A New Deal

I made a mental note to give Jonathan’s PI buddy another bonus. Without his intel, the negotiation right now wouldn’t be going so smoothly. Kieran had the upper hand, and Estelle knew it. She pursed her lips. When the bottle of IV liquid was almost empty, she finally confessed. Estelle grew up in an orphanage. She had no idea who her parents were or if they were aware of her condition of congenital hypopituitarism. She stayed in the orphanage until the age of ten, when the kids grew afraid of her and called her a freak. She ran away and joined a travelling circus, where she trained as an acrobat. Her small stature became an asset. The circus troupe owner paid her well, but it was a drop in the bucket compared to the size of her medical bills. Hypopituitarism wasn’t incurable, but the hormone replacement therapy required a lifetime supply of medications and long-term specialist care. Estelle was near desperation when a woman found her. The visitor told her that KST would pay for her tre