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She nodded. “Detective Ramsey took our statements and talked to Dr. Blanchet, who denied everything. He was outraged that anyone would accuse him of such a thing when he’d been working so diligently with us to make our dreams of having children a reality. He was highly offended and dropped us as patients.”
Her hands trembled as she reached for another tissue. “That was like being revictimized. Now we had to start over with new doctors who were booked almost a year out. Not that any of us wanted to go back to him, but it was just another heartbreak on top of so many others.”
Freddie was glad that Sam wasn’t there to hear this woman’s story after everything she’d endured with infertility, including invasive treatments that hadn’t yielded the hoped-for result.
“Detective Ramsey said that he investigated our claims to the best of his ability, but without evidence to support our stories, he didn’t feel that a prosecution would be successful, even with four of us willing to testify.”
Freddie hated to say he agreed with anything Ramsey had done, but that would’ve been a tough case to prove without DNA evidence.
“That’s when we decided to sue Dr. Blanchet. We also reported him to the medical licensing board.”
“Where do those things stand?” Freddie asked.
“We were looking forward to our day in court in a couple of weeks. The Board of Medicine had scheduled an evidentiary hearing for April. It was about to blow up big-time.”
At least that would explain a motive for Blanchet to kill his family and himself to avoid the nightmare that was about to befall him—and them by extension. In fact, they could easily make that case based on what Mrs. Cane had shared. He was eager to get Gonzo’s take on it.
“We’re so sorry that you went through such a difficult ordeal,” Freddie said.
“Thank you, but it’s not over yet. I’m still waiting to see a new doctor and hoping to carry a baby to term.” Her eyes filled again, requiring another tissue. “It’s all I’ve ever wanted, you know? To be a mom… I never imagined it would be such a heartbreaking journey, made worse by a sicko doctor who preyed on me and other women desperate to be pregnant.”
“Is there any chance that one of the women involved in your lawsuit might’ve been angry enough to kill him?”
“No! God, no. They’re all too heartbroken to have the energy to kill anyone, especially children. We’re devastated by our infertility… It’s so hard to explain unless you’ve been through it.”
“How about their husbands or partners?”
“I don’t know them as well as I know the women, but I can’t see a man struggling to have a child of his own killing someone else’s children, even someone he despised.”
“I hate to say that we’re going to need to know where you were the night before last.”
Her expression conveyed shock and anger. “I was here with my husband all night.”
“Can you give us his number?”
“Is this really necessary? If I wanted Blanchet dead, I wouldn’t have killed his family, too. I would’ve run him over with my car. His kids didn’t do anything to me, and neither did his wife. I felt sorry for her.”
“Your husband’s number?” Freddie asked again.
She recited it through gritted teeth.
“And the numbers of the other women who were part of the lawsuit?”
“Are you going to tell them you got their numbers from me?”
“No, ma’am.”
“This is a nightmare that refuses to end,” she said before reaching for her phone to find the numbers of the other three women.
Freddie wrote down the information she gave him. “We appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us.” Freddie handed her a business card as he and Gonzo stood to leave. “If you think of anything else that might be relevant, you can call me any time. My cell number is on the card.”
She nodded and said nothing more as they let themselves out.
“Whoa,” Gonzo said while they waited for the elevator. “What the actual fuck?”
“I’m leaning more toward murder-suicide after hearing that. How about you?”
“Totally.”
