Phillip Margolin: Wild Justice

Please send in Dr. Cardoni, Charlotte.

Swindell composed himself and waited for the explosion. He was not disappointed. Charlotte opened his office door wide and pressed against it. Cardoni charged in. The scene reminded Swindell of a bullfight he' d seen in Barcelona. Charlotte was the matador, the door her cape, and the bull... He had to fight to suppress a smile.

I've been out there half an hour, Cardoni said.

I' m sorry, Vincent. I was on an important long-distance call, the administrator replied calmly. If Cardoni had seen the unlit lines on Charlotte's phone, he' d know that Swindell was lying, but Swindell bet he wouldn't call him on it. Have a seat.

What's this about? Cardoni demanded.

Swindell leaned back and made a steeple of his fingers. I've had a disturbing report about you.

Cardoni glared. The administrator noted the surgeon's flushed pallor, his disheveled hair and unkempt clothes. Cardoni was clearly on the edge. Maybe the rumors of drug use were true.

Did you accost a nurse in a public corridor yesterday?

Accost? Cardoni mocked. What does that mean, Carleton?

You know very well, Vincent, Swindell answered evenly. Did you accost Mary Sandowski?

Who told you that?

That's confidential. Well?

Cardoni smirked. No, Carleton, I did not accost her. What I did was ream her out.

I see. And you, um, reamed her out in front of patients and staff at this hospital?

I have no idea who was around. The dumb bitch fucked up during an operation. I should have gotten her fired.

I' d appreciate a little less profanity, Vincent. Also, you should know that more than one person has informed me that you were responsible for the mistake in the OR. Injecting your patient with hydrogen peroxide instead of lidocaine, I believe.

After that moron switched the cups.

Carleton tapped his fingertips together and studied Cardoni before replying.

You know, Vincent, this isn't the first complaint of... well, to put it bluntly, incompetence that's been made against you.

Every muscle in the surgeon's body went rigid.

I want to be frank, Swindell continued. If Mrs. Manion were to file a malpractice case against you, it would make three complaints. Swindell shook his head sadly. I don't want to take action, but I have a duty to this hospital.

None of those charges has any foundation. I've consulted my attorney.

That may be, but there's a lot of talk. Rumors of drug use, for instance.

So you've been chatting with Justine.

I can't reveal my sources. Swindell looked at Cardoni sympathetically. You know, there are wonderful programs for doctors in trouble, he said in a man-to-man tone. They're all confidential. Charlotte can give you a list when you leave.

She really got to you, didn't she, Carleton? Did you know that Justine's filed for divorce? She' d do anything to blacken my reputation.

You seem to have a number of court cases going on. Wasn't there something last year involving an assault?

Where is this going?

Going? Well, that depends on what I find out after my investigation is complete. I invited you here so you could tell me your side of the story.

Cardoni stood. You've heard it. If there's nothing more, I've got things to do.

There's nothing more for now. Thank you for dropping by.

Cardoni turned his back on the administrator and stalked out without shutting the door. Swindell sat motionless.

Did you want this closed? Charlotte asked.

Swindell nodded, then swiveled his chair until he was looking out at the lights of Portland. Cardoni was crude and disrespectful, but the problem he presented could be dealt with. Swindell's lips twisted into a smile of anticipation. It would be a pleasure taking the arrogant surgeon down a peg or two.

Vincent Cardoni waited for his connection beneath a freeway off-ramp. Thick concrete pilings straddled the narrow street. There was a vacant lot across the way, and a plumbing supply warehouse was the nearest building. At ten in the evening the area was deserted.

Cardoni was still in a rage as a result of his meeting with Carleton Swindell. Cardoni never called the administrator Doctor. The wimp may have trained as a surgeon, but he couldn't cut it. Now he was an administrator who got his rocks off by making life difficult for the real doctors. What really burned Cardoni was the prick's refusal to say whether it was Sandowski or Justine who had informed on him. Cardoni was leaning toward Justine. The nurse was too afraid of him, and it would be just like his bitch wife to use Swindell to put on the pressure so that she would have leverage in the divorce proceedings.

Headlights at the far end of the block flashed on and off, and Cardoni got out of his car. Moments later Lloyd Krause pulled under the off-ramp. Lloyd was six-two and a fat 250 pounds. His long, dirty hair reached the shoulders of his black leather jacket, and there were grease stains on his worn jeans. Cardoni could smell him as soon as he climbed out of his car.

Hey, man, got your page, Krause said.

I appreciate the speed.

You're a valued customer, Doc. So, what can I do you for?

I'll take an eight ball, Lloyd.

My pleasure, Krause answered. He walked to his trunk, popped the lid and rummaged around. When he stood up he was holding a Ziploc bag filled with two and a half grams of white powder, which Cardoni pocketed.

Two fifty, my man, and I'll be on my way.

I came straight from the hospital, so I don't have the cash with me. I'll get it to you tomorrow.

The dealer's easy smile vanished.

Then you'll get the snow tomorrow, he said.

Cardoni had expected this. Where do you want me to meet you? he asked, making no move to return the cocaine. Krause held out his hand, palm up.

The Baggie, he demanded.

Look, Lloyd, Cardoni answered casually, we've been friends for almost a year. Why make this hard?

You know the rules, Doc. No dough, no snow.

I' m going to pay you tomorrow, but I' m using this cocaine tonight. Let's not damage a good relationship.

Lloyd's hand plunged into his pocket. When it came out, he was holding a switchblade.

That's a scary knife, Cardoni said without a trace of fear.

The coke, and no more fucking around.

Cardoni sighed. I' m certain you're experienced with that knife.

That is fucking correct.

But you might want to ask yourself one question before you try to use it.

This isn't Jeopardy. Give me the coke.

Think for a moment, Lloyd. You're bigger than me and you're younger than me and you have a knife, but I don't look worried, do I?

Doubt flickered in the dealer's eyes, and he took a quick look around.

No, no, Lloyd, that's not it. We're all alone, just the two of us. I wanted it that way because I thought you might act like this.

Look, I don't want to hurt you. Just give me the dope.

You're not going to hurt me, and I' m not returning the eight ball. I know that for a fact. You better figure out why, quickly, before something bad happens.

What the fuck are you talking about?

It's a secret, Lloyd. Something I know that you don' t. Something I know about what happened the last time someone pulled a knife on me.

Cardoni noticed that the dealer had not moved closer, and he noted a tremor in Krause's hand.

There's a lot about me that you don't know, Lloyd.

He looked directly into his connection's eyes.

Have you ever killed a man? Have you? With your bare hands?

Krause took a step back.

Fear the unknown, Lloyd. What you don't know can kill you.

Are you threatening me? Krause asked with false bravado.

Cardoni shook his head slowly.

You don't get it, do you? We're all alone here. If something happens, no one can help you.

Cardoni straightened to his full height, moving sideways to give the dealer a smaller target.