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out on hunting trips. It’s what he plans to do with his time when he retires in three years.”
    â€œSounds like you know him pretty well.”
    Jarvis reached toward the speakerphone and punched his numbers. “Well enough to get information from him about Bower.”
    They reached Dr. Probstfield at home. After a few preliminaries, Jarvis asked, “Sal, we have a new full-time doctor down here. Does the name Lukas Bower mean anything to you?”
    There was a pause, then a low whistle. “So you’re the guys who stole our whiz kid.”
    Ivy raised a brow at Jarvis. She mouthed the words, “Whiz kid?”
    Sal continued. “He’s awful at hospital politics, so his colleagues tend to resent him. He’s great with patients and diagnoses and he puts on a good show of confidence, so his colleagues tend to resent him.” He chuckled at his own attempt at humor. “Give him time. He’s not obnoxious. He’s just got a small problem with social graces. He’s not as cocky or self-confident as he seems.”
    Jarvis saw the relief in Ivy’s expression.
    Sal’s voice came again. “Those guys over at Cunningham Memorial lost themselves a good internist when they kicked him out of the residency program.”
    Ivy’s head jerked up.
    Jarvis stiffened, trying to control the surge of hope he felt. “What?”
    â€œYou know he’s not board certified, don’t you? That’s why. The hospital’s board of internal medicine decided he was endangering patients, and they fired him. He never got into another residency program. I know the trainer Bower had over there. Vicious man, very vindictive. He didn’t like being shown up, and I’d hazard a guess that Bower did so without even realizing it. The director of internal medicine backed up Bower’s trainer. They even tried to block Bower’s permanent licensure. I hear he had to take them to court to get it through.”
    â€œI see,” Jarvis muttered, glancing at Ivy. “Is that all you know about it, Sal?”
    There was a pause. “I’ve heard other rumors, but nothing was substantiated.”
    â€œHow did they feel he was endangering patients?”
    â€œYou’ll have to get that information from somebody else. Remember, I liked the guy. All you have to do is ask Bower about it. He’s an innocent, and he’s never learned to keep his mouth shut.”
    â€œThanks, Sal, I owe you. See you soon.” Jarvis hung up and looked at Ivy. “I know some people at Cunningham. I’ll give them a call later and see if I can come up with more info.”
    â€œWhy don’t you just ask Dr. Bower?” Ivy suggested.
    Jarvis shot her a skeptical glance. “I’ll call Cunningham.”

Chapter Five
    L ukas didn’t often visit a patient after admitting, because he didn’t want to interfere with the family docs. Friday morning, however, he’d received a special request from ICU that he could not refuse.
    Mr. Franklin Verris had apparently just awakened from his mysterious deep sleep late yesterday evening, and he wanted to meet the doctor who, according to Dr. Robert Simeon, had probably saved his life. Dr. Simeon must be mistaken, and Lukas intended to tell Mr. Verris that.
    Mr. Verris looked different in a hospital gown, but someone had been kind enough to bring him his teeth and help him comb his full head of white hair. His skin appeared pink and healthy this morning. Shelly had probably been by to see him already.
    â€œMr. Verris?” Lukas said quietly as he stepped up to the bed. “I’m Dr. Bower. I saw you in the emergency room Wednesday.”
    The man glanced at Lukas, nodded and reached up to take Lukas’s hand in a firm shake. “Call me Frankie. My doctor tells me you kept me from doing something terrible. I thank you.” He looked away. “I don’t…don’t know what got into