Do No Harm

"Where?"

"My car is parked on the top tier of the PCHS lot. It's a green Mercedes. They're not letting press through to that area."

"I'll meet you there in five minutes."

David hung up and gestured for Diane to follow. They threaded through the lobby and out across the dark quad. Dr. Kingston, a white-haired senior member of the board, paused and regarded David judgmentally, but David simply nodded and kept walking.

Diane kept her eyes on the ground. "You really think they'd kill him?"

"I think Jenkins would, yes."

"What are you gonna do?"

"That's what I'm figuring out. But I just bought myself-and Clyde-twelve hours. And this guy, Blake, there's no love lost between him and Jenkins. I'm hoping he can help."

They reached the top tier of the parking lot, and David saw Blake leaning against the trunk of his Mercedes. He was glad Blake's police car was not in evidence.

David had parked at the far side of the tier, away from most foot traffic and passing cars. He unlocked the doors to his car, and they all got in, Diane sliding in the back.

Blake cupped his hand and ran it over his thick mustache. "What would you like to not discuss?"

"I appreciated your helping today in the ER."

Blake nodded, continuing to regard David a bit impatiently.

David took a deep breath. "I'm concerned that if I release Clyde to the LAPD, he'll be killed."

Blake's eyebrows rose and spread. "Jenkins is a live wire."

"I'm holding him through the night for medical reasons. Is there any way I could release him to your custody? To the university police?"

With a fingernail, Blake worked something out from between his teeth, his mustache bristling. "No. No way. He's in LAPD custody. He has to be released to LAPD."

"And they're taking him to Harbor for further treatment. In a transport vehicle."

"Yeah. A squad car."

"Probably Jenkins's?"

Blake studied David for a moment, his face textured and leathery under the light of the lampposts. "That's not quite how it would work," he said.

"How would it work?"

"If it was gonna work? Someone else's squad car. Jenkins following, off-duty or on. Yale and Dalton eating at a diner somewhere, somewhere with high visibility. A near-escape in a dark alley. A mix-up." Someone walked by and Blake turned away so his face couldn't be seen. "Of course, I don't much buy into conspiracy theory."

David realized he was sweating. He turned on the car and put the air-conditioning on low. Blake reached over and turned the key, then looked to see if anyone had taken note of the car starting up.

"Do I have any options?" David asked. "Could a judge do anything?"

Blake shrugged. "Shit, I'm no lawyer, but I'd doubt it on your time line. A case this big, there'd be a huge inquiry and investigation."

Diane leaned forward. "How about Sheriff's Medical at USC Med? We send critical patients there sometimes. Does that fall under a different jurisdiction?"

"If the patient is critical, as in critical critical, he'd get sent there and signed in to the Sheriff's custody. But he'd still have to be transferred."

"How?"

"By the city, actually. They'd send an LA City fire paramedic unit with a uniformed police officer over to haul him off. But LAPD won't let that fly. They're not gonna want to lose custody-it's a big fucking collar. They'll want him under their thumb at Harbor. Plus, the dude walked into UCLA-if they're walking at all, they go to Harbor, not County. And you can't bullshit this one. The LAPD chief would be over there with a second opinion from one of his guys before they'd let him roll to County." His eyes were a weary blue. Washed out. "Once you clear him, he's going to Harbor, all right. Unless you want to fuck him up more with drugs or something, make it so he has to roll out on a gurney."

David shook his head. "Can't do that."

"How about if we contact the Sheriff?" Diane asked. "Does he have any kind of intervening authority? Wouldn't he want the collar too? Could he send his guys over?"

Blake laughed a smoker's laugh. "Shit, you guys don't get it. You really think the Sheriff's gonna step on the Chief's ass like that? On this case? No sir."

Blake turned away as a security guard approached, and David quickly got out and regarded the man across the top of his car. He was relieved to see it was Ralph. "It's me," David said. "We're having an impromptu staff meeting." Diane cleared the fog from the back window and waved.

"Okay, Doc. Just keeping an eye out around here."

David nodded and ducked back in the car.

Blake shook his head. "Security jackasses." He pressed his hands together. "Is that it, then?" He started to get out.

"How about a psych hold?" David asked. "If he got put on seventy-two-hour hold, would he still have to be transferred?"