Unlike many of the doctors who’d worked at Whistler Hospital at the time of the fire, Dr. Butler had returned once the renovations had been completed. Many had transferred to other facilities during the interim.
At one point, Liam had considered leaving Whistler himself. Too many memories. But his roots ran deep, his family was here and he’d decided to stand up for the town in his father’s name.
Getting justice was his top priority. No matter who he ticked off or what feathers he ruffled.
He parked at the hospital, and went inside, then headed to the chief of the hospital’s office. A year ago, Dr. Butler had left the ER for administration. The receptionist, a cheerful middle-aged woman named Erma frowned when he flashed his credentials. “I need to speak to Dr. Butler.”
“Can I ask what it’s about?” Erma asked.
“The Barry Inman case and the fire five years ago.” He locked his hands together in front of him. “It’s important.”
Alarm flashed in her eyes, and she pressed the speaker on her desk. “Dr. Butler, a Special Agent Liam Maverick is here to see you. He says it’s important.”
A slight pause, then the doctor wheezed a breath. “All right, send him in.”
Erma walked him to the entry, then opened the door. Liam thanked her, quickly scanning the man’s office as he entered. Files were stacked everywhere in a haphazard fashion. Sticky notes covered the edge of his desk by his computer and memos filled a cork bulletin board behind him. The bookshelves were a little neater with medical reference books along with books on hospital policies and management.
The doctor was late forties, neatly trimmed brown hair, medium height and build. In spite of the fact that he wasn’t actively working the ER anymore, he wore a white doctor’s lab coat over khakis and a button-down-collared shirt.
He stood and extended his hand, then gestured for Liam to sit. “You look familiar, Special Agent Maverick. And I recognize your last name. Have we met before?”
“Actually, you met my father during the investigation into the death of Gloria Inman. And my brother Jacob after the hospital fire.” Liam had been working another case and had requested to come back to help with the fire investigation, but his boss had refused. He’d said Liam was too damn close to it. Liam had argued that was the reason he should work it.
But his boss hadn’t budged.
“That’s right. Those were both rough times.”
“They were,” Liam agreed. “I was surprised you returned to the hospital. So many people relocated and transferred.”
Dr. Butler leaned back in his desk chair. “That’s true. But I have roots in town, and after the devastation of the fire, I wanted to help rebuild the hospital. It felt like a betrayal to abandon a sinking ship.”
Admirable, if that was true. A downside to being an agent meant Liam didn’t quite trust anyone or accept their words at face value.
“Now, what brought you here today?” Dr. Butler asked. “Do you have a new lead on who set that fire?”
Liam adopted his poker face. “Barry Inman is in custody.”
A slight flicker of the doctor’s eyes indicated his surprise. “I realized the police suspected he set the fire to get revenge against the hospital. Did he finally confess?”
“As a matter of fact, he did not,” Liam said. “He insists he’s innocent. Which brings us back to the question, if anyone else had motive. Or if his story about Nurse Weiss held merit.”
Dr. Butler shifted, his gaze dropping to his hands. When he looked up, his expression was flat. “As I told the sheriff, the hospital made no mistake that day. Mr. Inman must have misunderstood what he heard because he was looking for someone to blame.”
Liam studied him. “I reviewed the files on Mr. Inman’s case and know the charges were dropped. But there’s no explanation. When the attorney for the hospital investigated Mr. Inman, which I assumed he did to prepare a defense, did he learn anything?”
Dr. Butler removed his glasses and rubbed a hand over his face. “He found nothing to incriminate one of the staff members.”
It was the same story Dr. Butler had told five years ago.
“On the night of the fire, did you see anyone acting suspiciously in the hospital?” Liam asked.
Dr. Butler shook his head. “No. All I recall was that I was busy with a possible stroke patient, then the alarm sounded, and we had to move people outside.”
“Nurse Weiss mentioned a homeless man who wandered into the ER seeking