1
The move to Los Angeles was fairly painless. Dynasty Pictures took care of all the details. They provided far more help than Karen or Vic had anticipated. The temporary residence was a furnished four-bedroom house the studio had rented for three months. The bulk of the Meyers’ possessions went into storage until they could find a more permanent dwelling to rent.
Karen and Vic decided that it would be Vic’s responsibility to locate a place for them to live while Karen accompanied Jamie at the studio. The studio offered Vic a good position overseeing one of their Prop departments. Even though Vic would have preferred to work on the actual Prop construction, that would have required union membership with lots of seniority. He accepted the job and agreed to start working as soon as he found a place for the family to live.
Jamie started work immediately. The studio had held off starting a new picture until Jamie arrived in L.A. The script originally called for a five-year-old child as the central figure, but it got revised to a four-year-old so that Jamie could take the role. Jamie found the work to be a lot more boring than she had imagined. She spent most of her days memorizing lines and taking shoot after shoot of minor little scenes that the director insisted on getting perfect.
Gradually, Jamie and Karen settled into a daily routine. There was none of the glamour that they had anticipated, but the studio people told them things would be fun when the picture got released and the promotions started. That’s when Jamie would get all the media attention and do all the promotional touring.
Vic found them a place to live after only three weeks of looking. It was a beautiful three-bedroom house only thirty minutes from the studio. They signed a two-year renewable lease and scheduled the move immediately, hoping to settle in to a normal life as quickly as possible. They spent the first weekend in December moving into the house, and once that was done their lives began to feel a bit more normal. Vic began working at the studio the following Monday.
Karen lined up an appointment with Chuck Wexler at UCLA. They were scheduled to meet the second weekend in December, only one week after moving into their new place.
.....
On Friday, December 9th, Vic came home from his first week of work. Karen and Jamie were already home and dinner was almost ready.
“You’re not going to believe it,” Karen announced, “but our place in Buffalo just got rented.”
“Great!” Vic replied. “How much?”
“Two hundred a month more than we hoped for,” she proudly informed him. “And they signed a two year lease.”
Vic was relieved to be out from under the burden of the mortgage back home. “That’s wonderful. We’ll even make money on the deal. I would have been happy just to break even.”
Jamie smiled at Vic’s reaction. She said, “It’s really weird to think that someone else is going to live in our house. I wonder if someone’s going to be in my old room.”
“It’s a family with three children,” Karen explained, “so it’s pretty certain that your room will be occupied.”
Jamie didn’t seem too happy with that thought, but Karen changed the subject without waiting for a reaction.
“Tomorrow is our meeting at UCLA, Vic,” she reminded him. “Plan on leaving here no later than nine tomorrow morning.”
Jamie asked, “What should I wear, Mom?”
“Everybody is going to wear some nice clothes. Dad’s even going to wear a tie, isn’t he?” she inquired as she positioned her face just inches away from Vic’s.
“I can take a hint,” he said. “I’ll even wear a sport jacket.”
Karen formed a triumphant smile and boasted, “I can get you to do almost anything I want. You’re so easy!” She gave Vic a peck on the cheek and whispered, “Thanks, Vic.”
.....
The meeting at UCLA went well. Jamie spent two hours testing and interviewing while Vic and Karen filled out questionnaires and talked with Chuck Wexler and some of the staff members. Then they all went to lunch together. After lunch, Jamie did an hour and a half of additional testing. They all got together in Chuck Wexler’s office at three in the afternoon.
“This is an easy one,” he informed them. “The staff has already decided they’ve seen enough to recommend Jamie for the program.”
“When does Jamie start?” Karen asked.
“We’d like to begin right away,” Chuck urged. “We can do two evenings a week and some weekend work too. How does that sound?”
“Great,” replied Karen. “What time do I have to bring her?”
“I’m sorry,” explained Chuck, “but you must have misunderstood what I was saying earlier. We’ll pick up Jamie at home and drop her back off at predetermined times. We don’t need to waste the parents’ time at all. You’re more than welcome to come if you like, but it isn’t necessary.”
Karen thought about it for a minute. She turned to Jamie and asked, “What do you think, dear?”
Without hesitation, Jamie replied, “I’d like to come alone if it’s okay with you.”
“Sure,” Karen agreed. “Let’s work out a schedule, Mr. Wexler.”
Ten minutes later the arrangements were complete and they all shook hands as the meeting broke up.
“See you Tuesday, Jamie,” Chuck said as he shook her tiny hand.
.....
Jamie sat in the back of the car during the ride home from UCLA. She was bursting with pleasure. Her thoughts were on her sacred mission. She knew that UCLA would be a great place for her to do the detective work to find the others. Her head was flooded with wonderful thoughts of Zoron and Jonah. She could hardly wait to prove herself worthy of God’s trust. She reveled in the thought of her ultimate reward. She would get to do what no other mortal soul had ever done; meet with God. She began to feel tears of joy forming, and she lowered her head to conceal the tears from her parents.
She carefully wiped the tears dry without being detected. She yearned so very much to be able to share her joy with her parents, but she knew that they must never know. Her only consolation came in her knowledge that one day both of them would have the opportunity to sit in a Processing Chamber and know the truth about God’s world for one brief instant before being cleansed.
She thought about ultimately completing her mission and returning to Zoron and Jonah. She wondered if she might be able to figure out some special clue she could leave her parents before she departed this life. It would have to be a clue that they would remember until they died. And it would have to be one that would suddenly make sense to them when they were processed. It would be her secret little way to convey to them that she was really here on a mission of God. It would be her special gift for all the things they had done for her.
Yes! That would be a wonderful gift indeed. She smiled. She would tell Zoron and Jonah about her gift and she knew they would approve.
2
UCLA’s Gifted Program laboratory was comprised of seven rooms in an off-campus office building where UCLA leased two full floors. Jamie’s first visit was spent touring the facility and meeting the staff. Chuck Wexler was her personal tour guide, and the respect that he commanded from everyone they met throughout the tour made Jamie feel very important.
After the tour, Jamie and Chuck sat in a conference room to discuss the organization of the Program and Jamie’s planned involvement. The Program organization was broken into four distinct areas of work under Chuck’s cognizance; testing, research, data analysis and publishing. Chuck handled all recruitment, administrative and funding matters.
“You’re here primarily to take part in our testing,” explained Chuck. “You’ll be assigned to Cora Morgan, the young lady you met in the first lab we visited. She’ll keep you busy ninety percent of the time.”
“What about the other ten percent?” Jamie inquired. “Can I work with the people over in research?”
“That will be left entirely to Cora’s discretion. I’m sure the two of you can work something out.” Chuck glanced at his watch and commented, “Our time’s just about up for this evening, Jamie. On your next visit, go right to room 102 and find Cora. If you ever come here and can’t find Cora, just tell any of the other staff members. They’ll know what to do.”
.....
The next few visits to UCLA were occupied by testing. Cora administered a battery of standard written and oral tests and evaluations to establish a baseline from which to measure Jamie’s development. On the fifth visit, Jamie finally had her first break in the action and she got Cora’s permission to sit in with Josh Draper in Research. Josh and Jamie had maintained a casual dialogue since Jamie’s first visit, and they liked each other.
“Cora said it would be okay for me to come over here if you didn’t object,” explained Jamie.
“No problem, Jamie,” he replied. “Just grab a chair and we can talk.”
Jamie pushed a chair next to Josh’s at the computer table. She climbed up and tried to see what Josh was working on. Josh saw her looking at the screen.
“It’s data on IQ’s versus GPA’s here at UCLA,” he explained. Jamie nodded and Josh continued, “I’m compiling data on IQ’s, SAT scores, and a bunch of other standardized tests so that we can tell which tests are most meaningful as indicators of future academic performance.”
“That’s interesting,” commented Jamie.
“No it’s not!” They both laughed. “But it’s necessary,” Josh added. “Gifted children have to be identified as soon as possible. The later in life they’re identified, the lower their ultimate level of achievement.”
Jamie nodded to express her understanding.
Josh went on to explain, “The younger a gifted child is when he’s identified, the more emotional problems he’s likely to face. There’s a whole lot of social problems that typically develop because of the special treatment of the gifted child and because of the high level of performance they demonstrate compared to other children their age.”
“I see what you mean,” Jamie confirmed. “I’m very interested in gifted children’s issues myself. I have some ideas about them, but you’d probably laugh if I told you.”
“Try me.”
“Only if you promise not to tell anyone else,” she insisted.
“Our secret,” Josh agreed.
“Well let me just say that I’m interested in multiple personality disorders, extraordinary psychic abilities, and reincarnation claims in gifted children.”
“Heavy stuff!” said Josh. “By chance, is any of it personal?” he cautiously inquired.
Jamie sized up Josh before answering. “Would you be willing to help me do a little research on the side?” she asked.
He looked at Jamie curiously. “Only if you let me in on the results. You’re giving me goose bumps, you know.”
“No big thing, Josh. I’m not saying it relates to me specifically, but I don’t want the rest of them here to know anything about my research,” insisted Jamie.
“I could get in a lot of trouble concealing research data,” Josh confided, “but I’ll do it if you’ll let me in on whatever you turn up. What’s driving all this, Jamie?”
“I’ll tell you eventually, but not now. Do we have a deal?”
They shook hands on it. Then Jamie explained what she would need to conduct her investigations. She mentioned access to long distance phone service, on-line computer data bank searches, and the university library.
“We can manage that to a degree,” Josh assured her. “The main problem is going to be the phone calls. You’ll have to keep them down to a minimum or Chuck will notice for sure. He screens all the phone bills and goes crazy when they get out of hand. Last year he caught some of the staff calling their parents and friends on the university’s nickel. You just let me know when and where you’re planning to call and I’ll try to work out a cover story. If you can keep it down to no more than three or four short calls a day, I can cover it pretty easily.”
“That’s great, Josh,” Jamie exclaimed. “Thanks for the help.”
.....
Michael Pearlstein visited Jamie in mid-February. He reserved an extra day in the L.A. area so that he could visit the studio as well as the UCLA lab. He and Jamie got permission from Vic and Karen to visit Maria Cortez in the evening. The ride that evening provided Michael and Jamie their first opportunity to speak face to face since the Meyers moved to California.
“How is Maria doing, Michael? Any better than last time we spoke?”
“No, I’m afraid not. It’s been over four months that she’s been undergoing special treatment, but they’re not getting anywhere at all with it.”
“She’s going to be okay,” Jamie reassured him. “Remember her special purpose in life, and mine too.”
“Have you found any of the others?” asked Michael.
“Not yet,” admitted Jamie. “But I’ve set things up at UCLA to begin my search.”
“How can I help, Jamie?”
“Just be patient, Michael. There’s going to be plenty for you to do later.”
They arrived at the hospital and went to Maria’s room. Maria looked healthy and comfortable, but she didn’t seem to be aware of their presence at all, and she didn’t respond to anything they said to her. It was too hard for Michael to watch for very long, so they cut the visit short. On the ride back to Jamie’s house, Michael was extremely somber.
“Jamie, I can hardly stand all this waiting,” he confessed. “I’m going out of my mind.”
“Have faith in God, Michael. He has chosen the soul of David Pearlstein to do His holy work on earth through Maria Cortez. If you believe in God, so must you believe in me. I will protect Maria from her enemies and she will carry out her purpose on earth.”
“I’m just not sure what I believe in any more. How could God let Maria suffer this way?”
“We don’t know that Maria is suffering at all, Michael. I’m sure that God knows what He’s doing.” Jamie glanced over to check Michael’s facial expression. “God has chosen me to protect her, and I have found you and chosen you to help me. Isn’t that in itself enough to give you faith and confidence?”
“You can’t possibly understand my confusion, Jamie. My whole system of beliefs has been shattered. I feel so alone. There’s nothing left to comfort me. I was content believing in the Jewish ideas and traditions, but you’ve pulled the rug out from under me.”
“Ignorance is bliss!” agreed Jamie. “I have certainly placed an enormous burden on you, Michael. God will surely find a way to comfort you and give you strength.”
“I hope so, Jamie. I really hope so.”
.....
On a weekend session, Cora finished up early with Jamie and sent her over to work with Josh. Jamie had her list in her pocket. She had looked forward to this opportunity for what seemed like ages. She told Josh she needed to make calls to long-distance information and he gave her the go-ahead.
“Give me a list of all the area codes you call,” he instructed. “I’ll make up a cover story. Make sure you use my phone and my ID code only. If you have to call any specific numbers, tell me first.”
“Okay,” she agreed. “Thanks!”
She began with Ray Williams. She was able to locate a listing for his wife, Jasmine, but not for his ex-wife or children under the adopted name that Jonah had given Jamie. For Hank Alderfer she obtained a listing for his Minister. For Jack Casey she came up with all blanks. For Ann Willis she located a number for her husband, Ted.
Jamie knew her work was cut out for her. She was disappointed that she only turned up three numbers on her first try, but it was a start. She asked Josh if she could call the three numbers. He checked the area codes and asked her a few questions about who she was calling and why. She made up some answers that satisfied him enough to get him to grant his permission.
Jamie executed her calls in the specific fashion that Jonah and Zoron had instructed her. First on the list was Jasmine Williams.
“Hello,” the voice said.
“I’m looking for Jasmine Williams,” Jamie said in the most mature voice she could muster.
“That’s me. Who’s this?”
“My name is Connie Cuthbert,” Jamie lied. “I’m with a team from the Atlanta DAs office investigating a fraud scheme involving spouses of recently deceased individuals. It was brought to our attention that someone may possibly have contacted you about your former husband Raymond who died in 1975. Has anyone done so, Ma’am?”
“Absolutely not,” Jasmine replied. “What is this all about?”
“The people we’re investigating represent themselves as psychic mediums or even reincarnations of the deceased. They work their way close to the surviving spouses or other family members and ultimately con them out of money.”
“Certainly nothing like that has happened to me. But I’ll look out for it. How did Ray’s name come up anyway?”
“It was on a list we recently confiscated. I’m sorry for any inconvenience I may have caused, Mrs. Williams. Just keep alert.”
“Thank you. I certainly will. Who should I contact if someone calls me?”
“I’ll check with you again if we don’t put these people out of business shortly. Good-bye, Mrs. Williams.”
Jamie hung up and called Hank Alderfer’s Minister, claiming to be an investigator with the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office. She got nowhere.
The last call was to Ann Willis’ husband, Ted. Jamie claimed to be with the Indianapolis District Attorney’s Office and went through the same introduction.
“It’s weird,” Ted Willis told her. “Nobody tried to scam me or anything, but I did get a strange call last month or so from a woman in Pittsburgh. I kept her name and number because there was something unsettling about her call. Hold on just a second and let me look through my stuff here.” Jamie heard the shuffling of papers. “Yes, here it is. This woman named Toby Sinclair called asking about Ann. She said she was a psychologist and that some woman named Phyllis had a letter or something with Ann’s name on it.”
“Did she say anything else?” Jamie inquired.
“She asked if I knew of any friend of Ann’s named Phyllis in the Pittsburgh area or if I knew a family named....hold on while I put on my glasses....yes, a family named Hunt. Do you think this woman has anything to do with this scam you’re talking about?”
“I don’t know, Mr. Willis. It could be. Do you happen to have a telephone number or address for this Toby Sinclair?”
“I sure do. She asked me to call her collect. Here we go, right here.”
Jamie jotted down the information. “Is there anything else you can remember?” she asked.
“I can tell you that I went through Ann’s stuff and I’m absolutely sure there was no Phyllis woman that she wrote to or called in Pittsburgh or anywhere else for that matter. We’ve always saved our phone bills, so I even verified that no calls were placed to Pittsburgh as far back as twelve years ago.”
“That’s very interesting, Mr. Willis,” Jamie commented.
She thanked Ted and hung up. She reviewed what he had told her and she wondered if it might have any value. She strolled over to Josh.
“There’s one more call I’d like to make if it’s okay,” she told him. “It’s a psychologist in Pittsburgh named Toby Sinclair. Here’s the number.”
Josh looked at the piece of paper Jamie held out to him. “Toby Sinclair?” he asked. “The Toby Sinclair? You’ve got to be kidding.”
“Do you know who she is?” Jamie asked.
“Sure. When you told me you were interested in multiple personality disorders, I didn’t expect you to be calling authors about their work.”
Jamie was puzzled. “What do you mean?”
“Toby Sinclair! You’re calling her about her book, aren’t you?”
Jamie’s heart pounded. “Do you know her book?” she cautiously asked.
Josh smiled. “There’s a copy of it in Sam’s office down the hall. I haven’t read it yet myself, but Sam has talked about it with me. Come on, follow me!”
He led Jamie to an office marked “S. Tripper” and scanned through some bookcases. “Here we go.” He pulled the book from the shelf and handed it to Jamie.
“Can I borrow this?” she asked.
“Sure,” Josh agreed. “I’ll just leave a note for Sam. He lets anyone borrow his books, but he insists they leave a note so he knows who has them.” He scribbled a few words on a piece of paper and thumb-tacked it to the corkboard on the office wall. “That should do it.”
“Thank you, Josh,” Jamie said as calmly as she could. She followed Josh back to his area and sat down. She looked at the book jacket and read the words, Multiple Personality Disorders in Children. She couldn’t wait to get home and read the book.
.....
Two days later, Jamie called Toby Sinclair from Josh’s phone. She tried to catch Toby off guard. She took a wild chance and introduced herself as a friend of the Hunts.
“I have some information that might help you with the Hunt child’s case,” she offered.
“I’m sorry,” replied Toby, “but I’m not treating Larry any longer. How is he doing?”
“He’s doing as well as can be expected,” Jamie answered. “Thank you for your time, Ms. Sinclair.”
Jamie hung up the phone and thought about her next step. She felt fairly certain that Larry Hunt would turn out to be the reincarnation of Ann Willis, but she had to verify it. On a hunch, she called Pittsburgh information and asked if there was a listing for a Larry or Lawrence Hunt, hoping that perhaps Larry Hunt was named after his father. It turned out that there was only one listing for a Lawrence Hunt. Jamie anxiously called the number and it turned out to be unrelated.
Jamie considered the problem. It was going to be difficult for her to track down the correct Hunt family from Josh’s office. She felt a strange urgency in the matter and she decided to seek Michael Pearlstein’s help. Jamie called and convinced Michael that finding the Hunt child was a matter of crucial importance for Maria Cortez’s safety. She related her findings to him and asked him to research the Hunts listed in the Pittsburgh area and try to locate Larry using the likely birth date of January 5, 1977 for verification. She also gave Michael Toby Sinclair’s name, address and telephone number. By the time she and Michael hung up, she had convinced Michael that his father’s soul was in imminent danger. Michael seemed reluctant, but he accepted the responsibility of the mission nonetheless.
.....
It took Michael a full week to call all the Hunts in the Pittsburgh directory. He had no luck locating Larry. As unpleasant the task seemed, he knew what had to be done next. He made arrangements to drive out to Pittsburgh.
3
Michael waited until Toby Sinclair left the office. There were still a few of the other tenants in the building, so Michael hid himself in a closet near the front entrance until the last person left. He had never done anything like this before, and his heart was pounding with fear. He would use the cover of night to search through Toby’s records and, if necessary, he was prepared to spend the night and leave the building the next morning. He overcame his fear somewhat by repeating to himself that his father’s soul was in danger. He couldn’t allow anything to harm Maria Cortez.
Darkness set in and Michael took a deep breath before proceeding to Toby’s office. He slipped on the cotton gloves he had stashed in his pockets. The door was locked, but he had no trouble prying it open with a screwdriver. He closed the door behind him and found that the door to the inner office was unlocked. Inside he found ten four-drawer filing cabinets, all unlocked. He held a flashlight with one shaking hand while he systematically searched each drawer for a file on Larry Hunt. There weren’t any labels on the file drawers and there didn’t seem to be any logical filing system, so he had to read the labels on each individual file folder.
He went through six of the cabinets without any luck, and he was just about to start on number seven when he heard a door slam outside of the office. He froze with fright. Then he quickly turned off the flashlight and hid in a corner of the office, praying that nobody would come in and find him.
Toby Sinclair didn’t notice the jimmied doorframe. She unlocked the door, came in and switched on the lights. She entered the inner office and noticed the open file drawers.
She mumbled to herself, “What the heck is going....”
The flashlight crashed down on her head and she fell to the floor unconscious. Michael checked to see if she was all right. There didn’t seem to be any bleeding, and she was still breathing. In a frenzy of fright, Michael somehow managed to continue searching the files as fast as he could, praying that he wouldn’t miss the one he wanted. In the bottom drawer of the seventh cabinet he found a file with “Hunt” written on the label. He pulled it out without even looking inside it. Toby was still unconscious. Michael ran out of the office as fast as he could and slipped out into the night undetected.
He jumped in his car, drove a few blocks away and stopped at a phone booth. Disguising his voice, he called the operator and summoned help for Toby. Then he quickly drove away from the area. He didn’t stop until he was about twenty miles away. He pulled over at an all-night doughnut shop, slipped into the men’s room and threw up in the toilet. He was still shaking with fear as he flushed the toilet and then washed his face.
When he sufficiently regained his composure, he stepped out of the men’s room and ordered a black coffee to go. He got back in his car, drove to the Pennsylvania Turnpike and headed east to the next food and gas rest stop. He sat in the car for almost fifteen minutes before he switched on the dome light and looked through the file folder. He verified the name “Larry Hunt” and the birth date of January 5, 1977. He scanned the rest of the paperwork and breathed a sigh of relief as he came across the address and phone number of the family.
.....
Jamie was very pleased with the news from Michael the next day. She jotted the information down as he read it off to her over the telephone. She expressed her concern over Michael’s ordeal the previous night and she suggested that he verify that Toby Sinclair was okay so he could have some peace of mind.
“It’s just horrible that she walked in on you that way,” Jamie consoled. “I hope she’s all right.”
“I’m going to pick up a Pittsburgh newspaper the next couple of days,” Michael told her. “If there’s nothing there about Toby, I’ll call her office from a pay phone.”
“I’ll check on her if you want,” she volunteered.
“No thanks,” he said. “I’ll feel better doing it myself.”
“Just make sure you don’t mention the incident,” she warned him. “And be sure to let me know when you verify she’s okay.”
“Do you want me to send you the folder?” Michael asked.
“No,” she cautioned him. “Put it in a safe place and bring it to me the next time you come out here.”
Jamie hung up and studied the notes she had made. She carefully committed the information to memory before she destroyed the notes by tearing them into minute pieces. She whispered to herself, “Two down and three to go.”
4
When the movie was completed, the studio arranged a promotional tour for Jamie. It involved several talk show spots and two premiere nights at first-run theaters. The entire tour was scheduled to last eight days, and Karen decided to accompany Jamie while Vic stayed back at the studio. Advanced copies of the film were sent to film critics a week before the tour began, and both Jamie and the film received rave reviews. This came as a great relief to the studio people who had put their necks on the line to sign Jamie to a contract.
The name the studio finally selected for the film was “Outside the Lines”. It was a tear jerking story about a little girl whose brother commits suicide as a result of their parents’ demands on him for perfection. It was an adaptation of a true story that had been told five years earlier in a best-selling book by another title. “Outside the Lines” was going to make Jamie an overnight star, and Dynasty Pictures was preparing to cash in on their hottest new child actress.
Jamie coordinated a meeting with Michael Pearlstein on the first day she was scheduled to be in New York. She asked him to bring the Larry Hunt file with him and come up to the TV studio where she would be taping an interview. She had to meet face to face with Michael to tell him what she needed of him. It was not the kind of thing she could explain over the phone.
The seventh day of the tour found them in New York, the final stop before wrapping up the tour in Los Angeles. Michael met them for lunch and then accompanied them to the studio. He sat in the audience while the talk show interview was taped, and then he went with Jamie and Karen back to their hotel. It was only after an hour or so of conversation that Karen excused herself for a nap. Jamie took the opportunity to speak with Michael about the role she had in mind for him. It was more than Michael had bargained for and he wanted no part of it. Jamie had to muster all of her powers of persuasion to convince Michael to cooperate.
“It isn’t murder, Michael,” she explained. “Not when you’re fulfilling the will of God. Besides, it may not actually kill him.”
“It’s just as bad as killing,” Michael argued. “Maybe even worse. Putting a child in a coma is going to destroy the lives of his family too. It was bad enough that I had to conk Toby Sinclair over the head. How can I knowingly put a kid in a coma?”
“He’s here on earth to destroy Maria Cortez; to destroy the soul of David Pearlstein. We’re not dealing with a normal little boy. We’re dealing with forces of evil that seek to prevent the word of God from reaching humankind. There’s no choice, Michael. Time is of the essence and God is with us.”
Tears covered his face as Michael cried softly. “I’m not saying I’ll do it, but tell me how it’s supposed to happen.”
“It’s just a simple injection. You jab the needle in his thigh and push. That’s all there is to it. Just one cc will do it.” She handed him a piece of paper. “This is what you mix to make the stuff. Heat it gently over a flame and swish it around to make it dissolve. Don’t let it boil.”
“How fast does it work?”
“It should take less than half a minute. He’ll just drop off like falling asleep.”
“Will it hurt?”
“Not at all, Michael. I promise!”
Michael read the piece of paper and then looked back at Jamie. “I’m not sure I can go through with it.”
Jamie stared into Michael’s eyes and said, “Neither of us has any choice. It’s God’s will, Michael.”
“God’s will,” he echoed as his chin dropped to his chest.
