A Whistleblower Doctor Fights Her Lifelong Best Friend To Stop The Illegal Desert Discharge Of An Elderly Patient Who Secretly Holds The $45 Million Hospital Deed
The next morning, armed with the printout of Evelyn’s suspicious billing entries, I waited. My suspension meant I couldn’t officially clock in, but I could still “pass through” common areas.
I found Arthur Finch in the east wing corridor, a man with a perpetually slicked-back comb-over and a nervous habit of adjusting his tie. He was arguing animatedly on his phone, his voice too loud for the quiet hallway.
He glanced up, saw me, and his eyes widened just a fraction. He quickly ended his call.
“Dr. Brooks,” he said, forcing a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “Didn’t expect to see you here.”
“I could say the same for you, Arthur,” I replied, holding up the printout. “Care to explain these discrepancies in Mrs. Garrick’s file?”
He flinched, his hand going to his tie again. “Discrepancies? There are no discrepancies. Everything is in order.”
“Fifteen thousand dollars for an unlicensed transfer facility is ‘in order’?” I pressed, stepping closer. “That’s fraud, Arthur.”
He started to sweat, tiny beads forming on his upper lip. “Look, Julian signed off on it. I just process the paperwork. You know how it is.”
“I know how Julian operates,” I said, my voice low and steady. “But I also know what happens to people who follow orders blindly when those orders are illegal. You’re going down with him.”
His face contorted in a sneer. “Going down? For what? Pushing out an old woman who’s a thorn in our side?”
He took a step back, his voice rising, agitated.
“That old woman is threatening a forty-five million dollar deal, Doctor! Forty-five million! All because her name is still tied to that archaic ground lease. Julian wants her gone, and he wants her gone *now*.”
The corridor suddenly felt very still. The low hum of the hospital air conditioning seemed to amplify his words.
My breath caught in my throat. Forty-five million dollars. Ground lease. Evelyn.
Arthur Finch’s eyes went wide, realizing what he’d just blurted out. His face drained of all color.
He looked around frantically, as if someone might have been listening, then turned and practically ran down the hallway, leaving me standing there, the pieces of a much larger, darker puzzle clicking into place.
Evelyn wasn’t just a patient. She was a hidden obstacle to a massive corporate buyout.
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