by Andrea Kane
“I can imagine. But Jacob Casper must really appreciate you.”
“He does.” Janet sounded less than enthusiastic. “And he runs a very tight, by-the-book department. Truthfully, it was more interesting when Ronald was in charge.”
“Yes, from what I’m hearing he was a very charismatic man,” Casey said carefully. It was too soon to tread on Janet’s toes.
Janet picked up on the inference, anyway. It was written all over her face.
“Ronald was good, not only at his job but to his employees,” she replied. Her tone was politically correct. But it was also sincere. “He made them want to work there. The atmosphere was much more relaxed and friendly when he was at the helm.”
“I see.” Casey allowed a brief silence, hoping Janet would fill it.
She wasn’t disappointed.
“By charismatic I assume you’re referring to Ronald’s personal life.”
“Am I prying?”
Janet shrugged. “It’s hardly a secret. Ronald loved women and they loved him. But it was always mutual. No lines were crossed...except a few hospital lines.”
“No harm, no foul,” Casey responded. “If the women were willing and their work didn’t suffer—”
“I didn’t say that,” Janet interrupted. She lowered her voice to a whisper. “There was an incident some months back. Ronald was sleeping with two women in our department—Valerie Pintar and Francine Ryder. Each knew about the other, and there was genuine hatred between them. Their work went down the tubes. I had no choice but to go to Ronald with the problem. Both women had to be dismissed.”
“But there was no disciplinary action taken against Ronald?”
Janet shifted uncomfortably. “We kept Ronald’s name out of the report—although I think some people thought we should do otherwise.”
“Which people?”
“Conrad and Madeline Westfield.”
Casey blinked. “But they were close friends.”
“That’s why I think they backed down in the end,” Janet replied, picking at her salad. “Conrad had a huge argument with Ronald. I could hear it through the wall that connected our offices. He told Ronald bluntly that he couldn’t go on mixing personal and professional. He said he was uncomfortable looking the other way. Ronald was sheepish and admitted that he’d been wrong. I guess Conrad felt placated. Their voices had quieted before Conrad left the office.”
“What about Madeline? Where did she factor into it?”
“She went to Ronald separately,” Janet said. “Their conversation wasn’t as heated, but she was pretty firm. Ronald said he’d already talked to Conrad and he’d be changing his behavior. That’s all I could overhear.”
Casey went for it. “Is there any chance that Nancy Lexington knew about the affairs or the confrontations between her husband and the Westfields?”
Janet contemplated answering. Then she said, “You’re a private investigator so I know this will stay between us. Nancy was in the administrative wing that day. She was helping out since we were short staffed. I can’t be sure, but Conrad and Ronald were pretty loud. It’s very possible she overheard them. And she definitely saw Madeline go in there. She was right outside the door during that argument.”
More motive stacked up against Nancy Lexington.
“Wow,” Casey replied. “That must have been a tough one for a wife to swallow. I don’t envy her.”
“She knew who she was married to.”
“I suppose.” Enough on that subject. “But I hardly think there’d be any hard feelings when it came to Madeline. She’s such a warm, likable person.”
“Yes, she is,” Janet confirmed. “Everyone in the hospital adores her. When Diana first came to work here, Madeline mentored her in so many ways, so I’m biased. But I’m far from alone. When Conrad and Madeline’s divorce was final, a slew of people stood behind Madeline and offered their help and support. Conrad didn’t have nearly that big a fan club. Then again, he didn’t interact much with the staff. He was either in the O.R. or reviewing his own work.”
“So he was disliked?”
Another shrug. “I don’t think anyone was close enough to him to dislike him. He was resented, mostly by jealous staff members. Personable or not, his talent was unquestionable. But when the merger first came up, there were definite rumblings. Many people thought he was secretly cutthroat about getting that new job.”
“What about Sharon Gilding?”
Janet made a face. “She’s always cutthroat. And about being chief of surgery? I think she’d do anything short of killing someone for that position. Conrad is the front-runner, but she’s right on his heels. God help him if he gets that job—even though I truly believe he deserves it more. He’s been with the hospital longer, and his techniques in cardiothoracic surgery have been published everywhere. Plus, Sharon would run the surgical unit like a dictator. Everyone already hates her—that would put the icing on the cake. An atmosphere like that can’t help but breed negativity and lackluster performance.”
“So there’s no love lost between Sharon and Conrad.”
“None, at least from her perspective. I’m not even sure Conrad is aware of how deep her competitive instincts run.”
“And Madeline? Is she impacted by Dr. Gilding’s personality—more than the rest of the staff, I mean?”
Janet sighed. “Madeline is such a kind soul, I don’t think she realizes that people like Sharon think of her and Conrad as a package deal. I know they’re divorced, but that’s a moot point since they’ve been living apart for ages. The fact is, they began as friends and they’re still friends. They’re each other’s strongest advocates. From what I’ve heard through the neurology department’s grapevine, Sharon thinks of Madeline as an asset to Conrad that she wishes would go away.”
Casey was about to open her mouth when a tentative female voice interrupted her.
“Hi, Mom.”
Glancing up, Casey recognized the dark-haired young woman who was standing there holding a tray as Janet’s daughter, Diana.
“Well, hi, honey.” Janet went for surprise and failed miserably. “What brings you to this neck of the woods?”
Diana surprised Casey by answering honestly. “You don’t have to pretend on my account. We talked about this. I’ve seen Forensic Instincts on the news and online. I wanted to meet Ms. Woods. Having her here is the most exciting thing I can remember happening at the hospital.”
“I agree.” Janet shot Casey an apologetic look. “Do you mind if Diana joins us? I have to run in a few minutes, anyway, and I know she also wants to hear about you and your team.”
“Of course not.” Casey gestured for Diana to pull up a chair. This unexpected development had its benefits. Casey had gotten some good preliminary info from Janet. Maybe Diana could give her another point of view. She might not be a gossipmonger like her mother, but she was a nurse—right in the trenches.
“Thank you.” Diana slid into a chair and placed her tray, which contained a bowl of soup and a piece of French bread, on the table.
Janet glanced at her watch and rolled her eyes. “Five more minutes, max, or Jacob will have my head.” A hopeful look at Casey. “Maybe you and I could have dinner one evening after work so we can talk more about your exciting life at a time when I don’t have to cut things short and make you eat shrink-wrapped food.”
Casey chuckled. “I didn’t mind. It was nice getting to know you better. Sure, let’s check our schedules and set up a dinner.”
“Wonderful,” Janet said, looking once again like a kid in a candy store.
The next five minutes Casey spent recapping a lot of the same FI specifics that she had with Janet. Diana was quieter than her mother, but her listening skills were better. Her eyes stayed glued to Casey, wide and interested. She ate her soup on autopilot, not even seeming
to notice it.
“So you don’t all move together as a unit all the time?” she asked when Casey paused to take a breath. “Each team member acts on his or her skill set?”
“Yup.” Casey nodded. “Sometimes we all move in tandem. Sometimes we divvy up responsibilities. The individual talents of my team are varied but unbeatable, especially when you add them all up. They’re simply the best of the best.” A wry grin. “No bias on my part, of course.”
“I know you have a bloodhound,” Diana said. “Hero. I saw him in an article I read about your company.”
Casey frowned. “We try to avoid publicity. Unfortunately, it finds us.”
“Well, Hero looks magnificent.”
“Hero is nothing if not photogenic,” Casey responded. “He’s also an amazing human-scent evidence dog.”
“Bloodhounds have a keen sense of smell.” Diana took a quick bite of bread. “Why did Hero leave the FBI?”
“Okay, that’s my cue to get back to work.” Janet rose, taking a last gulp of coffee and leaving most of her salad untouched. “Diana is now going to bombard you with questions about Hero. She’s a dog worshipper and knows trivia I doubt most veterinarians do.” Janet extended her hand to Casey. “Thank you for seeing me. If it’s okay, I’ll text you about that dinner.”
“Please do,” Casey replied.
Janet blew her daughter a kiss. “Have fun, ladies.” She took her tray to the trash and recycling area, and then hurried off.
“Do you mind my curiosity over Hero?” Diana asked.
“Of course not.” Casey took a bite of her salad. “You’re talking about the guy I sleep with every night.”
That made Diana laugh. She was pretty when she laughed—young and free and not so closed-off and serious.
Then again, if Casey were clinging to a job that might be snatched away at any moment, she’d be pretty strained, too.
She told Diana all about Hero’s background and that he’d been at the top of his class. The problem was that he’d been a poor traveler, which made it impossible for him to stay with the canine unit.
“And the FBI’s loss was our gain,” Casey concluded. “Hero can pick up scents from miles away, and he’s as loyal as they come. Like the rest of us, he’d give his life for the team. No one could ask for more.” She grinned. “Plus, I’m crazy about him. He and I have become a tight twosome.”
“Do you live at your brownstone?”
Casey nodded. “The top level is my apartment. Hero spends more time sleeping there than I do.”
“You work long hours. I can relate to that.” Diana fiddled with her bread. “Do you think I could meet Hero sometime?”
She sounded so wistful that it tugged at Casey’s heart. This was one lonely young woman.
“Sure,” she told Diana. “We’ll work it out.”
“Oh, thank you.” There was that hint of youthful joy again. Diana resembled Janet around the nose and mouth, but her eyes were set wide apart, and they were deep brown and very expressive.
“Diana, it’s my turn to overstep,” Casey said. “The couple of times I’ve seen you, you look so sober. Your mother told me all about your exceptional skills as a circulating nurse. Is the hospital merger threatening your job?”
Diana turned up her palms. “I don’t know. I’ve only been here a year. That makes me vulnerable. On the other hand, my reviews have been really positive, so I’m hoping my skills are enough to convince the people integrating the two hospitals to keep me on.”
“Which translates into long work hours and no social life. I hear you.” Casey took another bite of salad, then offhandedly asked, “Do you at least hang out with some of the hospital employees?”
“Yes.” Diana tore off another piece of bread and nibbled on it. “Manhattan Memorial has some gifted, warmhearted people who work here. We tend to bond because we dedicate so much of our lives to our careers. That bonding is even more accentuated now since we’re all kind of free-falling and nervous.”
“I get it.”
Diana’s expression brightened. “I’ve chatted with that young candy striper you recommended—Emma. She’s smart as a whip and very feisty. She definitely speaks her mind.”
“That’s Emma,” Casey said dryly.
“Does she work with your team?”
Casey answered very carefully. “She’s our part-time receptionist. She files and answers phones, that kind of thing. She’s really leaning toward a career in nursing, but in the meantime, her job at FI means she can pay the bills.”
“She said that Madeline Westfield helped her get the job by speaking to Mr. Casper.”
Smart, Emma, Casey thought.
“She did.” Casey ran with Emma’s entrée. “That was very nice of Madeline, considering we hardly know her. But as a friend of Marc’s, she agreed to pitch Emma. Marc’s judgment is spot-on, and Madeline knows it. So she did Emma an enormous favor.”
“That’s typical Madeline,” Diana replied. “We call her Florence Nightingale. She’s constantly helping and healing. She’s pretty inspirational. And I am biased. She taught me the ropes when I first came to Manhattan Memorial. She’s an E.R. nurse, so she’s seen just about everything. And she was married to a surgeon, so she knew a lot about being a circulating nurse. Most of all, she brought me into the fold, so to speak. She introduced me around and made it easier for me to make friends. I’ll always be grateful.”
Diana pressed her lips together for a minute. “I know it sounds silly since I’m a trained professional, but I was very relieved that she was on the code team the day Ronald Lexington died. It was a horrible loss, and it was my first. Madeline, of course, was devastated. But just her presence helped me get through it.”
Casey’s fork stopped on its way to her salad. “You were the circulating nurse during Ronald Lexington’s surgery?”
“Yes.” Diana looked puzzled at Casey’s reaction. “Why? Is that significant in some way?” She paled. “Do you think the hospital will count that against me when they’re making their decision?”
“No, no, of course not.” Casey chastised herself for showing any reaction. It wasn’t like her to slip up like that, but she’d truly been shocked. She wasn’t even sure why. It’s just that it seemed that everything about Ronald Lexington’s surgery was cast in shadows. It was like an onion being peeled away one layer at a time.
“I guess after that beautiful dedication ceremony, I’m surprised no one mentioned that you were in the O.R. when Ronald passed away and how traumatized you must have been,” she said, trying to continue the conversation without making Diana suspicious.
Diana sighed, taking the bait. “Most people are more stoic than I am. Besides, my mother worked hard to shield me—harder than she should have. I’ve got to toughen up. I can handle pretty much anything—except losing a patient. I’m still grappling with that one. And I’d better hurry up and get over it because it’s a factor in a circulating nurse’s life, even if it is a rare occurrence. Also, Mr. Lexington’s death truly came out of nowhere. One minute he was fine, the next he was bleeding out. We never expected such a successful surgery to reverse itself so abruptly.”
“I agree.” Casey frowned. “At the dedication ceremony, I heard so much gossip and speculation about that surgery. People were whispering. Some of them even blamed Conrad Westfield.”
“I know.” A spark of anger flashed in Diana’s eyes. “And it’s horrible and untrue. Dr. Westfield did everything—and then some—to save Mr. Lexington’s life. He called on every one of us to assist him. I was running back and forth bringing instruments and sponges. The surgical nurses did everything he needed and responded to his every command. And afterward...” Diana’s voice trembled a bit. “Both he and Madeline were devastated. Dr. Westfield was white as a sheet and there were tears in his eyes. Anyone who blames him is cruel an
d dead wrong.”
Casey saw how upset Diana was getting. She clearly regarded herself as one of the team—a team that had lost someone of great significance.
“Were you there the whole time?” Casey asked.
She nodded. “The circulating nurse is the first one in the O.R. and the last one out. I make sure the O.R. is fully ready for the incoming surgery—from the operating table to the surgical instruments. I assist the anesthesiologist in positioning the patients. I monitor lights, adjust equipment and assist with the final sponge and instrument count. I could go on and on, but I don’t want to bore you.”
“I’m not bored. I find medicine fascinating.” Casey ate some of her salad, reestablishing the calm that had been lost. “I’m sorry you had to go through such a trauma. But I’m also impressed. I’m sure Conrad used the A-team for that surgery. He must think a lot of you.”
“Thank you,” Diana said sincerely. “I respect him tremendously. Watching him operate is seeing a natural gift unfold. He’s a genius.”
“I believe you.” Casey picked up her napkin and dabbed at her mouth. It was time to leave. Too many more questions and her interest in all this would become suspicious. There’d be other occasions—like dinner with Janet—to dig some more.
“I’m so sorry, Diana, but I have to get going.” Casey placed a hand on the girl’s shoulder.
It was rigid.
“Have your mother send me your cell number,” she said. “We’ll make an appointment for you to come by the office and meet Hero.”
Diana relaxed, a smile spreading across her face. “I would love that.”
“So will he.”
* * *
Casey whipped out her cell phone the minute she got in the car, and punched the Ryan button.
“Yes, chief,” he answered.
“Anything on Nancy or her kids?”
“Nope. Just the usual bullshit. Nothing incriminating—at least not yet.”
“Damn,” Casey muttered. “I know you’re getting ready for your excursion with Emma, but later on, would you get me the full list of names of the staff that was present during Ronald Lexington’s surgery? All friggin’ roads seem to lead back to him.”