Page 13 of Her Last Escape

There was a long pause. When Jessica spoke again, her tone had softened slightly. "I appreciate the difficult position you're in, Agent Gift. Let me speak with Dr. Welsh and see what she advises. Please hold."

As generic hold music filled the car, Novak cleared his throat. "While we wait... I've been thinking about something. Both victims were wealthy, successful people, right?"

Rachel nodded slowly. "You're thinking class warfare?" It had crossed her mind, too.

"Maybe. In this economy, and in a city like this one…with the wealth gap wider than ever..." He shrugged, adjusting his tie. "Could be someone deciding to take matters into their own hands. Twisted form of economic justice."

"Like a modern-day Robin Hood, except with murder instead of theft?" Rachel watched a crow land on a nearby lamppost, its black feathers gleaming in the sun.

"Something like that. Think about it – Thomas Whitman was a tech executive, Diana Foxworth a high-powered attorney. And you saw Whitman’s home. That's a lot of wealth concentrated in two people."

Rachel considered this, absently noting how the crow seemed to be watching them. "It's possible. I've certainly seen cases like that before. But still…these murders... there's something cold about them. Clinical."

"Agreed. Most wealth-motivated killers tend to want to make a statement, right? There's usually more violence, more dramatic staging. These skills are precise, efficient."

"Almost professional," Rachel added while the hold music continued to fill the car.

"But we should keep the class angle in mind," Rachel conceded. "Even if it's not the primary motivation, it might factor in somehow."

The hold music cut off abruptly, interrupting their discussion.

"Agent Gift?" The voice was different now – older, more authoritative. "This is Dr. Miriam Welsh. And let me save us both some time and tell you that I understand why you're calling, but I can't simply release patient information without proper documentation."

Rachel opened her mouth to argue, but Dr. Welsh continued: "However, what I can tell you is that Diana had recently been asking about the legitimacy of cryopreservation. We had a rather lengthy discussion about it, with her wanting my medical opinion."

Rachel's eyebrows shot up. She glanced at Novak, who looked equally surprised. "Cryopreservation?"

"The blood draw you were asking about was part of a routine check-up," Dr. Welsh continued. "My impression was that she wanted to ensure she was in perfect health, possibly because she was seriously considering cryopreservation as an option."

"Just so we're clear here," Novak cut in, leaning toward the phone with an uncertain edge to his tone, "we're talking about freezing yourself while alive in order to cheat death, right?"

There was a slight chuckle from Dr. Welsh. "That's the popular conception, but it's more complex than that. Cryopreservation involves the preservation of a person's body immediately after clinical death, using specific protocols and cryoprotectant solutions – think of them as medical-grade antifreeze – to prevent ice crystal formation in the cells. The body is then cooled to ultra-low temperatures to…well, to preserve you until a cure for whatever is ailing you is found."

She paused before continuing, her tone becoming more measured. "The process has to begin immediately after legal death is pronounced. The body is cooled with ice water, while mechanical chest compression maintains blood circulation. Then the blood is replaced with organ preservation solution and the cryoprotectant chemicals."

"And this actually works?" Novak asked, skepticism clear in his voice.

"That depends on your definition of 'works,'" Dr. Welsh replied. "The idea isn't to 'cheat death' exactly, but rather to preserve the body and brain structure until future medical technology might be capable of both reviving the person and curing whatever caused their death in the first place. It's controversial, certainly, but the scientific principles behind it are sound…even if the technology for revival doesn't exist yet."

Rachel pressed her lips together, processing this information. "Do you know if Diana had already begun looking into specific facilities, or was this just a passing interest?"

"I'm not certain," Dr. Welsh replied, "but based on our conversations, it seemed she'd already been in contact with a local facility. A place called New Horizons Cryonics.”

“That’s here in Charlottesville?” Rachel asked.

“Yes. They have an unusual business model – you make arrangements while you're still healthy, essentially securing your spot for when you reach old age or face a terminal illness."

"Are you familiar with the facility?" Novak asked.

"Only by reputation. I know they exist, but that's about it. I prefer to stay in my lane of traditional medicine." There was a slight edge to her voice now, one of skepticism. "Though I will say, Diana seemed quite excited about the possibility. She talked about it as if it were a kind of insurance policy against death itself."

“And do you—”

“I’m truly sorry, agents. But I’ve probably already said too much. So I’m going to go now…and I’d appreciate it if you’d not call me back.”

“I understand,” Rachel said. “Thank you, doctor.”

She ended the call, and she and Novak sat in silence for a moment. The only sounds were the soft idling of the car's engine and the distant hum of traffic.

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