“Hold your horses. This is good grub and I intend to eat every morsel.”
She assented, but she didn’t like it. He was this way every time they met, but that didn’t mean she’d gotten used to, or even approved of, his method of dealing.
Dealing was what this meeting was all about. Maggie was meeting with a drug dealer. Not just any drug dealer, but one with whom she had a personal relationship; one who was a fellow employee at the Barrington Community Hospital where she has been an RN for several years. Her companion and supplier, Jason, had even been her boyfriend for about four months, which was time enough for him to show her the pleasures of recreational drug use.
Jason Miller earned his Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of North Carolina and was an Assistant Pharmacist at the hospital. He discovered, early on, that the hospital did not have an effective control system for the drug samples liberally provided by an army of pharmaceutical representatives. The reason he was given was that the state and federal governments were only concerned with providing guidelines for drugs that were purchased and sold by the hospital pharmacy.
The procedure at Barrington was for the reps to drop of their brochures and samples at the information desk. The receptionist signed a receipt and sent the brochures to designated doctors and the samples to the Pharmacy Center, where as part of his job, Jason received them and stocked them alphabetically in bins set up for that purpose. Since the number of new drugs added to the Pharmacy each year was only five to ten percent of the hundreds of samples dropped off by the pharmaceutical representatives, there would be too much paperwork involved in entering the details for each of them into the hospital’s system. This gap provided Jason the opportunity to take some of the samples for his personal use and to make some easy money selling to friends.
The question Maggie had posed to him just at the time his Hungry Man plate arrived was about to be answered. They had an arrangement. Once a month, he would supply her with one of his samples and she, in turn, would pay him a flat fifty dollars. He made this deal exclusively with her at the time they were together, and even though things didn’t work out between them, he decided to keep the price unchanged; this despite the fact that he could get far more from other buyers for most of the drugs he sold to her.
“Well,” he said finally, “I have something very special for you this month.” He reached into the pouch lying next to him on the seat. He extracted a baggie with a dozen large purple capsules, reached across the table, and placed it in her open hand.
Maggie took a quick look at the pills and put them into her handbag. “What are they?”
“Those, my beauty, are anti-depression pills for suicidal patients called MMLD. On the street they’re called ‘Marco.’ They’re in short supply, but I set those aside for us. The instructions say to take only one capsule during a twenty-four period. I don’t think you should try them alone, though, at least not the first time. What if I come over to your place and we can try them together?” His suggestion was not unexpected or unwelcomed. Since they broke up, Jason and Maggie had gotten together several times to share some of his new samples; a “friends with benefits” type of thing.
She thought about his proposal for a minute. “How about my place at eight tomorrow night?”
“That should work.”
Chapter 18
Peter and Ron had an appointment with John Hazleton to discuss the proposal from Dr. Marshall Wentworth from Wallington Vein and Laser. Peter stepped into John’s office first with Ron trailing with a chart and easel.
“Good morning, Doctors.” He turned to Ron and gestured to the space next to his desk. “You can set that down there.”
Peter handed John a file. “This is the proposal I told you about yesterday. I spent over four hours with Dr. Wentworth, going over all the details. I ran the figures several times and everything checks out. The way I see it, the space they’ll require will take up one of the vacancies.” He stopped talking to give John a chance to scan through the contents of the file.
He and Ron sat down and waited for John to complete his cursory review of the proposal.
“It certainly does look interesting. I’ve followed Rudolph Lassinger’s work over the years with great interest. I think I might have even met him at a symposium once. The man is a genius and well deserves the reputation attributed to him. What I don’t understand is why he would want to sell his practice and equipment right at the prime of his career?”
“That’s the first question I asked, also. It seems Dr. Lassinger was tired of dealing with patients and simply wanted to concentrate on the development of his innovative surgical instruments and electronic gear. I think that after forty-five years in his practice, he’s certainly earned the right to concentrate on the part of his profession that brings him the most pleasure. Does that make sense to you?”
“Yes, I suppose it does. What about any liens or legal matters tied to his work or equipment?”
Peter looked at John’s question as a positive sign. “Everything is free and clear. He has agreed to indemnify all current and future equipment and patient case work.”
John went back to scanning the file. After a few minutes he looked up again. “What do we know about this Dr. Marshall Wentworth? I don’t recall ever seeing or hearing his name.”
“That’s probably because his practice is north of town. He’s been there for over twenty years. I’m not saying that we should go on that alone, but I would think when a man of Dr. Lassinger’s caliber picked Wentworth to sell his practice and equipment to, that we can’t be too far off supporting him as well.”
“I’m not too sure I agree with that premise. I do agree this has the potential of being a very viable solution to our occupancy problem; however I believe we should do a more thorough vetting of Dr. Wentworth before we go any further. This whole thing seems too good to be true.”
Ron stood up, walked over to the easel, and flipped the blank sheet covering a chart. “I really didn’t want to get into finances today, but Pete’s run some preliminary year-end estimates of our earnings and things don’t look good. As you know, the loss of two of our tenant partners with one of them in arrears has negatively impacted our bottom line. Wallington Vein and Laser agreed to post a three month deposit that we can count as this fiscal’s year income, if we can get it deposited in time. If we accept the proposal, we’ll be in a position to end the year with a very bright outlook.”
John burst out laughing. “Well then, let’s sprinkle some pixie dust around and we can all do a happy dance.”
“Ron made a perfectly valid recommendation, John. There’s no reason for sarcasm.”
“Peter, if you call that dog and pony show, without any solid facts to back it up, a valid recommendation, then I wonder how you’ve managed to be our financial guy for so long. I will not be a party to your attempt to wallpaper over bad operating results. I know that’s what this whole thing is all about. I’m surprised you would try to get that proposal past me. Don’t get me wrong, this may eventually work out. It’s certainly something we will want to investigate, but now isn’t the time to make hasty decisions. That’s what you’re asking me to do and I won’t be rushed into making a decision of this magnitude.”
Ron took a step towards John, but Peter reached out and held him back.
John continued, “Let me make this perfectly clear, in case I neglected to do so before. No new practices will be added or signed before the end of the year. You can leave this information on Wallington Vein and Laser with me and I will assign one of the committee members to investigate its viability. If it’s as good as it looks on the surface, it should eventually go through vetting with flying colors. Now, as far as I’m concerned, this meeting is adjourned.”
“You’ll regret this,” Ron said as he rose to leave. “At our next board meeting I’ll move to remove you as chairman of the New Business Committee.”
“That will be fine with me, Ron, since I’ll be running for your job as CEO.
It’s about time we got some fresh blood at the top.” He turned to Peter. “It looks as if we need a complete shakeup, with a new GM too.” He turned away. “Yep, a fresh new start, that’s what we need around here. Maybe we should make a name change as well. How does Wallington Medical Center sound? Yes, I think that will be perfect.”
Peter grabbed Ron by the arm and led him out of Hazleton’s office. Ron’s face was beet red and his fists were clenched. “The nerve of that bastard. How dare he talk to me like that? This isn’t the end of this. We’re far from being defeated. I’m going to call a special meeting of the partners to have Hazleton removed from the NBC immediately and have them vote on Wallington Vein and Laser Center. We should be able to garner enough support to get it approved.”
“Are you sure you want to do that?”
“What do you mean? What choice do we have? You heard him back there; he’s out for our heads. Either we fight him now or we fight him two months from now.”
“I understand that and I agree that we have to put up a defense, but if we go off half-cocked now we may lose everything. Let’s start building some alliances and go at this with a well-planned campaign.”
Ron calmed down. “Maybe you’re right. We’re only going to get one shot at this, let’s make sure that our ducks are in order.”
“Now, that’s what I want to hear. That’s the Dr. Ronald Mason Symington I partnered with to build this Center into what it is today. I’m sure you remember the naysayers that said there wasn’t a need for a medical center in Wallington. We did it once and we’ll do it again.”
“Thanks for reining me in, Peter. I could have done some irreparable harm to our cause. Let that asshole think he chased us off with our tails between our legs. We’ll build a solid case for change at the Center and fix that smug bastard once and for all, and if he decides to pick up his marbles and leave the game, I certainly wouldn’t shed a tear.”
“Now you’re talking. While you’re schmoozing up support for our plan, I’ll revise my report so it looks as if Dr. John Hazleton and his New Business Committee are part of the reason our revenues have fallen short. He’ll get a taste of what a creative financial whiz can do when he’s got his dander up.”
“Are you sure you want to do that?”
“What do you mean? What choice do we have? You heard him back there; he’s out for our heads. Either we fight him now or we fight him two months from now.”
“I agree. Let’s get started.”
Chapter 19
Ron and Lynn had just completed a round of lovemaking. Lynn rolled off, reached out for her wine glass, took a big gulp, and rested back on her pillow. “Wow! That was great.”
Ron took a quick sip from his glass and replied, “Yes, it was.”
“You don’t sound too sure.”
“Oh, I’m sorry, Lynn, of course it was great. It always is.”
“Is something wrong?”
“No, everything’s fine. What makes you ask?”
“When you use that tone of voice with me, I know that something’s bothering you. Now out with it.”
“There’s no fooling you, is there?”
“Not after all these years. What’s the matter, sweetheart?”
“Lynn, I didn’t tell you sooner because I didn’t want to mess up Thanksgiving, but we’re having a financial crunch at the Center. To top it off, Pete and I have a perfect solution to smooth things over, and that bastard Hazleton refuses to consider it.”
“But you’re the CEO. Can’t you just implement your plan?”
“It’s not that simple. It requires that we add two new practices to the Center. The by-laws are very specific: approval from the New Business Committee is required to add a practice to the Center and John Hazleton heads up the committee. There’s no way to get around it.”
“I told you when you expanded the business that giving up any control might come back to haunt you. Sometimes sharing responsibilities isn’t a good idea.”
“I wish I had listened to you then, but that’s water under the bridge now. Pete and I will deal with it somehow. Right now, I just want to enjoy more of you.”
She leaned over and kissed him. Instinctively his hand reached for her breast and he gave it a tender squeeze. He touched her gently, but she could tell the difference between what he meant to be just a passionate caress, and fondling that would culminate in lovemaking. Lynn smiled. They went at it with newly found vigor. Ron seemed to pound her body as if he were attacking a demon.
When they were sated, they had some more wine and lay back in the bed holding hands.
“So, what are you going to do?”
“About what?”
“You know what I’m talking about. Spill it.”
“I wanted to go to the board and ask them to override Hazleton’s decision, but Pete talked me out of it. The rhetoric got real nasty during our meeting with Hazleton. He and I exchanged threats about going after each other’s jobs. In retrospect, that may be the only course of action we have.”
“I’d hate to see you get tied up with this internal bickering. It’s bad publicity and can only hurt the Center’s reputation.”
“I know that, but what can I do? Hazleton is power hungry. He’s not acting in the best interests of the Center. He’s strictly out for himself and his cronies.”
“How can you be so certain he isn’t being sincere? Isn’t it possible that he’s as firmly convinced about lack of viability of your proposals as you are about their economic success?”
“No. In my gut I know he’s just trying to get even for that time I skirted around his authority and convinced his committee to vote against his wishes. I did this while he and Lorraine were off on a cruise and he’s never forgiven me for that.”
“I find it hard to believe he’s held a grudge for all these years.”
“You don’t know John Hazleton like I do.”
Lynn got quiet for a few minutes. “Well, even so, there must be some way for the two of you to resolve your differences without a full-fledged confrontation. You’ve been friends for so many years. I can’t believe that your differences can’t be reconciled.”
“I don’t see how that’s possible.”
“Well, it seems to me that when the committees are named at the next board meeting you could nominate someone else for chairman of the New Business Committee.”
“I’ve already thought of that, but I’m going to have my hands full covering my own ass. John’s threatened to run for CEO and the smug bastard even wants to change the name of the Center. He wants to replace Pete as General Manager as well. Can you believe that guy?”
“I don’t think that either you or Pete needs to be concerned. You both have personal friends among the board members and the practice owners. I see no reason for any of them to make major changes. Tomorrow you and Pete need to press-the-flesh with as many partners as you need to lock in your support. You have an excellent record and under your leadership, they’ve all prospered. Just remind them of that and you should have all the support you need.”
“You’re right, of course. That’s exactly what we’ll do.”
Lynn rolled over on top of Ron. “But right now, I think there are more important things than Center politics.” She did a grinding motion, rubbing her body over his. He groaned as they entered into conjugal bliss one more time.
Chapter 20
Wilson arrived at Sweeney’s ten minutes before the scheduled meeting with his Probation Officer. He picked a booth in the rear of the restaurant and slid over against the wall. He placed the plastic supermarket sack containing the “evidence” on the seat next to him.
“Hi, I’m Sherry. I’ll be your waitress today. Will anyone be joining you?”
“Yes, there will be two more. They should be here in a few minutes.”
“Can I get you anything while you’re waiting?”
“Sure. I’ll have a regular Coke.”
“What size?”
“Make it a large, please
.”
“That’s a wise choice. With a large, you have unlimited refills.”
While he waited, Wilson nervously fidgeted with the salt and paper shakers, his napkin with the silverware rolled up inside it, the mustard and ketchup dispensers, and his car keys, moving them around in a series of patterns on the table top. Even though he was facing in that direction, he was so intent with his table-top engineering project that he failed to notice the two men approaching the booth. “Mind if we join you?”
“Oh, Mr. Blaine, I didn’t see you come in.”
Pointing at the items that Wilson had strategically arranged on the table, he added, “Who’s winning?”
Somewhat embarrassed, Wilson answered, “Oh that—I was just killing time.”
“Have you ordered anything yet?”
“I ordered a Coke a few minutes ago.”
Before he could do the required introductions, Sherry appeared. She put the Coke down on a small napkin and turned to the newcomers. “Can I get you gents anything?”
Norm ordered a sandwich and coffee, Byron a piece of pie and coffee. Wilson added a BLT to the order. Byron asked her to put everything on his tab.
Norm waited until the waitress was out of earshot and pointed to Byron. “This here’s Special Agent Byron Hawkins.”
The two men shook hands.
“I’m very pleased to meet you at last. I don’t know if Norm told you, but we’ve been watching the Abbott brothers for almost two years now. They’ve been getting deeper into organized crime and distributing some very dangerous drugs. We’re building a case slowly, but we’re not there yet. That’s where you come in.”
“Just one minute,” Wilson interrupted. “I made my position very clear with Mr. Blaine. I don’t mind telling you that they visited me. You probably knew that anyway. I don’t even mind turning over the recording of our conversation and this evidence. But that’s as far as I’m willing to go. I paid my debt for dealing drugs. I don’t owe society anything but to stay out of trouble and I’ve been doing that. I’m trying to get a better job and find a nicer place to live, and I don’t want my life complicated by getting involved in any drug investigation.”
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