The Conspiracy Club

20

Arthur wasn’t at tumor board. Another pathologist presided, an associate professor named Barnard Singh, bright and turbaned and dressed in a perfect gray suit. He got right to business, flashing slides of a synovial sarcoma. Gentian violet stain turned the specimens beautiful.

Jeremy asked the radiotherapist next to him, “Where’s Dr. Chess?” and received a shrug.

He sat through the hour, restless, and, despite himself, curious.

He called Arthur’s office extension, heard the phone ring. Went up to see his patients and tried three hours later. Not knowing what he’d say if Arthur picked up.

Just saying hi, old chap. Harumph pshaw. How’re the old CCC chumskys?

No answer.

Then he thought: What if something’s happened to him? Despite his outward robustness, Arthur was an old man. And the way he packed away alcohol and cholesterol…

Perhaps he’d had a heart attack and lay untended on the floor of his lab. Or worse.

Jeremy pictured the pathologist’s long frame stretched out, surrounded by jars of floating viscera, skeletal specimens, bodies in various states of dissection. Sterile tools laid out in preparation for human carpentry… laser scalpel?… an expensive gizmo. Would there be any reason for a pathologist to invest in one?

He hurried to the main wing, took the stairs down to the basement. Once again, Arthur’s office door was closed, and no one responded to Jeremy’s knock.

The morgue sat at the far end of the hall, and its door was open. The sleepy-looking attendant at the front desk was doing paperwork. No, he hadn’t seen Dr. Chess today, had no idea where he was.

“Was he here yesterday?”

“Uh, no, I don’t think so.”

Jeremy backtracked to the Pathology Office, on the opposite end and around a bend.

A chubby woman in her forties sat sentry.

“Hi,” she said. “Can I help you, Doctor?”

“I’m looking for Dr. Chess.”

“He’s out.”

“Is he okay?”

“Why wouldn’t he be?”

“I just wondered,” said Jeremy. “He wasn’t at Tumor Board, and I’ve never known him to miss one.”

“Well,” she said, “he’s as fine as he could possibly be. I believe he’s taken some time off.”

“Vacation?”

“It’s not like that,” said the receptionist.

Jeremy’s puzzled look made her smile. She said, “You don’t know him well, do you? How long have you been attending T.B.?”

“A year.”

“Ah,” she said. “Well, Dr. Chess isn’t really on staff, anymore. Not officially, anyway.” She cupped her hand around her mouth, and whispered, “He doesn’t get paid.”

“He’s volunteering his time?” said Jeremy.

“You could call it that, but that really doesn’t describe it.” She lowered her voice even further, forcing Jeremy to lean in close. “He doesn’t do autopsies anymore, or analyze specimens. Doesn’t do much at all, except Tumor Board. But he’s such a brilliant man, has given so much to this hospital, that they allow him to keep his office, do any research he wants to do. It’s not a secret, but we don’t publicize it either. For Dr. Chess’s sake. It’s not like he’s deadweight or anything. He’s a major asset to this department because of his reputation. In fact, I’ll have you know, he turned this department into what it is.”

Her voice had risen. Indignant. Protective.

“He’s brilliant,” Jeremy agreed, and that seemed to mollify her.

“That’s why we don’t talk about his… employment status. As far as everyone’s concerned, he’s a full-fledged member, welcome here whenever he wants. And his running T.B. is a big help. Everyone says he’s got an encyclopedic memory. And, of course, he’s available when the younger pathologists have questions for him. Which they frequently do. They have tremendous respect for him, everyone does. He’s a beacon in his field.”

“Yes, he is,” said Jeremy. “So… you’re saying he just decided not to come in.”

“It’s happened before. Why all the questions, Dr… Carrier?”

“Dr. Chess and I had dinner a couple of nights ago. He seemed… a little shaky.”

The receptionist’s hand flew to her mouth. “Oh, my. I certainly hope he’s all right.”

“I probably overstated. He just seemed a little tired. Less energetic than what we’ve come to expect from him. That’s why, when he didn’t show up this morning for T.B., I got a little concerned.”

“Who ran Board this morning?”

“Dr. Singh.”

“Let me call him.” She punched her phone. “Dr. Singh? It’s Emily, sorry to disturb you, but I’ve got Dr. Carrier here asking about Dr. Chess… Carrier. From…” She inspected Jeremy’s badge. “Psychiatry. He had dinner with Dr. Chess last night, thought Dr. Chess looked a wee bit tired. He wants to make sure Dr. Chess is okay… what’s that? All right, I’ll tell him. Thanks, Dr. Singh.”

She placed the phone in its cradle. “Dr. Singh says Dr. Chess called him last night to inform him he’d be taking additional time off and wouldn’t be making Board. Dr. Singh said he sounded fine.”

“Great, that’s good to know. Thanks.” Jeremy turned to leave.

“It’s so nice,” she said. “The way he does that.”

“Does what?”

“Dr. Chess. The way he gets people to care about him. The dear.”

Her phone rang and she picked it up and got involved in a conversation with someone named Janine who’d just had a baby and wasn’t that great, and she was sure he was cute, just the cutest, when could she stop by with the baby gift she’d bought thecutestlittlebootieandjammy set.