If Harley came looking for Catherine for information on a client, and Catherine spent most of her time with the patients from the hospital, then it was more likely the hospital would have the records for whoever it was Harley was looking for. What Arissa wondered was who was the woman Harley was hunting, how was she connected to Catherine, and why the secrecy? “I think I’ll check with the hospital. There’s a good chance who I’m looking for was a patient of theirs and not a resident of the shelter.”
“Okay, but if you need to look through our records, just stop on back. I’ll show you to the room.”
“Thank you, Elsie.”
“Sure thing.”
On the short walk to the hospital, Arissa called Craig.
“What’s up, boss lady?”
“Can you do a search on Catherine Barbos?”
A pause before he asked, “Another on the down low request?” But she heard the interest in his voice.
“Yes,” she replied then added, “You can say no. It’s likely what I’m asking is illegal.”
“Yeah, so,” Craig responded.
She chuckled then said, “Remind me to erase all my records.”
“Wouldn’t matter. I’d find it.”
“You’re that good?” But she knew he was.
“I don’t have to answer that.” He then confirmed the spelling of Barbos and said, “I’ll call you when I’ve got something.”
Arissa disconnected the call, dropped her phone in her purse and wondered why Craig worked for her and not the CIA.
Fifteen minutes later, Arissa stood by the nurses’ station. Unlike the shelter, trying to get someone to help her wasn’t easy. She understood; they had more important things to deal with.
An elderly woman approached. “Are you the one looking for information on former patients?”
Arissa looked at her tag. “Hi, Dorothy. I’m Arissa.”
When that was answered with silence, Arissa moved the conversation along. “Not so much a patient but Catherine Barbos. She worked at the shelter next door, helped with the overflow patients from the hospital.”
“I’m heading to lunch. Let’s walk,” Dorothy said. “That’s right. We used to use the extra room for the ER patients. It’s been so long.” She hit the button for the elevator. “What was the name, Catherine?”
“Barbos.”
They waited for the elevator. The door opened, they climbed in and were halfway to their destination when Dorothy said, “I do remember her. She took an interest in some of the patients.” Dorothy then added, “We definitely needed the help.”
Stepping off the elevators, she made a beeline to the cafeteria.
“You said she showed an interest in some of the patients, only some?”
“Yeah,” Dorothy said, grabbing a tray. “The drug-addicted patients.”
Well, that fit with who Harley took on as pro bono work. So it was likely he was looking for Catherine, either in search of his client or looking for friends of hers. “Do you happen to remember any of the patients Catherine helped? Well, anything you can share without violating patient/doctor confidentiality?”
“Now you’re asking too much of me,” Dorothy said with a chuckle. “But Sasha remembers every little thing. Why don’t you leave me your number? She won’t be able to share much with you because of the confidentiality issue, but she can give you a better picture than I can.”
Arissa pulled out a business card. “I’d appreciate anything she can share.”
Dorothy glanced at the card, then looked again. “The Southern Charm?” Her head snapped up. “You’re that Arissa.”
Arissa had to resist the urge to preen a bit, but it was always nice when her reputation preceded her. “I am, yes.”
“Well, damn. Next time you should start with that. Sasha will be calling you for sure. She loves your magazine.”
Arissa felt her cheeks warming, but she smiled and offered her hand. “Thank you for your time and the information.”
“I wish I could have given you more.”
Arissa turned to go, but stopped and looked back. “Does the hospital ever do events for the pediatric ward?”
“Not often. Too cheap,” Dorothy said, those words were snarled.
“Whom would I talk to about that?”
“Tanya Black.” Dorothy answered while twisting the cap off her soda bottle.
“Good to know. Thanks again, Dorothy.”
Arissa walked back to the elevators, her thoughts going in a million different directions. So Catherine worked with drug-addicted patients. Why would that be something she’d hide from Hank? She clearly didn’t have the full picture, but she was getting somewhere. She’d head back to the office and see if Craig had learned anything about Catherine. She could almost see his smug look because she’d bet money he had found shit out already.
She caught a cab to Southern Charm headquarters. Climbing out and paying the cabbie, she took a minute. This life had been her drug when she was younger, the rolling stone lifestyle, moving all over the world, the heated meetings in the boardroom, the clashing of ideas. She’d eaten it up, craved it, but standing there looking up at what had one time been her dream, it wasn’t anymore. She loved the work, but she loved the small, quirky town she now called home. And she did because her dream now wasn’t a job, but a man and the life they were going to have. A life she was potentially jeopardizing, but it was that damn string, pulling on it and watching shit unravel, she couldn’t stop until she knew what she didn’t. But thinking about him had her missing him, so she reached for her phone and called him.
“For fucks sake, get Larry from the electric company on the phone!” Hank shouted away from the phone before bringing it to his mouth where his hard tone softened. “Hey, Baby, how’s it going?”
She took a second because just his voice hit her in all the right places. “It’s going. What’s going on with you? Larry?”
Hank took a deep breath. “Those old fuckers, do you know what they fucking did this time?” Hank didn’t let Arissa take a breath before he continued, “Took the last of the fireworks they had and strapped them to a fucking transformer…a transformer. Now the fucking town has been without electric for,” Hank paused and finished.
