“That’s the clever part. Whoever did this did not want anyone to know it was an assassination. They wanted it to appear like an accident. The symptoms of radiation poisoning are camouflaged by the salmonella: fever, prostration, delirium, GI symptoms, low white count. Everything’s the same except the hair loss. They were counting on the fact that no one would think to look for this kind of agent because of the typhoid fever diagnosis. Polonium is unique in that it decays by only emitting alpha particles, which would only be detected if someone thought to look specifically for it, but nobody would because the diagnosis of typhoid was so obvious.”

Pia was picking up steam again. It all seemed to fit.

“Nor would the alpha particles make anyone else sick, which obviously has been the case. Alpha particles can only travel about a centimeter, and they can be blocked by as little as a sheet of paper. It’s only if the polonium-210 is breathed in or ingested that it’s dangerous, and then it’s really dangerous, especially in a large dose, which can be rapidly fatal. Even as little as a millionth of a gram can kill you.”

Pia sat back in her seat with a look of triumph on her face. “What do you think, George?”

George was overwhelmed both by the amount of information Pia had thrown at him and by her enthusiasm. Things fit, but he couldn’t help but wonder if Pia was getting ahead of herself. “You have to assume the hair loss had no other cause,” George said. He thought a little more. “But I guess this would explain why the antibiotics didn’t work. Or maybe they were working, but the radiation overpowered them.”

“Exactly,” Pia said. “It is diabolically fiendish. Whoever is involved is smart—probably a doctor or a scientist who knows a lot of medicine.”

George thought about it some more. He started pacing the room.

“I guess it’s possible,” George said. He could see no insurmountable problems with the theory. “So let’s tell the authorities, let them figure it out.”

“No, we can’t. We don’t know who did it.”

“I guess you have to assume that the guys who attacked you had something to do with it.”