Monday used to represent a fresh start to the week; today, it meant he had to climb out of his funk and return to work. He could not remember the last time he did not want to get to the office and start seeing patients. It was good that he did not have any surgeries scheduled for today.
HELLMAN HAD JUST RETURNED from a deposition at eleven o’clock when his secretary informed him that there was an attorney holding on line two for him. It had to do with Brittany Harding.
“Hmm,” he grunted as he walked into his office.
Picked up the phone, buzzed the secretary. “What’s his name?”
“Movis Ehrhardt.”
“Movis?”
“Movis, like Moe in the three stooges,” his secretary remarked, laughing as she hung up the phone.
“Movis,” he repeated to himself, trying it out before striking the line button. “Jeffrey Hellman.”
“Mr. Hellman, my name’s Movis Ehrhardt, and I’m representing Brittany Harding in a civil matter pertaining to your client, Phillip Madison.”
A civil matter, that’s what this is about. “And...”
“And we have some issues that need to be addressed.”
“Such as,” Hellman asked, trying to gather as much information while saying as little as possible.
“Such as the evidence against your client in the rape of Miss Harding.”
“What rape?”
“Oh, come on, counselor. Have the police not interviewed your client?”
I was right. They were thinking rape. “Go on.”
“I would think that such an allegation, if made public, could be... somewhat problematic for your client. He’s a surgeon, isn’t he?”
Hellman gritted his teeth. “Where is this leading, Moovis?” he said, purposely mispronouncing his name.
“It’s Moe-vis,” he said, phonetically enunciating it. “And what I’m getting at, is that I’d think it would be embarrassing if the good doctor was charged with rape. You know, bad publicity. Probably wouldn’t be too good for his reputation, which I understand has been spotless, if not stellar. Up till now.”
Hellman was silent. He was too busy fuming and simultaneously trying to calm himself. He knew all too well where this was headed.
“So,” Ehrhardt was saying, “I could help you. Make sure your client never gets charged.”
“And how’s that? This is a police investigation.”
“Well, let’s just say that my client might not be willing to cooperate. Wouldn’t make a very good witness. Bad memory.”
“But my client’s innocent.”
“I’m sure that’s what he’s told you,” Ehrhardt said.
“It happens to be the truth.”
“Truth, schmooth. You and I both know that that truth doesn’t mean anything. It’s all about appearances and salesmanship. My client makes a very convincing victim.” He paused. “Considering all the factors involved, how does my offer sound to you?”
“I didn’t realize there was an offer on the table.”
“Fifty grand will make this…problem go away.”
“Fifty grand,” repeated Hellman. “I can be kind of dense sometimes. At least, that’s what my wife used to say,” he said with a chortle. “Are you telling me that if my client pays you fifty grand, your client will withdraw her complaint and be struck with sudden amnesia?”
“I don’t think you’re so dense. How’s it sound?”
“It sounds like extortion, a shakedown.”
“Whoa, counselor, fancy terms there. I thought it was a very reasonable offer. Helps your guy by making all this go away real fast. Helps my client, too. She doesn’t want to have to sit through a trial and relive all the horrors of that night.”
“Spare me the bullshit, Moovis, this entire thing was a setup. And it pads your pocket with…what, fifteen grand, all for a ten-minute phone call.”
“Don’t worry about what it does for me, Mr. Hellman,” he said, his tone changing abruptly. “Worry about what’ll happen to the good doctor when the cops come to arrest him at his office.”
“He’s still out on the street, seeing patients and performing surgery, Moovis.”
“Not for long. There’s more evidence you obviously don’t know about.”
“I know all about the phone calls and the belt.”
Ehrhardt snorted. “Old news.”
Hellman sat up straight in his chair. “What evidence are you talking about?”
“Why don’t you discuss the offer with your client, Mr. Hellman. Fifty thousand.”
“You’re a goddamned fucking sleazebag, Moovis.”
“Hardly a way to talk to a guy who’s trying to help your client. Obviously, you’re not doing such a hot job.”
“Go to hell.”
“Talk to your client,” Ehrhardt said. “The offer disappears in twenty-four hours.”
Hellman slammed the phone down. What other evidence could there be?
He dialed Madison, but was told he was in the middle of a consult with a patient.
“Get him out of the room,” Hellman said, the anger evident in his voice. “The patient will wait, Monica.”
Two minutes later, Madison picked up the extension.
“What’s going — ”
“You were honest with me, right?” Hellman asked.
“About what?”
“About the goddamned rape thing. You didn’t touch her?”
“No, I didn’t touch her. I told you everything. What the hell’s the prob — ”
“I just got a call from an attorney who’s representing Harding in a civil matter. The complaint the police were investigating is a criminal matter. When there’s a civil suit, it’s against you personally, for damages. Monetary damages. Harding’s attorney wants fifty thousand. You pay it, she withdraws the complaint.”
“Fifty thousand dollars? I didn’t rape her. It’s all a lie, Jeffrey. Jesus — hang on a second.”
Hellman heard a door close.
“Nearest patient room’s only a few feet down the hall. I wasn’t expecting — ”
“Lie or not,” Hellman said, “if they charge you, I don’t have to tell you what the fallout will be.”
“I know.” Madison sighed. After a long moment, he asked, “What did you tell him?”
“I told him he was a goddamned fucking sleazebag.”
“How can this be legal?”
“It’s not. It’s unethical to the level of criminality. It’s extortion, is what it is. But I didn’t want to completely alienate him, in case we decided to take his offer. And I certainly don’t want to blow this up to the point that the media gets hold of it — because then it doesn’t matter what we pay the crook.”
“Christ,” Madison said. “What
