Henry took a couple of shallow breaths, and his eyes clouded with anxiety. “I was … checking into Brody Royal’s land deals … with Carlos Marcello. Got that picture in the mail. Showed the FBI … They never traced it. I backed off. Too chicken, I guess. That time, anyway.”

Caitlin leaned over and kissed the reporter’s forehead. “Screw that. You’re a hero, Henry. I mean it. This is Captain America stuff you’ve been doing.”

Henry’s skin reddened between his bruises. He was blushing.

“We’re going to get them all in the end,” she promised. “Royal, his son-in-law, the Knoxes … every last one. And when we do, it’ll be because of you.”

Henry began coughing, hard. “Hope so,” he finally croaked. “Won’t bring Albert back, though. Or Jimmy … or Pooky.”

Caitlin glanced back at the door, toward the little hall that led to the door. She felt as though Sherry were standing just out of sight, listening intently.

“Can you tell me anything else about Brody?” she whispered. “Is there anything else you didn’t put in your notebooks?”

Henry’s breaths were coming shallow. He flinched suddenly, then raised his hand. “Ohhh. Belly hurts again … bad.”

Caitlin picked up the pain med controller and started pumping. “I’d better let you rest some more.”

“Pump it,” he said, his face sweating. “Pump …”

She pressed the button four times.

“Muhhfckrs,” Henry mumbled.

Caitlin looked up. “Did you say ‘motherfuckers’?”

“Yeah. Listen … if you go see Toby Rambin … don’t go alone.”

“I won’t.”

Henry’s eyes widened. “Promise me.”

“I promise!”

“Talk to Dr. Cage, too. He knows more than anybody.”

“I will, as soon as I find him.”

“Oh, Jesus … pump some more.”

Caitlin pressed the button four more times. “It’s coming, Henry. I’m pressing. I think you’re at the limit, though.”

Henry lay silent but for his stertorous breathing. Then his eyes popped open and flickered like lantern flames. “I’ve tried to forgive them,” he said. “But I can’t. Jimmy talked to me about forgiveness once. He wasn’t but twenty-five … but he was wise. He said forgiving somebody doesn’t mean … they shouldn’t … pay a price for what they’d done. But that’s God’s business, he said. Hating somebody just poisons you … not them.”

Caitlin felt a sudden urge to unburden herself, a desire to know what Henry would do in her predicament. “Penn wants me to hold back the recording of Katy,” she said. “He wants to use it against Brody, to try to save his father.”

The reporter blinked several times, his head moving side to side on the pillow. Then he looked at her as though trying to make her out from a great distance. “Dr. Cage is a good man. But … can’t let Brody go free. Not even for …”

The reporter’s eyelids fell and did not rise again.