Chapter 14
Next morning Sandra called wife. Voice flat. Said county clinic pulled vendor logs, saw Marcus sign-ins Tuesdays Thursdays, saw schedule notes. Said vendor corporate compliance responded to our complaint sent outside Jeff chain. Said Marcus suspended pending review, not allowed on clinic property.
Wife told me over phone. Hands shook.
Hour later Marcus pulled up to my shop. Silver Tacoma, engine running. He stepped out, no jacket despite cold. Face red.
He asked to talk inside. I stayed outside, near open bay door. Told him sheriff warned him, no retaliation.
He laughed short, said suspension not retaliation, said I ruined his job. Said vendor said breach of conduct, misuse of position. Said his manager called him at 7am.
He said I needed to delete recording. Offered again to make problems go away. Then shifted, said if recording stayed, he'd tell town wife chased him, wanted promotion.
I said backup copies exist, email and drive, deleting phone changes nothing. Said sheriff has note, clinic has complaint, story no longer his to control.
Marcus stepped closer. Said shop inspection coming, said county contract for my shop could vanish. Mouth moved fast, eyes wet. Fear, not power now.
I said threats now on record too. Said go home.
He stared, then turned, kicked wet gravel. Said this town loves gossip more than truth, said wife would lose job anyway.
I watched him leave. Tacoma sprayed water over sidewalk.
That afternoon wife called Sandra again, asked to give full statement for file. Went to clinic alone. Told Sandra Marcus pursued after two nos, used schedule pressure, threatened write-up via Jeff if she disclosed affair. Sandra wrote it down, asked if she wanted paid leave.
Wife said yes. Came home, sat at kitchen table, told me she chose distance from Marcus completely. Said she told Sandra she would not answer his calls, blocked his number in front of Sandra to show proof.
I asked why she did that now.
She said because suspension made choice real. Said before she balanced fear of job loss, now job already paused, no reason to protect him.
I nodded. Said small town poster outside clinic felt less ironic now, more like warning.
We ate dinner together that night for first time in week. No phone on table. Quiet, but not frozen.
May you like
Before bed she asked if I still wanted to attend ultrasound together.
I said yes. Said father question waits until birth, but care does not wait.
