Murder Ward

At Robler Clinic outside Baltimore, anesthesiologist Daniel Demmet deliberately overdoses John Boulder during an appendectomy, making the IRS employee’s death look like heart failure. Assistant administrator Kathy Hahl is part of the cover-up. When Boulder's widow questions the official story, she is discouraged by her family doctor and lawyer. CURE director Harold W. Smith sends Remo Williams to protect IRS assistant director Nathan David Wilberforce, whose work threatens a Scranton scheme run by Anthony Stace, also known as Anselmo Stacio. Remo and Chiun return from a break in San Francisco and reach Scranton. Remo prevents an elevator-shaft attack and spots a possible arson plan, but Wilberforce catches a severe cold, is taken to Robler, and dies under Demmet’s care.

Remo’s own holiday-night pursuit eliminates several people in the attack chain, including Stace, while also rescuing a woman known as Pussy from abuse by bank president John Larimer, who is secretly “Sweet Johnny.” Smith reprimands Remo for the killings and redirects him to investigate suspicious medical deaths at Robler without indiscriminate violence. There Remo and Chiun pose as a wealthy patient and his physician, Dr. Park. Hahl’s scheme is revealed: she uses Demmet to kill selected patients, protected by professional silence and her control of the hospital’s fundraising network. She has also funded Dr. Hildie’s research into a synthetic protein that accelerates aging in animals.

The same effect appears in Stace and Mrs. Wilberforce, who rapidly age before dying. Hahl administers the substance to Demmet; he later falls from a fourth-floor ledge while saying he does not want to grow old. Remo discovers same-age animal pairs in the lab, one member of each pair visibly aged, and steals a sample. Hahl has Freddy and Al inject Remo with a larger dose and restrain him, but Chiun helps him recover through Sinanju training. Hildie explains the compound’s animal research but says she knows of no human trials. Freddy and Al mistake the aged-looking Chiun for Remo and attack him; Chiun kills both.

Hahl admits she means to sell the substance as a weapon against senior U.S. officials, potentially to foreign governments before a summit. Remo exposes her to the compound through soft tissue contact; he says he is immune. Hahl rapidly ages while Remo leaves her locked in her office, and the text does not confirm her later fate. Remo and Chiun depart Robler after a final dispute over Christmas gifts and the lobby tree. Chiun eventually wishes Remo Merry Christmas, and Remo responds sincerely.