Cast into Doubt

THIRTY-FOUR

Faith Latimer sat cross-legged on a canvas tarp, putty knife in hand, staring glumly at a bucket of sheetrock mud. Her husband, Brian, humming to himself, came into the room wearing paint-stained clothing and a painter’s hat. He looked down at his wife’s slumped shoulders sympathetically.

‘Hey babe,’ he said, leaning down and placing a hand on her shoulder. ‘Don’t try to do that today. Go on up and lay down. You’re exhausted. When this is all over with your dad, there’ll be time to get this done.’

‘When this is all over my mother is gonna have to move in with us. Where will we put her? We haven’t got one room done in this house.’

‘Yes, we do,’ he said. ‘I just finished painting that little room off the kitchen, so your mom can have that. She can’t really make the stairs.’

‘My parents’ bedroom was upstairs,’ said Faith sadly.

‘I know but this will be easier for her,’ said Brian.

‘I’m sorry about all this, honey,’ Faith said.

‘Hey, it’s your mom,’ said Brian kindly. ‘And as moms go, she’s not bad.’

Faith managed a crooked smile and her eyes glistened. ‘You’re the best. I’m so lucky.’

‘I’m the lucky one,’ he said.

The doorbell sounded. Brian frowned at his wife. ‘You expecting anyone?’

‘No, and I don’t want to talk to anyone either,’ she said.

‘I’ll get rid of them,’ said Brian. He started to pick his way past the mud buckets to the front door.

Faith sighed, and stood up. At least there was no viewing tonight. Her mother was staying with her friend, Judy, and Faith and Brian would be there early tomorrow. The service began at ten. She still could not believe that her father was gone. And a suicide. She hadn’t been the one to find him. That dreadful sight had greeted her mother when she walked in the door from one of her meetings. Her partner in life, dangling from the light fixture in the kitchen. The chair tipped over beside him. Faith squeezed her eyes shut, trying to block out the thought of it. She couldn’t bear to imagine it. Tears began to splash on her mud-covered hands.

Brian leaned into the room. ‘It’s . . . um . . . your boss’s brother?’

‘Dr Winter’s brother?’

‘Yeah,’ said Brian.’

‘Why is he here?’

‘I don’t know. Do you want me to send him away?’

‘Yes,’ said Faith. And then she shook her head. ‘No, wait. I probably should see what he wants.’

‘I’m going to tell him that you’re tired, and not to stay too long.’

Faith nodded. Brian was right – she didn’t have the heart to do anything today but grieve for her father. She cleaned off the putty knife, and pressed the lid back on the bucket of joint compound. All of this could wait.

‘Faith?’

Faith looked up and saw a shabbily dressed man in his thirties, with thick, graying hair and strong features. She could see the resemblance to Dr Winter, although the facial features looked better on a man than they did on her boss. Faith nodded. ‘Yeah.’

‘I’m Glen Winter. My sister is your . . . I understand you are my sister’s assistant.’

‘That’s right.’

‘Sorry about your father,’ he said.

‘Thanks.’

‘Listen um, I don’t want to bother you at this time. But I’m trying to find some doctor that took care of your parents.’

‘Why?’ said Faith.

‘For my sister,’ said Glen evasively.

‘Dr Winter?’

‘No. No. Actually for my other sister. It’s kind of complicated.’

‘Why didn’t Dr Winter just call me?’ Faith asked.

Glen shrugged. ‘She told me to do it. Kid brothers. We do all the errands.’

Faith was looking skeptical. ‘You know, if you need a doctor and you don’t have insurance, those urgent care clinics don’t require it. You could try them,’ Faith said.

Glen looked perplexed. ‘What?’

‘Well, pardon me for being suspicious, but Dr Winter and her sister came to my father’s viewing and I heard my mother telling them about this particular doctor. It’s true that he is a very wonderful doctor who never charged them. He’s been treating my mother on and off for years, since she had a stroke. And more recently, my dad had to go to him also. He’s just a rare person who wants to help others. I mean there are not many doctors like that. He really did it out of the kindness of his heart. But if that’s what you’re looking for – a doctor who won’t charge you – you should really look elsewhere.’

‘Hey, I didn’t even know about that,’ said Glen. ‘But, now that you mention it, that’s pretty radical. A doctor who treats patients for free!’

Faith frowned. ‘Obviously he can’t do that for everyone. I think he just felt sorry for my parents. My dad was hard working, but he could never afford the insurance once he lost his job. Anyway I really wouldn’t want this doctor to think that you heard about this from us. That would be no way to pay him back for his kindness.’

‘Of course not,’ said Glen solemnly. ‘But I assure you, this is not for me. I know I look a little bit . . . down at the heel. But my sister, Shelby, has money and insurance and all that good stuff. I think she just wanted to see this particular doctor – maybe it’s because of his specialty or something like that.’

‘What’s wrong with her?’ Faith asked worriedly.

Glen spread his hands wide with a smile. ‘Hey. They never tell me anything. They send me to do the dirty work. It’s always been that way. So, I’m just here to get the name.’

‘But what are your sister’s symptoms?’ Faith asked.

Glen shook his head sadly. ‘I don’t even know,’ he said.

‘I’m sorry,’ said Faith. ‘Please. You’ll have to go now. There are lots of doctors in the city. Find someone else.’