No surprise there.
“What does Darwin know about my heart issue?”
“He backtracked. He found the doctor that treated you after the Camptown incident…”
“Dr. Hedgepeth.”
“Right. And Hedgepeth led Darwin to the psychiatrist…”
“Nadine Crouch.”
“Right, and, if you’ll raise up and look over my shoulder…”
“That’s not necessary,” Dr. Nadine Crouch said, entering the room. “I’ll come closer.”
Chapter 41
“What are
“This might come as a surprise to you, Donovan, but I’ve worked for Homeland Security longer than you have.”
“What?”
“I was on the payroll before the helicopter brought you from Camptown.”
“Dr. Hedgepeth personally recommended you. Are you saying he’s with Homeland too?”
“No. When you arrived at the hospital, Darwin was in close contact with Dr. Hedgepeth. He got the results of your tests before you did. When Hedgepeth decided you might require psychiatric evaluation, Darwin told him to recommend me. He felt it was best to use an in-house psychiatrist.”
“Your practice just happened to be in Newark?”
“Philadelphia. We had to move my practice to Newark to accommodate you. We worked a deal with Agnes Battle, the child psychologist, to sublease her back office.
My mind was swimming, but I’m a great detail guy. “The antique coat rack in the office seemed out of place. Was that yours?”
Dr. Crouch laughed. “Funny you should notice that. Homeland gave the office a complete makeover. When Agnes realized the coat rack didn’t go with it, she gave it to me as a present. I felt obligated to keep it.”
“So you’ve known all along what I did for Homeland?”
“Not specifically. Darwin told me almost nothing at first. He wanted me to report your comments to him. But he filled me in just before your last visit.”
“I remember thinking at the time that you were awfully astute, for having known me such a short time.”
“I’m still astute. For example, I can see that you’re handling your current situation with an amazing degree of calm.”
“How did you know I’d be conscious today?”
“I didn’t. I’ve been waiting a long time for you to wake up.”
“How long have you been here?”
“I arrived a month after you did.”
I laughed. “They paid you all this time to wait for me to wake up? That’s hard to believe.”
“I’m stationed here because of you, but remember, I work for Homeland, so I’ve got other duties and responsibilities. Of course, you’re quite an asset to them, and now that you’re awake, you’re my main concern.”
“How much have they told you?”
She looked at Lou. “As far as I know, everything.”
