Crisis (27 page)

"Wouldn't that be Jordan Stanhope?" Alexis questioned.

"He'll never agree," Craig said.

"Let me finish the whole story," Jack said.

Jack told about visiting the Langley-Peerson Funeral Home and his discussion with Harold Langley and getting the permit forms. He then told the Bowmans what he had learned about Jordan Stanhope.

Both Alexis's and Craig's mouths sagged open simultaneously as Jack gave them Jordan's short biography.

Craig was the first to speak. "Do you think it is true?" he sputtered.

"Harold Langley has no reason to lie. It must be common knowledge in Brighton; otherwise, Harold Langley certainly wouldn't have told me. Funeral directors are generally and rather notoriously tight-lipped."

"Stanislaw Jordan Jaruzelski," Alexis repeated with disbelief. "No wonder he changed his name."

"I knew Jordan was younger than Patience," Craig said, but I never suspected anything like that. They acted as if they had been married for twenty-five-plus years. I'm amazed."

"I think the interesting part is that Patience was the one with the money."

"She's not the one with the money anymore," Craig commented. He shook his head with disgust. "Randolph should have discovered this. This is another example of his ineptitude. I should have demanded another lawyer."

"Normally, this is not the kind of information necessary to litigate a malpractice claim," Jack said, although he was surprised himself it didn't come out in Jordan's deposition. "It's not relevant."

"I'm not so sure," Craig said.

"Let me finish," Jack interrupted. "Then we can talk about the whole situation."

"Fine," Craig said. He put his drink down and eagerly leaned forward. He was no longer a pathetically brooding individual.

Jack then took the Bowmans to the Newton Memorial Hospital with his dialogue and related his conversations with Dr. Noelle Everette, Dr. Matt Gilbert, and Ms. Georgina O'Keefe. He talked about his sense that the cyanosis issue was unresolved. He said that Georgina's main point was that the cyanosis was even, not just in the extremities. Jack asked Craig if he had had the same impression.

"I suppose," Craig said. "But I was so overwhelmed by her grave general state that I really didn't look at her with that question in mind."

"That's exactly what Dr. Gilbert said as well," Jack added.

"Wait a second!" Craig said, holding up his hand. "Did learning what you did about Jordan make you think this cyanosis issue is more significant? I mean, this money situation with a younger man marrying a wealthy widow ..." Craig let his sentence trail off as his mind toyed with the idea and its implications.

"I have to say it did," Jack agreed, "but relatively briefly. In many respects, it's too soap-operaish, if that's a word. Besides, it's been documented by the biomarkers that Patience had suffered a heart attack, as Dr. Gilbert rightfully reminded me today. At the same time, Jordan's curious biography should not be dismissed entirely." Jack then went on to tell the story he'd related to Matt and Georgina about his case involving the elderly woman who'd died of a heart attack after being robbed at gunpoint.

"I think this is all very significant," Craig said, "and it continues to make me question Randolph's competence."

"What about the bruising on the side of your face?" Alexis asked, as if suddenly remembering that Jack had agreed to explain it.

"What bruising?" Craig asked. Jack was to his left, meaning the left side of Jack's face was angled away.

"You didn't notice?" Alexis questioned with amazement. "Take a look."

Craig stood up and leaned over the table. Reluctantly, Jack turned his head so the left side of his face was in Craig's view.

"My gosh," Craig said. "That does look raw." He reached out and touched Jack's cheekbone with the tip of his index finger to assess the amount of edema. "Does it hurt?"

Jack pulled his face away. "Of course it hurts," he said irritably. He'd always hated how doctors did that. They always poked the place you said hurt. Orthopedic guys were the worst, in Jack's experience, which he had a lot of, thanks to all the bumps and bruises he got playing street basketball.

"Sorry," Craig said. "It looks raw. Maybe a cold pack would be a good idea. Want me to get one?"

Jack declined Craig's ministrations.

"How did it happen?" Alexis asked.

"I'm coming to it," Jack said. He then related the visit to the Stanhopes'.

"You went to the Stanhope mansion?" Craig questioned with obvious disbelief.

"I did," Jack admitted.

"Is that legal?"

"What do you mean legal? Of course it's legal. I mean, it's not like seeking out the jurors or anything. If there was any chance of getting a signature, I had to go." Jack then told them about the Bentley and then the unexpected Charlene.

Craig and Alexis exchanged glances of surprise. Craig gave a short, derisive laugh.

"So much for a long mourning period," Alexis said indignantly. "The man is shameless, likewise for the elaborate gentleman facade."

"This is starting to remind me of another notorious case that took place in Rhode Island but involved diabetes," Craig said.

"I know the case you are referring to," Jack said. "But even in that case, the suddenly wealthy heir was acquitted."

"What about your face?" Alexis said impatiently. "The suspense is killing me."

Jack told them about how he brought up the issue about exhuming Patience's body, fully expecting to be rebuffed. He then described Tony Fasano's arrival, along with an associate dressed in an almost identical outfit.

"His name is Franco," Alexis said.

"You know him?" Jack questioned. He was surprised.

"I don't know him. I've just seen him. He's hard to miss. He comes to the courtroom with Tony Fasano. I only know his name because I heard Tony Fasano call to him yesterday when they were leaving the courtroom."

Jack related Tony's vehement objection to the idea of exhuming Patience and doing an autopsy. He told them he'd been threatened that he'd be "history" if he did the autopsy.

For a few moments, both Alexis and Craig merely stared at Jack. They were both dumbfounded by what he had just told them.

"That's weird!" Craig said finally. "Why would he be so against an autopsy?"

Jack shrugged. "Presumably, because he feels confident in the case he has and doesn't want to rock the boat. He's invested some serious money on contingency, and he's expecting a mammoth payoff. But I have to tell you, it makes me more motivated."

"What about your face?" Alexis asked. "You keep avoiding telling us about it."

"That happened at the end, after Franco gave me the bum's rush. I was being cute and stupid. I told both of them I thought their matching outfits were sweet."

"So he struck you?" Alexis questioned with consternation.

"Well, it wasn't a love pat," Jack said.

"I think you should press charges," Alexis said indignantly.

"I don't agree," Jack said. "Stupidly, I hit him back, so trying to press charges would just get into an argument of who hit whom first."

"You hit that hulky hoodlum?" Alexis questioned with disbelief. "What have you become in your adulthood, self-destructive?"

"People have accused me of that in the not-too-distant past. I like to think of myself as occasionally impulsive with a touch of self-righteous recklessness."

"I don't find this at all funny," Alexis said.

"Nor do I," Jack agreed. "But the episode, especially me getting whacked, helped my argument with Jordan that I originally thought was hopeless." Jack reached into his inner jacket pocket and pulled out the exhumation permit. He placed it on the table and smoothed it out with the palm of his hand. "Jordan signed the exhumation permit."

Alexis drew the form closer to herself. She looked at Jordan's signature and blinked several times as if she expected it might disappear.

"That kind of eliminates any suspicion of his involvement," Craig said, looking over Alexis's shoulder.

"Who knows," Jack said. "What it does for certain is that it puts the idea of an autopsy on the table as a legitimate option. It's no longer a mere theoretical possibility, although now we're up against a time constraint. Assuming that can be overcome, the question is whether you people want me to do it or not. It has to be decided tonight."

"My feelings have not changed from this morning," Craig said. "There's no way to be sure whether it would help or hurt, and I can make an argument in either direction."

"I think there's slightly more chance it might help than hinder because of the cyanosis issue," Jack said. "There must be some anatomical explanation, some contributory pathology. But you are right: There are no guarantees." Jack shrugged. "But I don't want to push the idea. I'm not here to make things worse. It's your decision."

Craig shook his head. "As confused as I am, it's hard to make a decision. I think I'm against it because of the unknown, but what do I know. I'm hardly in a position to be objective."

"How about asking Randolph?" Alexis suggested. "If something positive were found by the autopsy, he'd have to figure out how to get it admitted as evidence. With rules of discovery, it is not a given it could be."

"You're right," Jack said. "Randolph should be consulted. It would be an exercise in futility if the findings couldn't be introduced."

"There's something not right in this picture," Craig said. "I'm questioning the men's competence and considering replacing him, and you both think we should let him decide whether or not to do an autopsy."

"We can tell him Jordan Stanhope's story at the same time," Alexis said, ignoring Craig.

"Can we get him on the phone and discuss it with him tonight?" Jack asked. "The decision about whether or not to do the autopsy really cannot wait. Even if it's given a green light, I can't be certain it will happen. There are too many variables and not a lot of time."

"We can do better than call him," Alexis said. "He lives just around the corner."

"Fine," Craig said, throwing up his hands. He didn't feel strongly enough about it to overrule both Alexis and Jack. "But I'm not going to be the one to call."

"I don't mind calling," Alexis said. She got up and went over to the desk.

"You seem to be feeling better," Jack said to Craig while Alexis was using the phone.

"It's up and down," Craig said. "One minute I'm depressed and the next minute hopeful that truth will win out. It's been that way since this mess started back in October. Yet today had to be one of the worst days, hearing Bill Tardoff testify against me. I've always been friendly with the man. I really don't understand it."

"Is he a good doctor?"

Craig glared at Jack before saying, "Ask me that in a couple of days. At the moment, I'd be giving you an emotional response. Right now, I'd like to kill the guy."

"I understand," Jack said, and he did. "What about Dr. Noelle Everette? Does she have a good reputation?"

"With me or the hospital community?"

"Both."

"Like with Bill, my feelings changed after this malpractice suit. Before I thought she was okay, not great but okay, and I referred to her on occasion. After the suit, I'm as mad at her as I am at Bill. As far as her general reputation is concerned, it's fine. She's well liked although not so dedicated as most."

"Why do you say that?"

"She only works half-time officially, although it's more like three-quarters time. Her excuse is her family, which is nonsense. I mean, we all have families."

Jack nodded as if he agreed, but he didn't. He thought Craig should have given Noelle's work ethic a try. He probably would have been happier and a far better husband and father.

"The reason I asked about Noelle Everette," Jack said after a pause, "is because she said something interesting today. She said some of the old-fashioned physicians, a group in which she included herself, were angry about you concierge doctors. Does that surprise you?"

"Not really. I think they might be jealous. Not everybody can switch to a retainer practice. It depends a lot on their patient base."

"You mean whether the patient base is wealthy or not."

"That's a big part of it," Craig admitted. "Concierge practice is an enviable lifestyle compared with the mess standard practice is being put in. I'm making more money in a lot less time."

"What happened to your patients from your old practice who couldn't come up with the retainer fee?"

"They were referred to other people's standard practice."

"So they were in a sense abandoned."

"No, not at all. We spent a lot of time giving them names and numbers of other doctors."

To Jack it sounded very much like abandonment, but he didn't argue. Instead, he said, "So you see the kind of anger Noelle was talking about as stemming from envy."

"I can't think of any other reason."

Jack could think of a number, including the concept of professionalism Noelle had mentioned, but Jack wasn't interested in a debate. It was the malpractice case he was most interested in, so he asked, "Was Patience Stanhope an old patient of yours from your old practice?"