Page 31

CHAPTER THIRTY

I n front of a bright red food truck in a little gravel courtyard sun trap, asian fusion dishes, sushi and sashimi are served up in newspaper-lined baskets and plain wood bowls.

I settle onto a bench and I watch the man on the opposite side of the table. “This place is getting a reputation.” I say, “I can see why it’s popular with senior UW Medical staff.”

He looks up. Then he blinks, almost charmingly. “Ms Fortuna.”

Across the bare wood table, the doctor’s eyes flit around as he peers up at me, over his bowl of fish and rice.

“What a pleasant surprise,” his voice is hesitant. He begins to straighten up. “It’s good to see you up and about. How are you feeling?”

“Donna.”

“I’m sorry?”

“It’s Donna Fortuna.” I smile. “I wouldn’t want you to forget that.”

“Oh. Forgive me. Donna,” his head swivels as Bruno slips in to sit beside him.

Bruno smiles, “You come here for lunch often?”

“Late lunch, I guess,” I say, “Maybe more a light early dinner, would you call it that, Doc?”

Bruno says, “The dumpling soup is supposed to be amazing.”

“I heard that.” I ask the doc, “That’s rice in the bottom there, right? A chirashi bowl, yes? Nice. Mind if I try the seared tuna?” I take a piece of his fish.

“Mm. Tasty. Bruno, you should try it.”

He says, “I like the nigiri, myself. Is there some salmon in there?”

As Bruno reaches into the doctor’s bowl, he looks up at both of us with an awkward laugh and a half-hearted protest. “What is this? Why are you here?”

I tell him, “Relax. What are you so jumpy about?”

“Why would you be worried?” Bruno asks him. “Man like you? Man in your position. What would you have to worry about?”

“It’s a nice afternoon.” I say, “You’ve got a little time to yourself. Nice break from work. You should be enjoying your late lunch. What is it, actually? Clear that up for us, would you, is it a late lunch or an early dinner for you?”

“Yeah,” Bruno says, “Back to work after this? Saw a few more people’s heads open before you go home to the kids?”

“Wait…” the doctor starts to rise up off the bench.

Bruno lays a hand on his forearm.

“You don’t want to leave your dinner, now, do you? All that nice fish? That would be a terrible waste.”

“Is there,” he looks between us, anxiously, “Is there something I can do for you?”

“Ah, now that’s nice,” I tell him. “Isn’t that nice, Bruno?”

Bruno nods. “There is a generous and a gentlemanly offer.”

I nod, too. “I wonder if there is something the kind and courteous doctor could do for us, Bruno. What do you think?”

“It’s a tempting proposition, and that’s absolutely for certain.” He looks into the doctor’s face. The face that is draining to appear a little pale. “I wonder what he might do. What do you think, Donna Fortuna? What might the good doctor have in his gift to do for you?”

I straighten up with a smile. “You know, Bruno, I think that our friend the cultured and well connected senior neurologist might be able to make some introductions for us.”

“We are friends,” Bruno still holds the doctor’s arm, “Aren’t we, doc?”

“Come on. Please. What’s going on here?”

I nod, “And friends like to be introduced to other friends.”

Bruno says, “That is often the way. And that’s how we broaden our circles of acquaintance.”

“Indeed,” I smile. “We widen our our spheres of influence and deepen our interactions in society.”

“What is this?” The doctor’s voice is becoming thinner. Rising a little in pitch. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Oh,” I say, “Please. Don’t be too modest and coy with us, doc.”

“C’mon, Doc,” Bruno nudges him. “You’ve been meeting some people, now we’d like to meet them, too.”

I open my hands, “Our friend, introduces his friends,”

“Us,” Bruno prompts.

“To his new friends.” I wait.

“Come on , Doc.” Bruno looks in his eye. “You don’t want to be un friendly, do you?”

“Not with us,” I say, “Surely.”

“We would be offended.” Bruno tells him.

“We’d feel like you didn’t think we were good enough to meet your new friends.”

“You don’t think that,” Bruno gives the doctor’s arm a little shake, “Do you?”

The doctor’s eyes flash from Bruno to me, then back. And then back again.

Bruno says, “There was a time, if I remember right.”

“Oh, yeah.” I say, “ That time a little while ago, when the good doctor was worried. Yes, Bruno. I do remember that.”

“Thinking back, Doc, you were pretty fortunate to get your position as head of surgery and chief neurology consultant. Do I remember that right?”

“Look…”

I say, “There was some mixup with the rostering as I remember.”

“Oh, yes,” Bruno’s eye widen. “Weren’t there two very unhappy patients, talking about bringing malpractice suits against our good doctor?”

“That’s right,” I say, lifting my index finger. “Then at the last minute,” I snap my fingers, “They decided to drop them.”

“A happy result,” Bruno puts his hand on the doctor’s shoulder. “Smiles all around. Isn’t that right, Doc?”

“At the time,” I point my finger straight up, “I remember him saying it was all for his family, though. Do you remember that, Bruno?”

“Yes, Donna Fortuna, I do remember that very clearly.” He turns to smile at the doctor. “You must have loved your family very much.”

I nod. “Back then.”

His eyes stretch and gleam. “What are you talking about?”

Bruno’s head shakes. “Seems like he’s not so crazy about them now.”

“Wait. What is this?”

I shake my head, too. “No, it seems quite sad, Bruno. If he did still love them, I don’t think he would have had secret meetings. He wouldn’t have been collaborating against us.”

“No,” Bruno droops the corners of his mouth. “Giving away privileged information?”

I nod, slow and sad, then shake. “Helping those who would wish us harm.”

The doctor is looking frantically from Bruno’s face to mine and back.

Bruno’s voice drops, almost to a whisper. “Working with our adversaries.”

“Enemies.” I add. “Being…” my mouth twists and my voice comes out with the trace of a hiss, I lean toward him, “a rat.”

Bruno puts up his eyebrows, then lets them slowly droop again. “He really must not care much about the family at all anymore.”

“Wait,” the doctor tenses up. the muscles on his forearms knot and stand out. “Stop it.”

“Calm down, Doc,” Bruno’s hand grips the doctor’s shoulder harder. “Relax. We’re just chatting. Bringing each other up to date with our news, Right? Because,” Bruno lowers his head and gives the doctor an encouraging smile, “I think you may have been a little remiss, not keeping us abreast of your social calendar.”

“Tell me what you want,” his voice is hardly above a croak. “I’ll do anything. Whatever it is. Anything. Just tell me.”

Bruno says, “I don’t know.” He looks at me. “What do you think, Donna Fortuna?”

My head shakes. “I don’t see how we can trust him. Do you?”

He’s quiet for a moment. Takes a breath and gets a hold of himself. “I know there’s something you want. That’s why you’re here,” he blinks. “That’s why you’ve tracked me down…”

“Oh,” Bruno says, “that doesn’t sound very nice. Does that sound nice, Donna Fortuna? We ‘tracked him down,’ he says.”

“No, Bruno. I hate to say it, but that doesn’t sound friendly at all.” I look in the doctor’s eyes. “All we wanted was to come and join you for your late lunch.”

“Or early dinner,” Bruno adds.

I take a king prawn. “And to have a little chat. To see if you might introduce us to your new friends. That’s all.”

“Come on. Please. I can’t do that. Not that. Something else. Please.”

“See?” Bruno says, “He really doesn’t care much about the family at all.”

The doctor tenses up again, “Look, I did all that you asked.”

I nod. “He did. It’s true.” I say to Bruno, “Except for ratting us out. Did you ask him to rat on us?”

Bruno’s bottom lip juts as he shakes his head. “I think I would remember if I had. You’re sure you didn’t ask him to do that, are you?”

The doctor’s face is coloring up and darkening. “They were going to kill me.”

“Oh!” I say, raising my chin, “Like that, was it?”

“Well, now you have to understand.” Bruno snaps his finger and says, “I understand. That’s it. Don’t you understand?”

“I do.” I nod and smile. “It’s kind of sweet, don’t you think?”

The doctor’s eyes widen. The edges of a smile flicker on his face.

Bruno says, “It’s very charming. Really.”

I nod. “I’m touched.”

The doctor looks baffled. “Wait… What?”

“Sentimental, isn’t it?” Bruno says.

“What?” the doctor is agitated again. “What are you talking about?”

I say, “It’s nice that you didn’t want them to kill you.”

Bruno smiles as he nods, “Just because you’d rather have us do it.”

“Wait… NO!”

I shake my head, “Shame about the family, though.”

Bruno says, “Yeah, I’m surprised about that.”

“Me, too.” I take the last piece of seared tuna. “This place is great. The tuna is so nicely seasoned.”

With his fists balled, the doctor says, “If I do what you want, they’ll kill me.”

Bruno smiles and shakes his head. “See?”

Still chewing, I nod and let out an, “Awww.”

Bruno smiles. “He still wants us to kill him.”

I ask him, “Two kids, isn’t it?”

Bruno nods. “And his lovely wife.”

I say, “Oh, yes,” remembering

“She is lovely.” Bruno sounds enthusiastic.

“Isn’t she though?” I smile.