“What’s up?” Chet asked, noticing Jack’s reaction.

“It’s the chief,” Jack said.

“Is that a problem?”

“I made a site visit yesterday,” Jack confessed. “It was to the chiropractor involved in my case. I wasn’t my usual diplomatic self. In fact, we almost came to blows.”

Chet, who knew Jack better than anyone else in the office, grimaced. “Good luck!”

Jack nodded thanks and clicked to accept the call. Bingham’s no-nonsense secretary, Mrs. Sanford, was on the line. “The chief wants you in his office, now!”

“I heard that,” Chet said, making the sign of the cross. The meaning was simple: Chet was convinced Jack’s situation needed prayer.

Jack pushed away from Chet’s desk. “Thanks for the vote of confidence,” he said sarcastically.

As he walked to the elevator, Jack thought the summons had to be about good old Newhouse, the chiropractor. Jack had fully expected to have to answer for the episode but didn’t think it would happen so quickly. This probably wasn’t due to just a phone call from the irate chiropractor but rather a call from a lawyer. Consequences could be a slap on the wrist—or a drawn-out civil suit.

Stepping out of the elevator, Jack thought that instead of defending himself in front of Bingham, which he knew would be difficult if not impossible, perhaps he should go on the offense.

“You are to go right in,” Mrs. Sanford said, without looking up from her computer. Since she’d done the same thing the last time he’d been called on the carpet ten years previously, he was once again mystified how she’d known it was him.

“Close the door!” Bingham demanded from behind his mammoth wooden desk. The desk was set back below high windows covered with ancient venetian blinds. Calvin Washington, the deputy chief, was sitting at the large library table, with the glass-fronted bookcases behind him. Both men stared at Jack unblinkingly.

“Thanks for calling me down here,” Jack said earnestly, walking directly up to Bingham’s desk and giving it a thump with the bottom of his fist for added emphasis. “The OCME must take a responsible stand on alternative medicine, particularly chiropractic. Yesterday we had a death by bilateral vertebral artery dissection caused by unnecessary cervical manipulation.”

Bingham looked confused by the way Jack took the wind out of his sails. “I’ve taken the lead,” Jack continued, “by forcing myself yesterday to take the time and effort to conduct a site visit to the offending chiropractor to confirm that he performed the cervical manipulation. As you might gather, this was not the easiest task, and I needed to be forceful to get the information.”

Bingham’s blotchy face paled slightly, and his rheumy eyes narrowed while he stared at Jack. Then he removed his glasses to clean them—and to buy himself time. Snappy repartee had never been one of his strengths.