They walked into the living room where everyone was still standing, although in slightly more relaxed poses.

“I am going to accept the offer,” she said to Buda. “I will do what you ask and drop the investigation. But I have a couple of things to say.” Pia walked over to Neri and stood right in front of him. Neri started to shake, looking first at Prek, then at Buda, then at Burim.

“You are a piece of trash.”

“I swear I didn’t do anything. I can’t, it’s impossible—”

Pia jabbed Neri hard in the sternum with her forefinger.

“You’re not so tough when the girl is awake, are you, huh? You know what my father is going to do with you? He’s going to cut off your tiny little prick and shove it up your ass.”

“No, no, I didn’t—”

“I’m sorry?” Pia jabbed Neri again. He was crying now, great shuddering torrents of tears pouring out of his eyes. He held his hands together, pleading with Pia.

“You see how much stronger than you I am? You’re a pathetic little boy.” Pia poked him once more, and Neri collapsed backward onto the couch where he sat whimpering.

“And you,” Pia addressed Drilon. “You will never speak to me or ever come near me again.”

Drilon looked at Burim and raised his hands as if to say, “I don’t understand.” Quickly Pia went on.

“Now I have a question for you.” Pia looked at Buda, who raised his eyebrows.

“Me?”

“Some men paid you money to frighten me?”

“Yes.”

“Some men paid you money to kill me?”

“Yes.”

“Are these the same men who asked you to kill Dr. Rothman and Dr. Yamamoto?”

Buda paused.

“Yes.”

“Why did they do it? When I realized the deaths weren’t accidental, I couldn’t figure out why anyone would want to go to such lengths to kill two medical researchers. The work they were doing—they were about to change the world.”

Buda looked at Burim. Was it possible to control this woman at all?

“Some people had investments that were threatened by the research.”

“Investments? You mean they did this for money?”

“I guess,” Buda said. Why does anyone do anything? he thought.

Pia was incredulous. She thought back to her heart-to-heart talk with Rothman and how it had seemed to be the start of something meaningful in her life: the father she never had. She recalled Yamamoto’s kindnesses, small and large. And Will, his life snuffed out too. Then she remembered standing in the blue-lit room looking at the pulsating baths of artificial organs and the enormous excitement she had felt. And the even greater joy she experienced at the awe-inspiring sight of the artificial pancreas. Now, it was very likely those two rooms were being closed up and put in mothballs. The research would continue, but not at Columbia and not with her. Pia felt empty and bereft.