The Shadow backed the limousine off the curb.
“The Embarcadero is only a couple of blocks down. We’ll take him to the emergency ward there.”
“Right, boss.”
Dinetto sank back in his seat. “A dog,” he said disgustedly. “Jesus!”
Kat was in the emergency ward when Dinetto, the Shadow, and Rhino walked in. Rhino was bleeding heavily.
Dinetto called out to Kat, “Hey, you!”
Kat looked up. “Are you talking to me?”
“Who the hell do you think I’m talking to? This man is bleeding. Get him fixed up right away.”
“There are half a dozen others ahead of him,” Kat said quietly. “He’ll have to wait his turn.”
“He’s not waiting for anything,” Dinetto told her. “You’ll take care of him now.”
Kat stepped over to Rhino and examined him. She took a piece of cotton and pressed it against the cut. “Hold it there. I’ll be back.”
“I said to take care of him now,” Dinetto snapped.
Kat turned to Dinetto. “This is an emergency hospital ward. I’m the doctor in charge. So either keep quiet or get out.”
The Shadow said, “Lady, you don’t know who you’re talking to. You better do what the man says. This is Mr. Lou Dinetto.”
“Now that the introductions are over,” Dinetto said impatiently, “take care of my man.”
“You have a hearing problem,” Kat said. “I’ll tell you once more. Keep quiet or get out of here. I have work to do.”
Rhino said, “You can’t talk to—”
Dinetto turned to him. “Shut up!” He looked at Kat again, and his tone changed. “I would appreciate it if you could get to him as soon as possible.”
“I’ll do my best.” Kat sat Rhino down on a cot. “Lie down. I’ll be back in a few minutes.” She looked at Dinetto. “There are some chairs over there in the corner.”
Dinetto and the Shadow watched her walk to the other end of the ward to take care of the waiting patients.
“Jesus,” the Shadow said. “She has no idea who you are.”
“I don’t think it would make any difference. She’s got balls.”
Fifteen minutes later, Kat returned to Rhino and examined him. “No concussion,” she announced. “You’re lucky. That’s a nasty cut.”
Dinetto stood watching as Kat skillfully put stitches in Rhino’s forehead.
When Kat was finished, she said, “That should heal nicely. Come back in five days, and I’ll take out the stitches.”
Dinetto walked over and examined Rhino’s forehead. “That’s a damn good job.”
“Thanks,” Kat said. “Now, if you’ll excuse me…”
“Wait a minute,” Dinetto called. He turned to the Shadow. “Give her a C-note.”
The Shadow took a hundred-dollar bill out of his pocket. “Here.”
“The cashier’s office is outside.”
“This isn’t for the hospital. It’s for you.”
“No, thanks.”
Dinetto stared as Kat walked away and began working on another patient.
The Shadow said, “Maybe it wasn’t enough, boss.”
Dinetto shook his head. “She’s an independent broad. I like that.” He was silent for a moment. “Doc Evans is retiring, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Okay. I want you to find out everything you can about this doctor.”
“What for?”
“Leverage. I think she might come in very handy.”
Chapter Seven
Hospitals are run by nurses. Margaret Spencer, the chief nurse, had worked at Embarcadero County Hospital for twenty years and knew where all the bodies—literally and figuratively—were buried. Nurse Spencer was in charge of the hospital, and doctors who did not recognize it were in trouble. She knew which doctors were on drugs or addicted to alcohol, which doctors were incompetent, and which doctors deserved her support. In her charge were all the student nurses, registered nurses, and operating room nurses. It was Margaret Spencer who decided which of them would be assigned to the various surgeries, and since the nurses ranged from indispensable to incompetent, it paid the doctors to get along with her. She had the power to assign an inept scrub nurse to assist on a complicated kidney removal, or, if she liked the doctor, to send her most competent nurse to help him with a simple tonsillectomy. Among Margaret Spencer’s many prejudices was an antipathy to women doctors and to blacks.
Kat Hunter was a black woman doctor.