“Huh. This has nothing to do with the drugs you’re pumping into patients that’s killing them?” Logan fought the urge to grab his boss and shake some sense into him. But he had to play it cool.
“So,” Clorinda said. “Are you looking to file a complaint as well?”
“I just want answers,” Logan said quietly.
“About?” Carter asked.
“Maybe I need to get my attorney involved because there’s a lot of slander going on right now. And while you’re here, Dr. Carter, why don’t you explain why I’ve been removed from the surgical schedule for so long? Like right after I refused to use medications from Cooper Drugs on my patients. Do you want to explain what that was all about?”
“That is unrelated to the reason why we’re here. And it has nothing to do with the allegations you’re facing. Which had been floating around the hospital for a while. We didn’t want you to put our patients at risk by having you in the operating room with Nurse Bazal.”
“But giving them untested drugs that put their lives at risk was all right?” Logan rolled his eyes. “And if these rumors have been swirling for so long, why did it take this long for you all to decide to address it?”
The other men looked at Clorinda as if she held the answers. “That’s not important,” she finally said after a pregnant pause. “We’re going to place you on administrative leave with pay while the investigation is ongoing.”
“Or,” Dr. Carter said after he cleared his throat, “you can resign, take a severance package, and start over at a new hospital.”
Logan tilted his head to the side and gave the offer a split second of consideration. Wouldn’t this make it easier for him and Robin to reconnect? Maybe they could move to Charleston and he could take a position at the Medical University of South Carolina. But could he—in good conscience—leave his patients and so many others at the mercy of Cooper Drugs?
“How badly does Cooper Drugs want me gone for you to make this offer? Are the lives of our transplant patients just a dollar figure for you guys?”
Carter slammed his fist on the edge of Clorinda’s desk. “I’m one step from just firing you outright and no one would even think I was wrong. What Cooper Drugs is trying to do is help people and you won’t even try.”
“Because people are dying and this is unethical!” Logan exclaimed and leapt from his seat.
“All right, gentlemen!” Clorinda said. “It’s best that we end this meeting before things get too far out of hand.”
Logan nodded and stormed out of the office. Now, he was really wondering if the whole Kamrie lie was a part of the conspiracy. He was 100 percent sure that this meeting had nothing to do with the alleged sexual harassment complaint. He decided to skip going back to his office and head home. As he got on the elevator, Kamrie hopped on behind him.
“Surprised to see you here,” she said with a smile.
“Don’t talk to me. Save all of your correspondence for Clorinda.”
Kamrie pressed the emergency stop on the elevator. “I told you there was an easy way to handle this.”
Logan sidestepped her and pressed the button to restart the elevator. “And just so you know, there are cameras in here. So, if you decide to say something happened, this time there will be proof.”
Kamrie got off on the next stop. “This isn’t over. You’re going to take care of our son, one way or another.”
“Then I guess I’ll see you in court,” Logan said as the doors closed. By the time Logan made it to his car, he was seething with anger. Too many people wanted his head on a platter. Too many people were playing with his life and he was going to put a stop to it.
Chapter 15
Robin was two seconds from telling her sisters to get out. They’d spent the whole morning tag teaming her as to why she shouldn’t give Logan a second chance. Even when they ate her amazing breakfast, drank her coffee, and ate the last of her melons, Alex and Yolanda railed on.
“How about this,” Robin said. “Y’all wash my dishes and I’m going to go into my office so you two can talk about me in private, okay?”
Alex shot her sister a cold look. “Don’t act like that. And I’m not washing your dishes.” She tossed a rag at Yolanda. “Let Yo-Yo do it since she has so much pent-up angst these days.”
Robin glanced at her younger sister. “Why do you have a bodyguard?”
“Why are you trying to change the subject?” Yolanda shot back.
“Because I’d like to know why that super attractive man is in my living room and you—Miss Flirty McFlirt-Flirt—have ignored him.”
Alex burst out laughing. Now, Robin knew there was a hell of a story waiting to be told. Yolanda tossed the dishrag back at Alex. “I don’t like that man. Okay. That’s it. The end. And if Nina wasn’t on her honeymoon, she’d still be digging my foot out of her . . . This is nosey Nina’s fault.”
“Tell the truth,” Alex said, her voice taking a serious tone.
Yolanda rubbed her forehead. “Maybe I saw something I shouldn’t have and there have been threats. But I’m sure once I move to Charlotte, I’ll be safe and he can go back to where he came from.”
Robin waved her hands. “What kind of threats?”
Yolanda shrugged, then reached for the dish soap. “Death threats.”
“Someone is threatening your life and you didn’t tell anyone?” Robin exclaimed. “Something happened here in Richmond?”
Yolanda raised her right eyebrow. “You want to go there, sis?”
Alex shrugged her shoulders. “She does have you there.”
“Can you at least tell us what happened?” Robin asked.
“I don’t want to talk about it. Other than to say, Daddy overreacted.”
Alex rolled her eyes. “You know if Daddy ever has a heart attack, the blame will lie with Nina, Yolanda, and Robin. I’m just putting it out there.”
“I’m sorry we can’t be boring and robotic like you, Alexandria the Great,” Yolanda quipped, then dropped the soap on the counter. “I’m going to take a walk.” She stormed out of the kitchen. Even though Robin and Alex didn’t see Charles follow her out the door, Yolanda’s groan let them know he was on his job.
“Guess this means you’re on dish duty,” Robin said as she patted Alex on her shoulder.
“Can we talk about your sudden change of heart?”
“No. You and Yolanda have done enough talking.”
“Okay, so how about I listen?”
Robin raised her right eyebrow. “With your mouth shut?”
Alex pouted. “Yes. Is there another way to listen?”
“I don’t know, have you ever done that?”
“Whatever.”
Robin threw her hands up. “All right. I was ready for him to sign the divorce papers. I wanted him to and I had decided that I couldn’t be with a man who could betray me the way he had. If he was cold enough to tell this woman that I couldn’t have children after they had one together, I couldn’t forgive that. But that man didn’t line up with the man who nursed me back to health after my surgery. The man who tried to go vegan with me when I knew how much he loved steak. And I realized, a lot of this was about my insecurity and losing trust in my husband because . . .”
“Well, a DNA test saying he’s the father does kind of erode trust.”
“See,” Robin said. “I knew you couldn’t keep your mouth closed.”
“Sorry, sorry. Continue.”
“Last night we faced some hard truths. Even before the so-called affair, I was pushing Logan away. But I love my husband and I don’t care what any of you think. I’m going to fight for my marriage. There’s a lot more going on at the hospital and we’re going to get to the bottom of it.”
“So, now you’re his ride-or-die wife?”
“Yes, I am. We’ve been together too long to let outside forces pull us apart.”
“And if you find out that there was some truth to any of this?”
“Then you’ll be my alibi witness,” Robin said with a wink.
“Don’t even joke like that!” Alex said as she walked over to the sink.
Robin crossed over to the coffee machine. “I’m not joking.”
“You can’t even kill a spider.”
“Facts. And I’d never kill my husband.”
“And clearly you won’t leave him either. For his sake, I hope he didn’t cheat on you,” Alex said as she began to wash the dishes.
Me too, Robin thought as she made two cups of coffee for her and Alex.
* * *
Logan drove from the hospital to Liam’s office in Glen Allen. The town on the outskirts of Richmond gave Liam enough anonymity to spy on anyone. And those whom he crushed with his investigations never thought to look for him in the rural enclave. And Liam had taken down some powerful people, including a racist governor who had been keeping undocumented workers as domestic slaves while lobbying against immigration.
Then there was the senator who had written the heartbeat bill but paid for his mistress to have an abortion in DC. People in Richmond knew that Liam got results. Logan prayed that his friend would get these kinds of results for him with this investigation.
Pulling into the parking lot of Liam’s office, Logan was disappointed not to see his friend’s car there. “Should’ve called first,” he muttered as he pulled out his phone and sent him the recording of the meeting.
Liam texted him back immediately:
At the hotel with the nurse. Will listen to this and call you back.
Thanks.
Now Logan had to figure out what to do with his nervous energy. He definitely wasn’t going to Robin’s because there was no telling how her sisters would react to seeing him again. Well, if she was going to visit him later tonight, he might as well head to the grocery store and stock up on her favorites. Logan cranked up his car and headed back to Richmond.
His first stop was Whole Foods to get radicchio and vegan cheese to make a salad with bite. He also grabbed a bag of Kicking Horse Coffee. He laughed at the fact that one of Robin’s favorite coffees was called Smart Ass. Then he chose the wine: merlot and pinot noir. Since he knew he wasn’t going to get full off a salad, Logan grabbed two steaks and a couple of potatoes. Glancing at his watch, he wondered when Liam would be done at the hotel. And he really didn’t want all of the details as to what he was doing. All he could hope for was that she would give Liam the ammo he needed to bring Kamrie down; then he could get to the bottom of the administration’s relationship with Cooper Drugs. But more than anything, he’d finally get to clear his name with his wife. And that was the most important thing.
When Logan arrived home, Liam’s car was parked in the driveway. “That was quick,” Logan said as he emerged from the car and popped the trunk.
“You talk about a person who knows what the word vomit is, that was Miss Lady. If those are the friends that Kamrie has, she doesn’t need enemies.”
“Did you listen to my recording?”
Liam nodded. “Whose corn flakes did you piss in? Someone really wants to get you. So, I’ve been looking into Cooper Drugs. They have a number of drugs that are being recalled by the FDA and a lawsuit ongoing to keep a black box warning off their antirejection medication.”
“I knew it!” Logan exclaimed. “Why in the hell would the hospital want to use these drugs if all of this is going on?”
“Money, money, money,” Liam sang off-key.
“How do we prove it?”
Liam stroked his forehead as he watched his friend grab the grocery bags. “We’re going to have to discuss that and everything else over dinner. What’s in the bags?”
“Food. And Robin is coming over and she’s on board with helping us.”
“And with sticking with this whole marriage thing?”
“She was this morning, but her sisters are here, so . . .”
“You still might be on her shit list?”
“I don’t think so,” he said as memories of the night before flashed in his mind. “But I know we have to show Robin that I didn’t betray her.”
“That’s going to be a lot easier now. I’m glad to know that you didn’t screw around on Robin. Because I’d have to kick your ass.”
Logan rolled his eyes as they walked into the house. “I need to file a claim against Kamrie. She cornered me in the elevator after the meeting.”
“She’s bold. And stupid. I don’t think she’s involved with the drug company. You just happen to be the next rich doctor she wants to sink her hooks in.”
Logan walked into the kitchen and set the bags on the counter. “Why me?”
Liam shrugged. “Maybe it was just because you were there and she saw you a lot? According to her so-called friend, Kamrie wants the easy life she thinks doctors provide for their wives. She grew up poor and doesn’t want the cycle to continue.”
“Clearly she’s not poor. Do you know how much nurses make? Is she a gambler or something?”
“How deep do you want me to look into her past? Because I thought the purpose of all this was to expose her lies. It doesn’t matter what her backstory is. Let her find a therapist and deal with her shit on her own.”
“You’re right, I guess. It’s just part of my nature to want to know what makes people tick and . . .”
“She isn’t a patient and I don’t think you can give her a transplant that would remove crazy.”
Logan nodded as he started unpacking the groceries. Liam smiled when he saw the steaks. “You got the good meat today. You sure Robin isn’t going to run out of here when she sees this?”
Logan laughed. “My wife and I have an understanding about food.”
“Must be nice. At least your nightmare is coming to an end and you can expose that woman Kamrie for the liar that she is. Maybe she’ll go back to Atlanta and seek support from that child’s real father.”
“Let’s hope we can prove that and get her off my back.” Logan opened the steaks and then his phone rang. When he saw it was Robin, he smiled. “Hey, babe.”
“Your in-laws are driving me crazy,” Robin said. “And they want to come to Richmond for dinner with us. Alex said she has questions.”
Logan looked at the food he had purchased and wondered if he had some other meat he could cook. Then he remembered the chicken in the freezer; he could make it work. “Tell Alex she should’ve been nicer this morning and I would’ve made jambalaya.”
“She doesn’t deserve it. And Yolanda has a body guard who’s going to be there. But I don’t know if this guy eats. He only moves when Yolanda does.”
“Why does she have a bodyguard?”
“I don’t know the full story, but she must be in serious danger. It’s kind of scary.”
“Maybe y’all should stay here. I got suspended today, so I’m going to be home.”
“What?” Robin exclaimed. “Why?”
“We’ll talk about it when you get here. I can tell you this, they showed some of their cards today.”
“We should be there in an hour.” Logan heard Robin tell someone that he didn’t cook jambalaya.
When they hung up, Logan shook his head.
“Sounds like you’re having a lot more company than this food is going to feed. Better call Uber eats for backup,” Liam joked. “’Cause I’m not sharing my steak.”
“Don’t worry, I’ve got this,” Logan said as he crossed over to the freezer.
* * *
Robin didn’t consider that she was eavesdropping since Yolanda and Charles were having a disagreement in her home. But she didn’t want them to see her as she tried to decipher what they were talking about.
“How smart is it for you to go to Richmond when that’s where you’re being hunted?” Charles asked. His voice was deep and angry.
“I’m going to my sister’s house, which is in a totally different neighborhood. And I’m not in my vehicle. Why are you being like this?”
“Because I was hired to keep you alive. Yolanda, this isn’t a game. You keep trying to do things your way,
take risks, and put yourself in danger. I’m not going to let that happen.”
She sucked her teeth and took a step closer to him. “You know, if you’d take that stick out of your ass, your life would be so much better.”
He smiled and shook his head. “You have a mouth on you.”
Yolanda offered him a smirk. “You’d be amazed as to what this mouth can do, Chuck.”
Chuck? Robin thought. That’s a little familiar. She leaned in closer to see what was going on and almost gasped when she saw Yolanda in that man’s arms, kissing him as if they had done this many times before.
What. The? One thing Robin knew for sure was that she wasn’t going to tell Alex what she saw. Robin started coughing as she walked into the living room, giving Yolanda and Charles a heads-up that she was walking into the room.
They stepped back from each other and turned toward Robin. “Hey, so, Alex and I are ready if you two are.”
Yolanda rolled her eyes. “He doesn’t think I should go.”
Robin looked over at Charles. “Why shouldn’t she go? What’s really going on here?”
“I’m here to protect your sister, and if she wants to give you more details, then that’s up to her.”
“I can tell you this, nothing is going to happen to my sister at my house, but if you feel like it’s safer for her to stay here then . . .”
“Hello!” Yolanda snapped. “I’m standing right here and I can make my own decisions. I’m going to Richmond and you will deal with it.”
Charles shook his head. “Fine, but you’re going to stay inside and keep your head down. And this is the last time that you ignore my orders.”
“How about I fire you?”
“I don’t work for you, so you can’t.”
Robin fought the urge to laugh. Charles was totally in control here and Yolanda was not pleased. But if this was what it took to keep her sister safe, then she was going to cheer for it. And somehow, she was going to have to get Yolanda to tell her the whole truth about what was going on.
“We’re ready,” Yolanda snapped.
“Alex,” Robin called out. “Let’s go.”
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