Read Online Alien Nation #6 - Passing Fancy by David Spencer - Free Book Online
Authors: David Spencer
Ads: Link
her—”
“I tell you I treated no such woman!”
Matt pulled the bottle of Stabilite from his pocket, held it between middle finger and thumb, rocked it back and forth on the balls of the digits. “I got a label here tellin’ a different story.”
“That’s it!” LeBeque exploded, jowls aquiver. “Leave this building or I’m calling the—” He cut himself short. Paused. Nodded to himself. Grimaced ironically. “How absurd of me. You are the police.”
“Man’s a quick study, George.”
“Let’s can the banter, gentlemen. I’d like to see some ID. Just to be on the safe side.”
“The man is also cautious, Matthew.”
“Maybe he’s got reason.”
They both flipped their shields. LeBeque inspected them for a long time. “All right,” he said finally, “fine,” and the shields disappeared. “What is this charade all about?”
“The charade, sir, would seem to be yours,” George accused.
“Excuse me?”
“You just pretended not to know one of your most notable clients,” Matt pointed out. “Oops. Sorry. Patients.”
“Part of my service involves strict confidentiality. Ms. Delancey went through great lengths to keep her treatment private. She would not have spoken of it to anyone, much less made a recommendation.”
Appraising LeBeque, George asked slowly, “And would you say your work on Ms. Delancey was successful?”
“Exemplary. As you must know from her recent triumph.”
“You must be very proud of yourself.”
“It is always good to know that one’s labors have helped another achieve a lifelong dream,” he responded defensively.
“Yeah, well, the celebration’s a bit premature, Chris tian,” Matt asserted, mocking the affected pronunciation. “The lady’s down from bad Stabilite.”
“When?”
“Last night.”
“Pity.”
“ ‘Pity,’ ” echoed George. “Is that all you have to say?”
“What would you have me say?”
“You might try assuming some responsibility.”
“Me? For what?”
“For seeing that she was fully prepared for the consequences of her . . .” the word caught in George’s throat; he managed to extricate it, “. . . treatment.”
“Consequences such as . . . ?”
“Such as the high price of the habit,” Matt contributed. “Such as the existence of bum product and the dangers of ingesting it.”
LeBeque pulled himself up, huffily. “No, gentlemen, I’m sorry, my responsibility ended when I asked Ms. Delancey if she could afford treatment and medication. It was she who sought me out, remember. And when her answer was yes, I proceeded accordingly.”
“With no regard for the state of her finances after she paid you off?”
“She’s an adult, making an adult decision. It’s not my job to be a detective. That’s your department.”
“Yes . . . Of course . . . You are correct,” George nodded.
His tone was so overpolite that Matt backed up a step, saying, “Oh my.”
“Indeed,” George continued, “we are detectives, and a very minor bit of detecting led to the discovery that when you wrote Ms. Delancey’s prescription for Stabilite, you did not make it out to any of the pharmacies specializing in its handling and dispensation—such as the one right here in this building —but instead you gave her an open prescription. Good anywhere.”
“Standard practice,” LeBeque countered. “A courtesy. Ms. Delancey did not, obviously, live in the immediate area and I thought—”
George grabbed the fat man’s tie and jerked him forward so that they were almost nose to nose. “Standard perhaps,” he said in soft, lethal tones, “but of questionable ethics where expensive and controversial drugs are concerned and there is a known threat of inferior merchandise. Especially since ‘obviously’ the young lady did not live in the area because she ‘obviously’ had no access to the financial resources. Which might have led a reasonable mind to the conclusion that ‘obviously,’ and by extension, she would
“I tell you I treated no such woman!”
Matt pulled the bottle of Stabilite from his pocket, held it between middle finger and thumb, rocked it back and forth on the balls of the digits. “I got a label here tellin’ a different story.”
“That’s it!” LeBeque exploded, jowls aquiver. “Leave this building or I’m calling the—” He cut himself short. Paused. Nodded to himself. Grimaced ironically. “How absurd of me. You are the police.”
“Man’s a quick study, George.”
“Let’s can the banter, gentlemen. I’d like to see some ID. Just to be on the safe side.”
“The man is also cautious, Matthew.”
“Maybe he’s got reason.”
They both flipped their shields. LeBeque inspected them for a long time. “All right,” he said finally, “fine,” and the shields disappeared. “What is this charade all about?”
“The charade, sir, would seem to be yours,” George accused.
“Excuse me?”
“You just pretended not to know one of your most notable clients,” Matt pointed out. “Oops. Sorry. Patients.”
“Part of my service involves strict confidentiality. Ms. Delancey went through great lengths to keep her treatment private. She would not have spoken of it to anyone, much less made a recommendation.”
Appraising LeBeque, George asked slowly, “And would you say your work on Ms. Delancey was successful?”
“Exemplary. As you must know from her recent triumph.”
“You must be very proud of yourself.”
“It is always good to know that one’s labors have helped another achieve a lifelong dream,” he responded defensively.
“Yeah, well, the celebration’s a bit premature, Chris tian,” Matt asserted, mocking the affected pronunciation. “The lady’s down from bad Stabilite.”
“When?”
“Last night.”
“Pity.”
“ ‘Pity,’ ” echoed George. “Is that all you have to say?”
“What would you have me say?”
“You might try assuming some responsibility.”
“Me? For what?”
“For seeing that she was fully prepared for the consequences of her . . .” the word caught in George’s throat; he managed to extricate it, “. . . treatment.”
“Consequences such as . . . ?”
“Such as the high price of the habit,” Matt contributed. “Such as the existence of bum product and the dangers of ingesting it.”
LeBeque pulled himself up, huffily. “No, gentlemen, I’m sorry, my responsibility ended when I asked Ms. Delancey if she could afford treatment and medication. It was she who sought me out, remember. And when her answer was yes, I proceeded accordingly.”
“With no regard for the state of her finances after she paid you off?”
“She’s an adult, making an adult decision. It’s not my job to be a detective. That’s your department.”
“Yes . . . Of course . . . You are correct,” George nodded.
His tone was so overpolite that Matt backed up a step, saying, “Oh my.”
“Indeed,” George continued, “we are detectives, and a very minor bit of detecting led to the discovery that when you wrote Ms. Delancey’s prescription for Stabilite, you did not make it out to any of the pharmacies specializing in its handling and dispensation—such as the one right here in this building —but instead you gave her an open prescription. Good anywhere.”
“Standard practice,” LeBeque countered. “A courtesy. Ms. Delancey did not, obviously, live in the immediate area and I thought—”
George grabbed the fat man’s tie and jerked him forward so that they were almost nose to nose. “Standard perhaps,” he said in soft, lethal tones, “but of questionable ethics where expensive and controversial drugs are concerned and there is a known threat of inferior merchandise. Especially since ‘obviously’ the young lady did not live in the area because she ‘obviously’ had no access to the financial resources. Which might have led a reasonable mind to the conclusion that ‘obviously,’ and by extension, she would
Similar Books
