wired the $4 million from his trust account to the title company's bank account; he had taken the deed to the land; he had closed his first major legal transaction.
For the first time in his life, Andy Prescott felt like a success.
TEN
Kelly Fitzgerald always felt a bit stupid, a nurse smoking on the job. She had tried to quit, but she could not beat her addiction. Still, she was down to two cigarettes per shift. And she never allowed her craving to interfere with her patient care. It was 3:00 A.M. and all the patients on Three West were asleep. Five minutes off the floor wouldn't harm anyone. She had ducked out the back door of the hospital to grab a quick smoke and was almost finished when the door behind her opened, and a man in a suit walked outside.
'Ms. Fitzgerald?'
'Yes.'
The man flashed a badge. 'I'm Agent Smith, FBI.'
She laughed. 'And I'm the president.'
'What?'
'Take your store-bought badge and your game somewhere else.'
'Pardon me?'
'Try another line.'
'What are you talking about?'
'What I'm talking about is, I'm an Irish girl married to a cop, my two brothers are New York City cops, and my father was a cop. You're not a cop. You're a lawyer.'
The man seemed disappointed.
'How'd you know?'
'Cops don't say 'pardon me.' '
'I knew that wasn't good as soon as I said it.' The man sighed. 'Okay. I'm a lawyer.'
'And use a better name-I mean, Smith? '
'That is my real name.'
'Oh. Well, Lawyer Smith, what do you want?'
'You were the night-shift charge nurse on Third Floor West three years ago?'
'Yes.'
'You attended Dr. Falco's patients?'
'Why are you asking?'
'We're looking for one of his patients.'
'Who?'
'Patient X.'
Kelly took a slow drag on the cigarette and exhaled. The smoke hung like a gray cloud in the cool night air.
'I guess you would be looking for her. Kind of surprised it took this long.'
'She's in hiding.'
'She would be.'
'So she just walked out of here three years ago? What kind of security do you have here?'
'You got in easy enough.'
'And she's never been seen since?'
Kelly had been on duty that night. Falco had not been pleased to find his prized patient missing the next morning.
'No.'
'We don't want to harm her.'
'You want to use her, like Falco.'
'All I need is the woman's name.'
Kelly turned to the lawyer. 'The woman's name?'
'Yes.'
Kelly's mind raced. She bought time with another long drag on the cigarette. She exhaled again.
'I never knew her real name. Falco was paranoid.'
'Ms. Fitzgerald, she won't be harmed in any way. We just need to find her and talk to her. We will pay her well. And we will pay you well for her name. One million dollars, Ms. Fitzgerald. For her name.'
'I don't know her name.'
'Two million.'
'Goodbye.'
Kelly dashed the cigarette on the iron railing, flicked the butt into the garden, and walked back inside; but she thought, What is his game?
The next morning, Dennis Lott sat behind his desk. He would soon be fired as administrator of the hospital. He was sure of that. He had been hired two years ago, just six months before Tony Falco had jumped ship for that Chinese research institute. It was like getting the last berth on the Titanic.
Falco had left, and the research grants had followed. Dennis was now the administrator of a research hospital without funds to conduct research. The money followed the name scientists like groupies followed rock stars. Falco was a star.
Dennis Lott was not.
He had been completely unsuccessful in attracting new scientists and funding to the hospital. So the board of trustees would soon find another administrator who might prove more successful. Dennis figured he had two months, at the longest. This was his fifth hospital. There would not be a sixth.
Ellen, his secretary, knocked lightly on the door and entered. She shut the door behind her.
'Mr. Lott, there's a gentleman here to see you. A Mr. Smith.'
'What does he want?'
'He says he wants to give money to the hospital.'
'Give him a brochure and tell him who to write the check to.'
'He wants to give us fifty million dollars.'
Dennis sat up.
' Fifty million? '
Ellen nodded. Dennis stood up.
'Show Mr. Smith in.'
Dennis came around his desk while Ellen opened the door and said, 'Mr. Smith, please come in.'
A middle-aged man in a suit entered. Dennis had met enough lawyers in his time to recognize another one. He extended his hand, and they shook.
'Mr. Smith… Dennis Lott. Please sit down.'
Smith took a seat in front of the desk; Dennis sat behind it.
'So you want to donate fifty million to our hospital?'
'That's correct, Mr. Lott.'
'Dennis. Well, that's wonderful, Mr. Smith. May I ask why we're the lucky beneficiary of your generosity?'
'Because you have something I need, Dennis.'
'And what is that?'
'A name.'
'Whose name?'
Mr. Smith dug papers out of his briefcase and put them on Lott's desk. Dennis looked at the top page and laughed.
'What, you work for a drug company?' Mr. Smith didn't answer. 'You think Patient X is real?'
