Charles continued with the explanation, leaving out the part about the sisters being on the lam. “Myra had been under a lot of pressure and had been away. I wanted to create a space for her to unwind. Yoko provides the interior landscaping as well as the exterior.”
“It’s a little slice of heaven,” Charlotte remarked, in awe.
“Come and sit.” Myra gestured to the table, loaded with a bounty of scones, fruit, finger sandwiches, and small cakes. Charles pulled out a chair for Charlotte and one for Myra and they both sat down.
“I could get used to this.” Charlotte beamed.
Charles took Myra’s hand and gave it a quick peck. “I will leave you lovely women to chat. I have some items I need to work on. Not the least of which is dinner.”
Charlotte let out a pleasant groan. “Dinner? After all this?” She swept her hand across the bounty of their high tea.
“This is just to hold you over.” Myra chuckled. “Charles, what is on the menu?”
As Charles was exiting, he replied over his shoulder, “Oven-roasted branzino with a rice pilaf and asparagus. We’ll start with a Bibb lettuce salad with toasted almonds in a raspberry vinaigrette dressing.” Charles ticked off the details as if he were the maître d’ at a five-star restaurant.
“No head, please?” Charlotte was almost begging, knowing branzino was often served whole.
Myra patted her hand. “Not to worry. Charles fillets it for us. No head. No bones.”
Charlotte relaxed back in her chair. “Will the girls be joining us?”
“Just Annie and Fergus. Nikki has some work to catch up on and wants to do some FaceTime with Jack, who is out of town just now. There are certain technologies I’m not crazy about, but that one seems to be something they enjoy when they’re apart. It keeps them ‘connected,’ as Nikki would say. An electronic tether.” Both women giggled. “The rest of the girls are all working on various projects.” Myra was not about to reveal the true nature of those projects.
Charles returned briefly and poured each of the women a glass of sherry and served it on a silver tray, bowed, and left them alone to chat.
“So, dear, how are you feeling?” Myra said, changing the subject.
“Honestly, I haven’t felt this good in quite a while. This clear. This calm. Must be the way you’re spoiling me.” Charlotte almost started to blush.
“I’m very happy to hear this. But you know, I insist on spoiling you.” Myra gave Charlotte another reassuring pat. “So, tell me, who is that Dr. Marcus you were seeing in London? What was he treating you for?” Enough time had passed, and Myra had to start digging for more information.
“It’s almost embarrassing to talk about.” Charlotte sighed.
“Don’t be silly. We’re friends. You can tell me anything,” Myra reassured her again.
Charlotte took a deep breath. “About a year ago, I was feeling, I guess you could say depressed. Not suicidal or anything like that. I was just lethargic and apathetic. Then I started to have problems remembering things. You know, can’t find the keys. Why did I just go into the kitchen? My mind was wandering, I suppose, but it was starting to bother me a lot. All those things combined led me to think that I should see a doctor.
“My personal physician was retiring and had sold his practice to a Dr. Harold Steinwood. But Dr. Steinwood, it seemed, was a geriatrician and changed the practice to focus on aging. It’s called Live-Life-Long. I thought, ‘Well, that sounds like it’s exactly what I need,’ so I went to see him. He did the normal tests, EKG, blood work, urine, the whole nine yards. He said he and two other doctors, one in New York and one in London, had a joint practice specializing in longevity. The only problem is that the fees are not covered by Medicare or any other insurance. Apparently, it’s too experimental to be covered. So if you agree to be enrolled in the program, you have to sign a release or waiver before you can be admitted. And an NDA.”
Myra frowned. “No insurance? A release? A nondisclosure agreement?”
“Yes. He said it’s done all the time because it takes so long before certain protocols are approved by the FDA. They have great reviews. Anyway, as I mentioned briefly in my letter, he set up a program for me in which I get a shot every week and take several different pills throughout the day.” Charlotte paused to take a sip of her tea as she eyed the glass of sherry.
“What kind of shot? And what kind of pills?” Myra knew she would have the answer to one of those questions in a day or so, but she didn’t want Charlotte to know she had been spying on her.
“Some kind of vitamin shot, and the pills are natural remedies for brain function, lungs, kidneys, and circulation. He gave me a personalized brochure with the information and instructions.”
“Do you have it with you?” Myra asked.
“No. It’s back in Aspen. The thing is, when I get the shot, I feel good for about two to three days. The pills don’t seem to be doing much for my cognitive abilities, though. In fact, sometimes I think things get worse between shots.”
“And how long have you been in this program?”
Charlotte thought a moment. “About four months. They say it takes about six months for the results to kick in.”
Myra was pleased at the direction the conversation was going. She gestured to the sherry, hoping it would loosen Charlotte up even more. The need for information was urgent.
“What does he charge, if you don’t mind my asking?” Myra was gentle with her prodding.
“It’s been running about twenty-five thousand dollars a month.” Suddenly, Charlotte looked a little sheepish, anticipating Myra’s reaction.
Myra somehow managed to remain calm, but her blood was boiling. “That’s a lot of money, dear. Especially if you’re not feeling better. What is the time frame for this protocol? Months? Indefinitely?”
“I’m supposed to get a blood workup after six months, which is why he insisted I see Dr. Marcus in London. Not to lose the benefits of the treatment and invalidate the results, as he said.”
“And then what?” Myra was still holding her temper. She wanted to strangle Steinwood, Marcus, and the other dirtbag partner. But their time would come. And very soon if the sisters had anything to do with it.
“I guess they’ll make an evaluation and decide what, if anything, I need to do. But to be perfectly honest, I feel better now than I did while I was taking those pills. I haven’t had a shot, either.” Charlotte had a perplexed look on her face.
Seizing the moment, Myra offered the suggestion she had been waiting for an opportunity to make. “You stopped the pills? How about this? I’ll make an appointment with my doctor and have him do a full workup. I trust him completely.”
“Oh, I don’t know, Myra. Isn’t that a bit extreme?”
“Considering you have spent over one hundred thousand dollars and are not feeling better, I think it only stands to reason that you get another physician to consider your condition and give you a second opinion. And now you tell me you’ve been feeling better after you stopped? I won’t hear another word of protest. I am going to call him right now. You sit tight and enjoy the scones. Charles made them while you were out. I’ll be right back.” Myra leaped from her chair and made a controlled dash into the kitchen and down the stairs to the war room.