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Isobel drew up a chair beside the bed and sat down. “How are you feeling today?”
“My hip hurts. West said you might be stopping in because I can’t go home when I leave here.” She sounded upset by that.
“No, I’m afraid you can’t. Remember when you went to Southside Rehab after your last operation?”
Florence’s eyes were troubled. “I remember exercising. I should be feeling better, don’t you think? My surgery was so long ago.”
Isobel realized reality for Florence slipped from now to the past, even to the future. “You just had your second surgery on Friday. That’s only three days ago.”
“Three days?” She looked down at her hip and leg and frowned. “Maybe I can’t think straight because of the pain medicine they give me.”
With Florence’s first surgery, the staff had thought that might be the case. But a nurse had made notes on the intake sheet that Florence’s memory seemed to fade in and out. Ella Wilder, her orthopaedic surgeon, had noted the same was true during her visits and checkups.
Isobel and West had spoken more than once about the responsibility of elderly parents and how they felt about it. They were of like minds. West lived with his mother to watch over her. However, Isobel was afraid Florence couldn’t stay by herself even during the day for much longer even if she recovered completely from surgery. The staff at the rehabilitation hospital would talk about that with West, she was sure.
Isobel noticed the beautiful bouquet of flowers on the windowsill in a glass vase. “What pretty flowers.”
“West sent them,” Florence said proudly. “He knows I like pink and purple.” There were pink carnations and purple mums, tall lilies, too.
“West came in just a little while ago to eat lunch with me. Have you had your lunch, dear?”
Isobel smiled at Florence’s concern for her well-being. Her lunch had been yogurt and salad in between patient visits. “Yes, I did have my lunch. Was yours good?”
“Oh, yes, very good. I had…I had…I know I had meat loaf yesterday. What did I have today?” Her blue eyes were confused and she looked frustrated. “I hate when I can’t remember. I know West worries about that. He worries about other things too and I—” She stopped abruptly.
“What other things, Florence?”
Florence thought about Isobel’s question, looked a little guilty, and then said, “Oh, I don’t know. I can’t remember that, either.”
But this time, Isobel wasn’t so sure that Florence didn’t remember. What was she hesitating to say?
“Have you had any visitors besides West?”
“Lily. We’ve been friends for a long time.”
“I’m glad she came. Maybe she can visit you while you’re working on getting stronger, too.”
“You mean at that place where I’m going to have physical therapy?”
“Yes. West and I will sit down with you tomorrow and show you the pictures from two different facilities. He’s going to show you the one he thinks is best for you.”
“He has pictures at home, too…in his desk.”
After Florence’s first surgery, she’d been transferred to Southside Rehab Facility. But her son hadn’t been entirely satisfied with her care. So this time, he’d also gathered brochures on Pine Ridge Rehab.
Isobel checked her watch and saw that if she didn’t leave now, she’d be late for a meeting in a conference room in the tower. Walnut River General had four floors but it also boasted a tower that had been a later addition, with conference rooms, boardrooms and guest suites for consulting physicians. The new chief of staff himself, Owen Randall, had asked her to attend this meeting so she didn’t want to be late. The way this day was going, she might be here until nine o’clock tonight answering Neil’s questions after she finished with her last case.
When she thought about Neil, her tummy fluttered and she remembered the way he’d leaned close to her in the car… when she’d thought he might even kiss her. But of course he wouldn’t do that. Her own reaction to him had just colored her perception.
She had so many questions where he was concerned. Why had he changed careers? Why was there distance between him and his parents? Had he taken her to lunch to further his investigation…or because he liked her?
She might never know the answers.
“Why are you frowning, Isobel? Are you troubled by something?”
Florence’s mind might be fading into the past, but she was still caring and helpful and kind. Isobel could see why West was determined to take care of his mother the best way he knew how.
“I’m sorry I can’t spend more time with you, but I’ve been called to a meeting that starts in a few minutes and I don’t want to be late.” Standing, she pushed her chair back and then laid her hand on top of Florence’s. “I’ll stop in again tomorrow with West and we’ll talk about rehab.”
“Thank you for coming by. I wish West would meet a nice girl like you. Then he wouldn’t worry about me so much.”
Isobel just smiled and waved goodbye as she left Florence’s room. From what Isobel knew of West MacGregor, he went for the intelligent, geeky types. He’d been dating someone in the records department but Isobel hadn’t seen him with anyone lately. His hours were long ones, too, and with taking care of his mother…
Isobel knew all about those commitments.
Neil strode into the conference room knowing full well no one wanted him there. Owen Randall—with his silver hair and stocky build, his red tie perfectly knotted—came over as soon as he spotted him.
“I still don’t understand why you’d want to sit in on a meeting to discuss the hospital’s possible investment in a fitness center with a warm-water pool. No insurance would even be involved. This would be a center for recuperating patients who could follow a regimen of their own because they no longer need direct patient care.”
Neil wasn’t only at Walnut River General to investigate insurance fraud. Someone from the hospital was feeding his office information, and they didn’t know who their informant was. Neil wanted to find that out as well as get to the bottom of the allegations. If he could put his finger on the informant, he might be able to figure out if this was a move by someone who wanted the takeover to take place quickly, or if it was someone who was genuinely worried about the way Walnut River General did its business. His interviews so far had turned up nothing.
Except a mighty potent interest in Isobel Suarez.
Trying to brush Isobel from his mind, and not entirely succeeding, he gave the chief of staff an answer. “I’m going to investigate every aspect of this hospital, right side up and inside out, any way I have to. You might as well get used to that.” He was investigating in his get-it-done-by-the-book manner.
Randall didn’t like his answer one bit and Neil could see that. “I want this investigation over and done with so we can fight this takeover with our armor intact.”
“Then tell everyone to cooperate with me,” Neil suggested.
“I have,” Randall returned indignantly. “And so has J.D. Sumner.”
“Where is the hospital administrator today?”
“He had a meeting in Pittsfield. There’s a trauma center there and if he likes what he sees, we’ll model ours after theirs.”
Neil had to admit the people he’d talked to here seemed like good people, but he knew from experience the real story was often hidden beneath the surface.
Although Peter Wilder and his fiancée, Bethany Halloway, gave him a nod, none of the other board members acknowledged his presence. He was used to being treated as an outsider and an enemy. But sometimes he wondered what it would be like to be an insider.
Owen had just introduced the board member who was going to run the meeting when Isobel opened the door and came hurrying in.
“Sorry I’m late,” she murmured, slipping into the empty seat across from Neil. When she saw him, she looked surprised, but then she gave him a little smile.
He didn’t know why that smile was so welcome. Why it warmed some place cold inside of him. Or why Isobel suddenly seemed to be the only other person in the room.
Paul Monroe, a board member who owned his own contracting firm, stood at the head of the table holding a sheaf of papers in his hand. He passed a handout to each person at the table. “This is the result of our feasibility study. There’s no question that a fitness center subsidized by clients as well as the hospital would be a success in Walnut River. With the number of residents in the general community who we believe would use this facility, we could easily break even or turn over a small profit.”
One of the female board members asked, “And how would this be different from a health club?”
“Isobel, would you like to answer that?” Monroe asked, then went on to explain to the board, “Isobel has contacts with medical personnel, rehab facilities and doctors’ offices that she deals with. She left questionnaires in all those offices and doctors had their patients fill them out.”
Isobel looked a bit flustered, but stood and smiled at the group. “Anyone who would use this fitness center would need a prescription from his or her primary physician, which would indicate a medical condition. On the questionnaires many patients commented that they hate the regimen, the cost and the insurance hassles with physical therapy. With this center, they would pay a monthly fee, like a commercial gym.”
“Would needing to lose weight apply?” asked a male board member who was about twenty pounds overweight.
“It would,” Isobel answered, then continued, “As long as the patient is being monitored by his doctor.”
“Why a warm-water pool?” the man next to Neil asked. “Who would want to swim laps in warm water?”
Isobel didn’t seem ruffled at all as she answered calmly, “If a patient can swim laps, he probably wouldn’t need the use of this pool. But anyone with arthritis, fibromyalgia, sports injuries, even continued rehabilitation after a stroke would benefit from a warm-water pool.” She gestured to a pretty young woman. “Melanie, do you want to explain the benefits?”
Melanie Miller introduced herself as a physical therapist and Neil listened with half an ear. His attention was still on Isobel—her sparkling brown eyes, the professional way she fielded questions, the energy she brought to a room. She was wearing a conservative royal-blue suit, yet the silky top under her jacket was feminine. She wore a silver chain around her neck with one dangling pearl. He was too far away to catch the scent of perfume but he remembered the honeysuckle sweetness he’d inhaled on Saturday.
While Melanie answered questions, Isobel took her seat again, and her gaze met his, once, twice, three times. After a moment or two, maybe feeling the same connection he did, she looked down at her notes, at another board member, anywhere but at him.
Was this attraction one-sided?
Damn it, there shouldn’t be any attraction. Isobel was under investigation just like everyone else.
The discussion continued for about a half hour and then, as at most meetings like this, nothing was decided except that the hospital would have to consult with a fund-raising expert.
Randall took the floor once more. “I’ll send a memo to all of you as to the time and place of our next meeting. We’ll be sure J.D. is present so he can give us his thoughts, as well as any other staff member who is interested. Thank you all for your time. Your attendance is appreciated.”
Neil took note of which board members spoke to other board members, and of how Melanie conversed animatedly with Isobel. Most important, he noticed who seemed to be the most hostile, who ignored him, and who didn’t seem to care that he was there. Nonchalantly he stood and walked out into the hall, catching bits and pieces of conversations.
When Isobel emerged, she saw him propped near a window, merely observing. The hallway was empty for the moment as she approached him. “I was surprised to see you at the meeting.”
“I’m poking my nose into everybody’s business. That should ruffle feathers and shake loose some information.”
Another board member exited the conference room, spied Neil, and headed in the opposite direction.
“I’m sorry everyone’s being so cool to you.”
He shrugged. “It goes with the territory. I have a thick hide. I can take it.”
“I imagine you can, but it’s not a pleasant way to work.”
Much of his work wasn’t pleasant, but it was challenging. The only thing he didn’t like particularly was all the traveling. That traveling had broken up his marriage. At least that’s what he and Sonya had blamed it on. Now he wasn’t so sure. He’d done a lot of soul-searching since his divorce and a contributing factor was definitely his penchant for keeping his own counsel, for not letting anyone get too close, including his ex-wife. During the marriage he hadn’t realized he was closing Sonya out. But afterward…afterward he’d understood he’d closed people out since his brother had died when Neil was in high school. He had good reasons for wanting to protect himself, for not confiding in anyone, for dodging his feelings. Preventing self-disclosure had become a habit, a habit he’d taken with him into his marriage.
Skipping over Isobel’s comment, he said, “You seem to be the go-to person for Randall on this project.”
“Peter Wilder suggested Mr. Randall include me in the discussion.”
“The Dr. Wilder who was chief of staff after his father died?”
“That was only temporary. Peter’s not a paper-pusher. He likes treating patients. But yes, he’s the one.”
“And Peter Wilder is Ella Wilder’s brother, correct?”
“Yes.”
“And also Dr. David Wilder’s brother—the physician who was called in to help with the little girl who needed plastic surgery.”
“Yes. Their father was well-loved as chief of staff. He was an extraordinary man. His children are as dedicated as he was. Except…”
“Except?” Neil prompted.
“Anna Wilder. She’s Peter, Ella and David’s adopted sister. Ironically, she happens to work for Northeastern Health- Care.”
Neil looked shocked. “Now that I hadn’t heard.”
Isobel looked troubled. “I probably shouldn’t have said anything.”
“I’m glad you did. Isobel, I need to know the ins and outs of what’s going on here right now. That’s the only way I’ll get to the truth.”
Two more board members and Owen Randall emerged from the conference room. All three exchanged looks when they saw Neil and Isobel together talking.
Isobel’s cheeks reddened and she murmured, “I have to get back to work.”
“You’ll stop at my office before you go home?”
“Yes.” Without a “goodbye,” “see you later” or “it was nice talking to you,” she hurried to the elevator.
Randall was staring after Isobel thoughtfully.
Neil would give her a couple of minutes to get away from him and then he’d take the elevator to his office. Better yet, maybe he’d just take the stairs.
He knew why Isobel had hurried away. She was a member of this hospital community. She had respect here and lots of friends. She didn’t want to be seen consorting with the enemy.
Neil hated the idea of being Isobel’s enemy. His job had never interfered with a personal relationship with a woman before.
But there was no personal relationship here. He was just going to do his job and return to Boston.
So why had Isobel’s rushing away gotten to him?
Chapter Three
Neil definitely had a height advantage.
When Isobel entered his office and he stood, she felt small. His size could be intimidating if he wanted it to be.
He’d been working at the table again, printouts spread all over it. He motioned to the extra chair. “Did you get a breather or did you come straight from working?”
“No breather. I had a consultation with one of the doctors about a patient.”
She lowered her briefcase and purse to the floor and sank into the chair. She knew she had to be alert and on guard in this setting with Neil. Maybe in all settings with Neil. She didn’t know if he separated the personal from the professional and couldn’t take the chance that he didn’t. She’d been a little too open during their lunch, not that she’d revealed anything she shouldn’t have. She wasn’t a guarded person by nature. But she didn’t know what Neil might use against her, against other personnel, against the hospital.
He looked at her as if sensing her apprehension. “Isobel, I’m not going to attack you,” Neil said quietly.
