1

BLAINE ROCHE

The article on the local news page of the Ottawa Citizen beckoned him, trying to draw his attention away from surveillance. Blaine drummed his fingers against the glass table in the quaint corner café, eyes darting from the headline to the front door of the office building across the road.

He'd kept an eye on the door for nearly twenty minutes now, having finished his coffee after only ten. She was taking her time today. He had been about to leave, thinking perhaps he'd missed her when the server sauntered by with a refill and the local news page.

Blaine had declined both, but the young woman didn't acknowledge him. He wasn't surprised, having spotted the two white earbuds nearly hidden beneath her messy, purple hair. The paper wouldn't have been of interest to him if not for that one little word sticking out.

Giving in to the temptation, he reached and grabbed the newspaper, flipping it flat and laying the article in front of him.

HERON MAN ARRESTED IN CONNECTION WITH SANDY HILL MURDER

A suspect has been charged with first-degree murder after top ACE Pharmaceutical investor was found dead in Sandy Hill condo.

Police said Julie Kanner, 28, was found dead the morning of September 5 by her roommate. Rickie Hastings, 34, was arrested yesterday morning (September 9) at 11:50 a.m. Police won't say at this time how, or if, these two people are related.

The investigation is ongoing.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Ottawa Police or Crime Stoppers.

Blaine placed the paper down and reached for his phone, Googling Julie Kanner. Her LinkedIn page confirmed his suspicions. Julie wasn't just an investor; she was an employee of ACE pharmaceuticals. She had a connection to Solydexran.

He put his phone away and looked back at the article, wondering if the infamous drug would make an appearance in this case or if it was all just a terrible coincidence.

Before he could consider it further, the office door swung open and Doctor Miranda Konch emerged from within. Abandoning his coffee and leaving a crisp bill on the table, Blaine exited the café, quickly crossed the road, and fell into step behind her. He slipped his hood over his head.

Miranda had disappeared after Blaine's girls were arrested. In fear, perhaps, though Blaine couldn't be sure. She abandoned her downtown Toronto office and vanished into the depths of Ottawa, starting a new, quiet practice in the suburb of Orléans.

Blaine had expected the doctor to come out with the truth, to reveal that she'd been paid off to distribute a new and seemingly flawless medication. In fact, Blaine had counted on it. But the good doctor surprised him. She didn't try to save herself, as she had so many times before—instead, she slipped away silently. Blaine couldn't understand why.

He'd been watching her for two weeks now, noting where she went, who she met, and who was also keeping an eye on her. It was the only way he could conceal himself under the radar.

Blaine had been desperate to confront her since the day he found out about her involvement with Solydexran, but after she went to the police, Blaine had to be careful.

Now, several months later, Blaine was sure it was safe. It didn’t appear she was under police surveillance or protection, and she lived alone.

When Miranda turned off the main street for the alleyway shortcut she often took, Blaine considered nabbing her then, pulling her aside, and drilling her for all the answers he needed. But that wouldn't be discreet. He needed her to trust that he wasn't there to hurt her, despite what she'd told the police.

When they neared her apartment complex, Blaine stayed at a comfortable distance, slipping into the building behind her just as the door was closing. He followed her to the elevator. The once-paranoid doctor seemed unaware of his presence behind her as she waited for the lift, or her guard had lowered after months of nothing.

When the elevator doors slid open, Blaine followed behind her and pressed a button on the floor above hers. Blaine was careful to keep his face hidden beneath the oversized hood.

The doors opened on her floor, and she stepped out without so much as a nod in his direction. Blaine waited only a few moments and slipped out before the doors closed. She was at her apartment door now, sliding the key into the lock, then she disappeared behind the door.

Blaine strode towards it and knocked three times. She couldn't have gone far into the unit. When the door swung open, Miranda looked around with wide eyes. When they fell on Blaine's face and registered who stood at her door, she quickly tried to close it.

"Miranda, wait," Blaine said, placing his palm on the door and holding it open. He was too strong for her to fight him off. "I just want to talk to you."

Miranda seemed to struggle for a moment longer before admitting defeat. The fear in her eyes said she didn't trust him but also conceded she couldn't stop him from entering her apartment. As Blaine slipped through the door, he saw her eye the discarded cell phone on her counter.

"I'd rather you didn't," Blaine said, putting himself between her and the phone.

"What do you want, Dr. Wright?" Miranda backed herself away from him, though the wall behind her stopped her from going too far. The way her eyes darted around the apartment told him she was considering any escape possible. Still, she didn't scream, which meant that despite being frightened, she was curious. That would work to his advantage.

"I just have some questions for you." Blaine glanced to the couches beyond the open kitchen, ignoring the formality. "I promise, I'm not here to hurt you. I just need you to tell me some things."

"I don't believe you," Miranda said. "You called me and threatened me."

Blaine frowned. He'd done no such thing. The most he'd done was keep an eye on the doctor; he'd never made contact before today.

"Then you tried to break into my house," Miranda snapped. "Why do you think I left Toronto?"

Slowly, he raised his hands. "I didn't call you and I didn't try to break in, but I think I know who did. If you could talk to me for a minute, maybe I can help you out too." He waved to the couches.

Her raised shoulders didn't lower as she cautiously stepped around him and moved to the couches. Her eyes found the phone again as she passed him by. He followed her steps, keeping the distance between them. She was an older woman, with grey hair and a frail frame. He could overpower her any day, and Blaine knew his stature didn't instill much confidence in his assertion of meaning her no harm.

"What do you want to know?" Miranda moved to fold her hands in her lap but instead she fidgeted and threaded her fingers together.

"Were you paid off to distribute Solydexran?" Blaine asked.

For a moment, the doctor seemed taken aback by the questioning. "You want to know about the drug?"

"Yes," Blaine said. "Were you offered something to start prescribing it?"

"Yes, of course," Miranda said. "It came with a selling bonus. I was deterred at first, as it's important my clients only receive the best care, but after I refused a few weeks later, the gentleman returned with substantial results and an increased incentive."

"So, you took it," Blaine said, trying to keep the judgment from his tone. It was difficult to see past the falsified testing and understand how professionals could have classified such a new medication as effective and safe.

"I saw no reason not to," Miranda said. "I started prescribing it to my clients who showed increased anxiety and began to see substantial results."

"You treated Brielle Jeffries for many years, correct?" Blaine asked, referring to one of the women he'd taken into his care.

Miranda nodded. "Since she was a child."

"And you knew about her second personality." Blaine paused, remembering the person that had lived inside Brielle. Though he'd known the truth about her from the beginning, Blaine struggled not to find the alter, Jackie, endearing. Like Mel, he'd let her in when he should have kept them at arm's length.

Again, Miranda nodded. "Yes, she sought treatment at my facility for several years as an attempt to recover from drug use and to help quell the voice inside her."

"And did you help her?" Blaine asked though he knew that whatever aid Miranda had given failed years later when Solydexran came into the mix.

"For a time. Until Jackie surfaced again only a year after her departure."

"You realize now why that was?" Blaine asked. He'd seen the results; he knew the consequences. It was only a matter of time before everyone else did too. He hoped.

Miranda looked away. "Look, before Brielle began on Solydexran, things were looking up and the results with the drug had been as flawless as the original testing implied. I saw no reason to not start her on it. If anything, I hoped it would alleviate some of the pressures of her home life."

Blaine didn't answer, as they both knew how poorly that turned out. Solydexran had only worked to amplify Brielle's childhood traumas and bring life to the other being that lived hidden within in her subconscious. The one Blaine had come to know.

"You said you knew who was threatening me," Miranda said.

Blaine nodded. "The same people who have been after me for years. A lot of shady shit went down when the drug came into creation, and someone is trying hard to keep it hidden."

Miranda shook her head. "What does that have to do with me?"

"You know the truth," Blaine said. "You've seen the original reports, you've seen the damage it has done, and it's already destroyed you. You have nothing left to do but come clean about Solydexran and the conspiracy around it. But you haven't. Which means you're scared and someone is keeping you scared."

"I'm scared of you," Miranda said, straightening her back as if to show her strength in the words.

"That's probably what they want," Blaine said. Fear had been their tactic in the past. If they knew he was still working against them, then it was only a matter of time before they got to the doctor or perhaps the detective. Anyone and everyone to clean up their tracks. "Tell me about the guy who brought you the drug. Do you have his contact or a card?"

Miranda shook her head. "It was years ago. I had a sales rep come into my office, he was new to the area and new to the drug trade. He was looking to break into the market with a breakthrough drug."

Blaine couldn't stop his grimace at her response. He'd hoped she would give him more to go on.

"What about names?" Blaine asked. "Do you have information on who you have provided the drug to? Others who could have suffered?"

"That's confidential," Miranda said stiffly. "I could lose my license."

Blaine raised an eyebrow at her. "Are you really worried about that now? The best thing that can happen for you is that the truth comes out and you're far away when it does."

Miranda seemed to consider his words but didn’t respond.

"I am trying to fix all of this. Solydexran should have never been created for mass distribution." Blaine shifted, remembering when he'd first discovered the forged reports and the mayhem that followed: the payoffs, the denial, the deaths. "If you give me the names of those who have used then I can trace how far and deep the damage goes. I can get closer to revealing the truth, and you may survive."

Miranda still didn’t answer him, but she stood and retreated from the room. For a moment Blaine worried she'd call the police, but when she returned with a folder in hand, he forgot his concerns.

"This is what I gave the cops months ago," Miranda said. "I'm sure they looked into it, so I'm not sure what you'll be able to find."

Blaine nodded his thanks and took the folder.

"Should I be worried?" Miranda asked. "About my safety?"

Blaine hesitated. "You should be cautious. Continue to keep your profile low and I think you'll be fine. You aren't the biggest player in this, and you don't have the evidence to be a major threat to them."

For a moment, he pondered the report he'd so willingly given Detective Ryan Boone back in Toronto. It was the first officer of the law that he'd felt confident in trusting. Now, he realized his mistake as the reports stayed buried and Boone's work on the case had all but vanished.

Blaine turned and headed for the door.

"You surprised me," Miranda called after him.

Blaine stopped but didn't turn back to her. "Why, you really thought I'd hurt you?"

"I suppose I always thought that was inevitable, considering what I'd done to someone you loved. But no, I am surprised you didn't ask about her or where she is."

Blaine looked over his shoulder at the doctor. He'd tried not to think about Mel in the months that had passed since their separation, but it had been futile.

"She isn't who I thought she was," Blaine said.

Miranda nodded. "You're right about that. But you're not who she thought you were either, are you?"

Blaine stiffened at the question and looked away from her. "You don't know what you're talking about."

"I know more than you think," Miranda said.

"Then I'd be careful to keep your mouth shut." Blaine didn't give her a chance to respond before he dashed out the door. He gripped the folder tightly as he returned to where he'd parked his car and didn't risk a look inside at the contents until he was parked at a motel outside of the city.

When he flipped it open, stuck to the list of names was a yellow post-it note. Patsy's name. The hospital where he could find her and a phone number to reach her.

Mel had been Patsy's alternate personality brought on by abuse and the use of Solydexran. Blaine met her when he'd hoped to help her through her struggles, only to fall head over heels for the woman that was Mel. After her arrest, Blaine couldn't be sure that the woman he loved still existed.

As he stared over the nine digits, his heart fluttered with hope for the first time in months. He really could hear her voice again; the only question was if he really wanted to.