“Good job.” He ended the call and made another. “Call Tiny Tim.”
“Do you really want to know?” Rich asked.
“No, but I need to know,” Kip said.
“Eat some peppermint. Greta has increased in size and strength. We’re looking at a Cat 5, coming in across the coastline. The hurricane center is urging a mandatory evacuation. The governor ordered a voluntary evacuation. But he did request National Guard and FEMA—both requests are approved.”
He pulled his chin. “Meeting 2100 hours, my office. Kip out.” The next call went to Kyle. “Sit-rep.”
“We completed the background checks. I’m heading to the hospital to discuss issues. I gave the licensing issues to Hunt. Eight doctors and fourteen nurses are not properly credentialed. Nursing assistants are another story. Fifty-four have background issues as well as requirement issues. We remedied a lot with the BLS courses.” He paused. “Tally is scared but grateful. I’ll check with Thorn about Harper.”
“Roger.”
“I alerted essential staff to prepare for all hands during the storm. Then we will move to twelve-hour shifts until further notice,” Josh gave his report.
Kip tuned the radio to the local news and weather station as the two men sat in silence the rest of the ride.
Chapter 28
“Looking for this?” Serafina blocked the entrance to the room, waving Adelaide’s book at her with one hand and a gun in the other.
“You killed Addy and all those patients at the nursing home,” Harper taunted her.
“The patients, we gave them a quick death. Addy, poor sweet Addy. She brought it on herself. Her conscience. She worried about the life her daughters would have.
“And then there’s you. Lourdes thought she could bring you in line. Jerrold, lovesick Jerrold. He screwed that up. We made a choice. We almost had you, but you had luck. Your car wedged between the bridge girders, and when the fire department’s choices to rescue you went from bad to worse, Kip Brennan risked his life to save yours.”
“Where are Rene and Lourdes?” Harper’s heart was pounding.
“That’s not your concern.” Serafina laughed.
“Why is Ovax doing this?” Harper asked, trying to buy time. She knew Zayne would do something if she missed their call-in. “It can’t be about helping people!”
Serafina laughed. “Ovax? There is no Ovax. There’s no FDA. And when people figure it out, we’ll be on to the next. Desperate people will pay anything for a possible cure—in this case, cancer. Do you know how many diseases there are? They’ll invest anything. Millions.”
“Why test it at all?” Harper crunched her brow.
“It’s part of the illusion. It gives investors a person to call.” Serafina shook her head.
“How many times have you done this? How many people have died?”
Serafina looked down at her nails and back up at Harper. “I don’t think about that.”
“And Gabe?” Harper stood.
Serafina waved her gun at her. “An easy mark. He backed himself into a financial hole. He had big dreams on a Walmart budget, and he liked kink. Not suitable for a University Hospital employee—all those moral codes in the contract.”
“Liked?” Harper’s eyebrows rose.
“Poor man, distraught over his wife’s death. Such tragic circumstances...murder-suicide.” Serafina smiled.
“What about Babette and Desirée?”
“Another tragedy. It’s an old house. They’ve had carbon monoxide issues before.”
“They’re babies!” Harper got up and charged her.
The two struggled for the gun. Harper heard a pop, then slipped into a dream state as red bloomed across Serafina’s blouse.
