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* * *
Dr. Harcourt’s offices were not far from his home. He opened the door to Leonard and Lucille with a broad smile. “Come in,” he said and showed them to his waiting area. There was one person sitting in it.
Lucille shot him a look, and Dr. Harcourt understood at once. What they had to discuss could not be said in front of others. He quickly led them to one of his exam rooms instead, shutting the door behind them.
“What’s wrong?” he asked. “Has something happened?”
“Yes,” said Leonard, whose shoulders seemed especially strong to her today. Every time he’d drawn her to him, she could feel his muscles working, pulsing against her deep beneath his skin. It made her stomach spin each time. It was a wonder she’d been able to pull herself away from him at all.
Leonard finished telling the doctor everything he’d just told her, finishing with what he called “Lucille’s insane plan” to break Effie out of jail and enlist Irene’s help in doing so. Dr. Harcourt looked horrified.
“I’ll never allow my wife to participate in such a thing,” the doctor said.
“Dr. Harcourt,” Lucille said.
“Oh, for goodness’ sake, call me Theodore. I think the three of us know each other well enough by now.”
She nodded. “Theodore, I’m not going to let Irene get hurt, but I can’t just stand by and do nothing.”
Theodore’s face flushed. Leonard held up one hand. “I’ve got an idea of my own,” he said. “You’re a doctor, that makes you quite powerful. If you were to go and examine Effie and find her to be ill, too ill to travel, say, then there would be nothing Decker could do about it. He could not move her until you have your say so.”
Lucille looked at him, her jaw dropping open. “That’s brilliant!” she said and threw her arms around him. He squeezed her tightly.
“I can try it,” said Theodore, “but I’m not sure it will work. Does the girl even have the sniffles? A pale complexion? Anything I can use?”
“I don’t think so,” said Leonard, “but I’m certain you can find something.”
Theodore quickly dismissed his waiting patient, begging their forgiveness and explaining that he had an emergency, then he hurried to the sheriff’s station. Outside, the three of them paused.
“We should go in separately,” said Leonard. “So that it doesn’t look like we’ve recruited you for this. Lucy, you ought to just go home.”
“Nonsense,” Lucille said. “I’m going in. I’m your wife. I’ll just say I came to see you. Say you ran into me when you were out walking. There’s nothing odd about that.”
Reluctantly, Leonard consented, mostly because she made it clear to him that she wasn’t going to leave no matter what he said. They went in together, and Leonard explained that they’d run into each other while he was out walking.
“Did you get your flour?” Amos asked.
Leonard blinked at him. “Oh, yes, the flour. Turns out Lucy beat me to it.”
Lucille, who was quick to catch on, said, “Yes, I bought it this morning.” Her eyes drifted to Effie. It was the first she’d seen of the woman since the day Leonard had arrested her. She looked so small and tired sitting there in that cell, and Lucille almost confessed everything right then.
Decker was watching her. He cleared his throat. “Mrs. Overton,” he said, “I’m glad you’re here. I’ve told your husband that I... well, that I was in error with my previous judgments against you. Now I’m glad for the chance to tell you as well.”
Lucille waited another minute before speaking then realized that was to be the extent of his apology. She did not much mind. After all, he was an awful man, but he’d been right about a lot of things. He’d been right about her, at least to an extent.
She turned away from him and looked again at Effie. “Are you feeling all right?” she asked. “You look rather pale.”
“I do?” Effie asked in a sweet voice.
“Yes. And your hair is quite oily.”
Effie ran a hand self-consciously through her hair. “I haven’t bathed in some time.”
“And your lips are white,” Lucille continued.
Finally catching on, Leonard said, “Lucy’s right. Amos, have you noticed this? She’s got red spots all along her nose.”
Amos and Decker both turned to look at her. “I don’t see anything,” Decker said. It was just then Theodore walked in. He looked around the room at them.
Amos looked patiently back at him. “Something I can do for you, Dr. Harcourt?” he asked.
Dr. Harcourt gave a curt nod. “Yes, I’ve just received a most alarming telegram. It seems that there’s been an outbreak of... plehmonobaliotis... spreading amongst the jail cells throughout Missouri. Prisoners everywhere are getting ill.”
“Plegma what?” Decker said.
“It’s a contagion that is easily transmittable to people in close quarters.”
“I’m sure Miss Bate’s is fine,” said Decker, but he looked worried now. “If she had it, so would we.”
Theodore hesitated. “It’s difficult for men to get it. It’s transmitted mostly amongst women,” he said after a moment then headed for her cell. “Open this up, please. I need to conduct a thorough exam.”
Amos opened the cell, never questioning him. “Is it serious?” he asked, squinting at Effie.
“It can be deadly,” Theodore said.
Lucille watched, fascinated, as Theodore conducted his phony exam. He pinched her cheeks, had her stick her tongue out, listened to her chest, and told her to hold her breath for as long as she could. She lasted less than a minute.
“It’s just as I feared,” Theodore said. “She has a most serious case of it.”
“She does?” asked Decker, taking a step back. “Still, if it can only pass to women, then we ought to be safe.”
Theodore hesitated. “Yes, unless you spend too much time alone with her. You see, right now, there are several of us sharing the same air, making it safe, but if you were to be alone with Miss Baker in, say, a coach, for an extended period of time, you might find yourself feeling ill. The only one in real danger right now is Lucille.”
Everyone looked at Lucile. “Perhaps you ought to wait outside,” Amos said.
She inched toward the door. “I’m sure I’m all right since I’ve only been in here for a few minutes, right doctor?”
Theodore hurried to answer. “Yes, she’d have to spend at least an hour with Miss Bates before she’d show any symptoms. For men, it takes longer and the quarters must be more confined.”
Leonard looked at Decker. “I guess you won’t be able to move her to Jefferson City tomorrow after all.”
“Move her?” Theodore shouted, his eyes going wide. “Oh no, that’s impossible. If you were to move her, she might die, and whoever was with her would most likely get very ill, whether a man or a woman. The dead expel whatever contagion is living in them at the time they pass, and the person nearest to them cannot help but inhale it.”
The idea was a frightening one. The doctor was an excellent liar.
“Well,” said Decker scratching his head. “How long before she’s well again?”
Theodore looked uncertain, and she saw Leonard hold up five fingers to him. “At least five days, I’d say.”
Decker’s eyes nearly popped out of his head. “Five days?” he exclaimed. “Oh, no. I can’t wait that long.”
“Did I mention that one of the symptoms men exhibit when they do get it is the expelling of their intestines through their orifices?”
Decker’s eyes widened. Lucille had to bite back a laugh.
“A few more days won’t hurt, I suppose,” Decker said. “Maybe I’d better go for a walk. My head feels a little light.”
“You do that,” said Theodore. “Come and see me if your throat starts to close up.”
Decker put a hand to his throat and hurried for the door. Amos watched him go in silence. “I feel fine,” he said when Decker was gone and sat back down at his desk.
Theodore looked at her and Leonard. “I’d better get back.”
“Wait!” shouted Effie. “Am I gonna die?” Her bottom lip jutted out.
The doctor paused then said, “Not any time soon, my dear. Your eyes are still crystal clear, which tells me you have the less serious form of the contagion.”
“Should I do anything for it?”
He thought it over. “Ingest one piece of penny candy every hour while you’re awake.”
“Penny candy?” Amos asked.
“Sugar kills the contagion,” Theodore explained.
Amos looked at Leonard. “Maybe you ought to pick up some penny candy for all of us. Just get a big ole’ bag of it, whatever kind you fancy.”
“Will do,” Leonard said and promised to get the biggest bag of penny candy the sweet shop could fill.
* * *
