Chapter 4 #2
“Go in like you are now. Feign confusion, though you won’t have to work too hard to do so, not that it will be a stretch, because it is confusing as to why you’re being brought back in.
Stress to everyone you see, the front desk, the nurse, the doctor, everyone you encounter, that you are healed, that you’ve resumed normal activities, and that you don’t need surgery,” Raymond said.
“I want to see how far Dr. Perkins and or Dr. Ervin, or whoever he is, is going to spin it. Also, I know you probably won’t use them, but if he prescribes any medications, get them filled and bring me the bottles.
This might be going out on a limb, but I’m thinking he might think you’re so doped up on pain pills that Dr. Johnson had prescribed, that you don’t know what you’re talking about. ”
“Take a picture of the prescription first,” Amelia said.
“Don’t fill them at the hospital,” Betty spoke up quickly.
“Why not?” Amelia asked as she turned to look at her with a scowl. The quickness of Betty’s directive was cause for alarm.
“Since Perkins arrived, he’s been chummy, chummy, with the head pharmacist. I heard words like kick-backs and profit sharing if certain drugs are filled.”
“Damn,” Amelia said as she scrubbed her face.
Raymond reached out to touch her arm, and jerked when he felt a shock at the contact, but just briefly tightened his grip.
“We’ll get to the bottom of things. When you go back to work, I’ll be working on this case.
We can’t do anything overnight, nor will it be done in the next week, or even month, not until we gather enough evidence.
The hardest part might be if we find victims from these other cities, will they testify?
Or if someone died because of Perkins, will their family members help us, or were they paid off?
” He shook his head, and sighed heavily.
“Once all the evidence comes in, another avenue we’re going to have to look into will probably be the most daunting part.
” He looked at everyone in the space and shook his head with a heavy sigh.
“What’s that?” Amelia asked.
“The insurance companies. Did they pay for the deaths, if there were any, and what was the reason given? What did the death certificate say? Does Perkins have a coroner in his pocket? Did he convince the families not to require an autopsy?”
“Here’s another thought,” Erin said, and held up her good hand.
“I know nothing about medicine, but Colorado Springs, while not a small city by any means, it’s still a good-sized city.
Why is he here and not up in Denver? What other smaller towns surrounding the locations he said on that video did he do his dirty deeds in?
Does he know Ervin outside of being hired by him to replace Amelia?
Is he avoiding the bigger cities, I don’t know, maybe citing that he helps patients in rural areas that wouldn’t normally have access to his expertise?
” She shrugged when others looked at her. “Just a thought.”
“Can we have a copy of that video?” Kevin asked, and Raymond said he would get him a copy.
“I have a suggestion,” Yvonne spoke then.
She didn’t answer until everyone looked at her.
“This might just be me, but I don’t feel good about leaving potential evidence in the hands of a civilian.
” She looked at Betty and shrugged. “No offense. I’m retired FBI, and I know about the chain of command.
I propose that I come to the clinic on Thursday to have lunch with Betty, we can go out to eat, away from the clinic and hospital, and I can gather the evidence. What time do you work that day?”
“Thursdays are my late days. I start at noon, and get off at nine. Technically, we close the clinic at eight that day, but I stay to clean up the room, take out the trash, and make sure the asshat’s office is cleaned up before I leave for the night.”
“Perfect. Give me your phone number and I’ll call you to coordinate later. I can even meet you out behind the building near the dumpsters. If you can, put all of his coffee cups in a separate bag from the rest of the trash.”
“Okay, but sometimes Perkins leaves his own cups in Ervin’s office. I won’t know which one is which.”
“That’s fine, we can sort that out later with the DNA findings. The important thing now is to get our hands on them.”
“Before you ladies leave today,” Erin began as she looked at Amelia and Betty.
“I want to take you over to Broken Two to remind you of the office space you’ll be working out of.
” She turned to Betty. “If push comes to shove, you are more than welcome to come here. I’m saying this because Amelia won’t have a nurse until she hires one.
Right now, she’ll be sharing a receptionist with the physical therapist, and they will be in two different buildings.
It might be hard for Katherine, but she can make it work until patients start coming in. ”
“Oh, wow, I never thought of that. Where is the nearest hotel?”
“No hotel needed,” Clark spoke then. “There are two cabins still available at Broken Two. You’ll see when you get the tour.
However, before you leave here either today, or tomorrow, because you’re more than welcome to stay here this weekend, both of you, I want to get you wired with some high-grade military surveillance equipment.
No one will even know you’re wearing it. ”
“One more thing,” Erin said, and reached out to touch Betty’s forearm.
“Don’t think you have to stay to gather information for us.
If your life is in danger, then get the hell out of there.
If you only leave with that packed bag you’re going to store in your trunk, then leave.
We can always go back for your things. Your life is more important than any material possessions.
But, please, when you do go home, pack a bag with at least a week’s worth of clothes, your important documents, and any electronics you can’t live without.
If something happens call me, Yvonne, or Amelia to tell us you’re on your way. We will be looking for you.”
“I don’t want to put you out.”
“You won’t be, trust me, we have plenty of room, and there are positions available on this ranch.”
Betty looked around and saw nothing but concern, and head nods as they all agreed with Erin.
“Trust her,” Amelia said. “I’m hoping once you see where I’ll be working, you’ll come work for me.
I was going to give myself a week to settle in here, then call you to see if you wanted to come work for me.
It will be slow going at first, until I can get patients, that’s why I was going to wait.
Please don’t think I’m asking because of what I saw last night.
I can show you my notes at my home where the paper is dated the day after my interview with Erin.
As you know, I’m a list maker and I date them all.
The note states, and I quote, ‘Talk to Nurse Betty about working for me at Broken Two.’
“Oh, wow. Thank you, I would like to see where you’ll be working.”
They all rose to their feet, and Raymond ended up having the two women climb into his truck, and he followed Duane to give the tour. He had only seen it once since moving here.