Fire Trap

27 - Resolutions

After a bad Sunday morning, complete with muscle cramps, I met the physician who had operated on my leg. He was bald, with short gray stubble over his ears and crinkles around his eyes from permanent good humor. He had the lean physique of a runner and, from his clipped dialogue, was compulsive about time.

"Better?"

"Yes. Trudy told me I was operated on. You repaired an artery?"

"Lateral femoral circumflex."

"What?"

"Your artery."

"Oh," I replied, running out of conversation.

"I've heard of leading with your left," he said, with a little grin, "but I always thought that referred to your fist. Your thigh isn't built to take such abuse."

"It wasn't a fair fight," I said, "Either time."

"So I heard."

I wondered who he had been talking to, probably Arnie. "When can I check out?"

"Anytime," he said. Then, shaking his finger at me, he added, "but no running for a couple of weeks."

"Ha. Ha," I said. It had taken crutches and a nurse to get me to the bathroom after I woke up. Bedpans may be all right for some folk, but I'd have to have both legs broken before I'd slide that cold piece of plastic under my crotch.

The doctor wrote out a prescription for pain pills and scribbled a few notes on my chart. "Stay off that leg for the next week, except for a few minutes at a time," he cautioned, checking his watch. He was out of time. My lateral femoral circumflex artery was now on its own, and he slipped out of the room without another word.

Janice and Mark came by after lunch with a big fragrant yellow bouquet of Fresia and roses from the 'Board of Directors of Genetrix'.

I looked for a card saying, 'You were right. We were wrong," but there was only a generic 'Get Well' signed by Janice.

Mark had talked to Tom Wright, who agreed that Western would settle the keyman insurance for the full amount. Mark claimed to have praised my work, but that was easy when Genetrix was receiving five million dollars. I was more concerned with how many notches I had slipped in Tom Wright's top twenty list.

Mark also hinted that Genetrix would be looking for some new executives and perhaps Justice Investigations could do the background checking.

"Conflict of interest," I said. "I help you get a big settlement, then you give me valuable work. It would look bad, but thanks anyway."

"I'll talk to Tom," he said, insisting. "Maybe we can work something out. Paul Maxwell's been backpedaling since the board meeting. He says Genetrix won't be able to collect now because the fire was arson by a company executive."

I suspected Paul Maxwell wasn't going to be speaking to me after this case. "I hope he didn't change his position because of that remark I made at the board meeting."

"You mean when you said the fire was arson?" Janice said.

"I never had any proof of that," I admitted. "I was just trying to convince Neal that the 'suicide' story was falling apart," I said. "I wanted to goad him into a rash act."

"You succeeded," she said, "but are you saying Neal didn't start the fire?"

"No, I'm sure he did. I just don't have any proof. He told me why he murdered Simon, but I never asked him if he started the Genetrix fire. I know his motive wasn't to collect the fire insurance. I'd say you still have a fifty-fifty chance of collecting on your policy."