And suddenly there it was, at the bottom of the screen.

eye last file. "RFP" followed by yesterday's date.

Regina F. Panzella. He'd forgotten what the F. stood for, as if that mattered. What was in that file?

He punched in TYPE RFP and watched the lines zip up the screen. When the scrolling stopped at the end of the file, he read the final line.

CURRENT STATUS, Further investigation of triptolinic diethylamide disrontinved.

No! He squeezed his eyes shut. He didn't want to see that.

He pushed away from the chair and wandered the room, turning this way and that with sharp, agitated movements. He couldn't be still. He felt as if some unseen force were at his back, propelling him around his office. This hurt like a sucker punch. Gin had been in his locked drawershe'd picked the d.a.m.n lock! How could she? Why would she?

That was the most unnerving question. Why? She couldn't suspect anything. He'd been too careful. He'd used a cuttingedge system only a few people were aware of to deliver a drug hardly anyone knew existed.

There had to be something else.

How much does she know?

Obviously she knows about the TPD. But what else?

And how to find out? He couldn't simply sit her down and ask her.

His peregrination took him near the door then and he heard Barbara call good-bye to someone. Suddenly he had to know who. His privacy had been violated, his little fortress had been broached. He wanted the name, rank, and serial number of everyone who walked through those doors.

He stuck his head through the door. "Who was that? " Barbara turned.

"Dr. Panzella."

"Really." He kept a calm facade as alarms clanged anew in his head.

"I hadn't realized she was here."

"Oh, she just popped in to pick up something she left yesterday." Her lock-picking kit? he wondered as he nodded and closed the door.

What was Gin up to now? What was she doing sneaking around here on her day off? Prying into more of his private affairs?

He made a fist.

Betrayed. By Gin.

He wanted to punch something.

I saved your life, f, hild!

How could she? And what had she done just now?

A thought struck him. He stepped back to his terminal and reran a DIR on the hard drive. The scroll of directories blurred past as before, but ended in a different place.

No "RFP" file.

She must have realized she'd left the file on the disk and came bacLa to cover her tracks. The perfidious little ingrate. What was she up to?

And dammit, how much did she Xenovv?

He had to have answers, and soon. Before next Friday.

GINA GINA YAWNED AND SHOOK HERSELF AS SHE WOVE through the traffic on Connecticut Avenue.

Tired.

Not just tired. Exhausted.

She'd done a shift as house doc last night. Tried to get out of it, tried to trade, but no one was buying.

At least she'd been able to get Jim Grady to agree to take the last two hours of her shift. But much as she'd love to, she wouldn't be using the time for sleep. She wanted to get the jump on Duncan before today's surgery. She was going to be there first, be there when Duncan arrived, and keep an eye on him until Senator Marsden arrived. Afterthat she was going to stick to the senator like Krazy Glue, a.s.sist with his surgery and not let him out of her sight until he walked out to his waiting car.

She turned into the office parking lot and skidded to a halt. Duncan's black Mercedes was already in his s.p.a.ce.

She pounded her fist against the steering wheel. d.a.m.n it!

All right. She'd have to adjust. If Duncan asked she'd simply say she got off her shift early but not early enough to go home first.

She pulled into one of the staff s.p.a.ces and hurried to the door. Once inside she stopped. Muzak filtered through the air, a lush, inappropriate string arrangement of a Beatles tune, accompanied by the rich aroma of Duncan's fresh coffee. Gin wasn't tempted. She'd been drinking coffee all night.

Her shoes were soft-soled and made no sound and she walked slowly down the hall toward his office. She slipped past Barbara's desk and listened a moment at the open door. No sound from within. Not even the television. Duncan almost always had CNN or C-SPAN running. She tapped lightly as she peeked inside.

' Duncan? " Empty. Except for the heavy aroma of coffee, the office was pretty much as she'd left it on Tuesday. But where was he?

As she turned to leave, a glint of light from the desktop caught her eye. She stepped closer. A bottle.

Her mouth went dry as she recognized the TPD. It sat on a metal tray.

So did the trocar and obturator, now sealed inside an autoclave pouch.

The a.s.sembly had been sterilized. Why? Being readied for use? Beside it lay an uncapped syringe. And a large implant. A full implant.

She felt sick. The room swayed and nausea rippled through her stomach.

Oh, Duncan! It's true!

Tears welled in her eyes, a sob bubbled in her throat. How could he?

Then Gin heard a door slam somewhere out in the hall. Panic bolted through her. She couldn't let him catch her in here.

She spun and ran to the door. No one in sight but she could hearfootsteps approaching from around the corner. Her heart pounding madly, she scampered two doors down and ducked into the employee restroom. She stood-there gasping, sweating as the nausea surged back.

Then she bent over the toilet and retched.

Nothing came up. As she turned and sagged against the sink, tasting the acid in her throat, she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror, pale, sick, trembling.

Dunaan . . . Duncan . . . Duncan . . . this can't be happening.

This Can't be you!

But it was Duncan. The pieces all fit. Her wildest speculations had been right on target. Duncan was poisoning these men, implanting a neurotoxin in their tissues, sending them over the edge into psychosis . . .

Where he himself already was.

Gin gripped the edge of the sink and steadied herself. She splashed water on her face and tried to focus her thoughts.

Duncan had had a breakdown.

Not a breakdown, she told herself. Let's get clinical. Use your training.

Not easy to do when it was someone so close, but she had to take a couple of steps back and look at him.

Duncan . . . some form of paranoid schizophrenia . . . taking revenge on the Guidelines committee for ruining his practice years ago . . .

and now, in his mind, threatening to destroy all medical practice.

Paranoid delusions were often anch.o.r.ed, however tenuously, in reality, but the psychosis magnified the threat. Every one was a potential enemy. He could rely on no one, so his only recourse was to take drastic action on his own.

Left alone, Duncan most likely was a danger to no one but the Guidelines committee. But if challenged, if threatened, if cornered, he could be unpredictable, could become a danger to anyone within reach.

So what do I do? she asked her reflection as she dried her face.Her color was better now. Her sick expression had faded. She felt a little more in control, but only a little. Her stomach had settled and she wasn't looking to run.

One thing she knew not to do, Confront Duncan. He might go wild, do something crazy. Except he's already done that. Four times. Possibly more.

With Senator Marsden next.

A violent tremor rattled through her, starting in her spine and rolling outward. An after shock.

Get a grip, Panzella. You can handle this.

She straightened, smoothed her blouse, shook her hair back, and tried to think of a plan.

She wouldn't say or do anything this morning. Act naturally. Give Duncan no hint that she suspected a thing. She'd do what was expected and maybe a little more, a.s.sist on the surgery, sit with the senator through recovery, see him off, then leave. But as soon as she got home she'd call Gerry, tell him about the TPD, the ultrasound and trocar, fax him the newspaper clippings, and let the FBI or the Secret Service or whoever take over.

Act naturally. Right.

She stepped out into the hall and walked back toward Duncan's office, trying to look casual. Barbara's desk was empty. Still too early for her. As before, Gin stepped around and approached the door. This time there was sound from within. The TV was on.

She tapped and called Duncan's name but no one replied. She stepped inside. A quick glance aroundstill empty and then her eyes went to the desk.

The desktop was clear except for the computer terminal and the usual papers and journals.

The tray with the TPD, the syringe, the trocar, and the implant was gone.

Another tremor, another wave of dizziness, but short-lived this TIME She was in control again.

What did you expect? He's not going to leave that stuff on display all morning.Locked away in the drawer now, ready for use.

She set her jaw. Not today, Duncan. Not on my senator.

"Well! You're early today. ' Gin almost yelped with surprise as Duncan breezed by her and crossed the office to his coffeemaker.

"I got out early, " she managed to say.

"Good. We've got a lot to do today." He filled a cup from the carafe and held it up. "Coffee? " "No, thanks."

"Nonsense. It's genuine pure Kona, shipped directly from a plantation south of Kailua. You must have some. I insist." Maybe she'd better, just to be sociable '"Okay. Just a taste."

"You'll love this, ' he said, pouring and handing her a steaming cup.

He hovered as she sipped, and beamed when she nodded.

"Hmmm. This is great." She watched him fuss with his funnel and filter. He was dressed in gray slacks, a blue oxford b.u.t.ton-down shirt, and a maroon crew-neck sweater.

He looked so relaxed, so d.a.m.n normal. But she knew that was often the way with the paranoid schiz. Perfectly sane and normal in every aspect of their lives except the one delusional facet. She remembered a case study about a successful businessman, ran three companies, an exemplary husband and father, loved by all, one day going berserk when one of his vice presidents tapped a cigarette ash into the urn that housed the little blue man who advised him.

Duncan stopped what he was doing to stare a moment at the TV. C-SPAN was replaying an interview with the Speaker of the House. He grimaced.

"They shouldn't allow this stuff on during the day."

"Why not? " "Children might see it, " he said with a mischievous wink.

"C-SPAN should be limited to late-night broadcasts. Children in their formative years should not be exposed to politicians. People whine about violence on TV, but this is far more corrupting." Gin forced a smile. She could not find him funny now.

He continued to stare at the screen. "Where do they find these people?

" "They were elected, ' Gin said coldly. "It's the American way.

They ran for office and they got the most votes." '"Yes. Tweedledum and Tweedledummer. No one you'd really like to see in public office has the bad taste to run. And if he does, he's not going to win " "I can think of at least one exception, " she said, thinking of Senator Marsden.

"A rara avis, I a.s.sure you. Think about it, Gin. On one side you've got a man of intelligence and integrity. Against his better judgment he agrees to run, thinking he might be able to do something meaningful.

But he won't suck up to ward bosses, won't kiss babies or judge hog contests or put on an ap.r.o.n and a white cap for a bake shop photo op.

He insists on being judged by his positions on the issues. On the other side, however, you've got a political hanger-on who'll promise anything to anyone, make deals left and right, and pose any time someone ligts a camera, do anything it takes, anything at all, to get a vote." Duncan turned to her. Suddenly he was fiercely intent. "Tell me, Gin. Who's going to win that election? " Gin couldn't answer.

He had a point, d.a.m.n him.

"I repeat, " he said, not waiting for an answer. "People who deserve to be elected rarely run. And when they do, they do not win. That's the American way " "I don't know of a better system. Do you? " '"No, " Duncan said with a sigh. "But that doesn't mean it can't be improved. We limit the president to two terms. Why not limit the legislature? " '"Senator Marsden has imposed his own term limits, "

she said, getting in a plug. "Two terms and he's out." - "We'll see about that." Gin heard an ominous ring in that remark.

"Speaking of the good senator, " Duncan said, "he's last on the list this morning. And you're a.s.sisting, I believe? " "That's right. "