When Stuart Franklin, billionaire and CEO of the largest pharmaceutical company in the world, realizes he can’t remember his own phone number, it’s time to act. He enlists Dr. Richard Weigand, PhD, brilliant molecular biologist and rising star at the NIH, to help him on a new quest: cure Alzheimer’s Disease at any cost.

A homeless teen turns up dead at a New York County hospital. Her compatriot, Greg, believes she died suspiciously, but has no way to prove it. Enter Therese Edwards, who, despite leading a life out of a fairytale, just can’t find the thing that makes her happy. Medicine, teaching, architecture, now cooking with kids…all interesting, but not quite right for her.

The trail’s nearly cold, but Therese is convinced that with a little effort, she can piece the story of the homeless girl’s death together. Carlo pitches in to help, and together they uncover well-guarded secrets…but instead of shedding light on the girl’s death, Therese discovers despair lurking in her own future. Now that the case is personal, the line between Therese and the dead girl is erased forever.  

About the Authors: 

Robert W. Rand, PhD, M.D., is an accomplished neurosurgeon. Since starting his career in the US Navy Medical Corps, Dr. Rand has invented multiple surgical techniques and instruments, conducted national clinical cancer research trials, and published many peer-reviewed scientific articles and neurosurgical textbooks. A UCLA professor of Neurosurgery, he received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the International College of Surgeons and the UCLA Distinguished Service Award. Robert is also a staff member of multiple hospitals in Southern California. He lives with his wife, Helen, in Los Angeles, where he remains active as a medical pioneer.

Maida Sussman, a software engineer, worked with Robert at the John Wayne Cancer Institute in Santa Monica, California. With a background in filmmaking, Maida has experience translating difficult concepts into visual, fictional storytelling. Her cinematography career has taken her to Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Caribbean. She currently designs software programs at Los Alamos National Laboratory and makes her home in Santa Fe, New Mexico, with her husband, Jeff.