Death Benefit

42.

COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER NEW YORK CITY MARCH 25, 2011, 1:18 P.M.

The first time George heard Pia’s theory, he thought she had lost it for sure. She said she believed that Rothman and Yamamoto were murdered using a radioactive agent, polonium-210, that was masked by the salmonella bacteria they had also been given. George had sarcastically asked which James Bond movie she’d gotten that from, but Pia was, as ever, deadly serious.

“George, it’s actually happened before so it’s a copycat crime. Someone was actually murdered in this fashion. Truly. The man’s name was Alexander Litvinenko, a Russian. He was killed in London in 2006. Don’t you remember? It was all over the news.”

“I don’t remember,” George admitted.

Pia waved George over to the desk so he could see several of the newspaper stories she had found online, then she filled him in on the basics of the case.

“Litvinenko was in the KGB, then the FSB, which is what replaced it. He fled Russia and was given political asylum in England. He wrote a couple of books that were critical of the Russian president, Putin. You’d think he would have been super-careful, knowing what he did. He meets these guys, ex-KGB like him, in a London hotel bar for tea. Within hours he’s sick and hospitalized. After several days he’s diagnosed with radiation poisoning, which is later figured out to be polonium-210. He gets progressively worse, since there was not a lot the doctors could do, and dies about three weeks later.”

“Three weeks. That’s a lot longer than Rothman and Yamamoto.”

“Yeah, I know. But polonium’s effects are dose-related. We don’t know how much polonium was used and when Rothman and Yamamoto were poisoned.”

We don’t know if they were poisoned, thought George, but he kept it to himself. Pia was on a roll.

“So the Brits investigate and find out about the bar and the tea, and there was radiation all over the place, especially in the teapot. Ultimately it was proven that he died from deliberate poisoning. They did an autopsy and the pathologists had to wear hazmat suits. Litvinenko’s GI tract was very hot, to use your word. The guy had to be buried in a lead-lined coffin.”

“Okay, I can see why one spy might use something like this to kill another spy, but why use it on doctors? If you want to kill them, why go to all that trouble? Why not just shoot them?”

“That’s the clever part. Whoever did this did not want anyone to know it was an assassination. They wanted it to appear like an accident. The symptoms of radiation poisoning are camouflaged by the salmonella: fever, prostration, delirium, GI symptoms, low white count. Everything’s the same except the hair loss. They were counting on the fact that no one would think to look for this kind of agent because of the typhoid fever diagnosis. Polonium is unique in that it decays by only emitting alpha particles, which would only be detected if someone thought to look specifically for it, but nobody would because the diagnosis of typhoid was so obvious.”

Pia was picking up steam again. It all seemed to fit.

“Nor would the alpha particles make anyone else sick, which obviously has been the case. Alpha particles can only travel about a centimeter, and they can be blocked by as little as a sheet of paper. It’s only if the polonium-210 is breathed in or ingested that it’s dangerous, and then it’s really dangerous, especially in a large dose, which can be rapidly fatal. Even as little as a millionth of a gram can kill you.”

Pia sat back in her seat with a look of triumph on her face. “What do you think, George?”

George was overwhelmed both by the amount of information Pia had thrown at him and by her enthusiasm. Things fit, but he couldn’t help but wonder if Pia was getting ahead of herself. “You have to assume the hair loss had no other cause,” George said. He thought a little more. “But I guess this would explain why the antibiotics didn’t work. Or maybe they were working, but the radiation overpowered them.”

“Exactly,” Pia said. “It is diabolically fiendish. Whoever is involved is smart-probably a doctor or a scientist who knows a lot of medicine.”

George thought about it some more. He started pacing the room.

“I guess it’s possible,” George said. He could see no insurmountable problems with the theory. “So let’s tell the authorities, let them figure it out.”

“No, we can’t. We don’t know who did it.”

“I guess you have to assume that the guys who attacked you had something to do with it.”

“No doubt, but this has to be a major conspiracy. You know what this stuff is used for? They use it to make firing mechanisms for nuclear weapons. No one admits to making it, although the major source is supposed to be Russia. I just read about it two minutes ago. So the FSB can just call someone and get it. But how do you get it in New York City? There has to be a lot of people involved. Serious people with access to this material. And I believe those guys when they warned me not to go to the police. I’m not going to the authorities till I have enough proof to go to the media at the same time.”

“The media?”

“I told you, I don’t trust ‘the authorities.’ ” Pia made quote marks in the air with her fingers. “If I give this story to the newspapers, whoever is involved won’t be able to bury it.”

“So what proof do you need?”

Pia turned back to the computer and made another search.

“Okay! Polonium-210 has a half-life of a hundred and thirty-eight days, meaning that it takes a hundred and thirty-eight days for it to lose half of its radioactivity. So if that’s what they used, there has to be some trace around someplace, either in the lab or in the rooms Rothman and Yamamoto occupied in the hospital. Even if someone was very careful giving it to them, there’s bound to be some residue just like there was in London in 2006.”

George joined Pia at the computer, looking over her shoulder. “How is polonium detected?”

“Here it is,” Pia said, pointing at the screen. “Alpha particles can be detected with a Geiger counter. Pretty simple.”

“Where are we going to get a Geiger counter?” George said. “Oh, let’s use mine. It should be in the bottom drawer on your right.”

“Very funny,” Pia said. “Geiger counters are not all that uncommon, especially around a medical center like this. They must have them in Nuclear Medicine. We’ll go over there and see if we can’t borrow one.”

“I couldn’t help notice that you said ‘we,’ ” George said. “So is this a formal invitation?”

“Of course it is,” Pia replied.

“Well, thank you,” George said. Actually there was no way he would have allowed Pia to go over to the hospital without him. He reached out and felt along Pia’s jaw. “Maybe we should get you X-rayed while we’re there. I know a technician who would do it as a favor.”

Pia pushed his hand away. “I don’t want to take the risk.”

“All right, here’s the plan,” George said. “I’ll help you look for a Geiger counter, but first I have to talk to my resident and come up with an excuse for not being around.”

“Fine,” Pia said. “I wouldn’t mind a few minutes of rest. Whatever drug I was given has me feeling sleepy again. I could use a bit of rest while you take care of business. Do you mind if I just lie down here on your bed? Call me when you’re ready.” Pia moved from the desk chair over to the bed and lay down. She closed her eyes and let out a sigh. She was tired and wired at the same time.

George went over to her and, taking out his pocket light, made her open her eyes. He quickly checked pupillary light reaction. It was normal.

“Jesus, that’s bright,” she complained, turning her head to the side. “What the hell are you doing?”

“I’m just worried about a concussion,” George said.

“That’s a happy thought,” Pia said.

“It’s something to think about, especially if you’re sleepy.”

“Good point, but I think I’m fine, just tired.”

“I’ll go back to Radiology and make my excuses. I’ll be right back. Wedge the chair under the door handle. Do you have your phone?”

Pia nodded.

“Make sure it’s charged. My charger’s on the desk. And call me if you need me.”

George would have been far happier calling the police or renting a car and driving Pia as far out of the city as he could. But he’d come this far with her. He just had to cover himself, and he’d be clear to stay with her for as long as it took to resolve this thing. They’d get a Geiger counter and find the proof if it existed. Or they wouldn’t find the proof, and Pia would have to drop this theory as she had all the others. Perhaps then she would quit sleuthing.