Page 47 of Every Last One
“What do you need? Let me get it for you.”
“You can’t!” With that, the line went dead.
“I don’t have a good feeling about this,” Brice said. “She’s sounding like she’s being pressed against the wall.”
Sandra was familiar with the feeling. “The clock doesn’t stop ticking. All this time and she hasn’t made progress toward her goal either. Meanwhile, the cops and feds are set up out here, essentially breathing down her neck. And the people in that room are terrified and feeling hopeless, but their panic is only adding to the shot caller’s.”
“Right, so what is so important that she’s still in that room?” Brice countered. “I don’t believe she’s hurt anyone yet, or someone would have chimed in with that.”
“Agreed.” There was hope in that because of the time that had passed. If she was bent toward violence, she would have made an example of someone by now. Just as Mickey had.
“I’m with you guys,” Monica said, swiveling toward them. “But I think she’s getting closer. You mentioned the pressure she must be feeling. What’s to say she doesn’t start shooting hostages soon?”
“Nothing, except one thing. She needs something from them,” Brice said.
“But is it from the group or one person?” Monica volleyed back.
“Hmm. Good question, and I’m leaning toward the former. Let me see the script, Monica.” The woman handed it over, and Sandra scanned down. “Yes, here it is. ‘Fat cats lapping up cream’, ‘don’t care about other people.’ We’ve already mentioned how the people in that room are some of the most powerful and wealthy in medicine and pharmaceuticals.”
“Which makes the possibilities for wrongdoings endless,” Brice put in.
“This could be about money or a failed procedure that hurt someone this woman loves. Or a faulty medication produced by any of those companies owned by the people on the board,” Sandra said. “Though I suspect this has a financial trigger.”
Brice nodded. “Me too, with that ‘fat cat’ comment.”
“You don’t think Beal is the target then?” Neal asked, weighing in on the conversation from the other end of the vehicle. He was seated at the table, nursing a coffee, next to Luis and Kreiger.
“Oh, I never said that. Beal is the CEO, and this woman probably holds her ultimately responsible for whatever this is about, or needs her backing for what she’s after.”
“And how does that account for her accomplices? What’s their stake in all this?” Gibson asked from in front of the markerboard where he made his latest notes.
Woman on eighth floor escalating, wants the board members to do something… Fat cats…
The vague summary painted a bleak picture. “They may be friends, or she could have hired them. Next time I get through to her, I’m going to try and find out more about her accomplices.”
“Excuse me,” Luis wedged in and continued when everyone turned his way. “You mentioned this might be about money, but none of the people in that room have anything to do with medical bills or collection.”
“But the HT might see them as being able to do something about their debt or even hold them responsible for their financial burden,” Sandra said. “Again, that’s assuming this is about money.”
“And there are surgeons in there,” Brice said. “It’s possible this woman is in debt for a costly procedure with no way to pay it off. Do you have access to see past due accounts?”
Luis shook his head. “That’s one system I can’t access. I have a contact, but I’d need names. I suspect there are several past due accounts.”
“He’s got a point,” Kreiger put in.
Fat cats… making themselves rich…This thought gelled with her earlier statement about a botched procedure. “Do you know if any of the doctors in that room have open malpractice suits against them or even recent claims that were rejected?”
Luis pushed his glasses up his nose. “The most recent case was against Dr. Jessup, and it was dismissed.”
“What were the details of the case?” Sandra asked.
“It was regarding a liver operation that Dr. Jessup performed. The plaintiff accused Jessup of coercing his brother into having the operation that ultimately resulted in his death. While the procedure was a common one, it went sideways. There was an excessive loss of blood. The deceased’s brother claimed that Dr. Jessup failed to exercise care and precautions.”
“And the doctor’s defense?” Sandra asked.
“He did all he could, but there was unexpected bleeding during the re-section procedure. Even though he responded as per protocol and infused the patient with blood, it wasn’t enough to save his life.”
“We’ll need the name of the plaintiff,” Coleman said.
