accustomed to having the final answer, he moved quickly when he realized he didn’t have one.
“Thomas. Upstairs.”
He hung up.
Then Dr. Reeves returned.
Apparently dismissal lasted only as long as it took him to become curious.
“What are we doing now?”
I stood.
“Checking the ventilation.”
His expression turned dismissive.
“For what?”
“The smell.”
He breathed in.
“I smell nothing.”
“That doesn’t mean there’s nothing.”
His eyes narrowed.
Nathan said:
“Enough.”
Reeves looked at him.
“I’m trying to prevent medical decisions from being driven by housekeeping impressions.”
I almost laughed.
“Environmental exposures are medical.”
“I know that.”
“Then you know chronic symptoms can come from things outside a lab report.”
He stared.
“You’re very confident for a nanny.”
“No.”
I shook my head.
“I’m curious.”
That was different.
And, judging from his expression, more irritating.
A man in work clothes arrived carrying a tablet.
Thomas Grady.
Late forties.
Weathered face.
He looked from Nathan to me to Dr. Reeves and immediately understood he had walked into tension.
“You wanted me?”
Nathan pointed toward the grate.
“What feeds these rooms?”
Thomas frowned.
“The east-zone air handler.”
“Only these rooms?”
“Twins’ rooms, shared bath, upstairs playroom.”
“Any recent work?”
Thomas hesitated.
“Recent meaning?”
“Last two years.”
He started scrolling.
“Filter replacement. Duct cleaning. Humidity adjustments.”
“Anything chemical?”
He stopped.
That pause mattered.
“What?” Nathan asked.
“Nothing dangerous.”
“That wasn’t the question.”
Thomas looked toward me.
“Last year we installed a scent-neutralization cartridge in the return system.”
I stared.
“A what?”
“Commercial odor-control system.”
Dr. Reeves exhaled sharply.
“This is absurd.”
I ignored him.
“Why?”
Thomas answered.
“Mrs. Bennett complained the boys’ floor always smelled medicinal.”
That made sense.
Children taking multiple medications.
Cleaning products.
Disinfectants.
Nathan looked toward the hallway.
“So someone added fragrance?”
“Not exactly.”
Thomas shifted.
“Activated compounds
