Chapter 9 - Rita’s Bargain
Rita appeared at Jocelyn’s house the morning after she was discharged.
She pounded on the front door until security answered through the intercom.
“This is my son’s home!”
Naomi had arranged for private guards.
The locks had been changed.
Gordon’s belongings had been packed and moved into storage.
Rita shouted at the camera.
“You can’t throw family away!”
Jocelyn watched from the upstairs office.
Her body was still weak. Walking from one room to another left her breathless, but she refused to remain in bed while other people decided what her life would become.
The guard called.
“She says she has information.”
“What kind?”
“She’ll only speak to you.”
Naomi advised against letting her in.
Jocelyn agreed.
Instead, they met on the covered front terrace with a guard standing nearby.
Rita looked at Jocelyn’s pale face and medical brace.
For half a second, something like discomfort crossed her expression.
Then it vanished.
“You’ve caused enough damage,” Rita said.
Jocelyn sat carefully.
“I caused it?”
“Gordon lost his office. The bank took his accounts. Cassandra is threatening to leave. And the police keep asking questions.”
“Consequences are not damage. They are the receipt.”
Rita placed her handbag on the table.
“You think you’re clever because you have lawyers.”
“I think I’m alive because I stopped listening to you.”
Rita leaned closer.
“Drop the fraud complaint.”
“No.”
“Let Gordon keep the Lake Arbor house.”
“No.”
“Then I’ll tell the hospital what you did.”
Naomi’s gaze sharpened.
“What exactly did Dr. Hale do?”
Rita smiled.
“She accessed private patient records to benefit her father.”
Jocelyn frowned.
“My father died six years ago.”
“But before he died, you treated him without proper authorization.”
“That is false.”
“Can you prove it?”
“Yes.”
Rita’s confidence faltered.
Jocelyn studied her.
“You did not come here with evidence. You came here with a threat someone gave you.”
Rita said nothing.
“Who gave it to you?”
“No one.”
“Cassandra?”
Rita looked away.
Naomi leaned forward.
“Making knowingly false accusations against a physician can expose you to civil liability. Attempting to use those accusations to force the withdrawal of a criminal complaint may also constitute extortion.”
Rita stood abruptly.
“You can’t frighten me.”
Jocelyn’s voice stopped her.
“Your house was purchased with stolen money.”
Rita froze.
“The court will take it.”
“You wouldn’t.”
“I will.”
“That house is all I have.”
“No. It is all I had.”
Rita turned slowly.
For the first time, fear replaced arrogance.
“What do you want?”
“The truth.”
“About what?”
“Every transfer. Every signature. Every account.”
Rita’s lips tightened.
“If I tell you, Gordon goes to prison.”
“If you do not, you may go with him.”
Rita stared at Jocelyn for a long moment.
Then she sat down again.
“It was not supposed to become this large,” she whispered.
Naomi activated her recorder.
Rita looked at it.
May you like
Then she said the words that changed the investigation.
“Gordon did not start the transfers.”
