“That’s just what mine look like!” Charlotte flinched in horror as Myra took her hand.
“And from the lab results, we have a pretty good idea what’s in all those bottles,” Nikki added. “Now the question that needs to be answered is, Where are the drugs coming from? Since these doctors are not licensed to practice where they have set up shop, these drugs could not have been obtained from pharmaceutical companies. That means they must be bootlegged.”
“Indeed,” Charles noted. “Avery also reported that he got a glimpse of what’s in Steinwood’s garage. He took a quick photo as Steinwood was leaving in his Jaguar. In the photo, you can see the partial hood of a Porsche nine-eleven and the Lamborghini insignia on another car. And Steinwood is heading to Las Vegas for a car show.”
Nikki checked her laptop to see if any more information had come in about the doctors’ holdings or the company itself. “Woo-hoo! Got some background info,” Nikki interjected. “The company is a limited partnership.”
“Please excuse my naïveté, but can you explain what that means? I’m just a children’s book author.” Charlotte giggled nervously.
“There are two classes of partnerships—general and limited. In a limited partnership, the partners’ assets are protected, in that their liability cannot exceed what they initially invested. The business itself does not pay income tax. Each partner has to file an individual tax return. However, the partnership itself must be registered with the state in which it conducts business. That brings me to this next bit of information. The Live-Life-Long paperwork states that it is a consulting business. There is no mention of alternative medicine. That keeps them off the FDA’s radar,” Nikki explained.
“Very clever men,” Myra said thoughtfully. “Do we know what each of the men invested?”
“Not yet. We’re working on banking records now.”
“Banking records? You can do that?” Charlotte was astonished.
“Let’s just say we have ways to get the information we need,” Nikki said.
“Goodness gracious. Sure sounds like it!” Charlotte was feeling giddy.
“From what Alexis and I could discover from their college records, Dr. Marcus was the better student at Ross. He excelled in chemistry. Dr. Corbett barely passed his courses, but he took online courses in business and marketing. Steinwood comes from old money, so we suspect he had the seed money for the operation,” Nikki said.
Annie jumped in. “Excellent. Let’s put these pieces together. The men met in medical school. Only one of them was a great student. Steinwood was a trust-fund baby, so he didn’t care all that much. Corbett was a wannabe socialite. He probably came up with the scheme, especially after seeing how the rich vacation in Barbados. And how many of them are dowagers looking for the fountain of youth? Marcus was a whiz but needed more experience in pharmacology. And where are most of the drugs produced? Mexico.”
Alexis continued what Nikki had started. “We contacted several obvious places of employment, under the guise of checking references. Corbett worked in the marketing department, Marcus in the labs, and Steinwood . . . Well, he had the worst record of all of them, getting fired from three different jobs at three different pharmaceutical companies. I guess he decided to hang out in Cabo San Lucas rather than work.”
“This was a meticulous plan,” Charles said pointedly. “And long range.”
“Let’s not forget the most important parts, devious and callous,” Myra added, her blood boiling.
The sisters murmured in agreement.
Charles continued sharing the most current information Avery’s group had gathered. “Eileen is attending an event tonight—”
“An event?” Myra interrupted with disdain. “We need her to do her job!”
“Easy, old girl.” Charles put a hand on his wife’s trembling shoulder. “The event is at the Plimsoll Building, which is where Dr. Marcus lives. There’s a rooftop conservatory on the thirteenth floor. His flat is on the tenth. Eileen will gain access to the building and will make her way to his place.”
Myra took in a deep breath. “But how will she know if the apartment is empty?”
“Ring the doorbell, dear.”
Hoots of laughter filled the room.
“Oh, Charles, I wish you wouldn’t patronize me.” Myra gave him a stern look. “But I suppose I’m very sensitive about this entire matter because it’s Charlotte.” She smiled at her friend.
“I don’t mean to be so much trouble!” Charlotte was teetering on the edge of tears.
“There, there. You are not trouble. I’m much more comfortable with details. That’s all.” Myra took another deep breath and managed to calm herself.
“Eileen has had a good look at the floor plan of Marcus’s apartment. She’ll know where to plant bugs and cameras. And she’s quick. Most likely, she’ll plant a listening device next to the entry door. She has the office wired, so she’ll know when Marcus leaves. She is a crackerjack at her job,” Annie pointed out, trying to defuse any additional anxiety.
“You’re right.” Myra reached for her pearls. “So, when are we leaving for New York?” She grinned at Annie.
“As soon as I hear from Victor.”
“Fine.” Myra turned to Charlotte. “I don’t want to pressure you, dear. Do you think you’re up for this escapade?”
“I’ve got my running shoes on,” Charlotte said with gusto. “And it’s not because I’m running away!”
The women thrust their fists into the air. “Whatever it takes!” Their slogan, their chant.
Annie’s phone chimed. It was a text from Victor. Lunch? Day after tomorrow?
She turned to Myra and Charlotte. “Ladies, pack your bags. We’re going to New York for lunch.”
Responding to Victor, she punched in: Absolutely! Per Se? The salon? One o’clock. I’ll make the rez.
Seconds later, Victor responded. Splendid!
Annie quickly punched in the number of her personal concierge with instructions for train tickets on the Acela, lunch at Per Se, and a suite with adjoining rooms at the Ritz-Carlton. “Okay! We’re ready to roll. Maggie, you’ll meet up with us at the hotel after your interview with Mrs. Ringwood. We’ll have dinner and discuss our next move. By then, we’ll have more background on the Thompson situation and what is so intriguing in the Christie’s catalog.”
“I’ll pack the usual components you’ll need to communicate with us. I’m assuming Fergus and I will be holding down the fort here,” Charles offered with a wide grin.
“Darling, you are so right!” Myra beamed. Now the wheels were turning in the direction they needed to go.
Chapter 26
Sag Harbor
Sasha put her Brompton M6L folding bike into ride position. She loved its compactness and light weight. No more than twenty-four inches when folded and only twenty-six pounds. It could fit into most trunks and the backseat of any car, as well as in a helicopter. She was glad she had thought of it when she hitched a ride with Jason. Traffic was rather light on the East End of Long Island, and it would become pretty obvious if a car was trailing someone. But someone on a bicycle wouldn’t be noticed.