Strictly Business (7 page)

“Can you talk?” Ben Russo asked.

Wade’s back immediately straightened. From the tone in Ben’
s voice he knew something huge had occurred. He’d worked with Ben on cases before and it took a lot to stir this type of urgency in his voice.

“Not really.” Wade responded, averting his eyes from the sexy emerald stare across the table.

“We need to meet. ASAP. This is a lot bigger than we thought.”

“Go on.”

“Listen W., it’s not only the local small time docs. You were right. I may have evidence that links docs from a large area hospital. I think I know where the fraudulent MRI’s are being manufactured—Washington Memorial Hospital.”

Wade felt as though he had been punched in the gut. He looked up at Nina who languidly traced a finger over the rim of her coffee cup. He knew she was studying his face and somehow managed a smile
. He consulted his watch.

“Four pm. Same—
” Wade started.

“Hold on
, W.”

Wade heard sudden shuffling on the other end of the phone and Ben swore roughly.

“Hello?”

“Listen, I think I’m being followed. Don’t worry I’ll take care of it. How about we meet at
five o’ clock at the old place?”

“Okay. Be careful.”

Ben chuckled, his coarse rasp ending in a sputtering cough that had been nurtured by three packs of cigarettes a day for the last thirty years. “Don’t worry bud, remember they used to call me old slip n’ slide.”

“Be careful,
” Wade reiterated seriously. His conversation ended with a decisive click and he held the phone to his ear a moment longer, his mind preoccupied.

He and his law partners had figured that this case had yet many stones unturned. Now he worried seriously what worms he’d find squirming beneath the stones. He’d had a gut feeling from the beginning that
the community doctor at the center of his case was just a small time player in a bigger game. Wade surmised that he was close to retirement and just collecting some extra cash from the insurance company to cushion him on his way out.

He would never have guessed that anyone at Washington Memorial was involved. The hospital had a sterling reputation and was one of the most prestigious hospitals in the area. That was the reason he’d chosen to go there the night he’d gotten injured.

His eyes slowly rolled up to meet an emerald stare that held pensive curiosity and his heart bucked in his chest
. The sense of dread that filtered through him left his throat dry and scratchy.

He had a job to do. He had a commitment that was larger than his libido. He thought about his Aunt Bev and how she’d suffered because of a doctor’s negligence. He remembered how the doctor kept telling them that she’d be okay, that she just needed to rest and take her supplements, meanwhile cancer gnawed
at her insides.

He’d
trusted their family physician and that had cost him dearly. He’d seen much in his career and could never comprehend the depth of human greed. He’d been raised to believe in the innate goodness of people, but from all the things he’d seen firsthand his belief was rapidly waning. He’d learned the hard way that trust could easily turn to betrayal—a  betrayal of an oath to do no harm.

Could he trust Nina? Could pursuing a relationship with her compromise his case? Could she be involved in this greedy unconscionable scam? Wade raked his fingers through his hair as he thought about Mr. Johnson sitting in
his wheelchair, pain etching the lines in his face, his eyes hollow and broken. Anger at the people who in one way or another contributed to his debilitation boiled in him like molten lava.

He’d do whatever he could to make them pay. Unfortunately the only way to deter these greedy bastards was to hit them where they’d hurt the most, to take away what they held most dear—money.
And if this case was as explosive as he predicted, perhaps some time incarcerated would be an appropriate and added bonus.

“Is everything okay?” Nina asked and broke his stream of thought.

A smile claimed his lips. She looked so breathtakingly beautiful across the table that he had to suck in a breath. Soft auburn curls flowed around her shoulders and framed her heart-shaped face. Her lambent eyes were still glazed with passion and her cheeks flushed a hue of healthy ruby. He was a man who lived by his instincts.

A heat spread through his chest as he
regarded her. His instincts told him he could trust her. His instincts told him that she could never be a part of this immoral scheme. Just making out with him in the exam room had her worried about impropriety and questioning the solidity of her ethics. No, he was convinced she wasn’t involved. WMH was a huge institution. He was sure she was far removed from this sordid activity.

“Everything’s fine. It’s j
ust about a case I’m working on,” he said matter-of-factly.

Nina’s eye’s narrowed. “The big case that Marie alluded to on the show?”

“You should’ve been a lawyer, not a doctor.” He smiled, reaching for her hand.

“I
like playing for the good guys,” Nina said jokingly, but bit her lip when she realized what she’d said. “I—I’m really sorry. I didn’t mean to—.”

“Yes you did
, and it’s okay. I know what the medical community generally thinks of medical malpractice attorneys. Good guys vs. bad guys. It’s all a matter of perspective.” he said pensively.

She
shrugged, guilt spurring her to explain, to make amends. “I really don’t have feelings one way or another. In fact, I’ll prove it. Tell me about your case. I might be able to help you.”

Wade stared at her for a long while, pondering what she’d said
. If she only knew the gravity of her statement and how close to home his case was. He knew in his heart that she had nothing to do with this case, but he also knew he could never get her involved. He would never use her to gain information and the last thing he wanted to do was to lie to her. In fact, common sense told him to cancel his plans with her for tonight, to put things on hold until he had more information about his case’s connection to WMH.

H
e traced a thumb over the silky skin of her wrist, and as heat reached low into his pelvis, causing his already engorged shaft to stir, he convinced himself that he could keep his personal life separate from his professional life. God, he hoped that he wasn’t letting desire cloud his usually astute judgment.

“Okay…” Wade lean
ed in close and swore he could feel her breath blow over him like a warm breeze. “My case involves a sexy ER physician who allowed her patient to suffer from a serious case of blue balls.”

“I think I know a treatment for that.”

Nina watched his lips curl into a tantalizing grin, but since his phone call she’d sensed a contemplative edginess beneath his teasing demeanor, a barely noticeable distraction. As they made plans for later that evening, she couldn’t help feeling that his subtle change in mood was somehow related to her.

CHAPTER  FOUR

The old meeting place was a small eclectic restaurant located near the NYU college campus in the heart of the village. College students crowded the room in small groups smoking and drinking beer and complaining about one class or another, while several young couples lounged on billowy couches with their bodies entwined.

Old and young from local business
es made up the happy hour crowd and the social atmosphere was at a gregarious peak as customers gathered thick around the bar. Even though Wade towered over the crowd, he had to angle his way through to get to the restaurant area. He spotted Ben sitting at a small table in the corner under two large gothic candles. Wade had always liked this place because the loud rumble of voices drowned out conversation and a stranger could walk in to the restaurant without raising an eyebrow. Ben looked up and waved him over, a wide grin on his face as he looked at Wade’s arm in the sling.

“So, which
broad busted you up?”

Wade sank into the
wrought-iron chair that barely fit his large body and returned his friend’s wide grin.

“I fell off a ladder.”

“Oh, come on you can do better than that…I thought maybe that model you were dating roughed you up or something. Didn’t she like it that way?” Ben flicked the ashes of his cigarette into an ashtray and laughed noisily.

“
Not my cup of tea. Sorry to disappoint you bud.” Wade thought about his last relationship. It had ended months ago. He’d dated a popular fashion model for a few months and found it funny that his friends seemed to get more of a kick out of the relationship than he did. He remembered dull conversations with a woman whose beauty went only as deep as the layers of cosmetics she’d spackled onto her skin. He almost laughed out loud at the thought of her roughing him up. She definitely liked being on the opposite end of that spectrum. He couldn’t help comparing her to Nina whose thoughtful eyes and sharp wit kept him revved with interest.

A gum-chewing waitress appeared to collect Ben’s empty beer bottle and to take their drink order.

“Read this.” Ben pushed an old newspaper clipping across the top of the metal table.

Wade eyed Ben
, but took the clipping and read. He’d only finished the first paragraph when he looked up with raised eyebrows. The piece was about a wealthy entrepreneur named Rob Lewis who’d donated a large sum of money to Washington Memorial hospital a year ago.

“I don’t see the connection.” Wade
shrugged.

Ben puffed on his cigar
ette and blew out a slow breath as Wade watched a cloud of smoke engulf his face. The weathered grooves of his rough countenance were evidence of his many years served in the military.

“
You will. I came across some more of the fake MRI films,” Ben said.

“How did you manage that?”

“I was doing surveillance at Barton’s office when a delivery truck pulled up. I was curious because it didn’t go to the regular delivery entrance. It went to the entrance in the back. I followed the guy and for a few C notes he let me look at what he was delivering.”

“MRIs.” Wade nodded knowingly. “How do you know though that they were altered ones?”

“R.L.”

“What?”

“Remember Mr. Johnson’s MRI report had R.L imprinted on the back.”Wade nodded thoughtfully. They’d never figured out what the letters meant. Though it would’ve made sense if the letters were the initials of the hospital were the films were generated, that investigation had led them to a dead end. Most hospitals or outpatient MRI labs automatically stamped their name at the bottom of the film, but they couldn’t locate a facility that would use those initials. They figured that it might be the initials of the actual technician who took the MRI, but tracking down that person would be like finding a needle in a haystack.

“The MRIs in the van had those same letters imprinted on the back
. The driver was nervous, but I convinced him to tell me where his cargo had originated. You know how persuasive I can be with my warm personality.” Ben grinned widely.

“
Washington Memorial Hospital.”

Ben nodded thoughtfull
y. “He was making several stops to various doctor’s offices. The three films that were being dropped off there were for patients at Dr. Barton’s practice. I bet those patients are in the same boat as your Mr. Johnson.”

“
Wow,” Wade whispered, excited that they might have finally gotten a break in the case. Something though still bothered him. “Wouldn’t the films have Washington Memorial stamped at the bottom?”

“That se
emed odd to me too.” Ben nodded. “I did some research and found that article. If you keep reading you’ll see that Rob Lewis donated five million dollars to the radiology wing of Washington Hospital. I’d bet he’s a real egomaniac. Washington Memorial named the radiology department after him and the article states he bought them all new state-of-the-art MRI machines. I’d bet you
his
initials print out on them. R.L.”

Wade leaned back in his seat and took a long swig of the cold beer the waitress had brought him. He pondered the information Ben just told him
. If Ben’s suspicions were correct this lead could take them directly to the person or people responsible for altering the MRIs. He was certain they were paid off as well by the insurance company.

“We
gotta check out the MRI machines at Washington Memorial to make sure. It’s gonna be tough. You can’t just walk in there and start snooping around. Hospitals have a real phobia about getting sued. They’re very suspicious of people poking around for info. We need to get a hold of a scan printed there to make the comparison or somehow confirm that RL is printed on films generated there.”

“Damn, I was just there in the radiology department.” Wade cursed under his breath.

“For your arm?”

He
nodded, regret at the lost opportunity zinging through him. “I’ll request a copy of my film and we can examine it. It would take a few weeks probably. I wished I had looked around when I was there.”

“Ther
e’s no way you could have known,” Ben said, messaging his graying temples. “I would never have suspected WMH. The hospital’s got an excellent reputation. If it’s involved as I suspect, that’ll all change.”

“Yeah it will.”  Wade swallowed at the wad of guilt that blocked his throat as he thought of Nina. It angered him that sometimes a few rotten apples could
taint the entire barrel. “It’d be nice to have one of those MRIs from the van,” he added absently.

Ben’s silence made him look up, and
when he did the wide grin on his friend’s face said it all. His brown eyes blazed with satisfaction. “Got one. There were just a few. I figured it probably hadn’t been handled much except by the guilty party so I took it to a cop friend of mine to see if any prints could be lifted. I know it’s a long shot, but I figured I’d try. Maybe I’ll even get an answer back as soon as tonight.”

“How’d you manage to
take it?” Wade asked, alarmed.

“Dr. Barton came out as I was talking to the delivery man. The delivery guy was so frazzled that he headed him off before he could come around to the back of the truck. I grabbed o
ne of the films and ducked away,” Ben said smugly. “I wanted to ask him
who
he’d picked the films up from, but I never got the chance.”

“Hmm...” Wade
sat thoughtfully. He knew it was only a matter of time before they figured out who was behind this insurance scam.

He was glad that his firm had agreed to hire Ben. Over the years he’d become a trusted friend
as well as a resourceful and tenacious investigator. Even though he was a little rough around the edges he was good at his job. Although he was skilled, he sometimes took risks that Wade’s firm would not have sanctioned. Although the film he snagged would not be admissible evidence since it had been stolen, it would help them unravel the secrets of this case.

“Be careful. If they had a tail on you they know we’re on to something.
They might even have realized that one of the films from the van is missing and guess that you took it. I’m afraid they might become more desperate since they failed in their attempts to retrieve Mr. Johnson’s film.”

“Don’t worry. I lost them.
How’s Mr. Johnson?”

“Doesn’t like the security detail
you assigned to him.”

“Well considering how his apartment was torn up, he’s better off this way.”

Wade took a swig of his beer and scratched his chin. “Yeah, they won’t be happy to now have
two
MRI films to search for.”

I’ll be in touch tonight if I hear
anything. I’m also checking on a few other things now that I know WMH is involved.”

“I’ll be out
, but you can reach me on my cell.”

Wade watched the slow smile creep across Ben’s
gritty features.

“
Hot date?”

How
much he should tell Ben? He hesitated then said, “She’s a doctor from WMH, Dr. Nina Henley.”

“
What?
” Ben choked up a plume of smoke, his eyes round with disbelief.

Wade waited for his coughing to abate then continued, “I’m sure she’s not involved.”

Ben blew out a thin curl of smoke; he was silent as his eyes shuttered pensively, “But can she be trusted?”

Wade shook his head firmly
when he realized where Ben was headed. “I trust her, but I don’t want her mixed up in this.”

“You know she could really be of value. She’s on the inside.”

“No,” Wade stated firmly, his eyes fixed on Ben’s.

Ben bared his
uneven teeth in a crooked smile. “Boy, you’ve got it bad W.”

Wade felt his heart flutter momentarily as Ben’s words s
ank in. He had to admit that his friend was right. Just the thought of seeing her tonight had him thrumming with excitement. He was puzzled because it wasn’t just sexual anticipation that consumed him. His ardor was fueled by an aching need to simply feel her presence.

Wade smiled back weakly.
“No, I’ve got it good.”

Nina stepped out of her bathroom with a towel wrapped around her. The cold air from the air conditioner kissed her skin and caused goose bumps to
pepper her exposed arms and legs. She shuddered briefly and finished drying off, slipping into a red silk robe. The phone rang as she was pulling the scrunchie from her hair, and she stilled, a nervous flapping starting in her stomach. She wondered if it was Wade calling to say he’d be late or even to cancel.

She’d overslept and was now rushing to get ready for her date.
Date.
Her insides lurched at the idea. It had been so long since she’d been on an official date that she felt as flighty as a schoolgirl. God, she could restart someone’s heart at the drop of a hat, but she was nervous about one little date! She didn’t want to contemplate why the possibility of him cancelling caused a dull disappointment to well in her chest. Taking a deep calming breath, she answered the phone.

“What’s up
, girl? How was lunch with the parents?” Sally’s booming voice startled her.

Nina sat on the edge of her bed and laughed. “
Well if you consider discussing the bladder habits of a camel, your daughter’s sexual orientation, and the inevitable gravitational pull on private body parts appropriate lunch conversation, I’d say lunch went well.”

There was
ticking silence on the other end of the phone then Sally said flatly, “So, I see your mom was her usual self.”

“Ah…yeah.”

Sally giggled. “I knew
tame
wasn’t cutting it—public place or not.”

“I think they’re actually worse when they have an audience.” Nina
pulled a brush through her curls.

“Did your mom try to fix you up with someone at the next table again?”

“No, it was the waiter this time. He was young. I don’t even think he’s reached puberty yet.”

“
Was he cute at least? Maybe all he needs is a little training. If we start when they’re young they’ll be experts when they get to our age.”

Nina blushed as she remembered how Wade had
deftly ignited her passions in the restaurant. He was a man who understood her needs quite well and seemed fully trained and equipped to assuage them.

“No, thank you,
” Nina said. Her eyes darted to the clock on her nightstand and her heart skipped a beat. “Sally, I’ve gotta go. I’ll call you later.”

“What’s going on?”

Nina gritted her teeth as her friend waited quietly for an answer. She knew she couldn’t keep this from her best friend any longer.

“I have a date.”

“
What? With who?
”

Nina could picture her friend’s eyes bulging from their sockets.