Strictly Business

by Lisa Eugene

  “Excuse me?”

  “I’d have thought he’d be a bit more discriminating. I’m headed to his office now for a lunch…umm…date. I’ll have to ask him about his apparent lapse in judgment.”

  Nina ignored her derogatory tone and acerbic words; she was still trying to figure out how this woman knew her identity.

  “How do you know who I am?”

  Marie flipped her hair with long manicured fingers. She chuckled humorlessly. “I make it my business to know everything.” She took a deep breath then scrubbed her keen eyes over Nina. “Take my advice. Wade goes through women faster than I go through shoes. He always comes back to me—a woman who knows how to please him in bed. He’s a very sensual man. For your own sake stay away from him.”

  She watched in stunned silence as Marie turned and strolled off in the direction of Wade’s office. She’d been so flustered she hadn’t gotten a word out. As anger and hurt assailed her, she wanted to yell to the woman’s receding form that she could keep Wade Connolly, that there was never anything real between them anyway. The pretty boy was just a liar! Lunch date indeed! Marie was dressed for an afternoon romp. She was more Wade’s speed anyway. Nina increased her pace. What did she care who he slept with. Whatever romantic involvement they’d had was over.

  Nina signed off on her cell phone and growled in frustration. Wade was so absolutely insufferable! She would have muttered the choice words she had for him out loud if she weren’t afraid someone wandering the busy hospital hallway might overhear her rant. She had anonymously called the computer lab and discovered that senior attendings could indeed manipulate the name of patients on radiology films. She’d just discussed it with Wade, and he’d been furious about the inquiries she’d made.

  Ignoring his anger, she’d explained that changing the names was a privilege granted to senior attendings so that films could be presented at grand rounds—a formal academic discussion among doctors about unique and interesting cases. The patient was always kept anonymous; therefore the patient’s name on any medical records presented, including radiologic films had to be expunged.

  Senior attendings always presided over these rounds even when it was a resident who presented the case. The senior attending would print a copy of the film with the name deleted for purposes of confidentiality. Nina found out that with this privilege they also had the freedom to reenter an entirely different name into the system. She surmised that whoever designed the program never imagined the ways it could be abused; she also knew that what played a role here was the unwavering trust in the authority and omnipotence of the senior attendings. She shook her head sadly. A month ago she would’ve challenged anyone who dared to say such corruption was possible at WMH.

  She snorted in frustration. She appreciated Wade’s concern, but couldn’t understand why he was so livid. She’d made the call without disclosing her true identity and spoke to a mid-level IT tech that had been very happy to answer all of her amateur computer questions. She’d asked a gamut of questions covering a full range of computer topics before asking the questions she’d really needed answers to. He seemed more than happy to assuage the curiosity of the college student who was interested in medical computer systems and software as a second major, which had been her story.

  She recalled Wade’s heated words. He’d been particularly upset that she hadn’t consulted him before calling the computer lab, and he’d practically exploded when she told him she’d again searched the computer archives and found more MRI’s that were printed after the patient had died—an amount that had been too alarming to be a coincidence. She chewed on her bottom lip in deep thought as she returned from her break. She’d promised him she wouldn’t go to the lab. She recalled saying nothing about calling anonymously or researching on the computer.

  Besides, the information she’d gained put them another step closer to unraveling this case. She sighed. She still had a heavy heart every time she recalled that someone she worked with was in alliance with this greedy scheme. She tried to go about her normal routine, but practically every face she encountered during the night caused a prickle of wary doubt and suspicion.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  Nina realized that no matter how enthusiastically she peddled the stationary bike, try as she might she couldn’t ease the knotty tension from her body. Even the hard saddle of the bike she straddled seemed to apply pressures that exacerbate her growing frustration.

  Cursing Wade for her present condition she left the gym and headed home. She knew it wasn’t just him to be blamed for her restiveness; being at the hospital, performing her duties alongside her colleagues and friends while wondering if one of them was capable of deliberate malpractice and attempted murder, amplified her senses and made her touchy. Her body seemed overly sensitized to everything, and she cursed her traitorous desire for him despite all the heartache he’d caused her.

  To make matters worse, Dr. Charles had asked her out on a date; he’d confessed that he harbored romantic feelings for her. When she’d told Sally later, her friend had strongly encouraged her to accept the date. Sally assumed her current agitation was due to her breakup with Wade and was equally appalled to learn that he was sleeping with Marie Deluse. She wholeheartedly sanctioned a relationship with Dr. Charles. Nina knew that getting into a new relationship was not what she needed now. Her hurt from Wade was too fresh, plus she would never date a colleague.

  She also couldn’t help but question Dr. Charles’ motives. Why now would he profess his interest? Was he trying to get close to her to cull information about Mr. Johnson’s case? Someone was obviously desperate to find the whereabouts of the phony MRIs.

  Her connection to Wade was no secret. There’d been all over each other at the restaurant where they’d had lunch and more significantly, she’d been with him the night that Ben got shot.

  Nina, clad in shorts, a tee-shirt and an old pair of sneakers, walked down the hall towards her apartment. She was about to insert her key into her lock when the door across the hall creaked opened. She groaned inwardly, not in the mood to dodge questions from Mrs. Witkin about her personal life.

  “Well, well, young lady…”

  Nina turned and faced her elderly neighbor’s reproving stare and clucking tongue. “Hi, Mrs. Witkin.”

  “Well, aren’t you the popular one lately.”

  Nina frowned, staring into her deeply set eyes. “What are you talking about?”

  “Oh, you know…” Mr. Witkin nodded towards her apartment, the saggy skin wobbling beneath her chin.

  She sighed, irritated because she hadn’t a clue what her neighbor was alluding to.

  “Oh, don’t play coy with me missy.” The elderly lady bristled. “I saw the man coming out of your apartment this morning.”

  “What?” Nina gasped, ignoring Mrs. Witkin’s disdainful censure.

  “I’d say he’s not as handsome as that hunk of a man who you…ah…entertained last week, but—I suppose it’s not all about the—”

  “Mrs. Witkin!” Nina interrupted sharply. “I need to know exactly what you saw.”

  After extracting what little information she could from a rambling Mrs. Wilkins, Nina turned and cautiously approached her apartment. Apparently Mrs. Witkin had been in the middle of a ribald Jerry Springer episode and hadn’t caught a good enough glimpse of the man leaving her apartment to give a meaningful description. Nina couldn’t help thinking of Dr. Charles though when she mentioned the man’s curly blonde hair.

  She shivered when the door gave way and opened without her having to use her key. She stepped into her living room and gasped. Her usually immaculate apartment looked liked like a tornado had spiraled through it, destroying everything in its path. Her furniture was uprooted and eviscerated. The coffee table was splintered into jagged shards of pointy glass that shimmered ominously at her. Medical journals and magazines littered the floor like discarded confetti. She hiccupped a sob as her eye caught her beloved patchwork quilt stripped to threads and strewn randomly
about the room. A patient had made her that gift in gratitude when she was a resident and it had held a sentimental place in her heart.

  Forcing her feet to move, she stepped tentatively around the carnage of her apartment. Except for her sentimental items, losing her possessions was not what scared her the most. The thought of someone being in her apartment, her sanctuary, the place where she felt safe and secure, made her skin crawl. She sank to the floor with her head in her hands trying to fight against the sudden fear and nausea that seized her. She spotted the phone on her floor and before she could question her actions, she was dialing the private number to Wade’s office.

  “Someone’s been in my apartment. It’s ransacked,” she said immediately upon hearing his deep baritone. Just hearing the smooth timbre of his voice soothed her.

  “Are you all right?”

  “When I came home Mrs. Witkin told me she saw someone coming out of my apartment this morning. My front door was unlocked and my…my apartment is a wreck,” she rushed out in one breath.

  “Stay with Mrs. Witkin. I’m coming right over.”

  “You—you don’t need to do—.”

  “I’ll be right there.”

  Fifteen minutes later Nina was enveloped in strong muscular arms as Wade walked through the threshold of Mrs. Witkin’s apartment. She allowed herself to sink into his warmth and accepted the solace of his embrace. She inhaled that fresh outdoor scent of his, a balm to her shaky nerves.

  His lips brushed the shell of her ear when he asked gently, “Are you all right?”

  She nodded, not trusting her voice. She gently pulled away from him, just noticing the tall man who had accompanied him.

  Wade kept a protective arm around her as he introduced the quiet gentleman as Joe, the firm’s new investigator. Just then Mrs. Witkin sailed into the room, and Wade adeptly silenced the start of a barrage of questions. He promised her that Joe would come back over to speak with her as soon as they were done in Nina’s apartment.

  “Your door was left open?” Wade asked again after they had taken a sterile walk through Nina’s ravaged apartment.

  She watched him move over to her window and examine it; Joe was already there peering over the ledge at the fire escape scrutinizing something of interest.

  “Yes, I didn’t even need to use my key.” She tried to control her tremulous voice.

  “I think this is how he got in.” Joe said.

  She had to squint to see what he was pointing to, but then her eyes caught the small scrape on the top of her window near the lock. She wrapped her hands around her body, suddenly feeling cold and numb.

  Wade turned to her. When he spoke the gravity of his tone was compelling. “Nina, I’m so sorry. This is about my case.”

  Nina peered at him in silent confusion as he rubbed his large palms against her shoulders, infusing them with heat. He lowered his head and leveled his blue eyes with hers, as if making sure his words were taking root. “This was not a random break-in. This guy was looking for something. My client’s apartment was left the same way a few months ago. It’s also meant to scare you.”

  “Mission accomplished,” she stated tremulously.

  Just then Joe came over and mumbled something into Wade’s ear. Wade stepped aside to speak to him briefly, then Joe turned and left the apartment.

  Wade was at her side again, his face rigid, pensive. His thick thighs braced his large body while his arms folded across his chest.

  “It’s not safe here. You can’t stay here any longer.”

  “Wh—what are you talking about? This is my home.” She seemed to surface from shocked melancholy to dive into pure panic.

  His hands gently gripped her shoulders. “Nina, these people mean business. You could have been hurt.” Wade swallowed hard. “He could have easily waited for you to come home.”

  She stared into his deep blue eyes, and the look of genuine worry she saw abruptly melted her budding protestations. She knew he was right. The person who broke into her apartment could come back at anytime. She lived alone and had little means to defend herself. Another lock could be added to her door, or bars could reinforce her windows, but she doubt either would deter the type of criminals they were dealing with.

  “I think you should stay with me.”

  She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “No way.”

  “You can’t stay here. I’ll feel better if you stayed with me,” Wade explained simply.

  “Absolutely not.” She pulled away from him, her thoughts galloping.

  “Nina, be reasonable. It’s much safer.”

  She cleared her suddenly scratchy throat, feeling the dizzying affect of his proximity. Safer?

  “Wade, I can’t.”

  He held her gaze and sighed. “Then where can you go that’s safe?”

  She thought for a minute. She’d have a lot of explaining to do to Sally if she just showed up at her door with her suitcase. She could also entangle her friend in this nightmare and put her in danger as well, which she could not allow to happen. Another option was staying with Dr. Tanno and his wife, but she didn’t want to put the older couple in danger either. Plus Dr. Tanno worked with her. His medical ideals were very traditional. He’d insist that she go directly to the hospital administrators with what she knew. She wanted Wade to build his case and that might be difficult with hospital’s interference. She knew the hospital would want to see justice served as well, but she worried that their fear of scandal and litigation might obscure his directives in finding the truth.

  Nina inwardly cringed when she thought about staying with her parents in Westchester. They’d undoubtedly do her in before anyone else could get to her.

  “I could stay in a hotel,” she announced finally, not really liking the idea.

  “No. You shouldn’t be alone.” Wade curled a finger under her chin and tilted her gaze up to his. “Listen, this is about keeping you safe. Staying with me makes perfect sense. Besides, our relationship is strictly business, remember? Unless you’re afraid that you….”

  She looked away, the intensity of his gaze and the press of his finger suddenly too much to bear. She knew he was baiting her, but her mind and her body were constantly at odds when it came to Wade.

  Yet, the thought of staying in her own apartment where someone had easily invaded frightened her. The thought of someone’s hands on her belongings, going through her private things, disrupting her orderly life, sent icy chills racing along her skin.

  “Nina, it’s just for a little while,” he said, sensing her dwindling resolve.

  She surveyed the upheaval of her apartment and her skin grew clammy.

  “Okay. I’ll stay with you, but just until I can figure out what to do.”

  Wade’s apartment was on the twenty-eight floor of an impressive marble and steel complex. Nina was taken aback by the army of doormen who greeted them in the sumptuous lobby, eager to assist with him with her small duffel bag of clothes. Wade waved them away and chatted briefly with the man behind the colossal front desk made of carved granite stone. She twisted her neck to find the source of the rushing in her ears and her gaze alighted on a gigantic waterfall flowing into a majestic Japanese stone garden.

  They took a silent ride up to the twenty-eight floor, and she had to suppress a gasped when she entered Wade’s apartment. She could easily fit her entire apartment just in the living room. Sleek angles and sharp lines defined the space with post-modern furnishings and abstract art. Almost everything was silver, white and black with strikingly vivid colors strewn about the room, adding warmth to the very masculine area.

  “Wow,” she said looking around the room. “This place is amazing.”

  “Thanks.”

  She descended the two steps from his foyer that led into his living room and took a seat on one of the plush leather sofas.

  “Would you like some lunch? I might have some cold cuts in the refrigerator,” he offered.

  She shook her head as an indelicate yawn took over
. “No thanks. I’m exhausted.”

  Wade nodded, the realization that Nina had worked the night shift just dawning on him. He could tell her strength was flagging by the dark shadows forming beneath her eyes. Her hair was tied back in a careless knot and her bottom lip plump from constant worry and biting. He checked the urge to draw it into his mouth and suckle it.

  She had shown amazing fortitude considering what she’d been through that morning. Dealing with the police had been a harrowing experience. Detective Sullivan had shown up at her apartment once the crime had been reported and Wade had almost gone fist-to-cuffs with him at his callous treatment of Nina. Unable to tolerate his blatant impudence a second longer, he’d put a halt to the desultory interrogation and, despite fierce threats and protests, taken her from the apartment.

  “I’d like to take a shower,” she said, looking down at her sweaty gym clothes. She hadn’t had time to shower and change in the melee. She’d just stuffed some clothes and toiletries into her duffel bag, and Wade had escorted her out the door.

  She looked up and caught his eyes moving slowly up her bare legs. His gaze was like a liquid caress and her insides buzzed. The look in his eyes was predatory and filled with yearning. She cleared her throat, and his gaze moved back to her face, but seemed to tarry thoughtfully on her bottom lip.

  “You should get some rest,” he said at length. “I’ve got to get back to the office.”

  Wade forked his fingers through his dark hair and turned towards the marble fireplace on the far side of the wall. He stood in front of it, head hanging.

  “I’m sorry I was so angry with you on the phone this morning. I know you’re doing what you can to help. I was just afraid you’d become a target. But the truth is, you’ve probably been on their radar for some time now—well, since getting involved with me that is. I’m sorry.”

  “You don’t need to apologize. I’m appalled that something like this can happen, and I want to see these criminals brought to justice. I’ll do what I can to help.”