Chapter 7: The Doctor Who Didn't Know Daniel's Name
Dr.
Okafor's practice was a twenty-minute drive from Sylvia's office, and he agreed to see Claire the same morning when Sylvia called ahead.
He was a careful man.
Measured.
He pulled Daniel's file before Claire sat down and had it open on the desk between them.
"I've thought about your husband often," he said.
"His death troubled me at the time.
A man his age, no prior cardiac history, no warning indicators at his last physical." He turned a page.
"His last physical was six months before he died.
Everything was normal.
Blood pressure, cholesterol, resting heart rate.
All within healthy range."
"He was prescribed a new blood pressure medication," Claire said.
"Six weeks before he died.
Not by you."
Dr.
Okafor looked up.
"That's correct.
I was not consulted.
I only became aware of it when I reviewed his complete records after his death.
The prescription appeared in the pharmacy system under a Dr.
Gerald Fenn." He paused.
"I don't know Dr.
Fenn personally.
The practice address listed is in a suburb I don't have professional contacts in."
"Did you look into it?"
"I flagged it internally.
I was told by the hospital that since the death certificate had been signed and there was no family inquiry, there was no basis to escalate." He looked at her steadily.
"There was no family inquiry."
"I didn't know to ask," Claire said.
"I understand."
"What does the medication do?
The one that was prescribed."
Dr.
Okafor folded his hands.
"In a patient with genuinely elevated blood pressure, it manages the condition effectively.
In a patient with normal blood pressure — particularly at elevated doses — it can cause a significant and rapid drop in cardiac function." He paused carefully.
"In certain circumstances, and at the wrong dosage, it could precipitate a cardiac event that would present identically to a spontaneous myocardial infarction."
The room was quiet.
"Would that be detectable?" Claire asked.
"At autopsy, if specifically tested for — possibly.
Without a specific toxicology screen targeting that compound, no.
A standard post-mortem examination would find cardiac failure and record it as such." He looked at her.
"There was no autopsy requested."
"No," Claire said.
"There wasn't."
She sat with that for a moment.
"I need everything you have in writing," she said.
"The flagged prescription, the pharmacy record, the name of Dr.
Fenn, your notes from the time.
Everything."
"I can have it ready within the hour."
"And Dr.
Fenn — is the practice still operating?"
Dr.
Okafor turned to his computer.
He typed for a moment.
Then he stopped.
"The practice was deregistered," he said.
"Fourteen months ago."
Claire looked at him.
"The listed physician, Gerald Fenn, surrendered his medical license.
The stated reason was administrative — failure to maintain required continuing education credits." Dr.
Okafor's voice was even, but his expression was not.
"That is an unusual reason for a full deregistration.
Typically there are warnings, a remediation period."
"Unless someone wanted it closed quietly," Claire said.
Dr.
Okafor said nothing.
He printed the documents and handed them across the desk.
Claire added them to her folder.
She was back in her car twenty minutes later, folder on the passenger seat, Noah at school, the morning still going on around her as though nothing had changed.
She called the investigator Sylvia had named.
His name was Marcus Webb.
He answered on the third ring with a voice that sounded like he had been awake for a long time.
"Sylvia Marsh gave me your number," Claire said.
"I know," he said.
"She called me an hour ago.
I've been expecting you."
"How much did she tell you?"
"Enough.
Financial fraud, forged estate documents, and a suspicious prescription from a doctor who no longer has a license." A pause.
"Is there anything else?"
Claire looked at the folder on the passenger seat.
"Possibly," she said.
"I need to know if what I'm thinking is actually possible."
"Mrs.
Morgan," Marcus Webb said, "in my experience, the things people think are impossible are usually the things that already happened." Another pause.
"Come in this afternoon.
Bring everything."
Claire started the car.
Kevin had said: *Information about how he really died.*
He had said it like a threat.
May you like
Like a door he could open or close as it suited him.
But doors worked both ways.
