by V.K. Sykes
* * *
Canizaro poked her head into the conference room, holding the door open with her shoulder. “He’s here, Dr. Bell.”
Holly looked at her watch. Five o’clock. She pushed back her chair and stood up. She’d chosen the chair at the head of the table—the one Rosen always sat in. The authority chair. She figured she needed any little edge she could get. “Send him in, please.”
Lance Arnold ambled through the door with his peculiar, bowlegged swagger, like he had a stick up his ass. His face was already contorted with an ugly sneer.
Great, he’s already pissed off.
“Thank you for coming, Mr. Arnold.” She offered her hand, but he ignored it.
“Something gone wrong with Tyler?” he growled. “Your errand girl said it was urgent, but she wouldn’t tell me why. And I don’t fucking appreciate that.”
Holly flinched at his language as she sat back down. “Tyler’s doing quite well. Have you seen him today?”
Arnold shook his head and remained standing. “I’ll go down for a minute after this. But I have to be at work in an hour and I’ve got fifteen miles to drive. So, this better be quick.”
“Please sit down, Mr. Arnold.” She invested her voice with a great deal more confidence than she felt.
He pulled a chair out from the table and flopped down in it.
Holly clasped her hands together on the table in front of her, making sure she didn’t clench them too tightly. “I’ll get right to the point. As you know, Tyler is getting stronger every day. So, I don’t see any advantage in delaying surgery beyond next week. In fact, I’ve managed to secure an operating room for Monday.”
“You what?” Arnold hunched his shoulders and glared at her. “After what I told you yesterday? You’re kidding, right?” His voice was cold and disbelieving.
Holly gave him a stern look. Best to push back hard and fast and hope he caved.
Fat chance that was going to happen.
“I heard what you said yesterday, Mr. Arnold. Loud and clear. You don’t want to give your permission. But surely you realize that your position can`t be the end of the matter. I can and will move forward, with or without your permission if I deem it medically necessary. And—”
“You’ll go to court.” His face had turned an alarming shade of red. The guy looked ready to stroke out.
“I’ve consulted with my chief of surgery, as well as with Dr. Morris, Tyler’s cardiologist.” She’d tracked down Morris after the M&M meeting, and had been surprised when he’d agreed to back her on her decision. But it did make this a bit easier. “We’re in agreement that Tyler should have the valve replacement, and that it should be done as soon as his condition permits. As I said, we’re confident that we can go ahead next week.”
She pushed a sheet of paper across the space between them. “This is the parental consent form. I would very much like you to sign it, as it will save us all a great deal of trouble. But if you choose not to, the hospital’s legal counsel will file a motion in court tomorrow. The legal test in these matters is to show the judge that by refusing consent, you are not demonstrably acting in the best interests of your child. We believe we have a very strong case in these circumstances.” She stressed the we.
Arnold snatched up the paper, glanced at it, then with eerie precision proceeded to rip it lengthwise, then crosswise. He pushed the pile of four pieces back at Holly. “How`s that for a signature?”
“I’m truly sorry,” Holly said, fighting to keep her composure. Something about the almost dispassionate way Arnold had ripped the paper threatened to unnerve her. “I wish there was something I could say to change your mind.”
Arnold got up and leaned against the table, the palms of his massive hands flat on the surface. He looked like he wanted to wrap those hands around her throat. “No, you’re the one who’s going to be changing her mind. If you don’t, you’re going to wish you had. Trust me on that.”
Holly’s stomach clenched tight and a flush of heat swept over her. Fight or flight?
Fight.
By the time she got to her feet, Arnold had turned his back on her, heading to the door. She raised her voice. “Are you man enough to repeat that threat in front of a witness?”
He stopped abruptly, but didn’t turn around.
“Intimidation doesn’t work on me, Arnold.” She forced the words out, suddenly more determined than ever that she wouldn’t wimp out to the bully.
He turned and smiled at her. “You tell your boss that you’ve thought it over some more and changed your mind. No court order. No surgery. So, no problems for you, Doctor.”
Arnold made the word doctor sound like a curse. Both his smile and his eyes were so full of cold malice that Holly suddenly believed Mrs. Crump’s startling story with absolute certainty.
Lance Arnold had killed before, and those eyes told her he could happily kill again.
Chapter Eighteen