“You’re right. I’ve been at it for hours. I’ll be able to look at this with fresh eyes tomorrow.” He started into the kitchen and opened the fridge. “You want some water?”
“Please. I’ll take it with me to bed.” She met him half-way to the hall that led to their bedroom. “So, what are you working on?”
“Something a little unusual. I gave Fisher the download and he said to dig into it to see if it was something the team should offer assistance with.”
“Who’s the requesting office?” She asked before taking a large gulp of water.
“Houston.”
6
Ray Zimmerman, the man in charge of the second shift EMTs, had learned enough about Theodore Bishop to know that the man needed to be terminated and the sooner the better. According to the records from Dr. Caldwell, Bishop’s medical school marks were subpar at best, yet he was allowed to graduate. Never mind the complaints from his fellow students who suspected he cheated on the exams.
In 2015, Bishop began his residency at Our Lady of Mercy Hospital in Providence. During his first year, he had been disciplined three times by the attending physician for improperly documenting patient records. Examinations appeared to have been faked on some occasions, though that could never be proved.
It wasn’t until his third year of residency that complaints from fellow residents were filed against him. Most stated that Bishop had erred in treatment protocols resulting in two patients coding, though they were saved.
The hospital did as the medical school had done—looked the other way. Eventually, Bishop passed his licensing exams and his board certification after his third attempt.
As Zimmerman read on, it appeared more and more likely that Bishop had been underhanded throughout his entire medical career. One thing had been true, Bishop did not renew his license due to the cost of his malpractice insurance. However, the reason it had been high wasn’t in this file. Pete was right to have been concerned. Now that Zimmerman had Bishop’s details, it was enough to let the man go.
The second shift was returning as dawn emerged. Pete walked into the changing room at the station and pulled off his coat to hang in his locker.
Bishop approached his own locker. “It was a quiet night tonight. After watching the chaos of the wildfire, I thought I would welcome the mundane, but I guess I sort of missed being needed.”
Pete tossed him a sideways glance. “You know how it goes around here. One quiet night means a busy week. I’m sure you won’t be disappointed again.”
“Oh, now, don’t get me wrong,” Bishop said. “It’s not that I want anyone to need us.”
“No. No, I get it.” Pete closed his locker door. “I’ll see you tomorrow night, man. Have a good one.”
“You too, Pete.” Bishop watched him leave and turned back to his locker. He kept a black bag inside with a change of clothes in case things got messy, which they sometimes did. He unzipped it and with a glance around to be sure no one watched, Bishop retrieved two syringes from his pants pocket and slipped them inside the bag.
Zimmerman entered the locker room. “Hey, Theo, you have a minute?”
Bishop quickly closed his locker door. “Yeah, sure, Chief.” He followed Zimmerman to his office. “Is everything okay?”
“Take a seat.” Zimmerman closed the door and returned to his desk. “Listen, Theo, I just got word from upstairs that we’re cutting back on staff. Some bullshit about city budget cuts. You know how it goes.”
Bishop nodded with a stone face.
“Anyway, man, since you’re our most recent hire, I have no choice but to let you go. I’m really sorry. You’re a good technician.”
Bishop kept his eyes on the floor. “Is it because I went and volunteered at those two disaster sites?”
“No. Not at all. In fact, I used that as an argument to keep you on, but it has nothing to do with your work. It’s the money. It always comes down to money, you know.”
“So, that’s it? No severance or anything?” Bishop asked, finally turning his sights to Zimmerman.
“You don’t have enough seniority for that benefit. Like I said, I’m really sorry, man. This is the part of the job that I hate.” He felt his pulse rise as he wondered if Bishop would escalate the matter.
“Well, I guess there’s nothing more for me to say, except that it’s been a real pleasure working for you, Chief.” Bishop started toward the door. “And hey, if you know of anyone hiring…”
“You know I’ll put in a good word for you.”
“Thanks, Chief.” Bishop walked through the station as if he hadn’t just been fired. A quick stop to clear his locker and he continued on, saying nothing to his colleagues, and arrived at his car in the parking lot. As he keyed the lock, he spotted Pete sitting in his car.
Pete looked away in an instant and turned the engine. Little puffs of smoke drifted from his exhaust in the cool morning air and he pulled away.
Bishop kept his sights firmly on Pete’s car as it disappeared in the distance. He huffed and shook his head. “Guess you knew it was coming and didn’t bother saying anything.” He slipped behind the wheel and started the car before peering at his belongings on the passenger seat, including the entire contents of his locker. The black bag sat atop all of it. With a wry smile, Bishop drove away.
Detective Muncie with the Riverside police department rubbed the back of his neck while he listened to the M.E. on the phone. “How soon can you get me the lab results?”
“I’ll send them over to you now. Let me know
