Jake made sure the Boston Globe got all the details, and the story ran on the front page the day after Prescott’s arrest. The news coverage following the Globe’s article was predictable and Pam was a little amused at how much more of a heroine she became with each rendition. Nature followed quickly with a new publication of her paper, this time with the correct drug in place of aneurinide. She was once again a star scientist. And an icon of popular culture.

Enrique DeSilva called within days to offer her old job back. Except it wasn’t exactly her old job. This time it would be a specially endowed professorship with a huge salary and all the research funds she could ever want. But it was hard to imagine returning to the old life. How could she go back to normal interactions with people who turned on her without a second thought when she was down? Without even listening to her side of the story.

Similar offers came from the country’s other top institutions, but she remained noncommittal.

Then she received a call from the President of the University of Michigan.

“I know you’re flooded with offers, but I’ve been talking with your old mentor, Karl Meyers, and we’d like you to consider the possibility of a position as director of a new neuroscience institute. Actually, our vision is that it would be a new kind of institute, where faculty would be encouraged to address innovative big picture problems without the normal restraints of funding and tenure. We want to build a place where people can undertake long-term high-risk research that will make a difference, without the constant pressures of getting grants and publishing the kind of trivial papers that plague academia. As director, you’d have complete authority over faculty hiring and promotion, as well as the operational resources needed to make this a reality.”

Pam’s interest was piqued. This could be something new and important. A different way to run science, not the kind of fighting for money, tenure, and awards that cheapened institutions like the Langmere. And that had produced a monster like Prescott.

“That certainly sounds intriguing,” she said. “But the resources needed for an undertaking like that would be enormous. Do you really think it’s feasible?”

“Karl and I have already run the idea by several of the larger private foundations, including Gates and Hughes. It’s all contingent on you being director, but if you were to accept the position the answer would be yes. I think you’d be surprised by the resources we could muster. Can I get you to make a trip out here and talk to us about it?”

It was exciting. And having Karl for a colleague would be a big plus. She discussed it with Jake and he liked the idea. Plenty of business for a private investigator in Detroit.

She took several weeks to consider it. But then she decided to take the plunge. The allure of building a model research institute that supported young scientists who wanted to do something new, not just dot the i’s and cross the t’s of academic success, was compelling.

And getting back to thinking about science was fun.

• • •

Jake was curled up in bed with Pam when the phone jolted them awake. He looked over at the clock. Just after five. The morning of October fifth.

Pam grabbed the phone and said, “Hello?”

She listened for a minute and said, “Oh my. Well, thank you. That’s quite a surprise.”

There was a longer pause and she said, “Yes, that’s great news. Thanks again. I guess I’ll see you in December.”

She ended the call and Jake asked, “What was that?”

“Stockholm. Nobel Prize.”

He jumped up and wrapped his arms around her. “No surprise, but congratulations! We should celebrate. How about I make omelets and Mimosas?”

Pam smiled and kissed him lightly. “Thanks, but it’s not a big deal. What’s a prize like that even mean when someone like Prescott almost got it by fraud? Let’s go back to sleep.”

The media coverage later that day noted how unusual it was for Pam to have been the sole recipient of this year’s Prize. Only the New York Times included a comment from Alfred Bergner of the Nobel Committee, suggesting that Eric Prescott would have shared it with her under normal circumstances.