His shoulders relaxed appreciably and his hands released the steering wheel. “I think you’re all right, Ms. Stewart.”
“Call me Kari. Now tell me what you know.”
“I’m not sure it’s anything.”
“It may not be, but tell me anyway.”
“I work as an orderly, sometimes on the maternity floor. There’s this doctor, see, a snooty, rich sonofabitch. Drives a Porsche and thinks he’s God-almighty and expects everybody to treat him like it. Anyway, him and this nurse; well, at first I thought they were just screwing around.” His face blushed crimson. “I mean—”
“I know what you mean.”
“They were always meeting in secret and closing themselves up in vacant rooms and all, ya know? There was talk, but there always is about who’s, uh, you know, who’s doing it with who. Then that kid vanishes.”
He hitched a knee up in his seat to better face her. “I’d heard that doctor say something strange to that nurse a few days before it happened but didn’t think nothing of it. So, then when the kid drops out, I thought it must be my imagination and why should I risk my job? I kept my mouth shut. Then another kid.” He whistled and made a sliding motion with his hand. “Disappears clean as a whistle. I couldn’t help but put two and two together. When that last kid went the way of the other two, it began to eat at my gut, ya know?”
She smiled at him. “You’ve done the right thing, Grady. Why don’t you tell me everything you’ve overheard and seen. In chronological order, if you can. Be as specific as your memory will let you. Do you mind if I take notes?”
“No. But I ain’t gonna give you no names.”
“Fair enough.”
He talked for half an hour and the longer he talked the more excited she became. He knew more than he’d given himself credit for. “Are you gonna put it on the news?” he asked when he had finished.
“I don’t know. I have to check with my producer, but this has to get out, Grady. Whoever these people are, they’ve committed several crimes. It’s got to be stopped.”
“That’s the way I figured it.”
“Can I call you?”
He frowned. “Naw,” he said with uncertainty. “But I swear if I see or hear anything else, I’ll get in touch with you.”
“Please do. Is there someone who can confirm what you’ve told me?”
“Confirm?”
“I really should have two sources.”
“Yeah, well, there is someone else. Only she’s afraid to talk to you.”
“Who is she?”
“All I’ll say is that she’s a nurse and has much more clout around that place than I do.”
“And she’s overheard things, too?”
“Let’s say she’s just as suspicious.”
“If I asked her questions, would she at least answer yes or no?”
“I think so. Anyway, she said I could give you a phone number, but no name.” He took a piece of paper from his pocket and gave it to Kari.
“You both realize that if we do air this story, the hospital is going to become a hornet’s nest.”
“Yeah.”
She patted his hand. “Good luck, Grady, and thanks.” She paused as she stepped from the car to ask him one last question. “Of all the reporters in town, why did you call me?”
He grinned. “I knew I could trust you. There’s this guy here in the hospital. He said you covered his ass one time when he gave you a patient’s room number.”
She smiled. “I’ll cover yours, too. I promise.”
Pinkie let a long, slow expletive filter through his teeth. He was at an editing machine watching the finished product on the monitor. “I should paddle your fanny for going into a parking garage to meet that guy. Don’t ever do anything that stupid again. Who was he?”
“I call him Deep Throat.”
“Very funny. For God’s sake, he could have been a rapist setting you up.”
“I thought of that,” she said honestly. “But he wasn’t and this is dynamite and are you going to air it?”
“Why do you always do this to me? Why am I always getting my rear chafed for sitting on the fence trying to decide if I’m going to air one of your stories or not?”
He must really like it. He was working himself into a lather over it. Kari smiled placidly. “I’m good, that’s why.”
“I thought we were out of the woods with you. My stomach was beginning to settle down. Now this. Why don’t you call McKee, have a great roll in the sack with him, and come back tomorrow with a nice little story about a retired maiden school teacher?”