Sleeping Dogs by Ed Gorman Read Free Book Online

introduced herself as Dr. Ajeet.
    â€œI consulted with two other doctors, Mrs. Nichols. They wanted to know what he’s had to eat in the last eight hours. We’ve already got the blood we need for a test. It’s in the lab now.”
    â€œI’m afraid I wouldn’t know, Doctor. Kate might know.”
    Kate raised her head as if scanning the ceiling. “Let’s see—we had lunch brought in to campaign headquarters from a deli down the block. He either had corned beef or ham on rye.”
    â€œHe had one of those energy drinks around four o’clock,” Billy said. “I was alone with him going over a speech for tomorrow.”
    â€œHe guns Diet Pepsi all day,” Laura said. “It’s pretty much a joke with the staff that when the senator dies, he wants heaven to be one big vending machine with Diet Pepsi in every slot.” She was smiling until she realized the implications of what she’d said. “Oh, God, I’m sorry, Teresa.”
    â€œOh, c’mon, Laura, I know you didn’t mean anything by that,” she said, looking down fondly at the face of her husband. Teresa was one of those trophy wives who’d surprised everybody by being a woman of intelligence and compassion. And a valuable political asset. The men of Washington wanted to jump her and their wives wanted to count her as a friend.
    â€œI’m wondering about the Pepsi that tasted funny,” I said. “Right before the debate.”

    â€œSo am I,” Kate said.
    We told Dr. Ajeet about the incident that Warren had put down to melted ice.
    â€œThat’s very interesting,” the doctor said. “We’re already working on the possibility that he ingested something harmful in his food or drink. But we’re considering many possibilities. From what we can see so far, Senator Nichols is in a deep sleep. His vitals are all normal.”
    â€œHe’s asleep?” Laura said.
    â€œYes. The same kind of sleep you’d get if you took too many sleeping pills. Not enough to kill you or do any permanent damage—hopefully not anyway—but enough to put you to sleep for a long time and then to wake up with a pretty bad hangover.” She turned to Teresa. “Remember, when we first examined him, Mrs. Nichols, we were able to get him to open his eyes and talk a little. That’s certainly something we can do with cardiac patients, too. But it’s also symptomatic in some cases of drug overdoses.”
    â€œThen he’ll be all right?” Teresa said, hope making her voice sound much younger, stronger.
    â€œWell, we’re more confident now that that’s what we’re dealing with, anyway,” the doctor said. “We still want to run some more cardiac tests on him, but at this point I think we’re going to be able to eliminate cardio pretty soon now.”
    Billy said, “He’s snoring!”
    And so he was.
    We all fixed our eyes on Warren’s face. The waxen look was receding. The eyelids fluttered, though they remained closed. And through his lips came a wet nasal blast that was almost violent. He was a master snorer, no doubt about it.
    â€œOh, thank God,” Teresa said, clutching my hand again.
    At this point I assumed that Warren was going to be all right, so my mind shifted back to the mysterious makeup woman. And to a man named R. D. Greaves, the dirty-tricks man Jim Lake had employed in
all three of his congressional elections. And had most likely employed for this one, too. Tampering with the drink sounded like something Greaves would do. Lake was, after all, running behind with only three weeks to go.
    â€œAre you leaving, Dev?” Teresa said. She seemed frightened by the possibility.
    â€œI’m afraid I have to, Teresa. There’s a lot to handle now.”
    â€œMe, too,” Laura said. “I need to go out there and face down that pack of jackals. Kate had her turn, now it’s