George was confused by the sound of her voice and wondered if Pia’s state of mind had anything to do with the way their conversation had ended the previous night. It crossed George’s mind that Pia was drunk, but it sounded more like she had a mouth full of cotton.

“Okay, I’ll be right there.”

George asked one of the other students to tell the resident he’d been called away on hospital business and headed to Pia’s room. He found he was less eager to see her than usual. The previous night he’d made a decision, recognizing that he was probably barking up the wrong tree with Pia. George wasn’t confident he could follow through with his decision, but he was going to try. It was for his own peace of mind.

Fifteen minutes later George knocked on Pia’s door. When she opened it and he saw her face, all of his plans, doubts, and recriminations were washed away. He was instantly morphed back into the slavish dog he’d been for three years.

“Oh my God, what happened to you?”

Pia shook her head and pointed to her jaw. George fetched Pia’s desk chair and sat her down.

“Take your time, tell me what happened.”

“There were two men in my room. Last night,” Pia said. She spoke slowly and deliberately.

“Last night? This was last night? Why didn’t you call?”

“They drugged me. I just woke up.”

“Jesus. Who were these men? What did they do? Did they . . . ?” George hesitated, not sure he wanted to hear.

“No, they didn’t rape me, if that’s what you’re asking. They warned me to stay away from the Rothman case.”

“Jesus, Pia. Do you want to lie down?”

“No, I’m okay.”

“I’m going to call security. And then the police.”

“No! Don’t!” Pia said. She shook her head vigorously, an act that hurt a great deal. She was still dazed from the sedative, but the clouds were clearing.

“No security and no police. I have to take what they said seriously. They were waiting for me in my room. They said they’ll be watching me. I mean, they already had been watching me. You see what this means, George? It means I was right. There’s a conspiracy behind Rothman’s and Yamamoto’s deaths.”

“Wait a minute, Pia, slow down,” George said. “These two men, who were in your room, who obviously beat you up, they said specifically, ‘Stay away from the Rothman case’?”

“Not like that, but they said it.”

George was horrified, but his first instinct was one of skepticism.

“Did you recognize the men at all?”