“It was hard not to,” Chet said. “What do you think happened?”
“I haven’t the faintest idea,” Jack said.
True to his word, Jack left immediately. Exiting from the front of the medical examiner facility, he caught a cab on First Avenue. Despite the normal afternoon traffic, he made it uptown in reasonable time.
The café was crowded. He found Terese sitting toward the rear at a small banquette. He took the seat opposite her. She didn’t make any motion to get up. She was dressed as usual in a smart suit. Her jaw was clenched. She looked angry.
She leaned forward. “You are not going to believe this,” she said in a forced whisper.
“Did the president and the CEO not like your presentation?” Jack asked. It was the only thing he could think of.
Terese made a motion of dismissal with her hand. “I canceled the presentation,” she said.
“Why?” Jack asked.
“Because I’d had the sense to schedule an early breakfast with a woman acquaintance at National Health,” Terese said. “She’s a vice president in marketing who I happened to have gone to Smith College with. I’d had a brainstorm about leaking the campaign to some higher-ups through her. I was so confident. But she shocked me by telling me that under no circumstances would the campaign fly.”
“But why?” Jack asked. As much as he disliked medical advertising, he’d considered the ads Terese had come up with the best he’d seen.
“Because National Health is deathly afraid of any reference to nosocomial infections,” Terese said angrily. Then she leaned forward again and whispered. “Apparently they have had some of their own trouble lately.”
“What kind of trouble?” Jack asked.
“Nothing like the Manhattan General,” Terese said. “But serious nonetheless, even with a few deaths. But the real point is that our own account executive people, specifically Helen Robinson and her boss, Robert Barker, knew all this and didn’t tell me.”
“That’s counterproductive,” Jack said. “I thought you corporate types were all working toward the same end.”
“Counterproductive!” Terese practically shouted, causing the nearby diners to turn their heads. Terese closed her eyes for a moment to collect herself.
“ ‘Counterproductive’ is not the term I’d use,” Terese said, keeping her voice down. “The way I’d describe it would make a sailor blush. You see, this was not an oversight. It was done deliberately to make me look bad.”
“I’m sorry to hear this,” Jack said. “I can see it’s upsetting for you.”
“That’s an understatement,” Terese said. “It’s the death of my presidential aspirations if I don’t come up with an alternative campaign in the next couple of days.”
“A couple of days?” Jack questioned. “From what you’ve shown me about how this process works, that’s a mighty tall order.”
“Exactly,” Terese said. “That’s why I had to see you. I need another hook. You came up with this infection idea, or at least you were the source of it. Can you come up with another concept? Something that I can construct an ad campaign around. I’m desperate!”
Jack looked off and tried to think. The irony of the situation didn’t escape him; as much as he despised medical advertising, here he was racking his brains for some sort of an idea. He wanted to help; after all, Terese had been so willing to help him.
“The reason I think medical advertising is such a waste of money is that it ultimately has to rely on superficial amenities,” he said. “The problem is that without quality being an issue there just isn’t enough difference between AmeriCare and National Health or any of the other big conglomerates.”
“I don’t care,” Terese said. “Just give me something I can use.”
“Well, the only thing that comes to my mind at the moment is the issue about waiting,” Jack said.
“What do you mean, ‘waiting’?” Terese asked.
“You know,” Jack said. “Nobody likes waiting for the doctor, but everybody does. It’s one of those irritating universal annoyances.”
“You’re right!” Terese said excitedly. “I love it. I can already see a tag line like: No waiting with National Health! Or even better: We wait for you, you don’t wait for us! God, that’s great! You’re a genius at this. How about a job?”
Jack chuckled. “Wouldn’t that be a trip,” he said. “But I’m having enough trouble with the one I have.”
“Is there something wrong?” Terese asked. “What did you mean when you said you were in the middle of an emergency?”
“There’s more trouble at the Manhattan General,” Jack said. “This time it’s an illness caused by meningococcus bacteria. It can be extremely deadly, as it has been in this instance.”
“How many cases?”
“Eight,” Jack said. “Including a child.”
“How awful,” Terese said. She was appalled. “Do you think it will spread?”
“I was worried at first,” Jack said. “I thought we were going to have a bona fide epidemic on our hands. But the cases just stopped. So far it hasn’t spread beyond the initial cohort.”
“I hope this isn’t going to be kept a secret like whatever killed the people at National Health,” Terese said.
“No worry on that account,” Jack said. “This episode is no secret. I’ve heard the hospital is in an uproar. But I’ll find out firsthand. I’m on my way over there.”
“Oh, no you’re not!” Terese commanded. “Is your memory so short that Friday night is already a blur?”
“You sound like several of my colleagues,” Jack said. “I appreciate your concern, but I can’t stay away. I have a sense that these outbreaks are deliberate, and my conscience won’t let me ignore them.”
“What about those people who beat you up?” she demanded.
“I’ll have to be careful,” Jack said.
Terese made a disparaging sound. “Being careful hardly sounds adequate,” she said. “It’s certainly not consistent with how you described those hoodlums Friday night.”
“I’ll just have to take my chances and improvise,” Jack said. “I’m going over to the General no matter what anybody says.”
“What I can’t understand is why you are so agitated about these infections. I’ve read that infectious diseases are generally on the rise.”
“That’s true,” Jack said. “But that’s not due to deliberate spread. That’s from the injudicious use of antibiotics, urbanization, and the invasion of primeval habitats.”
“Give me a break,” Terese commented. “I’m concerned about you getting yourself hurt or worse, and you’re giving me a lecture.”
Jack shrugged. “I’m going to the General,” he said.
“Fine, go!” Terese said. She stood up. “You’re being that ridiculous hero I was afraid you’d be.” Then she softened. “Do what you must, but if you need me, call me.”
“I will,” Jack said. He watched her hurry out of the restaurant, thinking that she was a bewildering blend of ambition and solicitude. It was no wonder he was confused by her: one minute attracted, the next minute mildly put off.
Jack tossed down the remains of his coffee and stood up. After leaving an appropriate tip, he, too, hurried out of the café.
24
Jack walked rapidly toward the General. After the conversation with Terese he needed some fresh air. She had a way of agitating him. Not only was she emotionally confusing, but she was also right about the Black Kings. As much as Jack didn’t want to think about it, he was taking a chance defying their threat. The questions were: Whom had he irritated enough to send a gang to threaten him, and did the threat confirm his suspicions? Unfortunately there was no way to know. As he’d told Terese, he would have to be careful. The problem with that flippant answer, of course, was that he had no idea with whom he had to be careful. He assumed it would have to be Kelley, Zimmerman, Cheveau, or Abelard because those were the people he’d irritated. The trick was to avoid them all.