Booktree.ng_Forgotten-Witness

“It still comes back to money for me. Who is paying for it?”
Josie flipped her pen and caught it.
“I know a lovely lady over at the Medicaid offices. She says
there is an ongoing research grant from Health and Human
Services that folds Ha Kuna House into the mix. I’ve given her
the names of the four folks under Reynolds’ care. She’s going
to see what she can find on those individuals. You know,
Medicaid payments, perhaps social security information.”
“Can we find out what the terms of the grant were?” Josie
asked.
“I doubt it’s top secret,” Stephen chuckled.
“Then I suppose we can extrapolate that Ian Francis was a
professor researching neurological problems and was possibly
covered under this grant. The government isn’t paying for a
privately held facility but granting an award to an individual.
Ian chose Ha Kuna House from which to do his research and
that makes things legal.”
“And he shared that amazing windfall with Reynolds or
whoever was here before him? I doubt it. An individual grant
wouldn’t be enough to heat the place or pay an administrator
and staff,” Stephen reminded her.
“That we know of,” Josie countered. “Anyway, lucky Ian to
get a job when he was sane and a facility at his disposal when
he went bonkers.” She tossed the pen again and it seemed to
rotate lazily before she caught it. “It would sure change things
if Ian was dealing with something viral and not psychological.
Maybe that’s why this is all so secret. Think about it, Stephen.
The guy was doing his research thing and then years later
comes down with whatever ails the subjects he’s supposed to
be studying. If that’s the case, then it makes sense that Ha
Kuna House is so remote. Do you think we should be looking
at the CDC?”
“You mean like the lepers? Wouldn’t that be quite the irony
to stumble on a new colony on Molokai? Only instead of
people losing their ears and noses, they lose their minds. I