Double Take Read Online Free PDF Page B

hands as if it couldn’t be simpler than that. “Bottom line is that post-traumatic stress disorder is a debilitating condition for millions of Americans, and this drug has shown significant promise.”
    “What you’re saying is that Detective Dyer was given some experimental drug that wiped his memory, so he doesn’t remember killing his girlfriend.”
    “Close enough,” Russo said. “Thing is, this kid’s important to me. Raised him like a son, you hear? We keep this to ourselves. I don’t want him serving no time, losing his career.”
    “Losing his career?” Burden asked. “He’s a murderer, for chrissake. And he still carries a gun—”
    “I put blanks in the magazine, he wasn’t gonna hurt no one,” Russo said.
    Burden laughed sarcastically. “All due respect. He didn’t shoot Amy Dettlinger.”
    Russo balled his hand into a fist. “It was an accident. He found out she’d been having an affair behind his back. He went looking for her, to find out why, just to talk to her, and things got outta hand. He pushed her, game over. It happens.”
    “It happens?” Torrez stepped forward and spoke near Russo’s ear. “Jesus, Carmine, this ain’t ’Nam.”
    “I know it ain’t ’Nam, Harmon. I’m not trying to diminish Amy’s death. Thing is, Ben Dyer’s not a killer. He did a fuckin’ stupid thing, something he’d never done before. He pushed her. If the range ain’t there in that exact spot, she’s here to talk about it. You saw the crime scene, the forensics report.”
    “Friendship aside,” Torrez said, “that’s the only reason I agreed to this.”
    Burden shook his head. “Twenty years in the department, thought I’d seen it all.” He turned and walked back toward his car.
    Henry threw a concerned look at Russo, and then headed off after the detective.
    “The Department of Defense is very concerned about this…episode,” Russo said. “Dr. Henry has to prepare a report. We need this to be a clean solution here. Can’t be anything that could threaten the drug trials, its future as a legitimate therapy.”
    “Should’ve thought of that before you gave your guy an experimental drug and left him alone.”
    Russo examined his friend’s face. “Fair enough. It’s on me, I get that. But let’s not lose sight of the good this drug can do. You and I, we’ve seen what PTSD does to people. We’ve lived it. Now that doesn’t have to happen no more. But—you blow the lid off this thing, if the media finds out about it—it’s gonna die a fast death. Don’t let that happen. Lots of American servicemen could use something like this to help them lead a productive life.”
    “So now it’s my fault.”
    “Not sayin’ that, Harmon. I just— I gotta know. Burden gonna cause trouble?”
    Torrez turned to look over his shoulder. Burden was talking with Henry outside the Ford Taurus. “I’ll sit down with him, explain what’s at stake. He's a good inspector. Committed, honest. This whole thing runs against everything he’s about. But, he owes me. Big. I think he’ll be okay.” He swung his gaze back to Russo and stuck out an index finger. “But if Dyer shows up here again, Burden won’t keep quiet, and I’ll be fucked big time. And so will you. The Department of Defense—which, as you know, isn’t on my list of favorite government agencies—will be out for blood. And all the promise this drug might have will be flushed down the goddamn toilet.”
    With that, Torrez turned and followed Burden’s footsteps back to their car.
    THE PULSE OF LIGHTNING STROBED against the far wall outside Dr. Henry’s surgical suite. Four days had passed since the last time Carmine Russo stood here, electrical storm raging outside. Although the circumstances were nearly identical, he hoped to God the results would be different.
    It was the feeling of Henry and several neuroscientist colleagues on his DARPA research team that another round of drug therapy would have no adverse effects—even