TEN
"Well, it looks like your theory was right," said Stillman when Lilly and Scotty had returned to the squad room and shown him what they had found. "Campbell apparently committed suicide and made it look like a murder so his family would collect the insurance."
"I'm kind of sorry I was right," said Lilly. "This means that his family will be on the hook for half a million dollars. The insurance company is sure to change their minds about the payout once the COD is changed from murder to suicide."
"That's not our problem," said Stillman. "Our job was to investigate the crime. We've done that. We can put this one to bed now. Good job, Lilly. To everyone. Good job on this one."
"There's still one unanswered questioned," said Lilly.
"Why did Campbell commit suicide?" Will asked.
"Exactly," said Lilly. "From all accounts he was happy. He had a loving wife, two wonderful kids, he was on the fast track to becoming vice president of the company where he worked. And he was making a very nice salary, especially for 1983. It seemed he had everything. Why would he suddenly just decide to commit suicide?"
"That's not our job, Lil," said Stillman. "Our job is to investigate the case and see if we can identify the doer or doers. Then we turn over what we have to the DA so that he can decide how to proceed with the case. We've done that."
"I disagree, boss," said Lilly. "I think the why is a very important part of the case. And it does help the DA make a stronger case in court."
"You know that motive is not a prerequisite in a court case," said Will. "The DA just needs to establish mean and opportunity. And you know as well as I do that motive is not always clear, especially in a suicide."
"I'm with Lilly on this one," said Nick. "Campbell had everything. It doesn't make sense that he'd just suddenly decide to commit suicide for no reason. We didn't find any indication that he was mentally unstable or anything like that. So why did he just suddenly decide to kill himself?"
"You're thinking the doctor, aren't you?" Scotty asked Lilly.
"It's the only question we haven't answered," said Lilly. "Why did Campbell go see the doctor in the first place? And what kind of news did the doctor give him? Campbell suddenly goes to see a doctor then almost immediately afterward he cancels all of his appointments for the future. Then, 13 days later he goes into the park alone and blows his brains out. I think that's just a bit too coincidental."
"Well," said Stillman thoughtfully, "the doctor told you he couldn't divulge any specifics about the case. You think that might have changed now?"
"It's worth a shot," said Lilly. "Since it wasn't a murder maybe the doctor will be willing to be a bit more forthcoming with the information. The way I see it, it can't hurt to try. The worst that can happen is he still won't tell us anything."
"Okay, go see the doctor again," said Stillman. "But if you can't find out anything then write up your report and turn it in. We've solved the who and the how on this one. We can't waste any more time on trying to figure out why."
"Thanks boss," said Lilly. "We shouldn't be gone long."
She and Scotty headed out of the squad room to go back and visit Doctor Hagnell.
"I thought I made it clear the other day, detectives," said Hagnell, "that ethically and legally I'm bound by doctor/patient confidentiality. I really can't tell you any more than I told you the last time you were here."
"The case has changed," said Lilly. "We've discovered that Mr. Campbell committed suicide just after he visited you. It wasn't a murder as we first thought. The coroner will probably be issuing a new death certificate based on our findings."
"I still don't see how I can help you," said Hagnell. "The cause of death is unimportant when it comes to the confidentiality. Suicide or murder I still can't divulge any information about Mr. Campbell without a waiver from the executor of his estate. And as I also explained the last time, I would also need consent of Mr. Campbell's children. There's just nothing I can do for you."
"Something you told him caused him to commit suicide," said Scotty. "The District Attorney is going to want to know what that was. It's a lot better if you tell us now rather than wait for a visit from him."
"I'll tell him the same thing I told you," said Hagnell. "Doctor/patient confidentiality. And I'm sure a lawyer will understand that even better than you do. They have to deal with it on a daily basis, even the District Attorney. Now if you'll excuse me I have several patients waiting to be seen."
"Did you really think he'd change his mind?" Scotty asked as they left the doctor's office.
"No, not really," said Lilly. "But we had to give it a try. I still want to know what happened to cause Campbell to kill himself."
"Well, that ain't gonna happen," said Scotty. "Unless the doctor changes his mind I don't see any way to find out what he told Campbell. And from the way Lillian Compose talked the other day, her brother isn't likely to give his consent. It sounds like he just wants to forget the whole thing."
"I guess you're right," said Lilly. "I just don't like putting a case to bed with unanswered questions in it."
"Nothing else we can do. You heard what the lieutenant said. If the doctor wouldn't talk we need to write up our report and turn it in. It's the DA's problem now. Come on. I'll buy you a cup of coffee. Seems it's the least I can do after the sandwich the other day. I saw a coffee shop across the street."
"You're on," said Lilly.
Lilly and Scotty came out of the coffee shop talking about how to write up their report. It was pretty straight forward even if they didn't have a motive. Once they turned in their report their official connection to the case would end. The evidence would be moved to the "Closed" cases and they'd move on to their next cold job. As they walked to their car a woman in her early 50s approached them. Lilly recognized the woman. She was Sylvia Hernandez, Dr. Hagnell's office manager.
"Detective Rush, I'm glad I caught you," said Hernandez walking up to the two detectives.
"Ms. Hernandez," said Lilly, glancing at Scotty. "Is there something I can do for you?"
"Can we sit for a moment? This shouldn't take long."
The three walked to a nearby bench and the two women sat down. Scotty stood nearby sipping his coffee and looking around. As they sat down, Ms. Hernandez laid a manila envelope that she was carrying on the bench beside her.
"I just wanted to thank you for everything you did for Mr. Campbell," said Hernandez hesitantly. "I remember him. He was a very nice man. I was sorry to hear he committed suicide. He really didn't seem the type to me."
"Well, you just never know," said Lilly. "Sometimes the reasons for suicide aren't always clear. Is there anything you can tell us about why Campbell went to see Dr. Hagnell that day? Hagnell said he couldn't say anything because of doctor/patient confidentiality."
"Well, unfortunately, as long as I work for the doctor I'm bound by the same confidentiality," said Hernandez. "I have to abide by the same rules the doctor does for the same reasons. I wish I could say something but legally I'm prevented from saying anything."
"I understand," said Lilly. "I just like to have a why to put in our reports. But it doesn't appear we're going to get that in this case."
The woman handed Lilly a card. It was one of the doctor's business cards.
"I've put my home phone number on the back of the card," said Hernandez. "If there's anything I can do to help, please let me know." She stood up and glanced at the envelope for a moment. "Don't forget your envelope, detective. I would imagine it contains something important."
Without another word she turned and headed back to Hagnell's office. Confused, Lilly picked up the envelope and opened it. She pulled a file out of envelope. She read the name on the file. It was the file for Bruce Campbell.
Carl Adair sat in Stillman's office looking through the file that Hernandez had left for Lilly. Adair was the executive ADA for Philadelphia. Stillman had called him in when they had discovered that the file was actually Bruce Campbell's medical file from Hagnell's office.
"You're sure you didn't ask this Sylvia Hernandez to give you this?" questioned Adair.
"We hardly spoke to her," said Lilly. "We identified ourselves as detectives and asked to see the doctor. That was the extent of our contact with her. Until she approached us outside the coffee shop with this."
"Well," said Adair, "the doctor's right about one thing. This is all privileged information. Unless we can get a waiver from the next of kin nothing we find in here is useful. And I have to admit I'm kind of stumped. I don't see how his medical file is going to be of any use. You said he committed suicide, right? Well, unless Dr. Hagnell helped him commit suicide, I'm not seeing a crime here."
"Well, she obviously wanted us to know what Hagnell and Campbell talked about," said Scotty. "Otherwise why give us his file?"
"That makes sense," said Adair. "But I'm a lawyer, not a doctor. Most of this stuff I can't make heads or tails of."
"That's why I asked Dr. Polanski to be here," said Stillman, taking the file from Adair and handing it to the coroner. "He's a medical doctor. Maybe he can tell us what's so important in this file."
Polanski took the file and began to look through the papers. He would stop occasionally and scan something then move on to the next one. He had a perplexed look on his face.
"This can't be correct," said Polanski.
"What is it, Doctor?" Stillman asked.
"Well," said Polanski, "according to this, Dr. Hagnell diagnosed Bruce Campbell with AIDS. That's impossible. There was no sign of AIDS or any disease in the body I examined."
"So what?" questioned Stillman. "Did Dr. Hagnell misdiagnose Campbell?"
"I don't see how," said Polanski. "According to these test results the only thing that Campbell seemed to suffer from what a slightly elevated blood pressure. Not even anything that most doctors would prescribe any medication for. The rest of the test results are pretty clean."
"So why would Hagnell say that Campbell had AIDS if he wasn't even sick?" Will asked.
"Insurance fraud," said Adair. "I've seen a few cases like this before. A doctor tells a patient they have some kind of disease they don't have. Then the doctor can bill the insurance company for all kinds of tests and treatments that either aren't necessary or aren't actually performed. No one questions it because there's a 'valid' diagnosis from a doctor."
"Well that doesn't help," said Nick. "What's the statute of limitations on insurance fraud? Two years? This happened 20 years ago. Hagnell can't be prosecuted for it."
"Maybe not," said Adair. "But if he was doing it 20 years ago and hasn't been caught yet I'll bet he's still doing it. With Dr. Polanski's expert testimony I'm sure a judge will grant me a warrant to have a look at Hagnell's files. I'm willing to bet we'll find more just like this one. Ones that are more recent and that we can prosecute."
"Maybe we can get him on more than insurance fraud," suggested Lilly.
"What are you talking about, Detective?" Adair asked.
"Dr. Polanski, you said that Hagnell diagnosed Campbell with AIDS when he wasn't infected," said Lilly.
"That's right. The diagnosis is quite evident although there's absolutely no evidence to support such a diagnosis."
"Then I think Dr. Hagnell might just be guilty of more than bilking some insurance companies," continued Lilly. "A lot more."