Casey couldn’t stifle a smile. Neither could Claire, who was still hovering in the doorway. There was something very refreshing about Emma’s direct honesty.
“How about a business workweek—five days.” Casey wasn’t really asking. She was coming to a decision, one that would be nonnegotiable. “Five days would be long enough for me to come to the realization that our clerical system was getting out of hand and we needed our receptionist back without raising any red flags. I’ll explain the dilemma to Jacob Casper, and I’ll assure him that as soon as we get ourselves up to speed, you can resume candy striping.”
“What?” Emma shot up like a rocket.
“Calm down. You won’t be going back. I’ll work that angle when the time comes. Right now your job is to continue working at the hospital.”
“What about Loser? He asked me out for a drink.” Emma groaned. “And I said yes. What am I supposed to do about that?”
“Go.”
“You’re kidding,” Emma said.
“No, I’m not. You agreed to join him for a drink. If you blow him off now, he’ll have all kinds of questions. We can’t have that. Keep up the charm for another five days.” Casey grinned at Emma’s nauseated expression. “You don’t have to sleep with the guy. He’s too awkward to ask you to, anyway. So set the date for three days from now, and you’ll already have one foot out of the hospital door.”
“Fine. I’ll do it. But only because I want in on this team.” Emma pushed back her chair and rose. “When you said probation, you really meant it. Is there anything else? Want me to fall on a sword?”
“I want you to watch your mouth. I seem to remember mentioning respect when we first talked.”
A reluctant nod. “You’re right. I apologize. I’ll go back to Manhattan Memorial tomorrow.”
“Good. Then we’re all set.” Casey’s words brought the conversation to a close.
Emma took the hint and headed for the door. “Good luck,” she murmured to Claire.
The minute the door shut, Claire began to laugh. “She’s a handful.”
“Tell me about it.” Casey’s lips were twitching, too. “I feel like I’m negotiating with the rebellious teenage daughter I never had. But the truth is, her personality is working for us. She’s managed to piss off everyone at the hospital. They see her as a typical immature young woman—a kid who romanticized being a nurse and is now finding out the truth. Nursing means hard work, compassion that’s hard to muster under pressure and being up to your neck in bodily fluids. Given Emma’s attitude, no one would ever suspect that she’s a plant.”
“Obviously that’s true,” Claire agreed. “Because Ryan’s downstairs already trying to get into whatever is on that flash drive.”
“Good. I hope he deciphers it quickly. The clock is working against us. It’s only a matter of time before the killer decides to try again. You and I both know that security can only go so far. If someone wants Madeline and Conrad dead badly enough, they’ll find a way to breach our security team.”
“We can’t let that happen.”
“I know.” Casey took in Claire’s tone and body language, not to mention the pissed-off look on her face. “What happened with Sharon Gilding?”
“Nothing good.” Claire explained Gilding’s reaction to her talent and that she’d all but thrown her out after fifteen minutes.
“Nice,” Casey said drily. “She’s even more obnoxious than we thought.”
“That’s not all.” Claire walked over, poured herself a glass of water and took a seat. “The negative energy that emanates from that woman is overwhelming. She’s arrogant, she’s bitter and she’s having a torrid affair with someone—someone who could help her climb the ladder. I’m not even sure if she gives a damn about the guy, only that she’s using him for her own purposes.”
“She wants the chief of surgery job that Conrad is the frontrunner for.”
“She more than wants it. She’s obsessed with it. She’d go to scary lengths to ensure that she’s the next chief of surgery.”
“Scary? You mean like murder?”
“I think she’s capable of it. I just can’t figure out if she’s tried it.”
Casey processed that. “You have no idea who her lover is?”
Claire frowned. “I tried. The images of what was going on were very graphic. Truthfully I wanted to throw up. But all I could make out was Gilding and the silhouette of a guy going at it like two rutting animals. Judging from his physique, I’d say he’s not tall and not thin. He’s got a solid build with that slight middle-aged paunch. But his face...” Claire made a fist and brought it down on the table. “Dammit. I just can’t make it out.”
“You’ve done a hell of a job already.” Casey’s mind was working. “I can think of one guy who has that type of build and who’d be instrumental in getting Gilding that job. And it’s someone who’s not too popular with the hospital staff right now, but holds its future—and the future of the chief of surgery—in his hands.”
“Jacob Casper,” Claire filled in.