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Chapters (47)
  1. Also by
  2. Title Page
  3. Copyright Page
  4. Prologue
  5. Chapter 1
  6. Chapter 2
  7. Chapter 3
  8. Chapter 4
  9. Chapter 5
  10. Chapter 6
  11. Chapter 7
  12. Chapter 8
  13. Chapter 9
  14. Chapter 10
  15. Chapter 11
  16. Chapter 12
  17. Chapter 13
  18. Chapter 14
  19. Chapter 15
  20. Chapter 16
  21. Chapter 17
  22. Chapter 18
  23. Chapter 19
  24. Chapter 20
  25. Chapter 21
  26. Chapter 22
  27. Chapter 23
  28. Chapter 24
  29. Chapter 25
  30. Chapter 26
  31. Chapter 27
  32. Chapter 28
  33. Chapter 29
  34. Chapter 30
  35. Chapter 31
  36. Chapter 32
  37. Chapter 33
  38. Chapter 34
  39. Chapter 35
  40. Chapter 36
  41. Chapter 37
  42. Chapter 38
  43. Chapter 39
  44. Chapter 40
  45. Chapter 41
  46. Epilogue
  47. Teaser chapter

Charles conveyed the information he had received from Avery Snowden. “To recap, three doctors. Each has a practice in a different city. They’ve been doing this for almost four years. All graduated from Ross University Medical School. Ten years later, they each applied to Lausanne, but there is no record of their actually attending, let alone graduating. Their whereabouts during those missing ten years was something of a mystery, but Snowden was finally able to get a few details. It seems our medical professionals worked for a couple of pharmaceutical companies in Mexico. Interesting fact, twenty of the top twenty-five Big Pharma companies are in Mexico, so with their medical background, it was easy for them to get jobs and blend in. They each worked for Merck, Pfizer, and GSK. What their duties were is still unknown, but I suspect this is when they came up with the idea of Live-Life-Long. They applied to Lausanne when they were in Mexico. They flew to Switzerland for interviews, were accepted, but never attended.”

Fergus jumped in. “Evidently, they found a different way to make a lot of money with little risk. It appears they pinched some stationery from Lausanne and were able to forge diplomas. It was an intricate idea that took them a couple of years to engineer.” He could see the sisters’ faces grimace in disgust.

“Let’s go over the time line again. They graduated from Ross, spent ten years in Mexico, applied to school in Switzerland but didn’t go. They formed this medical group, Live-Life-Long, and spread out. Steinwood went to Aspen, Corbett to New York, and Marcus to London. We’re still looking into where they bank. Their website is very slick. It features a virtual tour of the facilities and montages of older adults frolicking on the beach, riding bicycles, hiking. All very, very robust. And everyone is smiling or laughing. They did a spectacular job with their marketing,” Maggie said.

Annie, who, as the owner of the Post, was Maggie’s employer, gave an instruction to Maggie. “Maggie, I think you need to investigate that alleged suicide. I say ‘alleged’ because something stinks. The scribbled note said, ‘I can’t do it anymore.’ Maybe she wasn’t referring to her life. Maybe she was referring to the program. See if you can meet with the family. Tell them you’re doing a story about depression in people over fifty. Let’s use the word silvers. I don’t like elderly or seniors.”

“Actually, there is an alarming suicide trend among seniors. Er, I mean silvers,” Maggie indicated. “Especially white men over eighty-five. What is even more fascinating is that they have the highest rate of suicide of any other demographic.” “Wows” and gasps filled the room. “I will use that as a part of my angle for the story, adding that we are looking to see if there is a similar trend developing in women.”