely asking how the patient died. That’s what this case is about.”
“Yes, yes. Of course it is. Dr. Garza, please answer the question.”
Yuki saw surprise ripple across Garza’s face. That was interesting. He cleared his throat before he spoke.
“Well, she went into ventricular tachycardia. A very fast heartbeat.”
“Would you say that would have hurt her and frightened her?”
“Probably. Yes.”
“What else, Doctor?”
“She would have tried to contact anything in her immediate environment.”
“Claw at the sheets, for instance?”
“Probably.”
“Try to call out?”
“Your Honor!” Kramer broke in. “Out of respect for Mrs. Falk’s family—”
“I’m touched, Mr. Kramer,” said O’Mara. “Be concerned for my clients now.”
“Overruled. Dr. Garza, please answer the question.”
“She may have tried to call out. I don’t know. I wasn’t there.”
“What else, Dr. Garza? In medical terms.”
“She went into ventricular fibrillation. As the circulation to the brain decreased, she might have developed clonic movements — like a little seizure. Her skin would’ve gotten clammy. She would have felt dizzy and weak before she went into shock. The entire episode would have taken only two or three minutes until she became unconscious.”
“Doctor, are you familiar with the term ‘psychic horror’?”
Kramer got to his feet and spoke in a tone of deep disappointment. “Your Honor, I object. Counsel is trying to inflame the jury.”
“Overruled, Mr. Kramer. Psychic horror is a legally admissible term. I’m pretty sure you know that. Dr. Garza, please answer the question.”
“Could I have the question again?”
O’Mara emphasized each word. “Doctor, do you know the term ‘psychic horror’?”
“Yes.”
“Could you please tell us what it means?”
Garza shifted uncomfortably in his chair, saying finally, “It’s a term used to describe those few seconds before you die. You know that death is impending. You know there’s no way to avoid it.”
O’Mara linked her hands behind her back, said, “Doctor, an example of psychic horror is what that American journalist felt before he was beheaded by terrorists, isn’t that right?”
“If you say so.”
“Wouldn’t you agree that when Jessie Falk’s heartbeat tripled, she was scared out of her mind? That during those two to three minutes of horrific pain and terror, she experienced psychic horror?”
“She may have.”
“Only two to three minutes of horrific pain and terror?”
O’Mara paused. A rather long, uncomfortable pause.
Yuki watched the hands of the clock move slowly, knowing what O’Mara was doing. She was making sure everyone in the room felt how long it had taken for Jessie Falk to die.
Womans Murder Club 5 - The 5th Horseman
Chapter 72
CINDY WAS THERE in the courtroom’s press row, her fingers scrambling over her keyboard, getting down most of O’Mara’s cross-examination. It was sharp, incisive, fat-free, and merciless. One of the best interrogations she’d ever witnessed. This girl is good, every bit as talented as Larry Kramer.
“Doctor, you’ve told us that the death of Jessie Falk was a mistake. Now tell us this. How did this mistake happen?”
“I really don’t know how the epinephrine got into her IV bag. It wasn’t ordered, but look,” the doctor said, leaning forward in the witness chair, exasperation coloring his face, “doctors and nurses are human. Mistakes happen. People die. Sometimes a bad wind blows.”
There was a gasp throughout the courtroom. Cindy’s nimble fingers paused on the keys. What had he just said? A bad wind blows?
What the hell was that supposed to mean?
The collective gasp faded, and the room became as silent as a desert at noon. No one coughed, crossed their legs, or crumpled a candy wrapper.
O’Mara asked almost casually, “Did you have anything to do with this ‘bad wind,’ Doctor?”
Lawrence Kramer shot to his feet. “Objection! Counsel is badgering the witness. This has to stop.”
“Overruled. Sit down, Mr. Kramer.”
“What are you accusing me of?” Garza asked.
“You don’t get to ask the questions, Dr. Garza,” said O’Mara. “Fourteen of the twenty people whose families I represent were treated by you or died on your watch—”
Garza snarled, “How dare you?”
“Your Honor, please instruct the witness to answer.”
“Dr. Garza, answer the question.”
“I’ll ask again,” O’Mara said, her voice level, constrained. “Did you have anything to do with the deaths of those people?”
Garza drew himself up in the witness seat and stared hard at O’Mara. Cindy was thinking, He would shoot her if he could.
“I take the Fifth,” said Garza.
“I beg your pardon?”
“I said, I stand on the Fifth Amendment.”
Shock froze the faces of the jury; then the room seemed to explode with voices. Judge Bevins banged his gavel over and over.
“Thank you,” said O’Mara, a fleeting smile crossing her face. She even snuck a look at Larry Kramer. “I have nothing further for this witness.”
“What I meant to say . . .”
“That’s all, Dr. Garza.”
“The witness may step down. Court is in recess until nine tomorrow morning,” said the judge, slamming down the gavel one final time.
Cindy saved her file and stuffed her computer into her bag. Garza’s stunning statements were still repeating in her mind as she was swept along with the crowd moving out into the hallway.
Sometimes a bad wind blows.
I stand on the Fifth Amendment.
The doc had just written his own headlines.
And they were about to go nationwide.
Yuki was waiting for Cindy at the door. Her eyes were huge. It was as if she had just won this case herself.
“Cindy, do you believe what he said?”
“I sure heard it. That fool refused to answer on the grounds that he might incriminate himself!”
“He just admitted it,” Yuki said, her voice cracking. “That bastard is guilty, guilty, guilty.”
Womans Murder Club 5 - The 5th Horseman
Chapter 73
THE SMELL OF FRIED STEAK and onion and ripe plantains greeted me as I pushed open the door to Susie’s. My friends were already in deep conversation when I got to the table.
I bumped Claire down the banquette and ordered a beer.
“What’d I miss?” I asked.
“I wish to God you could have been in court today, Lindsay,” Yuki said, her face animated, truly alive for the first time since her mother had died. “Garza blew himself up,” she said. “Spectacularly.”
“I want to hear everything. Don’t skip a word.”
Yuki had been drinking, for sure. She took me literally, impersonating both O’Mara and Garza, repeating their words verbatim.
Cindy jumped in, the two overtalking each other, until Claire and I simply cracked up.
Cindy plowed ahead. “Thing is — no, really, you guys! All he had to say was ‘Nooooo. I had nothing to do with those patients’ deaths.’”
“Instead, he takes the Fifth!” said Yuki, slapping the table. She was glowering but elated. “What a jerk, stepping on his dick like that.”
“If you ask me, his conscience made him do it,” Cindy added. “The more I dig into Garza’s past, the more I find out what kinda bum he is.”
“More on that,” I said, holding up my empty glass. Loretta winked, returned with a refill. She also dropped laminated menus in front of us.
“For instance,” said Cindy, “he left several of his jobs under a dark cloud. Not exactly ‘You’re fired,’ but definitely ‘Here’s your hat. There’s the exit.’ At least once, he ducked a sexual harassment suit.”
“Why am I not surprised that Garza’s a skirt hound?” Yuki said. “Arrogant bastard. Totally in love with himself.”
Cindy nodded vigorously. “And more to the point, too many ‘accidents’ happened to his patients. If I hadn’t heard about other cases like his, I’d say it was unbelievable.”
“See, this is what gives me the willies,” Claire said. “Only about one out of ten hospital mistakes ever get reported. Most of the time the mistakes aren’t fatal — so, no problem. The patient survives and goes home.
“But even when patients die under totally hinky circumstances, people think doctors are so Godlike, they just accept whatever they’re told. I’ve seen it happen.”
“Not me. I don’t feel that way anymore,” said Yuki, her smile clouding over. It was like watching an eclipse of the moon. “I don’t think Dennis Garza is a god. Quite the opposite. I know he’s e-vil!”
Womans Murder Club 5 - The 5th Horseman
Chapter 74
YUKI LAY ON HER BACK IN BED, watching passing headlights splash patterns on her ceiling.
She’d woken up so many times during the night, she wasn’t even sure that she’d slept. Now, at a few minutes to 6:00 a.m., she was as awake as if a fire alarm had gone off under her pillow.
She threw back her blankets and went to her desk, where she booted up her computer. Three harplike notes rang out as she connected to the Internet.
She located his address on the first try. He lived less than a couple of miles away.
And he was e-vil.
Yuki threw her Burberry over her blue satin pajamas and took the elevator down to the parking garage, unlocked her Acura, and strapped herself in.
She felt exhilarated and reckless — as if she were about to step out onto the ledge of a tall building in a high wind in order to see the view. Gunning her engine, she dropped the car onto the steep downhill chute of Jones Street. Nothing ventured, right?
She braked at Washington, watched the cable car rattle along the rails, tapped her nails against the steering wheel. She anxiously waited another long minute behind a school bus making a pickup before turning left onto Pacific.
Then Yuki picked up speed, thinking she hadn’t felt this crazed when her dad had died. She’d loved him. She’d grieved and she’d never, ever forget her love for him.
But her mother’s death was different. It was a wound to her soul, a gross violation as well as a loss. She would never get over Keiko.
The fog parted as she turned onto Filbert. She frisked the house numbers on the pricey block with her eyes, finding 908 halfway down the street.
The house was very tall, three stories of pale yellow stucco frosted with a white trim.
Yuki sat parked in her car across the street watching the morning brighten in a conventional way. She stayed there a long time, hours; she was starting to feel like a madwoman.
The FedEx man picked up a package. A Mexican nanny pushed twins in a stroller, a terrier on a leash trailed behind, ordinary activities that were now tinged with her own sadness.
Then the garage door of the yellow house opened. A black Mercedes backed out.
There he was. Creepy bastard.
Yuki decided to follow him, so quickly it felt more like an instinct than a decision.
The two cars headed south in tandem, down Leavenworth, flying through twists and turns, steep climbs, and drops until the sight of Municipal Hospital filled her windshield.
Yuki signaled to follow the Mercedes into the parking lot, when she saw a police cruiser in her rearview mirror. She gripped the wheel and tapped the brakes.
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