Cui Bono

XIV

'"Among the dead was Vancouver General Hospital intern Dr. Thaddeus Mitchell..."'

Katherine turned off the WallVision, and looked at Bianca. "Looks like you and I are resigned to a life of singletonhood."

"Speak for yourself. Daddy says I can start dating when I'm eighteen."

The door alert beeped; Katherine pressed the speaker button. "Hello?"

"It's Detective Halloran, from the Vancouver Police Department. Can I come in?"

"One moment." Katherine pressed the door button. Within minutes, there was a knock on the unit door; she opened it to reveal Detective Halloran, and welcomed her inside.

"I hoped you'd be home. I also hoped I could check your tablet and home communication archives."

"Help yourself. And Dr. Mitchell and I communicated as often as we could before he died."

Detective Halloran hooked her tablet to the apartment's communication archives, while Katherine retrieved her tablet and cell phone. When Detective Halloran was done searching the archives, she hooked her tablet to Katherine's and searched its communication functions; seconds later, her tablet emitted a low beep. "It looks like Dr. Mitchell's email made it to your inbox." She looked at Katherine. "He sent you an email two hours before we found him."

"I must have missed it." Katherine peered at her tablet screen; Bianca rushed over. All three saw Thad's last message to Katherine: a graph and written explanation of the chemicals in Georgina's blood, and how they combined to make her ill.

Katherine narrowed her eyes, then looked at Detective Halloran. "I don't mean to lead your investigation, Detective Halloran, but I have a feeling my cousin, Jocelyn Whitford, might have something to do with this."

"I'll look into that, Miss Curran. Thank you." With that, Detective Halloran packed up her things and left.

"Jocelyn?"

Katherine looked at Bianca. "Jocelyn's one of those people who's not what she seems. I hope one day you'll understand—and not the hard way."

Bianca sighed.

"People lie to and trick us, Bianca. And, far too often, we don't realize we've been had until it's too late." Katherine exhaled, and walked towards the door. "I'm going to Jean's. Which means I'm taking you home."

Once she had deposited Bianca at home, she piloted to Jean's apartment; she felt extremely lucky when Jean let her in. "Thank you for seeing me on such short notice."

"I take it you need to vent."

"It's Thad's death." Katherine told Jean about Detective Halloran's visit to her apartment, and the message Thad sent her before he died. "I know that bitch Jocelyn has at least a fingertip in it, even if only as the mastermind." She paced Jean's living room. "I can't prove it, especially now, but I know her."

"Who knows? Maybe you can prove it this time."

"What makes you so sure?"

"Not even Jocelyn can continue like this. My clients' significant others eventually find out about me. It takes effort to hide anything, especially for long periods of time."

"So what the fuck am I supposed to do in the meantime?"

"The only thing you can do at this juncture: Wait for her to do something stupid. It's bound to happen sooner or later, the law of averages being what it is. And, if we're lucky, it'll happen in our lifetime."