“That’s also none of your business.”

Oliver blew out air, sank back into the hard sofa. “You’re not being forthcoming.”

“You’re asking internal policy questions. I’ve neither the position nor the inclination to answer them.”

Marge turned to Oliver. “Maybe we should save these questions for Dr. Decameron? Betcha he’d know all about this.”

Shockley snorted.

Oliver said, “Ah, so you’ve met Dr. Decameron. Which means you’ve obviously worked with him. In what capacity?”

Shockley said, “If Dr. Decameron is so forthcoming with the police, why don’t you ask him?”

“You want us to go by his statement only,” Oliver said. “Fine with us.”

“Just what does that mean?”

Marge said, “That’s means, Doctor, if you and him have had any disagreements, you might want to tell us your side.”

“We’ve had no disagreements.” Shockley squirmed.

“No conflicts at all?”

“No business conflicts,” Shockley said. “Perhaps some personality conflicts.”

“I see.” Oliver smoothed his hair. “You don’t like gays.”

Marge’s eyes widened. Shockley winced. “I didn’t say—”

“Fine, you didn’t say,” Oliver said. “Let’s drop the PC crap, Doctor. He’s overtly gay and he’s proud of it.”

“Nothing wrong with that,” Marge said.

“Absolutely not. You are what you are and we all know what Decameron is.” Leaning in close, Oliver said, “Reggie boy made me do a little squirmy-wormy when I was around him. Might make me squirm a lot if I had dealings with him. Did you have dealings with him, Doctor?”

Oliver sat back in his seat and waited, giving Shockley a chance to size him up. Hoping he caught the bastard by playing on his fears and weaknesses. Because men like Shockley were public image, never dared to admit prejudice until they were safely ensconced within the paneled walls of their clubs.

Shockley eyed Oliver. Unsure how to proceed.

Marge stepped in, playing good cop, giving Shockley the needed escape. “Did you have professional dealings with Dr. Decameron, Dr. Shockley?”

Shockley waited a beat. “Some.”

“What kind of dealings?”

Shockley weighed his options…to talk or not to talk. “Next to Dr. Sparks, Dr. Decameron is the most actively involved in our trials of Curedon.”

Oliver said, “Does he work out of Dr. Sparks’s lab or your labs in Virginia?”

“Both.”

“How’d that work? Does he fly in and out?”

“Yes.”

“Lots of back-and-forth travel?”

“Yes,” Shockley answered. “Lots of back-and-forth travel. As a matter of fact, the travel was the main reason we started working with Dr. Decameron in the first place. The flying became prohibitively time-consuming for Dr. Sparks’s hectic schedule. After the initial negotiations for Curedon were in place, Dr. Sparks handed the task of overseeing Curedon trials to Dr. Decameron.”

He paused.

“Actually, he first gave the assignment to Dr. Berger, then to Dr. Decameron.”

Marge asked, “Why the switch?”