help me build my practice, the county psychological association wanting to know if I was going to attend the next monthly meeting and, if so, did I want chicken or fish.
The last, from Lou Cestare, letting me know he'd found nothing new on George Plumb's former employers but would keep trying.
I tried Milo again, on the off chance he'd returned from the deputy chief's office. Charles Flannery's voice came on and I hung up.
What was Stephanie up to, meeting with Huenengarth?
Just malignant careerism or had someone leaned on her, too-the old drunk-driving arrest.
Or maybe her drinking wasn't ancient history. What if the drinking was still out of control and they were exploiting that?
Exploiting while grooming her for division head?
It didn't make sense-but maybe it did.
If I was right about Chuck Jones wanting to dissolve the hospital, hiring an impaired division head would fit beautifully.
Rat climbing aboard a sinking ship.
I thought of someone who'd jumped off.
What had made Melendez-Lynch finally leave?
I didn't know if he'd talk to me. Our last contact, years ago, had been tainted by his humiliation-a case gone very bad, a lapse of ethics on his part that I'd learned about without wanting to.
But what was there to lose?
Miami Information had one listing for him. Our Lady of Mercy Hospital.
It was eight-thirty in Florida. His secretary would be gone, but unless Raoul had undergone a personality transplant, he'd still be working.
I dialed. A recorded voice, female and cultured, informed me I'd reached the chief physician's office, which was now closed, and
enunciated a series of touch-tone codes for reaching Dr. MelendezLynch's voice mail.
I pressed the Instant Page code and waited for a callback, wondering when machines were going to start calling one another and eliminating the messiness of the human factor.
A still-familiar voice said, 'Dr. Melendez-Lynch.'
'Raoul? It's Alex Delaware.'
'Ahleex? No keeding. How are you?'
o'Fine, Raoul. And you?'
'Much too fat and much too busy, but otherwise superb..
What a surprise. Are you here in Miami?'
'No, still in L.A.'
Ahh... So tell me, how have you been spending the last few years?'
'Same as before.'
'Back in practice?'
'Short-term consults.'
