“Success and the malignant jealousy it evokes. We adulate talented people, put them on a pedestal, then enjoy knocking them off. Why? Because their success threatens us.”
The cheeks bright red now.
He walked around Milo. Stopped at the door and looked back at us.
“The losers punish the winners, gentlemen. If it keeps going that way, we all lose. Good luck.”
Milo said, “If you think of anything, Doc,” and gave him a business card. The straight version, not the one the detectives pass among themselves that reads ROBBERY-HOMICIDE: OUR DAY BEGINS WHEN YOURS ENDS.
Cruvic pocketed it. Charging into the hallway, he unlocked the door to the west wing and was gone.
“Any hypotheses?” said Milo.
“Well,” I said, “he blushed when he said he only knew her professionally, so maybe it was more. And he got a little antsy talking about his billing, so there could have been something funny about that—taking a cut of her fee, kickbacks for referrals, billing for gynecology instead of psychology to up the reimbursement, whatever. The abortion question got his dander up a bit, meaning he probably does them at the center. Maybe here, too, for the high-priced crowd. If so, he wouldn’t want it publicized, apart from the controversy. Because a pro-choice fertility patient might find it difficult to submit to the care of someone who also destroys fetuses. But he made a good point about his being the target. And I stick with what I said about a political murderer going public.”
When we got to the exit door, he said, “If he was sleeping with her the consultant thing could have been a way of shunting money to a girlfriend.”
“She didn’t need his forty. She made six hundred grand last year.”
“He knew her before the book. Maybe it’s been going on for years. And Seacrest found out. I know I’m reaching but we keep talking about that heart-genitals-back thing. Revenge. Some kind of betrayal. Cruvic did get a little passionate talking about her, wouldn’t you say?”
“He did. Maybe he’s just a passionate guy.”
“Dr. Heelspur. Saying the same thing Seacrest did: “It had nothing to do with me.’ ”
“No one wants to be close to murder,” I said.
He frowned and pushed the door to the courtyard. Tight-faced Nurse Anna was at the courtyard table, smoking and reading the paper. She looked up and gave a small wave.
Milo gave her a card, too. She shook her head.
“I only saw Dr. Devane when she came to work.”
“How often was that?”
“It wasn’t regular. Every so often.”
“Did she have her own key?”
“Yes.”
“And she always worked out of that room we were just in?”
Nod.
“Nice lady?” said Milo.
Split-second pause. “Yes.”
“Anything you want to tell us about her?”
“No,” she said. “What could there be?”
Milo shrugged.
Returning the gesture, she stubbed out the cigarette, collected her paper, and stood up.
“Break’s over, better be getting back. Have a nice day.”
She headed back to the building as we crossed the flagstone. As we opened the big door to the street, she was still watching us.
CHAPTER
8
Milo put the key in the ignition but didn’t turn it.
“What?” I said.
“Something about Cruvic . . .” He started the car. “Maybe I’ve been on the job too long. Know what came into the station this morning? Newborn baby mauled to death by some dogs. Seventeen-year-old unwed momma weeping, tragic accident, right? Then the detectives find out the dogs were in the next-door neighbor’s yard, separated by an eight-foot fence. Turns out Momma killed the kid, tossed it over to destroy the evidence.”
“Jesus.”
“No doubt she’ll be claiming she was the victim, going on TV, writing a book.” He gave a terrible smile. “So am I excused for negative thinking?”
Reaching under the seat, he pulled out a portable cellular phone and punched numbers. “Sturgis. Anything? Yeah, I’ll wait.”
“Mr. Information Highway,” I said, struggling to erase the image of the savaged infant. “Since when does the department issue cell phones?”
“Oh, sure. Department’s idea of the information highway is two extra-large tin cans and heavy twine. This here is a hand-me-down from Rick, he’s got a new one, does all sorts of paging tricks. I don’t like going through the department radio without a tactical band, and pay phones are a hassle. But so is applying for reimbursement, so I write off the calls to Blue.”