“I just didn’t want to take his garbage anymore.”
“Brittany, we talked about this Monday night — ”
“Phil, I’m sorry, but you don’t know what it’s like dealing with these people.”
“I deal with the public every day. People in pain, people who’ve had all sorts of terrible injuries. They’re not always the most outwardly pleasant individuals to talk with at first. But you warm them up, pull them out of their doldrums.”
“If I got paid as much as you do, I’d be more patient too.” She stared at him smugly, apparently feeling that she had both justified her position and put him in his place.
Madison clenched his jaw, fighting back an angry response: it would only create a scene. He instead fell silent, hoping to communicate his disapproval in a more indirect manner.
Harding pulled out a compact mirror and checked her makeup. It appeared to Madison to be an attempt to ignore him, a power play, to show him that he had not rattled her. She pursed her lips, snapped the mirror closed, and faced him. “I really have made an attempt to be more pleasant with these people, you know.”
He sat there looking at her, a bit perturbed. Was this her attempt at being civil, at making up? “Good. It’s important to remember that we’re servants of our membership.”
“I understand.”
“That question I asked you the other day about whether or not you were going to submit an application for your position… Do you know what you’re going to do?” He sat back and waited for her reaction.
“I’m going to apply,” Harding said. “Unless you think it would be fruitless.”
He gave an ambiguous shrug of his shoulders. He didn’t want to lie to her. “Why don’t we cover our planned agenda.”
As he began to list the issues they would need to cover, Harding picked up a piece of bread and tore it into pieces.
SEVERAL DAYS LATER, MADISON saw John Stevens, Sacramento General Hospital’s chief of staff, exiting the elevator.
“John!” Madison said, heading over toward Stevens. “How goes administration?”
“Usual bullshit. Wish I was back in private practice, tell you the truth.”
“C’mon, it’s me, John. Be honest. You thrive on the power.”
They both laughed. Madison knew that John Stevens hated people who possessed power and despised those who held it over others. But unforeseen medical problems — a tremor that made it impossible for him to continue performing surgery — left him with few options. Since he was well liked and a hell of a good physician, the hospital offered him an executive position at Madison’s urging. He took it, and despite the fact that he hated paperwork and politics, he had actually thrived in his new career.
“Before I forget,” Stevens said, “I’ve got a question. About the Consortium.”
Stevens had sat on the CCMR board last year as a favor to Madison, since Madison needed his friend’s sound organizational skills and planning abilities. He had served his year obligation, but declined another term due to other commitments and a position on another organization’s board with which he had worked for fifteen years.
“Sure,” Madison said. “Go ahead. What do you want to know?”
“I heard there’s a lot of stuff going on — some problems. Thought you should know about it.”
“Problems?”
“With that interim admin officer. What’s her name?”
“Brittany Harding.” Madison suddenly felt the rudiments of a headache forming. “What’ve you heard?”
“That you and Harding had words the other night.”
“Where the hell did you hear that?”
“I spoke with Kathryn Heath. She spoke with Chuck Nallin.”
“Chuck Nallin?”
“He supposedly ran into Harding at a gas station and she started talking his ear off.”
“I didn’t realize Chuck knew her that well.”
“That was the strange thing about it. He’d only spoken to her once before, a couple of weeks ago.”
Madison said nothing. He stood there, staring straight ahead down the hall, trying to reason it out. Nurses and orderlies passed by and occasionally weaved around them. What the hell is Harding up to?
“What’s going on, Phil?” Stevens was saying.
“Huh?”
“What’s the deal?”
“I wish I knew, John. When I figure it out, I’ll let you know.”
CHAPTER 13
“AND THAT,” MADISON SAID, staring out the window at the gray December afternoon, “was the beginning of my nightmare.”
Ryan Chandler pushed himself up from the sofa. “Oh, man. I can’t sit like that for such long periods,” he said as he crouched down to stretch his low back.
Madison nodded. “See where my head is? I should never have let you sit on the couch to begin with. They’re the worst things for bad backs — ”
The electronic ring of the phone interrupted him. Madison crossed the room to answer it while Chandler checked his watch, which was still set for New York time. They had been talking for nearly two hours. He twisted his torso first to the left, then to the right. It was good that the phone rang. He needed the break to clear his head. Although he usually adjusted his watch to the proper time zone while on the plane, it never seemed to help: the time change was disorienting no matter what the display read.
Madison passed him the handset. “Jeffrey wants to talk to you.”
“Hey.” Chandler listened a moment, then asked, “And what did they find?... Okay. I’d like to drop by and examine the evidence myself. And the bodies... I know, but it would still be wise for someone from our side to look it all over... Who’s in charge there now?” Chandler turned to Madison. “Jeffrey’s checking on a name for me.” He picked up his near empty can of Coke. “Man, it seems like Harding was really out there.”
Madison combed his hair back with his fingers. “You’ve got no idea. I haven’t even gotten to the good stuff yet. If you think she’s got problems based on what I’ve told you so far — ”
Chandler held up a hand. “Yeah, Jeffrey, I’m here… Lou Palucci? That’s awesome. Lou and
