The Last Surgeon by Michael Palmer

Author:Michael Palmer [Palmer, Michael]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Fiction, Suspense, Thrillers, Crime, Suspense fiction, Crimes against, Physicians, Serial murders, Medical, Psychopaths, Surgeons, Medical novels, Surgeons - Crimes against, Baltimore (Md.)
ISBN: 9780312587499
Publisher: Macmillan
Published: 2010-02-16T05:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 28

The follow-up appointment for Mr. and Mrs. Jefferson Collins was on a Friday, three days after their initial tour. They picked up the S-Class Mercedes at the rental agency at the last possible minute, and Nick took on the payment. At four hundred dollars per day, plus tax, he could not allow Junie to rent the car again. But he did admit to Jillian that he was going to miss driving it. Beneath a somber sky, he guided the machine to a butter-smooth stop on the brick driveway in front of the Singh Medical Spa and Cosmetic Surgery Center.

“I’m terrified, Nick. I’m not sure I can pull this off.”

Nick himself was so distracted and anxious about what was to ensue at the medi-spa that at first he did not even respond.

“Hello? Are you with me, Nick?”

“I’m here,” Nick said, gently patting her knee. “I was just going over the plan in my head. We’ll do great. I promise.”

Nick put the car in park, but kept the engine idling.

“Check the bag again,” he said.

“I did that just before we left.”

“We only have one crack at this, Jill. Check it again. I mean, please check it again. Dammit, I’m sorry. I am really crazed that we’re doing this. I have no idea what will happen to us if we get caught, but I suspect whatever it is will involve the suspension of our licenses to practice. We can back out now if you want.”

Jillian thought about it.

“I would give up everything to find Belle’s killer. If we’re right about the Singh Center somehow being connected to her death, what choice do I really have?”

Nick simply nodded. He felt the same way about Umberto. The debt he owed the man could never truly be repaid. There were times since the nightmare of the explosion when he found himself wishing that Umberto hadn’t raced back that morning to save his life. But over the years since his involvement with Junie and Helping Hands and EMDR, those instances had all but vanished. And now there was Jillian. Everything that was good in his life, everything that lay ahead for him, he could link to his friendship with the Dominican. If something sinister had happened to Umberto that could be connected to Paresh Singh, then getting to the bottom of it was worth any risk.

Jillian must have sensed Nick’s growing concern because she took hold of his hand and looked deep into his eyes.

“We’ll be okay, Doc. Besides, I loaded up on Pepto before we left and then did something I almost never do. I took a beta-blocker to combat all this adrenaline and keep my heart from exploding out of my chest.”

Their anxiety was understandable, but their plan had a decent chance of working, despite Junie’s objections to it for being overly risky. The entire scheme hinged on getting Jillian alone with the computer in Paresh Singh’s office. For better or worse, almost everything depended on Nick being able to sell a bogus injury, severe enough to frighten Daintry Calnan and have her make her boss come to his aid.

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