'"By your own request, am I right? ' '"Right again."

"Why is that?

You've never before requested to a.s.sist on a specific patient." '"I work for the man. ' - He turned and eyed her. "Do you think that's wise? You're not afraid of being emotionally involved? I could call Ca.s.sidy" "This isn't exactly life-and-death surgery And I'm only a.s.sisting.

" Why all these questions? He'd never quizzed her like this before.

Then again, aren't paranoids suspicious of everyone?

"Very well. We'll scrub at nine forty-five. Marie will have him underby ten o'clock. We should be done in plenty of time for lunch. "

"Under? You're using general? " "Of course."

"Won't local do? " He eyed her. "You've been working here for how long? This is the first instance I can recall you questioning the level of anesthesia. Are you sure you're not too involved with this patient? " General meant Marsden would be groggy after surgery.

Duncan could pop that implant under his skin without the senator ever knowing.

"Quite sure, " she said. "It's just that it seems like such a small lesion, I was just wondering" "I've got to make a wide enough incision to excise all of that tumor and leave no chance of recurrence. Then I've got to graft and rebuild the top of the auricle so it doesn't look like someone took a shot at his head and barely missed. I don't want him twitching or getting a crick in his neck and jerking his head while I'm in the middle of it.

Don't you think that's justification enough for general anesthesia? "

"Of course, " she snapped, the tension getting to her. "I was just asking." A slow smile played around his lips. "A bit edgy this morning, aren't we? " She placed her half-empty cup on his desk and started for the door.

"Too much coffee, I guess. ' Out in the hall she felt her tough facade crumble. Duncan was calling all the shots. She prayed she'd be able to carry this off The surgery went smoothly. Duncan did a beautiful job of excising, grafting, and rebuilding the upper auricle of Senator Marsden's ear. And Gin did what she hoped was an equally skillful job of protecting the rest of the senator.

First, she personally helped Oliver fill a batch of his tiniest implants, one of which would be used in the senator's ear. As soon as the senator arrived, she saw to it that he was never alone with Duncan.

She accomplished that by being constantly at either the senator's or Duncan's side until the surgery.

Strangely enough, Duncan had shown no sign of frustration or agitation.

Gin had been worried that he might fly into a rage or do something rash when he found it impossible to get the senator alone. But considering the fact that she was thwarting his scheme at every turn, he appeared to be in the best of spirits.

That worried Gin even more.So now she sat watch beside the snoring Senator Marsden as he slept off the anesthetic in the V.I.P room. He stirred for the second time in the past five minutes. He was coming out of it. The ordeal was almost over.

Thank G.o.d. She was dead tired. Sitting here with the early afternoon sun pouring in the window, she might have dozed off if it weren't for her bladder. The pressure in her pelvis was becoming unbearable. She couldn't remember ever having to go this bad, but she wasn't leaving this room for a second.

"How's he doing? ' She started and twisted in her chair at the sound of Duncan's voice. He stood in the doorway, leaning on the frame with one hand.

"I've never seen you so jumpy, Gin. Maybe you're tight about too much coffee."

"I'm okay, " she said, trying to keep the tension out of her voice.

Was this it? Was this when he'd try something?

Duncan smiled. "Good. But how's the senator? He's the patient, remember? " "Coming up. He should be awake in a few minutes." Not true, but she didn't want Duncan to think he had time to make his move.

"Excellent." He glanced at his watch. "Look. I've got to run. The links are calling. And since you've decided to be his recovery-room nurse as well as his surgical a.s.sistant and legislative aide, you can handle him from here on. Just make sure Barbara gives him the usual instructions on graft care and schedules a follow-up appointment for next week." Gin stared at him. Baffled. Speechless.

"Gin?

"You're leaving? " she said.

"Is there a reason I should stay? " "Well, no. I just . . . have a good "Thanks. I will." game." He waved and was gone, leaving Gin sitting and staring at the empty doorway.

Am I going off the deep end? she wondered.

Hadn't she seen the tray with the TPD, trocar, and implant sitting on Duncan's desk? Why, if he had no intention of using it today? Unless .

. .Unless she had this whole thing wrong.

What if she'd misinterpreted, misunderstood? What if?

No. The pieces fit too neatly. Duncan was up to some thing.

But what? He hadn't had an opportunity to dose the senator with that implantGina was sure of that. She'd stymied his plan. So what did he do? He ducked out to play golf. Except he never went to his golf club when he said he did.

Gin's head whirled. She was beginning to have a surreal feeling.

What was going on here?

But at least with Duncan gone, she could run to the bathroom. Her bladder was going to burst if she didn't. She stepped out into the hall and went to the back door. Duncan's parking spot was empty. She ducked into the restroom.

A few minutes later, feeling almost lightheaded with relief, she was back in the recovery room.

Senator Marsden hadn't moved. But his eyes were open. He lay on his side, blinking at her.

'"Good afternoon, Senator, " she said.

He gave her half a smile and closed his eyes again.

She stared at him, suddenly anxious about having left him alone for those few minutes.

I'm getting as paranoid as Duncan, she thought, but couldn't resist lifting the senator's sheet and checking his leg.

Her knees almost buckled when she saw a tiny red spot on his thigh.

Blood? Shakily, she dropped to one knee and leaned close.

Yes . . . blood. A small, semicircular puncture wound, just the mark a trocar would leave. Just like the mark on Senator Vincent's thigh in this very room last month.

- "Oh, G.o.d, " she whispered as fury and terror tore at her. "Oh dear G.o.d." Gently she poked the area around it. The senator's leg stiffened. She glanced up and found him looking at her."h.e.l.lo, again, " she said, rising, trying to keep her voice calm, her face professionally neutral. "Was Dr. Lathram just in here? " "Who's Dr. Lathram? " He smacked his dry lips. "Could I have some water? "

Still too groggy to be of any help.

"Yes. Sure." There was a pitcher at the bedside, but she pretended not to see it. "I'll get you some." She forced her wobbly legs to walk her out to the hall where she leaned against the wall and let herself shake.

What sort of a nightmare had she fallen into? Where was the looking gla.s.s she'd stepped through to land in this crazy place?

Duncan. Where was he now? Obviously he hadn't left. Only pretended.

Probably sneaked into one of the rooms and waited for her to leave the senator alone.

And while I was relieving myself, he sneaked into the senator's room and jabeed him with the trocar.

The b.a.s.t.a.r.d!

Gin scampered to the front door and saw a black Mercedes like Duncan's pulling away from the curb. She couldn't see the plates and couldn't be sure through the heavily tinted gla.s.s if Duncan was behind the wheel.

She watched the car disappear into the traffic.

She hurried back down the hall and found Barbara staring at her.

"Are you all right? " she said.

'"I'm fine, " Gin said. She had to tell someone about this, but Barbara was not that someone. "Perfectly fine." She returned to Senator Marsden's room and found him propped up on an elbow.

"Silly me, " she said. "The water was right here all along." She filled a gla.s.s and watched him drink as she cast about for a way to go.

Should she tell him? Tell him that his surgeon had just placed a toxin-filled implant in his thigh?

She studied Senator Marsden's bleary expression. He wasn't in any condition to listen or comprehend. So where could she turn? Who could she go to?GERRY GERRY HAD JUST RETURNED FROM LUNCH. HE WAS ADMIRing Martha's latest Crayola masterpiece, freshly pinned to the wall of his cubicle, when Gin's call came in. He was glad she was calling him for a change.

She'd been strangely distant all wee K.

"Gerry, I need your help." Not a good start. She sounded frazzled.

"Sure. What's wrong'" "It's about Duncan." Gerry suppressed a groan.

Not that again. He wished he'd never mentioned that conspiracy theory to her.

"What about him? " "He put a toxic implant in Senator Marsden. '

Gerry didn't reply immediately. Couldn't . . . too shocked to speak.

"He did, Gerry. I know he did."

"Gin, " he said, finally finding his voice. "We've been through all that. We tested the solution, that secret sauce' or whatever you call it, and it turned out to be'' '"I'm not talking about the secret sauce. This is something else. This is a drug no one's ever heard of."

"How'd you find out about it? " Now she paused. "I found it in one of his desk drawers."

"He leaves it where anybody can find it? " Another pause. "No. He keeps it locked up." '"So then how did you? " And then it hit him.

"Oh, no. You didn't."

"I'm sorry, Gerry, but I had to."

"Gin, you used the Bureau's pick to break into someone's office?

"Gerry, you've got a right to be angry, but please don't be. This is too important. I didn't break into his office, only the lock on his desk drawer."

" Same thing. You could have been caught, arrested, maybe worse."

"Look, I knew you'd react like this if I told you.

I'hat's why I didn't. But I had to get into that drawer."

"I don't believe this. You" '"Gerry, two people may be dead becauseof him.

Two others are crazy.

This drug causes psychotic reactions. You saw the tape of Senator Vincent on the first day of the hearing, didn't you? " "Of course.

Who didn't? " "Was he acting sane just before he convulsed? " "No, '

he admitted grudgingly. "I guess not." He reached for a pencil.

"What's the name of this drug? " '"Triptolinic diethylamide." She spelled it for him. "TPD for short."

"And it makes you crazy? " "According to the FDA it does. Research was discontinued because of psychotic reactions in primates. ' "So if Lathram is dosing people with this stuff, why hasn't some medical examiner picked up on it? " "Because n.o.body's looking for it. n.o.body even knows it exists. Gerry, thousands upon thousands of compounds are tested every year. Maybe one out of ten thousand ever reaches the public. It was an investigational drug that was dropped because of side effects. That's it. Goodbye.

Sayonara. On to the next compound, and n.o.body gives the losers another thought." '"So how'd Lathram get hold of this . . . " He glanced at the sheet.

"TPD? " '"His brother. Oliver used to work for the company that was investigating it." Gerry straightened and leaned forward in his chair.

All the old suspicions he'd been trying to put to rest were dancing through his head again.

'"And you think he dosed Marsden with this stuff? " "I know it! "

'"Did you see him do it? " "No, but I saw the puncture wound in his thigh." She went on to tell him about seeing the bottle of TPD on Lathram's desk this morning along with an implant and something called a trocar.

"But couldn't Lathram have simply given him a shot of something? "

'"Not there. And Duncan never gives injections. He has one of the nurses do it. I tell you, Gerry, Senator Marsden is Lying down the hall with an implant full of TPD in his right thigh. I've got to get it out! " "Okay. Slow down for a second here and let me think." He leaned back again, trying to remain calm, to contain the excitement racing through him. This was heavy. A prominent, well-connected area surgeon and a very visible U. S. senator. Headline-grabbing stuff. It had the makings of a major case. Or a major embarra.s.sment.

If only Gin had actually seewz Duncan insert the implant.

"Do you think Marsden's in any immediate danger? " Gin hesitated, then, "No. Duncan's gone for the day. I think he wants to choose a specific time and place. Remember how both Allard and Vincent had their mishaps while the cameras were rolling. I think that's what Duncan might be waiting for."

"But why, Gin? We're missing a motive here. Why should he want to do this? " "He hates the Guidelines committee and what it's trying to do."

"So do lots of other doctors.

But they're not" "No. Listen. It's personal with Duncan." She went on to tell him about the stories in the Post and the Banner, and told him that Schulz had been on the original Guidelines committee.

Bingo!