One way to find out. She glanced at her watch. Still time to call the Virginia state board.
It took four calls, but Gin finally tracked down the executive secretary, a Mrs. Helen Arnovitz. She asked if Duncan Lathram was still licensed in the state, and if so, had any disciplinary action ever been taken against him?
Helen put her on hold and returned a minute later.
"Yes, he's still licensed and no action was ever taken.
However, I remember the case well. The board did conduct an investigation fir the possibility of fraudulent billing and performing unnecessary surgery."
"And? " "The charges were found to be groundless. The board was obligated to investigate due to some adverse publicity Dr. Lathram had been receiving, but found no malfeasance.
When the results of the Medicate audit came back clear, we completely exonerated him."
"So it was all much ado about nothing. ' "For us, but not for poor Dr. Lathram. ' Gin stiffened. "Really? Why not?
' '"His practice dwindled to the point where he had to close his office.
I understand he's doing quite well now in Maryland, but it was a shame that Virginia had to lose such a fine vascular surgeon."
"I'm sure it was. Thank you." Gin hung up, leaned back, and closed her eyes.
Her heart went out to Duncan.
Public humiliation, the death of his daughter, the closing of his practice, the breakup of his marriage . . . all in the same year. Why had it happened? What had started it all? It was enough to drive anyone . . .
. . . crazy.
No. That wasn't fair. Duncan was anything but crazy. And none of this had any connection to Schulz, Lane, Allard, and Vincent. At least none that she could see.
So why didn't she feel relieved?
There was more to this. Had to be. But where to look?
No time for that now. She was due at Lynnbrook tonight. She'd hoped this mini-research-trip would ease her mind but it hadn't.
Only one thing to do. And she hated herself for doing it.
Gerry slouched in the cubicle that served as his Office staring at Martha's drawing of an orange horse, truly a horse of a different color.
He should have been devising a way to snare Senator Schulz's uncle as an accomplice in laundering hono rana. Instead he was thinking about the loss of three , F members from the same committee. What were the odds of that happening by chance? Especially when they'd all had surgery from the same doctor.
His phone rang. The receptionist down in the visitor area. "There's a Dr. Panzella here to see you." He damn near dropped the phone.
'"What? Dr. Pan, she's there? Now? " "Yes. Standing right in front of me."
"I'll be right down." Gerry grabbed his suit jacket and headed for the elevators. He pressed the down button but none opened immediately so he took the stairs. Only three floors. Nothing to it.
He burst through the doors and found Gin standing in the center of the lobby. Her features were tight.
"Gin? Is something wrong? " She handed him a package, something wadded up in a brown paper lunch bag. "Here. This is what you wanted."
"I wanted? " Baffled, he wormed his hand inside the bag and produced a test tube filled with clear fluid, a sheet of computer printout came with it.
"I don't get it." '"It's what Oliver Lathram puts in his brother's implants."
"Oh, hey, I didn't, " '"Analyze it, Gerry. Satisfy your curiosity, resolve your suspicions, and then let me know what you find.
That's a list of what's supposed to be in the solution. See if the analysis matches it." She was so stiff, her expression so grim.
'"Gin, what's wrong? ' "I don't like what I'm doing, Gerry. I'm not proud of myself for sneaking this out of Oliver's lab."
"But you didn't have to. I was only, " "You started me thinking, you got me worried. So now I want to know too."
"I'm sorry." She started to say something, then seemed to change her mind. It looked as if she'd been about to say, You shogld be, but she said, "It's okay.
You're just doing your job." He offered the tube to her. "You can have this back." She shook her head. "Too late now." The tension was so thick between them Gerry doubted even a Ginsu knife would cut it.
"Dinner was great the other night, " he said. "You're a super chef. " "I'm glad you liked it." No thaw yet. He'd have to pull out the big guns.
"Martha loved it. And she loves you." Gin's features softened.
Finally.
"And I love her, " she said. Then she pointed to the test tube. "But let me know about that stuffs soon as you hear, Gerry. It's important to me."
"Don't worry. As soon as I hear, you'll hear. But in the meantime, what are you doing for dinner tonight? " She shook her head.
"Moonlighting at Lynnbrook." She turned and started walking away.
"You will let me know, . . . .
won't your Gerry raised three fingers, Boy Scout style. "Promise. " Damn right I promise, he thought. Because I can see you're going to be a basket case until I do.
As he headed upstairs to get a lab requisition form, he didn't know whether he should be elated or depressed. He had a sample of Duncan Lathram's solution, but he'd also made Gin terribly upset. Was the prize worth the cost? If analysis turned up a toxin, how would he tell her?
But he would. And pull her out of Lathram's place so fast her head would spin.
Gin ran into Dr. Conway as she checked into the doctors lounge at Lynnbrook. He was on his way out. She nodded absently. Duncan and Oliver's secret sauce was on her mind and Conway was almost gone before she realized she hadn't seen him since Harriet Thompson's death.
"I heard about Harriet Thompson, " Gin said. "Sorry."
"Yeah, " he sighed. He looked depressed. "Me too. But there's some lawyer in town who's real happy about it."
"Oh, no. You're getting sued? " He nodded. "For gross negligence.
The daughter in San Diego who couldn't get free to come look after her mother for a few days managed to find a lawyer as soon as she got to town. Probably called I-8:00-SUE-DOCS or whatever number the ambulance chasers are using today.
Never miss an opportunity to cash in, right? " Gin could understand his bitterness. "Why doesn't she sue the PRO? " "Don't you know?
Physician Review Organizations are immune from malpractice suits. That leaves me." Gin felt awkward and angry. Not knowing what else to do, she put a hand on his shoulder.
"Don't worry. You'll win."
"Sure, " he said. His smile was humorless. "Bet you just can't wait to get into practice. He walked out.
ON THE HILL you're GOING TO HAVE TO LEARN TO PLAY THE GAME, Hugh."
Gin slowed as she passed the closed door to Senator Marsden's office.
Her mind had been far away, wondering what the analysis of Oliver's secret sauce was showing. She'd die if there was anything incriminating in it.
, - The waiting was consuming her. She could barely concentrate on anything else. But the condescension in the voice slipping through the senator's transom pulled her up short.
She knew Senator Kramer had arrived for a meeting. Their voices weren't raised but even out here she could sense the tension.
Senator Marsden's voice sounded tight. "When I start thinking of the Senate as a game, I'll know it's past time to quit." Kramer chuckled.
"I was pretty self-righteous too when I was a freshman. But I learned.
And if you want to get things done in this town, you'll learn too.
You don't, you get left out in the cold." '"I'm not in favor of loosening up on offshore drilling at the moment.
I don't think we need it now."
"I'm sorry to hear that, Hugh.
Because it's important to my people."