Sophie's Path

Jack smiled brightly. “Pleasure, Doctor. I’m impressed with your work and with your team.”

Dr. Caldwell beamed. “I’m very proud of my group—especially Nate. We were lucky to get him.” He smiled at Nate.

Nate gestured toward a group of chairs out of earshot of the receptionist then leaned toward Jack. “As you know, Jack, I worked with Katia to put this proposal together. I want to make sure President Wills doesn’t flinch over a single aspect. So, I’ll introduce you and give him a little background. That kind of thing.”

“I appreciate this, Nate. Katia has told me that Emory has been here since she was in high school and that he has a penchant for only doing business with Indian Lake natives. She would have been giving this presentation, but when he changed the meeting on us, she couldn’t be in two places at once.”

“I understand,” Nate said.

“You can go in now, Dr. Barzonni. Dr. Caldwell.” The receptionist looked at Jack with steady green eyes. “And guest.”

Jack bit his lower lip to keep from laughing. It was his guess the woman had been in her position for decades. She was as protective as a mother lioness with her cubs. Employees like her were rare these days.

Jack wondered if he could hire her away from the hospital.

They entered the president’s office.

Jack had expected something more grand, but then he was used to Chicago hospitals and private clinics. The room was the size of a suburban living room. Big enough for a desk, three side chairs and a small sofa against the far wall. The furnishings were dated. The pictures on the wall reminded Jack of cheap chain motels.

Jack chided himself for mentally criticizing the man’s taste—or lack of it. Jack hadn’t done much better himself. Katia had decorated the office beautifully, sure, but he had yet to put out his family photographs on his desk. They were still in a box. To say nothing of his condo. The last time he’d bought fresh flowers was at Christmas, which were unexciting cedar sprigs and holly that had lasted nearly till Super Bowl Sunday.

“Jack,” Emory Wills said, shaking Jack’s hand. “It’s good to see you again.”

They all sat in the chairs surrounding Emory’s desk. Nate spoke first.

“Emory, Roger and I wanted to join this meeting today because we both support Jack’s proposal. I’m here to vouch for Jack as a friend as well as a businessman. Though he’s new to town, I met him through my wife and her friends. I believe that Jack and his company truly have the best interests of the hospital in mind.”

Jack kept a warm smile on his face as Nate spoke. Ordinarily, Jack was not a suspicious man. He made a habit of taking people at their word. He’d liked Nate since the first time they’d met, but in light of Jack’s accident and his experience in the ER, Jack wasn’t completely sure if Nate wasn’t trying to dodge a bullet for the hospital. Was Nate’s effusiveness sincere? Did he really think Jack’s company could help Indian Lake Hospital? Or did Nate feel guilty about the way Aleah died? What was his true motivation?

Jack still had questions about Aleah’s treatment that he hadn’t had the opportunity to discuss with Nate.

The irony of all ironies was that Jack was presenting the hospital with a massive malpractice insurance policy at the very time when he believed he might have cause to file a lawsuit of his own. Still, he couldn’t bring suit if Aleah’s parents didn’t agree. At this point, they’d not returned any of his phone calls. They’d been perfunctorily polite at the funeral and burial, but that was all. It was as if they blamed Jack for the accident. Jack still hadn’t received the complete police report, though he’d talked to Detective Trent Davis, the investigating officer that night in the ER. Actually, Jack had placed a call to Detective Davis that very morning requesting a meeting. He hadn’t received an answer.

Jack didn’t like loose ends. He was the kind of person who would dig through dozens of insurance products to find the best policy for his clients. Even Barry said he took his responsibilities too seriously, but Jack didn’t care. He was a serious guy.

The Indian Lake Hospital was Jack and Katia’s top pick for clients. Katia had signed Austin McCreary and his new antique car museum six months ago, and that sale had stabilized Jack’s company in Indian Lake. Two months back, Jack had put together the package for Katia to present to the hospital, which would cover the buildings themselves. However, the high-tech equipment that Nate and Roger Caldwell used was insured by another provider. Jack had studied their current coverage and discovered that he could save the hospital thousands of dollars a year. Jack was here to discuss a comprehensive equipment insurance policy with Emory. What he had not proposed yet was a new malpractice policy, which would bring the entire hospital into Jack’s sphere of responsibility.

The hospital was an enormously important coup for Jack. With a bit of persuasion, Emory might be agreeable to recommending Jack’s company to other hospitals and medical clinics throughout the region, possibly the entire state of Indiana.

Jack and Katia had spent over a hundred hours on their presentation for a package that Emory would be negligent, at the very least, to turn down.

“As you know, Emory, my company already covers the building and campus. I’ve talked to you about the equipment policy, which is what we sent over to you a few weeks ago. So I’m here to address all your concerns.”

Emory tapped the file folder that bore the Carter and Associates logo against his desk. “I’m impressed, Jack. As I was with the policy you put together for us last winter for the campus. Your meticulousness is commendable, and I like the fact that you look out for my dollars as much as I do.”

“Thank you, sir,” Jack replied, feeling the warm glow he always did when a sale was going well. He’d get that hot rush of excitement once he heard Emory’s pen scratch his signature on the last page, but not before. Emory’s pause was longer than Jack liked. Was he rethinking the proposal already? Just how many objections was he going to raise? Jack’s heart was in his throat, pounding out anxiety-riddled thumps. Jack had been too close to the finish line on deals just like this one and walked away empty-handed. Small town. Big city. The deals were virtually the same. It all came down to a few dollars and cents in the end.

“Jack,” Emory said in a tone that put Jack’s instincts on alert. The other shoe was about to drop. No deal could be made without bumps. He just hoped it wouldn’t be a rut.

“Yes?” Jack waited. He reminded himself to make sure his smile wasn’t overly wide.

“There are a couple provisions that I’ve highlighted here.” Emory turned a group of pages toward Jack for him to peruse. “If you’ll note, you broke out Dr. Caldwell’s lab and surgical unit from the rest of the hospital. Why is that?”

Jack nodded. He had this one. “The ablation unit is brand-new and most of the insurance companies were asking for a very high premium. I was looking for something more...” Jack drew out his pause. “Affordable for you.”

“Excellent,” Emory replied. “Then the second point is the timing of the first premium. We can’t do this.”

Jack gulped but hoped no one noticed. “Sir?”

“The board is prepared to switch over from our current carrier at the end of this year but not before. I realize that if we went with you right now, we’d save over twenty grand. However, there were some, er, allegiances from the board—that is to say, one of our members—”

“Is a very old friend of your present insurance agent. I know that, sir,” Jack finished for him, hopefully alleviating any embarrassment on Emory’s part.

Nate and Roger exhaled with relief. Just as he’d thought. They’d known about this complication. It was a good thing Jack believed in background research. He was prepared for this delay. He didn’t like it, but he would have to accept it if he wanted the business.

Jack continued, “I can prepare the paperwork to be executed for a December thirty-first date. How would that be?”

Emory’s bushy gray eyebrows shot up as he grinned widely. “That would be just fine, Jack.”

Jack picked up his leather briefcase and put it on his lap. “Now that we’re agreed on this first order of business, I wonder if I might make another proposal to you, Emory.”

Emory glanced at Nate and Roger, then back at Jack. “Do they need to leave?”

“Not at all.” Jack withdrew a thick, three-ring binder with his company logo. “Though I don’t have access to your current policy, I took the liberty of preparing a proposal for you because I believe that no matter what you are paying now, I can save the hospital more money.”

Jack handed the binder to Emory, who flipped open the cover and gasped. “This is malpractice insurance.”

“That’s correct. It’s my guess that your current agent also provides this service for you. All I ask is that you review my product and see for yourself if I can’t provide a larger umbrella at a lower cost.”

Emory had already been rifling through the pages and checking out the tabs as Jack spoke. He pinned Jack with his eyes. “I will look at it, but that’s all I can promise.”

“I totally understand, and I’m grateful for the opportunity.”

Emory rose from his chair, signaling the end of the meeting. He held out his hand. “I’ll be in touch, Jack.”

“Thank you, sir,” Jack replied before leaving the room with the two doctors.

* * *

SOPHIE STOOD IN the middle of the reception area dressed in her street clothes. It was the first time Jack had seen her since the accident. Her hair had been pulled back that night, but now it just skimmed her shoulders in dark, luminous waves and she’d pinned a piece of it over her right ear with a massive coral and rhinestone barrette. There were coral hoops in her ears that matched her cotton sundress. On her feet were beige espadrilles. She was tanned and her skin glowed.

Jack couldn’t take his eyes off her.

Sophie hadn’t noticed him at all. She went straight to Nate.

“Dr. Barzonni,” she said, handing him a group of faxed papers. “The office just got a call from the reservation clinic. There’s been an emergency. Here’s the patient’s information for you to review. They said you’ve treated him before.”

Nate peeled back the top sheet. “Tom Running Bear.” He started speed walking toward the elevators with Sophie right at his side.