Flanagan's Dolls by Warren Adler

Author:Warren Adler [Adler, Warren]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2024-02-07T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Thirteen

Flanagan upended the plastic container and spilled a few pills into the palms of Doc’s hand. Doc studied them, moved them around with his fingers and pronounced judgment.

“Diabinese, probably,” Doc said.

“That’s just the point. No ‘probablys.’”

“I’ve been pushing pills for more than fifty years….” Flanagan cut short the speech, which he had heard in varying forms for at least a couple of decades.

“I know you’re infallible, Doc. But impartial juries, prosecutors and defense lawyers, the press, judges and most institutions of justice would expect some scientific backup in writing. It’s like judging distance with your thumb.”

“I say it’s Diabinese. Insulin in pill form, for those with limited knowledge.” He looked pointedly at his son-in-law, narrowing his eyes over his half-glasses. He put out the hand without the pills. “Let me see the container.”

Flanagan hesitated and put the container behind his back.

“Only if you exercise the better part of valor.”

“So now I’m an old busybody.”

“I wouldn’t say old.”

Doc scratched his head.

“That important?”

“I’d say crucial,” Flanagan muttered, handing him the container. Doc looked at the label, then shot Flanagan a look of deep concern.

“Always looking for trouble,” Doc sighed, but his sense of intrigue was well honed and he relished his son-in-law’s suspicious bent. Beyond a reminder about discretion, he did not need to be informed about the obvious. He put the plastic container down and opened a battered wooden card file cabinet. He had not yet fully succumbed to the world of computers, although they could not be ignored and he had no choice but to use them. But he could not give up his addiction to the cards and continued to use the old system, reversing the idea of backup. The old system was the computer backup. He took out an index card and looked again at the pills in his palm.

“I know it’s Diabinese. She’s been taking it for years.” He waved his hand. “I know. I know. I’ll have it analyzed.”

He funneled the pills from his palm back into the container. Flanagan then handed him the other containers.

“Lucy had some complicated medical problems. She took oral insulin, digitalis to keep her blood vessels dilated, hydroDIURIL, which is a diuretic, and a potassium supplement. The whole spectrum. Typical drug therapy for a diabetic with a heart condition. The diuretic caused her to pass more fluids out of her system and with them, essential electrolytes and minerals. Like potassium.” He inspected a partial selection of the various pills.

“And you’ll have them analyzed? All of them?”

“You think someone fiddled with them?”

“I don’t know. Isn’t there such a thing as look-alikes?”

“Yes, but the Big Pharmas go to great pains to color code and shape them all differently. And I am vigilant.” He looked at his son-in-law and smiled.

“Do you think we are a house of pill repute?”

“Not bad, Dad,” Flanagan laughed. “Where there’s a pill, there’s a way.”

Doc nodded, then returned to serious mode. It was the wrong time for a punfest.

“Isn’t this a matter for Sam?”

“He’s resisting making it official.”

Doc nodded.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.