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Authors: Andrea Kane
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could mingle comfortably and do their own behavioral analysis as the event unfolded, while Madeline paid the appropriate respect to Ronald Lexington’s memory. There was no point in arousing any suspicions of her motives for being here.
On the other hand, Casey had also instructed Madeline to be up front about who her FI “plus-ones” were. Much to their chagrin, Forensic Instincts team members had been interviewed too many times by TV media sources to assume that no one would recognize them. Candor was their best defense.
“If you tell the truth, you don’t have to remember anything,” Casey said, quoting Mark Twain. “In this case, you’ll just tweak the truth to make it work for us. Explain that while you were a nurse in Bethesda, you treated Marc for an injury he sustained, and that, ironically, you ran into each other again in New York. And tell them that Claire and I were both recently patients in this hospital. We received excellent care and wanted to support the facility with a donation.” Casey stopped right there. The reasons for hers and Claire’s hospital admission were not things she wanted to discuss, nor did she need to. The details were no secret. The media had made sure of that.
“As for Emma,” Casey had concluded, “she’s fascinated by the medical field, and she loves helping people. She was hoping that by meeting someone in hospital administration, she could land a candy-striper job.”
Emma hadn’t blinked. She knew her dual roles in today’s visit.
Madeline didn’t, but she’d accepted Casey’s strategy at face value. “So, when you heard Marc was coming, you all opted to join him, each for your own reasons.”
“Exactly. We gave you a call, you offered to bring us as your guests, and that’s that.”
“Okay. That works.”
And it had. No matter how fascinating Forensic Instincts was, the crowd of hospital employees was far more interested in hearing about Madeline’s misfortunes and the severity of her injuries.
That gave the FI team the access they needed.
Their agendas had been laid out by Casey.
Emma headed off to begin her search for the right target.
Claire, keeping a low profile, moved about and stopped here and there to hover near clusters of people. Sipping her sparkling water, she listened, seeing if she picked up any negative energy. There was plenty to be had.
Casey noted the same thing as she chatted with the various employees. She listened to their feelings about Ronald Lexington, watching their body language as they spoke and assessing who was disingenuous and who was for real. The gist of what she heard was positive, and it was obvious that Lexington had been an affable guy whose only flaw was that he liked women just a tad too much for a happily married man. But if you played into his charm, all would be cool.
There was an entirely different vibe that came through when people talked about Jacob Casper. No matter how diplomatically people spoke, it was clear that there was no love lost between the staff and their interim hospital administrator. Listening to what
wasn’t
said as well as to what
was,
it was obvious that the hospital employees felt that Casper’s interests were totally self-centered, and that he didn’t give a damn about anything but money and power.
Casey wanted to form her own opinion. The employees were hardly unbiased at this particularly vulnerable time. There were anxious whispered conversations about the hospital merger—fears of job loss, reduced benefits, staff cuts and the resulting overwork for those who remained. The lack of job security and fear for financial survival was crushing—and naturally, those feelings were directly aimed at Jacob Casper. So Casey would have to meet him and decipher what he was for herself.
Multitasking as always, Casey glanced around, her expert gaze seeking and finding the specific individuals Madeline had named and provided physical descriptions of as being those who’d been
On the other hand, Casey had also instructed Madeline to be up front about who her FI “plus-ones” were. Much to their chagrin, Forensic Instincts team members had been interviewed too many times by TV media sources to assume that no one would recognize them. Candor was their best defense.
“If you tell the truth, you don’t have to remember anything,” Casey said, quoting Mark Twain. “In this case, you’ll just tweak the truth to make it work for us. Explain that while you were a nurse in Bethesda, you treated Marc for an injury he sustained, and that, ironically, you ran into each other again in New York. And tell them that Claire and I were both recently patients in this hospital. We received excellent care and wanted to support the facility with a donation.” Casey stopped right there. The reasons for hers and Claire’s hospital admission were not things she wanted to discuss, nor did she need to. The details were no secret. The media had made sure of that.
“As for Emma,” Casey had concluded, “she’s fascinated by the medical field, and she loves helping people. She was hoping that by meeting someone in hospital administration, she could land a candy-striper job.”
Emma hadn’t blinked. She knew her dual roles in today’s visit.
Madeline didn’t, but she’d accepted Casey’s strategy at face value. “So, when you heard Marc was coming, you all opted to join him, each for your own reasons.”
“Exactly. We gave you a call, you offered to bring us as your guests, and that’s that.”
“Okay. That works.”
And it had. No matter how fascinating Forensic Instincts was, the crowd of hospital employees was far more interested in hearing about Madeline’s misfortunes and the severity of her injuries.
That gave the FI team the access they needed.
Their agendas had been laid out by Casey.
Emma headed off to begin her search for the right target.
Claire, keeping a low profile, moved about and stopped here and there to hover near clusters of people. Sipping her sparkling water, she listened, seeing if she picked up any negative energy. There was plenty to be had.
Casey noted the same thing as she chatted with the various employees. She listened to their feelings about Ronald Lexington, watching their body language as they spoke and assessing who was disingenuous and who was for real. The gist of what she heard was positive, and it was obvious that Lexington had been an affable guy whose only flaw was that he liked women just a tad too much for a happily married man. But if you played into his charm, all would be cool.
There was an entirely different vibe that came through when people talked about Jacob Casper. No matter how diplomatically people spoke, it was clear that there was no love lost between the staff and their interim hospital administrator. Listening to what
wasn’t
said as well as to what
was,
it was obvious that the hospital employees felt that Casper’s interests were totally self-centered, and that he didn’t give a damn about anything but money and power.
Casey wanted to form her own opinion. The employees were hardly unbiased at this particularly vulnerable time. There were anxious whispered conversations about the hospital merger—fears of job loss, reduced benefits, staff cuts and the resulting overwork for those who remained. The lack of job security and fear for financial survival was crushing—and naturally, those feelings were directly aimed at Jacob Casper. So Casey would have to meet him and decipher what he was for herself.
Multitasking as always, Casey glanced around, her expert gaze seeking and finding the specific individuals Madeline had named and provided physical descriptions of as being those who’d been
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