“Half the town,” Traynor said with a short laugh. “But I don’t feel comfortable giving names.”
“I understand you saw Hodges the night of his murder,” Calhoun said.
“Hodges burst in on a meeting we were having at the hospital,” Traynor said. “It was an unpleasant habit of his that he indulged all too frequently.”
“I understand Hodges was angry,” Calhoun said.
“Where did you hear that?” Traynor asked.
“I’ve been speaking to a number of people in town,” Calhoun said.
“Hodges was angry all the time,” Traynor said. “He was chronically unhappy with the way we manage the hospital. You see, Dr. Hodges had a proprietary feeling about the institution. He was also dated in his thinking. He was an old-school ‘doc’ who ran the hospital when it was a cost-plus situation. He had no feeling for the new environment of managed care and managed competition. He just didn’t understand.”
“I don’t think I know too much about that, either,” Calhoun admitted.
“You’d better learn,” Traynor warned. “Because it’s here. What kind of health plan are you under?”
“CMV,” Calhoun said.
“There you go,” Traynor said. “Managed care. You’re already part of it and you don’t even know it.”
“I understand when Dr. Hodges burst into your hospital meeting he had some hospital charts with him.”
“Parts of charts,” Traynor corrected. “But I didn’t get a look at them. I was planning on having lunch with him the following day to discuss whatever was on his mind. It undoubtedly concerned some of his former patients. He was always complaining about his former patients not getting VIP treatment. Frankly, he was a pain in the ass.”
“Did Dr. Hodges bother the new hospital administrator, Helen Beaton?” Calhoun asked.
“Oh, God, yes!” Traynor said. “Hodges would think nothing of barging into her office any time of the day. Helen Beaton was probably the person who suffered from Hodges’ barrages the most. After all, she had his old position. And who knew how to do it better than himself?”
“I understand that you ran into Hodges a second time that night he burst in on your meeting,” Calhoun said.
“Unfortunately,” Traynor said. “At the inn. After most hospital meetings, we go to the inn. That night Hodges was there drinking as usual and as belligerent as usual.”
“And he had unpleasant words with Robertson?” Calhoun asked.
“He sure did,” Traynor said.
“And with Sherwood?” Calhoun said.
“Who have you been talking with?” Traynor asked.
“Just a handful of townsfolk,” Calhoun said. “I understand Dr. Cantor said some unflattering things about Hodges too.”
“I can’t remember,” Traynor said. “But Cantor hadn’t liked Hodges for years.”
“How come?” Calhoun asked.
“Hodges took over radiology and pathology for the hospital,” Traynor said. “He wanted the hospital to accrue the windfall profits those departments generated from equipment the hospital owned.”
“What about you?” Calhoun asked. “I’ve heard you weren’t fond of Dr. Hodges either.”
“I already told you,” Traynor said. “He was a pain in the ass. It was hard enough trying to run the hospital without his continual interference.”
“I heard it was something personal,” Calhoun said. “Something about your sister.”
“My, your sources are good,” Traynor said.
“Just town gossip,” Calhoun said.
“You’re right,” Traynor said. “It’s no secret. My sister Sunny committed suicide after Hodges pulled her husband’s hospital privileges.”
“So you blamed Hodges?” Calhoun asked.
“More then than now,” Traynor said. “Hell, Sunny’s husband was a drunkard. Hodges should have taken away his privileges before he had a chance to cause real harm.”
“One last question,” Calhoun said. “Do you know who killed Dr. Hodges?”
Traynor laughed, then shook his head. “I haven’t the slightest idea, and I don’t care. The only thing I care about is the effect his death might have on the hospital.”
Calhoun stood up and stubbed out his cigar in an ashtray on the corner of Traynor’s desk.
“Do me a favor,” Traynor said. “I’ve made it easy for you. I didn’t have to tell you anything. All I ask is that you not make a big deal about this Hodges affair. If you find out who did it and plan to expose the individual, let me know so the hospital can make some plans with respect to publicity, especially if the killer has anything to do with the hospital. We’re already dealing with a public relations problem on another matter. We don’t need to be blindsided by something else.”