Jesse found John Lifland in conversation with Emma Jacobs. He was a tired-looking, sallow-faced sixty-year-old, with the appearance of someone who’d spent a good deal of time in brilliantly illuminated emergency rooms, breathing too much recirculated air and experiencing more than his share of stress.

“How’s he doing,” Jesse said.

“I’ve just been discussing that with Ms. Jacobs. We’ve taken several blood samples and we’re testing them in order to determine the dosage levels he’s been receiving.”

“So he was drugged.”

“I’d say so.”

“When will he be awake,” Emma said.

“That’s hard to tell.”

“Could the drugs he’s been given contribute to his confusion,” Emma said.

“It’ll be a while before they’re completely out of his system. I don’t think his psychological condition has been impacted, but his physiology may have been. I’ll know more tomorrow.”

Jesse nodded.

“Is this an unusual occurrence,” he said.

“You mean is the drugging of patients in retirement facilities commonplace?”

“Yes.”

“There are increasingly more reports showing that it is. AARP is on the lookout for such instances, and, unfortunately, they’re finding more and more of them.”

“Yikes,” Jesse said.

“Exactly,” Lifland said. “Patient mistreatment never fails to get my goat. We take oaths to prevent this kind of crap. Forgive me for ranting. I’ll phone you as soon as I have the test results.”

“Thanks, John. I’ll also want you to present those results to the assistant district attorney.”

“Marty Reagan?”

Jesse nodded.

“I’ll make certain they’re faxed to his office.”

Jesse offered his hand, and Lifland took it.

“This is the same group responsible for a similar situation at their Marlborough facility, isn’t it,” Lifland said.

“It is.”

“Dirtbags,” Lifland said.

“Worse,” Jesse said.

They said their good-byes, and Jesse walked Emma to her car.

“Wasn’t this a stressful evening,” she said.

“I’m sorry,” Jesse said.

“How do they get away with it?”

“They work at it.”

“God, Jesse. I feel awful about this.”

“You couldn’t have known, Emma. Golden Horizons had a stellar reputation when you first brought Donnie there. The problems only began when Amherst Properties took over.”

She opened her car door.

“Thanks for this, Jesse.”

“Don’t mention it,” he said. “Dinner?”

“I think I’m going to call it a night. I’m whipped. Can I take a rain check?”

“Of course. Will you be all right?”

“You know me. By morning I’ll be rarin’ to go again.”

“It’s good to see you, Emma.”

“I wish it was under better circumstances.”

“Yeah,” he said. “Me, too.”