He grunted and shook his head. “I’m not sure what to think here.”
“You see how the numbers don’t add up, right?”
“What I see is a lot of conjecture and guesswork,” he said. “You might be right, but there’s no proof here.”
“But my office—”
“Do you have pictures?”
I hesitated. “No, I don’t, but I can get them.”
“Document everything. From now on, have a recorder with you in your damn pocket wherever you go, just in case that lady Maria shows up. Tell your friend Fiona to do the same. You need something solid if you’re going to go after her.”
“What about the mafia?”
He leaned back in his seat and stared at me. “You know, most people would roll their eyes at you and laugh. You sound nuts, talking about the mafia.”
“I know, Curt, but—”
“But,” he said, interrupting me, “I’m a prosecutor in this damn shit stain of a city, and I know full well that the mafia is real, and they’re very active.”
I stared at him, a little surprised. “I thought you went after corrupt busines men or something.”
He shook his head slowly. “That was a few years ago. I moved on to a new task force, one that’s been quietly picking off some of the nastiest made men in this place. And I’m telling you, there’s a group called the Leone family that has their claws in just about everything in this town.” He leaned closer, his voice dropping to a whisper. “If they’re the ones you’re dealing with, you’d better be careful.”
I clenched my jaw for a moment. There was a surprising hint of fear in Curt’s eyes, and it sent a chill down my spine. I’d never seen him afraid of anything, not in all the time I’d known him—not when we got into fights as teenagers, or when we did reckless things as young adults. He never once hesitated, but he was hesitating now, and I knew he was terrified.
Which meant I was on to something real, and I should be very, very nervous.
“I need advice on what to do here,” I said. “I’m afraid I’m out of my depth.”
“My advice is to either drop it all together and let them do whatever the hell they’re doing, or you’d better get some real advice. Take it to the cops as soon as you can, and hope you don’t end up dead.”
“Come on, that wouldn’t—”
“They would, that’s what you have to understand. I know you think you’re immune to all this because you’re a relatively prominent doctor, but they don’t give a damn about what. They own this town.”
“Do they own you, too?”
He shook his head, eyes flashing. “I’m one of the few they don’t.”
“Then you can help me.”
“Only if you get me proof first, but listen to what I’m saying. Back down, ignore it, forget you ever heard a damn thing, because these guys don’t mess around.”
“I’ll think about that.”
“Good.” He sighed and looked down at his lunch, gone cold. “Lost my damn appetite.”
“Sorry about that.”
“Don’t be. Not your fault this city is a mess. Never thought you’d get sucked into it, but I guess there’s nowhere to hide from those bastards.”
“I’ll let you finish your lunch in peace.”
He grunted and gave me a strange look as I packed up.
“Keep me updated,” he said. “Seriously, if you find anything at all, send it to me. I’ll do what I can to help.”
“I really appreciate that.”
“Good luck, Dean.”
“And hey, when this is over, let’s get a beer.”
He nodded and a smile drifted across his face. “Yeah, I’d like that.”
I shook his hand again then left, not feeling like I’d gotten anywhere at all, but at least my worst fears had been confirmed.
The mafia was real, and Curt seemed to think it wasn’t so far-fetched that they’d be involved with the hospital in some capacity. Which meant they were the ones that broke into my office, and they were following Fiona around—and they were going to come after us, one way or another.
I’d be ready. Damn them to hell, I wasn’t going to step aside and let them run their schemes. Maria would pay for what she did to my notes, and to my patients by extension—and the mafia would drown in their own damn blood.13FionaWe fell into an easy rhythm: I’d text Dean at night with my schedule, and he’d show up in the morning, or late in the afternoon, or whenever I needed him. No questions asked, no hesitation. After a couple days, I felt kind of stupid for taking him up on the rides, but he never once suggested we stop.
I woke up for an early shift after a few days of our little arrangement. I was tempted to skip the ride today and head into work myself, but I figured it couldn’t hurt, and besides, I’d started to really enjoy our rides together.