Every Fifteen Minutes (31 page)

Eric's stomach did a backflip. Meanwhile, he hadn't realized it before, but Detective Rhoades did kind of look like a bulldog.

“How else can I help you, Eric? You want me to call one of my buddies in the criminal defense bar and get you out of this situation you've gotten yourself into? I'll send you a lawyer, all right. I'll send you the worst criminal lawyer I know.”

“Caitlin, I get it.”

“Good. Bye.” The phone went dead.

Eric inhaled stiffly, trying to figure out whom to call next. He needed a lawyer and he was concerned about his patient files at the hospital, so it made sense to call Mike Braezele in Legal. Eric pressed in the hospital's main number. The phone rang once and was picked up by an operator, then he asked to be put through, and the call was answered after a few clicks.

“Legal Department,” said a businesslike female voice, which Eric recognized as Dee Dee's.

“Dee, it's Eric Parrish. Is Mike there?”

“Oh my God, Eric,” Dee Dee said, instantly concerned. “Are you okay? What's going on? I heard there were cops in your office.”

“I know. Can I speak to Mike?”

“He's not here. He's on your unit with Brad and Tom.”

“Can you transfer me?” Eric visualized the scene, sickened. He could imagine Amaka and the shocked staff, standing by helplessly while the unit was invaded by police. He prayed it didn't destabilize the patients and that Perino didn't have another violent break.

“Sure, yes, hold on.”

“Thanks, will do.” Eric waited on hold until there was a click on the phone as it was picked up.

“Eric, what the
hell
?”

“Mike, they're on the unit?”

“Yes, it's unreal!” Mike sounded shocked, which Eric had expected.

“Are they in the file room?”

“No, there's six cops, swarming all over your office. Going through your drawers, putting your things in boxes. They took your computer!”

“Put the unit in lockdown, Mike.”

“We did, right away. What's going on? This is insanity!”

“It's a long story.” Eric's doctor-patient confidentiality extended to everyone, even Mike, and he didn't have time to explain now anyway. “Can we stop them, legally? I don't want them going through any patient files. We don't have to let them do that, do we?”

“No, that's not an issue. Patient files aren't within the scope of the warrant.”

“What does that mean, ‘scope of the warrant'?” Eric remembered that Detective Rhoades had used the same term.

“I'm not going to give you a lecture on the search and seizure clause of the Fourth Amendment, Eric. Are you involved in this murder case? Is that true?”

“No, I had nothing to do with it, at all. It will get straightened out.”

“What do you mean ‘straightened out'?” Mike lowered his voice, as if he were trying not to be overheard. “Was this girl one of your private patients?”

“No, she wasn't.”

“Then what? How do you know her? The police don't search offices unless they suspect you of a crime.”

“Mike, I'm not accused of anything—”

“Are you a person of interest? Are you a
suspect
?”

“Yes.” Eric wasn't going to lie. “Mike, is there any way you can come down here or send somebody on your staff?”

“Come where? Where are you?”

“I'm at the Radnor police station. They're searching my house and car, they want my clothes—”

“Eric, listen, I don't know what you're involved in, but I'm not about to come down there, nor will I send anybody else from Legal. You're suspected of the gravest possible crime.”

“Mike, I didn't do it. You can't really think I did it. You know better than that. You
know
me.” Eric had known Mike for fifteen years. The lawyer had started only a week before Eric had.

“That's irrelevant, and I shouldn't have said that because that's not the point, as a matter of law. If she was one of your private patients—”

“She
wasn't
my patient.”

“Was she a patient on the unit?”

“No.”

“If that's true, then HGH has no connection with the matter.” Mike's tone turned officious. “Any wrongdoing by you would be outside the scope of your employment at HGH. Therefore, neither I nor my staff can represent you. Furthermore, the insurance that the hospital purchases for you under your employment contract does not cover legal expenses incurred outside the scope of your employment at HGH, whether they be civil or criminal.”

Eric hadn't even been thinking about insurance. He already knew where this was going.

“You need to get your own lawyer to represent you and you need to pay for it on your own dime. I'm assuming you have malpractice coverage or similar coverage for your private practice. You do, don't you?”

“Yes.” Eric did maintain additional insurance, at the cost of ten grand a year, but Ren
é
e hadn't been his patient, so he doubted it was covered.

“Eric, if I were you, that would be my first call, my malpractice insurer.”

Eric checked his watch, and it was already three thirty. He hadn't even gotten to make treatment rounds today. “Is everything okay on the unit?”

“Yes, Amaka and Sam have everything in control.”

“Good. I'm not sure if I can make it back today. I have to stop by the house and—”

“Eric, don't come back to work. I have to talk to Tom and Brad, but you can't return if you're a
murder
suspect.”

“Wait.
What?
” Eric couldn't believe what he was hearing.

“We have no choice, Eric. This is a PR nightmare.” Mike groaned. “We just got the number-two ranking, you were our poster boy.”

“No, that's not right, that can't be!” Eric raised his voice. “I'm not charged with anything, they didn't arrest me. It's just speculation, and I'm going to call the lawyer and get it cleared up. You can't tell me not to come back, just because it's bad PR. It's my job, my
unit
. I have a contract!”

“Eric, I'll tell you the way this is going to play out. Any misconduct by you, especially criminal misconduct rising to the level of murder, nullifies your contract with HGH.”

“You can't do that. How can you do that?” Eric's head started spinning.

“I'm going to recommend that you be put on indefinite suspension, pending the outcome of the investigation and/or trial.”

“What trial? You're firing me? I'm
fired
?”

“No. Suspended. Indefinitely. I'll see if I can make it with pay.”

“I don't care about the money! I have patients, they're counting on me.”

“They'll be fine.”

“No, you can't!”

“We can and we will. Sam will run the unit with Amaka until you get back.”

“But when can I come back? How long will that be?”

“It's up to the cops, Eric.” Mike clucked. “What the hell's going on with you, lately? The incident with Perino? The sexual harassment claim? Now
, this
? Is it the divorce? Wait, hold on.” Mike covered the phone with his hand. “I have to go. Tom's calling me.”

“But Mike—”

“Get a lawyer, Eric.” The phone line went dead, and suddenly there was a knock at the interview room door.

“Dr. Parrish, this is Detective Rhoades. I have two patrolmen here to assist you with your clothes.”

Eric thought fast. He didn't know the number of his malpractice insurance company, but he knew someone who was great in any emergency, whose brother was a lawyer.

“Give me five minutes,” he called to the police.

 

Chapter Thirty-six

An hour later, the door to the interview room was opened, and Eric rose to meet his new lawyer, Laurie's brother Paul Fortunato. In medical school, Laurie used to regale him with wild Paul stories, as if her younger brother were the id to her superego, but on first impression, Paul reminded Eric of Laurie; he had her curly black hair, strong face, and animated features—flashing espresso-brown eyes, fleshy lips, and a quick smile. Paul was in his mid-thirties, of short stature but fit, dressed in an expensively tailored dark suit with a shiny purplish print tie. He wore too much aftershave.

Eric extended a hand. “Hi. Eric Parrish.”

“I'm Paul. Good to meet you.”

“Heard a lot about you.”

“You, too. Please, siddown.” Paul gestured to the mesh chair and set a Footlocker bag and a slim metallic briefcase on the table. “Let's talk first, then we'll call in the local constabulary. They already gave me the 411. They have you talking to the girl at the yogurt place, following her home, and parking in front of her house. You want them to find your patient, but you're not giving them any information and they think you're stonewalling. I'll have you out of here in fifteen minutes.”

“How?” Eric sat down, surprised.

“You'll see.” Paul flashed a quick smile, evidently enjoying himself. “Laurie said you have questions for me. Ask away.”

Eric blinked. “I do have questions, but don't you want to ask me whether I murdered Ren
é
e Bevilacqua?”

“Why would I do that?” Paul looked at him like he was crazy, rounding animated brown eyes.

“It's a logical question.”

“Not for me, I'm a criminal lawyer.”

Eric hoped he was kidding. “Well, I didn't do it. I had nothing to do with her murder.”

“Thank God. I only represent innocent clients.”

“Are you serious?”

“No.” Paul snorted.

“I want you to know I'm innocent.”

“I don't care.”

Eric recoiled. “Really? How can that be?”

“Are you asking me about legal philosophy? We need to discuss this, why?” Paul shook his head, chuckling softly. “Laurie said you're a typical shrink, yakkety-yak. I love my big sister, don't you? She's cute, right? I think she has a thing for you. Don't tell her I said that.”

“No, she doesn't. We're friends.” Eric couldn't smile. “Don't be ridiculous.”

“I kid you not.” Paul nodded. “She talks about you a lot. She told me you were divorced. Why don't you ask her out? What are you waiting for? She's dyin' on the vine.”

“How is
this
a more appropriate conversation than legal philosophy?”

“Good point! Touch
é
!” Paul chuckled. “Okay, I never ask my clients if they did it. Why? It's legally insignificant. I'm not a dirtbag, I'm a purist. I represent the Constitution, it's the purest law we have, not bought and paid for, like now. Our forefathers were geniuses, not thieves. Lofty enough for you? The Constitution guarantees your rights, but cops and prosecutors cross that line all the time. My job is to push 'em back, shove 'em back, wa-a-a-ay back!” Paul did a cheer. “Go, team! Feel better?”

“No.”

Paul seemed not to hear him. “You need somebody to stand up for you. You're the little guy, you just don't realize it yet. The Commonwealth has all the aces, and you don't even know you're playing cards.” Paul rubbed his hands together. “Just so you know the legalese, you can stand on your privilege, which is codified by statute in Section 5944. In Pennsylvania, you can't be examined in any civil or criminal matter as to any information acquired in the course of your professional services on behalf of your client. It's a very strong privilege, and it can't be waived without the written consent of your client. The only exception is for future harm and that isn't interpreted to prove past conduct. Now ask me your questions. The Keystone cops are waiting for us.”

“Don't underestimate these guys. They seem to be moving really quickly.”

“They have nothing else to do.”

Eric remembered what Caitlin had told him. “My ex-wife says Detective Rhoades is very tenacious. She's an assistant district attorney.”

“Oooh, I'm scared. Meanwhile, why'd you marry an A.D.A.? Was she pregnant? Do prosecutors even
have
sex? Or maybe they do, but they don't enjoy it?”

Eric couldn't get a bead on this guy. “Are you having fun? Because it seems like you are.”

“Yes, I am. I love my job. I protect people and I win. Watch me. Let me do my stuff.” Paul threw up his hands. “Now ask me your questions already! This is the worst date ever! Too much foreplay!”

Eric smiled, despite himself. It actually felt good. “Okay, the police are searching my office at the hospital and my house, and they took my car. Can they do that?”

“Yes, but it's grabby. Next question.”

“Paul, I run a psychiatric unit, and what the cops did at the hospital jeopardizes some very sick people. My patients need routine and calm. Disruption like that can set them back days, and their insurance companies only allow them a limited number.” Eric thought of Perino. “For example, I treat a schizophrenic who thinks the CIA is after him. It doesn't help that uniformed police arrest his psychiatrist and search the unit. Can the cops really do that?”

“Yes, they can, and if you ask me, the schizophrenic is right. The CIA really is after us. So's the NSA and the rest of the alphabet.”

Eric let it go. “What about my patient files? The cops told me it wasn't within the scope of the warrant, but I don't know what that means.”

“When police obtain a search warrant, they have to specify what they're searching for and what they intend to seize. The cops aren't requesting patient files because they know the hospital would take them to court. They'll do it later, but not yet.”

“They took my phone. Can they do that, too?”

“Yes, buy a new one. You're probably a week away from an upgrade. Whenever I need a new phone, I'm always a week away from an upgrade.” Paul rolled his eyes. “You want to see some real criminals? Look at AT&T. Verizon. Sprint. Bankers, mortgage companies, the Fed. Then move on to Congress.
Those
are the guys that belong behind bars, not you. The law is made by people who are bought and sold, but that wasn't true in 1776, in my hometown. Next question?”