“I was hungry for an apple fritter this morning,” he said simply. “Miranda and Jane would never forgive me if they knew I’d gone to the bakery and didn’t bring donuts for them, too.”
“Well, I still appreciated the thought. Ned’s cupboards are running toward the bare side.”
If he’d been thinking clearly last night, he would have taken her to dinner or driven her to the grocery store.
“I’m going shopping after work,” she commented. “Where’s the nearest supermarket?”
He gave her directions.
“Where exactly is the hospital?”
“I have a patient I want to check on after work, so you can come with me and I’ll show you.”
“Thanks. I’d like that since I need to see how Joey Jamison is doing.”
“Did you call Peds with your orders?”
“Right before I made my other calls. I ordered lab work and a chest X-ray.”
“Then they’ll have the results by the time we get there,” he said. “Everyone, from the nurses to the lab staff, is really good about calling us if they find anything abnormal.”
“No news is good news.”
“Exactly. The nurses also have a protocol to follow, which moves things along.”
“This is going to be a little different for me,” she said as she crumbled crackers into her soup. “I treat critical patients all the time, but then I either send them home with the proviso to see their regular physician or I turn them over to a specialist. Now I’m responsible for follow-up care.”
“Won’t it be nice to see their improvement for yourself?”
“Sure. As I said, it’s just different.”
Then, because he was curious, he asked, “Why did you choose emergency medicine?”
“I like the excitement. I’m an adrenalin junkie.” She grinned before she bit into her sandwich. “And you?”
“I prefer getting to know my patients, tracking their ailments, if you will, and hopefully, heading off as many as I can. I’m also looking forward to delivering the babies of the babies I’ve delivered.”
“Like Rosy’s.”
“Yes. By the way, did you know Rosy is naming her daughter Antonia?”
“Pretty name.”
He grinned. “I think so. It’s mine.”
“Antonia?” she asked with a smile.
“Anthony,” he corrected. “It’s my middle name.”
“It would be hard to turn Mark into something that sounded feminine, although Markanna or Markette would be unusual.”
He groaned. “Please, no.”
“All right. We’ll scratch those. Is Antonia your first namesake?”
“Actually, she is.”
“Then you’ll never forget her.”
“Or her arrival,” he said ruefully. “I’d prefer to not deliver any more babies in my office.”
She nodded. “I’ve delivered a few in the ER, too. While I’d rather whisk the moms to the OB floor, a normal delivery is always a nice change from the usual car accidents, gunshot wounds and stabbings.”
Pausing only to blot her mouth with her napkin, she added, “That was delicious. The next lunch is on me.”
“Deal.” He leaned back in his chair, unwilling to leave, although from the way she was tapping her pen against her tablet she eagerly wanted to continue where she’d left off.
Mark motioned to her pad. “What’s next on your plan of action?”
She flipped to a blank page and began jotting notes as she spoke. “I have two more people to contact, but if they can’t help me, I’ll head in another direction. The next thing to do is talk to the neighbors and his friends. Any ideas on who he hung around with in his free time?”
He shook his head. “Sorry. He never said very much about his personal life. I know he went to the junior college basketball games, but I don’t think he went with anyone in particular.”
“What about girlfriends? Dates, casual acquaintances?”
“Can’t help you there either. He was seeing someone last fall, but it was an on-again, off-again type of relationship. I can’t even remember her name. No, wait. I think her name was June, but don’t hold me to it.”
She sighed. “Jane and Miranda couldn’t remember a name either. You mentioned going to his house for a Christmas party. Did he have a date?”
“No.”
“Are you sure?”
“I think I can remember back to three weeks ago,” he said dryly. “Four might be a stretch for this grumpy old man, but my brain cells can handle three.”
Dixie’s skin turned a becoming shade of pink. “You’re never going to let me live down that comment, are you?”
He chuckled. “No. Seriously, though, he didn’t have a date. He was supposed to, but I got the impression that he’d parted company with her shortly before the party. If that’s the case, I doubt if he would have told her where he was going.”
“I suppose not, but maybe he mentioned something to one of the nurses at the hospital.”
Mark hesitated. “Before you ask too many questions, there’s something you should know.” At her raised eyebrow, he added, “No one, other than Jane, Miranda and myself, and the police, know that Ned has disappeared without a trace.”
CHAPTER FIVE
DIXIE’S jaw dropped at Mark’s announcement. “No one knows?”
“Under the circumstances, we thought it best to play everything as low-key as possible.”
“Under the circumstances,” she repeated. “What circumstances?”
He paused, as if he was carefully framing his reply. Sensing that this story was more complicated than she’d first believed or that Mark had implied, she pressed for answers.
“What circumstances?”
“Are you certain you want to know?”
“No, but ignoring the unpleasant doesn’t make it disappear. You asked for my loyalty and for any information I might find,” she reminded him. “I deserve the same courtesy.”
He nodded, appearing like a man who hated the position in which he’d found himself.
“Your cousin left town,” he began, “and didn’t return on schedule. I was angry after days went by without a word because he knew how busy we were. Then, when he finally called to say he would be delayed, without giving an explanation, I was extremely irritated. I know that emergencies come up and we had a bad phone connection, but he could have tried calling again. For all I knew, he was simply lounging on a sunny beach, sipping margaritas and working on his tan, while I was literally snowed under with sick people.”
“What made you think he was enjoying himself?” she asked, incredulous.
“I didn’t at first. I changed my mind after I discovered that Ned had helped himself to twenty thousand dollars from my bank account.”
Dixie’s mouth fell open. She’d never been speechless before in her life, but right now words failed her. When she found her voice, she could only summarize what Mark had said and hope that she’d misunderstood. “He stole money. From you.”
“From the practice account,” he corrected.
“Are you sure?”
He raised one eyebrow in what was becoming a familiar gesture. “Jane may not be a CPA, but she knows how to keep the books. Both of us can also add and subtract.”
“I meant, are you sure Ned took it?”
“A check was made out to cash with his signature. I have a photocopy from the bank.”
“He was authorized to sign checks?”
“No one regrets that decision more than I,” he said ruefully. “Last summer, before I went on vacation, we thought it would be a good idea if he had access to our bank account in an emergency. He signed the signature card, but he never used the privilege.”
“Until now.”
“Until now,” he agreed.
“You mentioned the police. Then they know about the money?”
He nodded. “I called them as soon as we realized what Ned had done. He’ll have some explaining to do when they f
ind him.”
She shook her head. “All this time…My aunt never said a word.”
“She may not know. When I spoke to her, we hadn’t discovered the missing money. She probably still thinks he just left town and hasn’t returned.”
A moment of doubt hit her. Had the police informed her aunt of this newest development and she’d simply not told Dixie? No, she decided. She’d always heard every little detail about Ned’s scrapes in order to “fix” things. Withholding information wasn’t the way her aunt operated.
But stealing? For what seemed like hours, Dixie tried to assimilate this information with what she knew of Ned. Somehow, dipping his hand into his boss’s till simply wasn’t something she would have ever expected him to do and she said so.
“Believe it or not,” he said. “I have the proof.”
“And you showed that to the police?”
“Yes, I did. Either he’s off having the vacation of a lifetime on money that isn’t his, or…”
“Or what?”
“Or his delay means that he’s somehow gotten himself into deep trouble.”
Mark had mentioned Ned getting into trouble yesterday, but she’d been thinking more along the lines of the high jinks and escapades of his youth. Things like driving over the neighbor’s prize azaleas with his motorcycle because he’d been late for baseball practice, or skipping school during the World Series so he could watch his favorite team win the pennant.
In college, his troubles had been more of the forgetful variety, such as losing track of his payment schedules. She’d dealt with banks and landlords to keep him from losing his car or being evicted. While those had been irritating inconveniences to her, she didn’t want to think of Ned dabbling in true vice.
Like grand theft.
“There’s always the possibility that he owes money to the wrong people,” Mark continued. “He played poker with a high-stakes crowd on a regular basis, but I don’t think this group falls in the pay-what-you-owe-or-we’ll-break-your-legs category.”
“That’s some consolation, I suppose, but he must have had a good reason for doing what he did.”
“You may not want to believe or consider that Ned might have latent criminal tendencies, but be honest. People with ‘good reasons’ don’t help themselves to someone else’s money without asking first, or at least leaving an IOU with a damn good explanation. Now, if you can think of an example of a legitimate excuse, I’d be happy to give him the benefit of the doubt. If not…”
To Dixie’s disappointment, she couldn’t think of one either.
“I sympathize if he’s in financial trouble, but he should have gone to a bank,” Mark added. “I had to.”
She’d never dreamed the situation was this dire, that Ned had sunk so low. The news would destroy his mother, who’d always believed her son could do no wrong. Dixie had smoothed over enough situations to know the messenger bore the brunt of her aunt’s and uncle’s anger.
This time, though, Mark was paying for Ned’s sins, too. From what she’d seen in the past twenty-four hours, Mark operated on a shoestring budget. Oh, he’d provided a nice environment for his patients and staff, but the whole place could use major renovation, from new paint and paneling on the walls to replacing the ancient drapes, window-blinds and flooring. Mark had clearly invested his money in the tools of his trade—his medical equipment.
Updating his building might not be in his immediate plans, but if he’d taken out a loan to cover the loss of twenty thousand dollars, he obviously didn’t carry enough ready cash to cover the necessities, much less any extras.
“I’m so sorry.”
“Don’t be,” he said. “It isn’t your fault. This was Ned’s decision and now it’s out of my hands.”
Which meant that the police would be watching and waiting for Ned.
Dixie rubbed her temples as she tried to think. There had to be a way for her to straighten out this topsy-turvy mess, but for the life of her she couldn’t see a way to accomplish it.
Unless…
Unless she didn’t find Ned. Or if she found him before anyone else and gave him the opportunity to right the wrong before he returned to Hope. But by doing that, she could be accused of aiding and abetting a criminal and her own career would slide down the tubes, along with his.
Oh, Ned. How could you do this?
“I can see your mental wheels turning.” Mark’s gaze grew intent. “What are you thinking?”
“Nothing really…” She paused before asking, “What if he paid the money back?”
“It might keep him out of jail, but he still won’t work for me. I can’t trust him,” he finished flatly. “And without trust, what’s left?”
He was right. There was nothing left.
“What if I prove that you can trust him?”
“How? He’s gone and so is my money. As far as I’m concerned, the subject is closed.”
“What if there were extenuating circumstances?” she persisted. “Can’t you wait to pass judgment until you have all the facts?”
She didn’t waver under his silent gaze. “Fine,” he admitted grudgingly. “I’ll listen to Ned’s side of the story, but I can’t promise anything more.”
As concessions went, Mark’s wasn’t the most encouraging, but listening was an excellent starting point. After that, actions would change his mind more than words.
“OK,” she agreed, “but before we drop the subject completely, you mentioned that no one knew Ned had disappeared.”
“If they know or suspect, they didn’t receive that impression from us. When he didn’t come back after those first few days, we simply told anyone who asked that he had a family emergency.” He paused. “We certainly didn’t expect a relative to come looking for him.”
“So I shouldn’t advertise that I’m his cousin.”
“Not unless you can explain why you’re not at the same family emergency.”
She nodded. “As far as everyone is concerned, I’m simply your locum. And you didn’t refer to the missing money?”
“The stolen money? No. There didn’t seem any point. Ruining his reputation wouldn’t solve anything.”
For the first time since he’d been completely honest with her, hope stirred within her chest. If Mark was willing to protect Ned’s reputation by keeping his abrupt departure confidential, then surely, once he learned the full facts, he wouldn’t balk at allowing Ned to return to his position.
Provided Ned really did have a good reason. She didn’t want to think about the repercussions if he did not.
“How did the police ask questions?”
“We decided to say that the police were investigating some vandalism at his house so they wanted to know if anyone had seen unusual activity in the area or recognized any recent visitors. They also asked if Ned had made any enemies.”
“So that’s the story I should use?”
“Use whatever story you like. Just be aware that talking to people about Ned could backfire. The wrong question could cause people to speculate and you’ll destroy the same reputation you’re trying to protect.”
She nodded. It would be self-defeating if she did more harm than good by asking pointed questions. “Thanks for the warning.”
He rose and headed for the door, only to pause on the threshold. “I know you want to do whatever you can for him, but when will you expect him to stand on his own two feet?”
“He is,” she insisted.
Disbelief crossed his face. “Then why are you so worried about him holding this job or not? Why won’t you let him take his lumps like the rest of us would?”
“Because…” Her mind went blank. Why was she worried if Ned ruined his life? It wasn’t as if his poor choices would reflect on her. And yet…
“Because he’s a smart man and a talented physician, and I don’t want to see that go to waste,” she said firmly.
“Then let him sink or swim. On his own.” He pointed to her crutches. “There’s a perfect example of what y
ou’re doing to him.”
“Excuse me?”
“How long are you supposed to use those?”
“A week.”
“And after you’ve healed?”
“I ditch the crutches, take off the brace and start putting weight on my knee as much as I can tolerate.”
“Exactly. There comes a point in time when you have to throw those away and rely on your leg. If you don’t, if you depend on those crutches instead of strengthening your knee, you’ll never recover what you lost.”
The analogy fitted perfectly, although quite painfully. “I suppose.”
“So stop being Ned’s crutch. As you said, he’s a talented physician. There’s no reason for you to fight his battles, especially when he’s started them himself. If he handles his own problems without outside interference, he may surprise you with what he can accomplish.” With that parting shot, he left.
She’d never considered that what she was doing for Ned, what she had done for Ned over the years, had enabled him to remain weak in certain areas of his life. As Dixie eyed the aluminum crutches propped against her desk, she faced the unwelcome truth Mark had uncovered and wondered why the idea of withholding her support seemed like such a betrayal…
“Last stop, Peds.” Mark guided Dixie out of the intensive care unit toward the double doors separating the east wing from the west. Conscious of her slow gait, he’d shortened his stride to accommodate hers. Normally, he rushed from place to place, but today the nurses couldn’t tease him about heading toward a fire. With Dixie at his side, he couldn’t dash through the hospital, but even if that were possible, he wasn’t in any hurry to exchange her company for the gilled variety waiting for him at home.
“What do you think of our ICU?” he asked.
“It’s impressive for its size.”
Although he hadn’t expected her to rave about their intensive care unit or to be particularly awed by it, he had expected her to show a little more interest.
“Four beds may not be many when you’re used to rows and rows of critical patients,” he said mildly, determined not to take offense when he knew she’d been preoccupied all afternoon, “but we’re proud of our department. We’ve worked hard to stock it with state-of-the-art equipment.”
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