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Spence asked Caelan to leave so they could examine and evaluate Barbara Ann. He kissed his wife, told her that he would be right outside, and took a seat beside the security guard he had assigned to watch over her. They talked at length about the new doctor and Caelan's concerns. He asked Bruce to share those concerns with his relief at shift change.
He then left briefly to use a phone in the conference room the nurse provided upon request.
Beverley came out after an hour, leaving Spencer and his nurse with Barbara Ann. "Isn't he impressive? He's considered one of the best at his specialty!"
"So, how did he end up in Corpus Christi? I'd have thought Mayo, or Johns Hopkins, or somewhere 'the best' seem to congregate," Caelan asked.
"He says he loves Texas and the Gulf Coast so he came here! I'll bet you two become close friends since you are so much alike!" she continued, oblivious to Caelan's expression and tone of voice.
Beverley said her goodbyes and went to see another patient; Caelan and Bruce, the guard, exchanged glances and a few words.
The nurse exited, nodded at Caelan and Bruce, and scurried away. An hour passed before Dr. Spencer emerged. Caelan immediately arose to enter the room.
"I gave her a sedative, Mr. Kelly. She needs to rest now. I know you and her family want to see her, but stimulating her at this point may cause a relapse, so please stay away for a few days while we work with her. I'll let you know when you can see her again."
Without waiting for a response, he turned and walked away, stopping at the nurse's station to turn on the fake charm. Caelan said, "See what I mean, Bruce?"
"He is everything you said; I'll brief Gus when he comes on, and we'll keep a close eye on this situation. Maybe you should get some ears in there too."
"Good idea; let's make that happen tonight."
After his banishment, Caelan went back to her parent's house. The kids were playing outside, under the supervision of Gary and Peggy. Amelia and Sean were waiting anxiously for the update, but Caelan asked them to wait for a few minutes. He found Gloria, the twenty-something Latina maid, and asked her to watch the kids for a few minutes. She winked and replied, "Anything for you, Mister Kelly."
After they were relieved, Peggy and Gary came in with confused looks. "I want to say this once, and I want all of you here when I do. First, Peggy, are you still on the Board at Spohn?"
"I'm not; I gave my seat to my good friend, Jane."
"Please call and ask about the new doctor they just hired named Carlton Spencer. I was told he's some kind of rehab specialist who works with the lingering effects of drug abuse and overdose. He's working with Barbara Ann now, but I didn't have a good first impression. Find out why 'one of the leaders in his field' is here rather than at someplace like Mass General or Cedars Sanai.
Don't take offense; maybe he just wants to be here and I'm full of it, but my radars all went off as soon as I saw him... and the look he gave my wife."
Peggy didn't learn much more; Jane gave Peggy the same promo Caelan had already heard from Beverley.
They huddled and Caelan gave them the short report of his impressions during the short time he was able to spend with Barbara Ann before he was ordered out, and then banished.
They were upset that the doctor didn't want any family around her, but were willing to give him the benefit of the doubt that Caelan wasn't. "Don't spread this, but I've already sicced the dogs on him. I'll know everything about him in a few days, and I'll share it with you. Meanwhile, keep digging; I'd like to see the documentation and recommendations he gave the hospital."
Caelan changed into swim trunks and joined his kids in the pool. Gloria lingered, giving him the eye until Amelia called her back inside. At age 32 he was as buff as ever, and he worked hard to keep it that way.
It took the kids until lunch was served to get over their exuberance at seeing their daddy. They hadn't mentioned mommy while in the pool, but Dos asked about her as soon as they came down to eat after dressing. Caelan explained that she was getting better but needed to sleep a lot, so it would be a few days before they could go see her.
Having mollified the kids, he turned his gaze to Amelia, who mouthed, "I have info. Meet me in the dining room."
***
Lauren and Kara had been released the day before. They were feeling okay but were still tired, so they had gone back to the aunt's apartment in Port A to rest. They felt better today, and decided to go visit Barbara Ann in the hospital. They brought a change of clothes with them, hoping to spend the night at the McLaughlins or Kellys, and arrived at the hospital a few hours after Caelan left.
Dr. Spencer had left strict instructions that no family members were to be allowed to see Barbara Ann without his approval, but his prohibition did not include friends. The nurses reviewed the orders, and then escorted them into their friend's room. She appeared drugged and was very reserved, but her bubbly friends slowly brought her out of the fog.
When Barbara Ann began talking more lucidly, she described her treatment and the doctor's explanation for her having fallen into a catatonic state. The girls exchanged puzzled looks; the explanation she seemed to be robotically parroting was far from the truth as they knew it, and the esteem in which she held her new doctor was almost as concerning.
Lauren and Kara let her finish, then exchanged looks and whispers while she was still prattling on. Lauren redirected her to the explanation the doctor had given her. She repeated her original statement almost word for word, staccato. They again exchanged concerned looks and shakes of the head, but she again seemed not to notice. She wasn't even looking at them; she was staring at a spot on the far wall.
Dr. Spencer was not pleased by their presence when he entered the room about an hour after they arrived, but they explained they were her new friends, and then charmed him with flattery and flirting. Barbara Ann watched their banter with a small frown.
After a few minutes of vibrant conversation, he escorted them outside, smilingly told them they could come back anytime, and gave them his contact information, "In case you need updates about your friend... or just want to talk to me."
They fled the hospital and proceeded to the Kelly home; finding it unoccupied, they went on to the McLaughlins'. Gloria let them in and directed them to the office, where they found Amelia and Caelan engaged in deep conversation about Doctor Spencer. They exchanged greetings, and then animatedly described the situation they found when they visited their friend.
"Given what you and Peggy learned, and what Lauren and Kara observed, Amelia, I think you and I need to run over to the hospital and test whether Spencer really has her in isolation. If he won't let her mother in, we know just how bad this is!"
Kara and Lauren volunteered to go with them, but Caelan told them they needed to stay on Spencer's good side, and being seen with him would negate their headway. He asked that they stay with the kids instead, and they readily agreed.
Amelia expressed her grave concern as they drove, and they discussed ways they could circumvent Spencer's influence, including transferring her or refusing to allow him to serve as her doctor. The problem there was that Barbara Ann might not allow either, if she were truly under his influence. Next, they discussed having her declared incompetent by a judge, and then taking the appropriate action. The biggest drawback was the time that would take, but they agreed to get the lawyers started if they weren't allowed to see her.
Caelan hung back around the corner when Amelia approached Barbara Ann's room, only to be told she was not allowed visitors by the nurses at the station. Amelia made the case that, as her mother, she had every right to see her daughter, but they explained that Barbara Ann had signed papers excluding her from the approved visitor list. Only Kara and Lauren were approved.
Caelan then approached, and was told the same thing. The nurses looked perplexed, but stated they couldn't let them in, and would have to call hospital security if they tried to enter.
Amelia's distress was apparent, and she began telling them she'd take legal action if she wasn't allowed in to see her daughter! Caelan interrupted her to say they needed to accede to her wishes so she could recover more quickly.
Appearing to have capitulated, he asked where he could find the security guard wounded in the kidnapping, Ismael Garza. He was directed to the fourth floor. Before he left the sixth floor, however, he spoke with Bruce, who was back on duty. "Did Gus get the tape recorder installed?"
"Yes," Bruce replied, "when should we retrieve it? They watch me pretty closely, but Gus says the night shift is more lax."
"Not until Doctor Spencer has met with her today. One of you change out the tape and get the used one to me. Tonight or tomorrow morning is fine.
How long did he stay this morning?"
"Almost two hours, and this time his nurse wasn't with him. I tried to listen in, but the nurses were watching me like hawks. He seems to have this bunch under his spell... except maybe the young one with blonde hair. She looks like this whole thing is bothering her."
"That changes things; tell Gus to get the tape from the room ASAP, and call me. I'll come get it.
Have you seen Ismael? I'm headed there now."
"Yes, Boss, and he's improving. He's still weak, but getting better. He'll be glad to see you!"
He was, and he enjoyed Amelia's presence even more. They stayed for over an hour, until the nurses brought his lunch and medications. Caelan made a phone call from his room, and then they left, with a promise to return tomorrow.
Caelan had a serious conversation with Amelia as he took her home, after which he headed to the airport where his plane and pilot were waiting. The pilot told him he had an important phone call to return before they left, and handed him the number. He diverted to the hanger and returned the call. When he returned to the plane his jaw was set and homicide was shining in his eyes.
A suburban with Carlos as driver was waiting at the Victoria airport; he took him to the address he had been given for Theodore Drago.
Theo lived in a rundown duplex on the edge of town, and his shiny convertible looked badly out of place in the carport. It didn't appear that anyone was living in the other half, and the nearest neighbor was a quarter mile or more away. That fit Caelan's plan perfectly; Carlos dropped him off with orders to be back in an hour.
He knocked on the door, stepped to the side, and waited. A puzzled Theo opened the door but didn't see anyone, so he leaned out to look around. That move got him an open-handed slap that made his ears ring, his jaw ache, and his eye blurry; he staggered backward into the room. Caelan followed and slapped him with other hand, which left him completely disoriented. He staggered backward and fell onto the couch; Caelan hit him in the forehead with the palm of his hand, knocking his head backward and further scrambling his brain.
He started to cry out, but a hand grabbed him at the top of his throat and immense pain under his jaws killed his scream. He grabbed at the hand, but couldn't dislodge it.
"So you didn't learn your lesson? Didn't I warn you never to come near me again? Yet, you came to MY HOUSE and drugged MY WIFE - so you could fuck her again! So you could share her with your friends! Just how stupid are you? Did you think I was lying when I told you I'd end your life if I ever saw you again?"
Theo was turning blue, so Caelan loosened his grip enough to let him breathe.
"You're closer to death right now than you will ever be until the moment you die. I'm going to ask you questions and you're going to answer them truthfully, Drago, or that WILL be the moment of your death! Just so you know before we start, I've done my research and I know more than you think I do, so a single lie and you pay the ultimate price!
Question one: where did you and your friends get the drugs you gave Barbara Ann?"
Theo gurgled, "I had nothing to do with that, I swear! I didn't even know what he was doing until he told us after you came and got her from the bar!"
"Question two: so 'he' is Adrian; what did Adrian tell you?"
"The next day he said his supplier provided the drugs and told him to use them on Barbara Ann. After we got through with her, he was supposed to call his supplier and she would come get Barbara Ann.
Caelan, I swear I didn't know any of this! Yes, I wanted her again! Hell, you know I've always had a thing for her! But when he said he was supposed to give her to his supplier, I got sick to my stomach!
Rob, Doug, and I told him we weren't having anything to do with that kind of shit! We dropped him off at his car and told him to never call us again! You can ask them: they live about ten minutes away and we work together! They will tell you the same thing!
Now, can you let go of my throat? I promise I will sit her quietly and answer your questions as honestly as I can."
Caelan let go, stepped back, and produced a.22 caliber pistol. "This little thing isn't much, but it shoots hollow points, and they will make a real mess of your brain.
Go call your two buds and tell them to get over her ASAP. I want to hear what they have to say."
Theo only had to make one call, because they were together. He played it well, telling them he had some new information on Adrian they needed to know.
They arrived in less than ten minutes, and came in without knocking. They were six feet into the room and had shut the door when they were greeted by a man with a gun; they held up their hands and stood still.
"Take a seat on either side of Theo. I have some questions that you know the answers to, but I'll only accept the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. Lie and you die, understood?"
They nodded and took seats on the couch. Caelan repeated questions one and two, and got variations of the same answer Theo had given. Satisfied that they were not culpable for the drugs, he asked, "Where is Adrian now?"
Theo and Rod didn't know, but Doug said he had talked to him after work yesterday. He invited them to come see his new home near Helotes, west of San Antonio. He declined, but Adrian gave him the address in case he changed his mind. He had it on a pad beside his phone.
They loaded into Rod's black Blazer and returned to their apartment. On the way they reiterated that they were appalled by Adrian's plans, reminded Caelan that they too were unknowingly drugged, and pledged to help him anyway they could. He called their hand, telling them to call in sick tomorrow, and drive to Helotes tonight, with one of his men.
When Carlos, his driver and head of his security detail, returned a few minutes later, Caelan talked to him. Carlos took four weapons out the back, then joined Theo, Rod, and Doug; Caelan drove himself to the plane.
He was flown back to Corpus Christi, and drove himself to his in-law's home. He had made a call from the hanger before leaving Victoria, and four members of his security team were waiting at the McLaughlin's when he arrived.
Amelia called Dr. Beverley Winston and asked if she could come over and talk to her about Barbara Ann. After a barely-veiled threat of legal action, she reluctantly agreed.
When she opened her door to Amelia, however, four men in black grabbed and gagged her, and pulled a black hood over her head. They placed her in a suburban and drove her across town and into Peggy and Gary's garage. They then escorted her into the house and sat her on a chair in the kitchen.
They removed the hood; one held a gun to her temple and told her to be still and quiet or die; she was still, other than the trembling. Gary and Sean entered the room and stood across the table from her. Caelan, Amelia, and Peggy entered behind her and remained just inside the door.
"Do you know why you are in the kitchen, Beverley?" Gary asked. "No? Well, I'll tell you: because it's tile, and we can get the blood stains and pieces of your brain cleaned up more quickly than if we blow your brains out in the living room!"
Sean untied the gag. "Before you speak, let me warn you: we know! We know why you brought 'Dr. Spencer' in, who he really is, and all about your connection with him and the late, unlamented Bridgette. So when we ask you questions, you need to answer honestly, because lying will result in the discharge of the pistol pressed against your temple and your abrupt disappearance from this earth. Are we clear?"
Terror disfiguring her face, she nodded carefully, and Sean started the tape recorder laying on the table between them. "Start with you name and your credentials, then honestly describe your relationship with my daughter, Barbara Ann Kelly."
An hour and ten minutes later, her answers verified everything uncovered by their contacts in New York, Massachusetts, Canada, and in Corpus Christi. It seemed that somewhere in the process of treating Barbara Ann after the drugging and rapes that occurred at the Cameron's house in Port Aransas in 1967, Beverley Winston, PhD Psychologist, had fallen in love with her patient, who failed to reciprocate.
Drs. Winston and Spencer blamed Caelan - for pretty much everything! He was so controlling that Barbara Ann was and is afraid to live her life as she wants, and she is afraid to return Beverley's love because he will take her children and disappear. The fiasco with Bridgette and Yves was because Barbara Ann was sick of his controlling ways and rebelled; unfortunately, it didn't turn out well, but it was her first effort to break his hold and live as she wanted.
Right now, she said, Barbara Ann was in a very positive relationship with Dr. Carlton Spencer, who had pledged to share her when she was free of Caelan's bonds. Yes, they used drugs to help her overcome her fears and make better decisions about her life -- especially her personal life -- and to help her enjoy sex again after the stupor, which was caused by her fear of Caelan divorcing her for having sex with others.
Yes, she knew Louise Martin, aka Bridgette, Yves, Hans, and Ernst, and had been at several parties with them before they went to prison. Some of the parties were at the Cameron's in Port A and others were at a ranch near Refugio. No, she didn't see any of this as a conflict of interest, because her only concern was Barbara Ann's welfare, and she would never do anything to harm her. Her only interest was helping her escape from the abuse and control of her husband so she could live life the way she didn't yet know she wanted.
Gary asked why she changed her mind so suddenly; one day she was advocating more time with family, a few days later she agreed the patient should be isolated -- what happened? She replied that Howard convinced her that Barbara Ann needed to be free of the restrictions of her husband and family if she were ever going to break out of her shell and enjoy her freedom.
Why did she bring the disgraced doctor Howard Thornton to Corpus Christi and insist that he oversee Barbara Ann's recovery? Because they were lovers while she was getting her PhD and he was getting his MD at the University of Massachusetts. Regardless of the unfounded and untrue charges that caused him to flee to Canada for several years, she knew he was a good man and good doctor, and he could help the patient that she loved.
***
It was clear to everyone present that the doctor was insane. They could deal with that, now that they knew, but they needed to get Barbara Ann free of Spencer/Thornton's clutches immediately. Loaded for bear, they jumped into two Suburbans, tossing Winston into the suburban with the four security guards.
