Operatory of Death: A Jaswinder Mystery Read online

  Operatory of Death:

  A Jaswinder Mystery

  By Cynthia Washburn

  This is a work of fiction. All persons mentioned are a product of the author’s imagination and any resemblance to any persons, living or dead, is strictly co-incidental.

  Copyright 2012 All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted by any means whatsoever without written permission of the author except for brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and articles.

  ISBN: 978 – 1 – 105-36157 - 9

  To Megan

  Chapter 1

  Jaswinder pulled her car into her usual parking space in front of Summerland Dental Clinic and groaned. A great start to Thursday.

  That man was at the front of the building again; Jim Buckle, that was his name. Why didn't he give up? How many times had Dr. Parker explained to him that Dr. Atkinson had left the country in December? Dr. Parker had taken over the hastily abandoned dental office. He'd paid for the equipment and some of the files left behind but other than that he hardly knew Dr. Atkinson. Parading back and forth with a sign on a stick with some scrawled printing, BOYCOTT DR. AKINSON in big red letters. What did he hope to accomplish? And he couldn't even spell.

  Marnie, the dental assistant, had told her something about what had happened when Mr. Buckle had first showed up on Jaswinder's first week on the job in January. Dr. Atkinson had missed diagnosing an abscess in Mr. Buckle's molar and sent him home over the Christmas holidays with an appointment in January. The man had suffered over the holidays, probably a lot. Why hadn't he called the office? Even though the office had been closed over the holidays, every dental office subscribed to a service that provided a locum, a substitute dentist for emergencies.

  When he ended up in the local emergency ward, delirious with pain on New Years Eve, whoever was on duty there had pulled out the offending tooth and the one beside it that had been perfectly good until the infection spread. Then the man spent the next week in hospital with threatened septicemia. Dr. Atkinson had meanwhile met someone on vacation in Tahiti and had hastily decided to sell his practice through an agency. Must have been true love.

  Marnie had concluded cynically that it was probably it was because the College of Dental Surgeons was investigating him for another matter. In that case, a few months prior, one of his patients had come in for a crown. Marnie had been assisting and told Jaswinder that the man had definitely needed braces but he was over forty now and had gone this far in life with crooked teeth. He might be content with the situation. Dr. Atkinson hadn't looked at it that way. Or maybe it was that he had recently completed an orthodontic course and was looking for practice.

  Anyway, Marnie had told her that Dr. Atkinson woke the man up from the sedation. Sedation is used with nervous patients who prefer not be awake for procedures. While the patient was very groggy and barely conscious, Dr. Atkinson suggested to the man that he have braces applied. Was that okay? Dr. Atkinson gave no details as to treatment plan, cost, benefits, risks -- all standard procedure. Marnie did say that the man seemed to acknowledge Dr. Atkinson and said something like 'What? Huh? and Okay.' That was enough apparently for Dr. Atkinson. The sedation machine was cranked up and the braces applied. Marnie told Jas that she suggested to Dr. Atkinson that the patient could come back another time for the braces but was told that this had been a slow week and there was time to do it now. The patient went home groggy, not even realizing he had a mouth full of braces.

  The previous dental receptionist, Ann, whom Jaswinder had replaced in early January, had heard an earful from the patient on the telephone first thing the next morning. Marnie thought that was one of the main reasons Ann quit. Who needs the abuse, was how Ann had put it. When the patient stormed in later that morning, Dr. Atkinson refused to remove the braces and wouldn't refund the charge that had already been made to the patient's credit card. Dr. Atkinson told the patient that he needed it for his overhead.

  That went on for a week until the College of Dental Surgeons was called in. Finally, Dr. Atkinson grudgingly agreed to remove the braces and refund the patient. When Jaswinder heard the story she was surprised there wasn't more than one protester out front. But it was now past mid-March and Dr. Atkinson hadn't been around for three months. Mr. Buckle still showed up from time to time. Her boss, Dr. Al Parker, had offered to reimburse the man's bill, out his own pocket, in February. Buckle had taken the money but only stayed away a few weeks.

  More than one new patient had asked if there was a Dr. Akinson in the practice. The patients that remained from Dr. Atkinson's day never looked surprised and more than one had commented to Jas how much more they liked Dr. Parker. About the same time as the refund, a sign went up in the window stating that Dr. Atkinson was not affiliated with Dr. Parker's practice and for further information contact the College of Dental Surgeons. Their regular patients mostly shrugged their shoulders or laughed but Jaswinder knew that Al was still worried. The management company that looked after the plaza had met with him last week to discuss the situation.

  She unlocked the front door, keeping a careful watch that the protester didn't make a lunge at it. Maybe he would want to smash the computers or run down the hall shouting warnings into the operatories. Jaswinder was always the first to arrive before any patients or the rest of the staff. She felt his eyes drilling into the back of her head. Just to be sure, she locked the door behind her. No patients were expected for forty minutes at least. Jaswinder headed to the kitchen to start the coffee before checking the list of patients in the appointment book and ensuring they were all confirmed. She also checked the answering machine for messages and possible cancellations.

  No shows were a problem and a loss of income as Dr. Parker had reminded her. He always had one eye on his bottom line but Marnie had told her that all dentists were like that. Any appointment not confirmed already would need follow-up, for sure. She turned the appointment book to March 17th.

  Over the next half hour later the rest of the staff trickled in, skirting around Mr. Protester. Cheryl MacKenzie, the hygienist, made a face as she greeted Jaswinder. “That idiot's back, I see. Doesn't he get it? Dr. 'Akinson' isn't here and has nothing to do with us. Coffee ready?”

  “I guess he's a little slow. Yes, it's ready.”

  “Yeah, maybe the abscess affected his brain.” Cheryl shook her head. “I shouldn't say that. I mean, it was terrible what happened to him, but what can we do about it? Does he expect Al to leap on a plane to wherever the Incompetent Dr. Atkinson can be found, and drag him back to face the music?”

  “You'd think giving him a full refund on behalf of Dr. Atkinson would be enough, not to mention offering a free future exam and x-ray,” she continued. He hadn't followed up on that but he had taken the money.

  Carl, the lab technician, came in time to hear the last part. “I've heard a rumour that he lost his job when he was in the hospital and wants some kind of compensation for that.”

  “You're kidding? I guess he'll never be satisfied. All I know is, the whole day starts crummy and goes downhill whenever he shows up.”

  “There's Al's car pulling in. Better look like we're busy.” Carl's tone was sarcastic as he turned to go towards his small lab that adjoined the back of the dental office. He spent his days taking impressions and pouring up models, getting crowns, and other assorted tasks like making sports guards.

  Within twenty seconds they were all at their stations, busying themselves with their tasks. It wasn't that Dr. Parker was an ogre or anything, Jaswinder told herself, but, after all, he was the boss and the guy who signed their pay cheques. He'd be annoyed enough outside without them giving him something to f
ind fault with inside.

  Sure enough, Dr. Parker's usual friendly face looked grim as he came into the practice. He was polite in his general 'Good Morning' but he walked quickly back to his office and Jaswinder could see that the telephone’s line 5 lit up. Probably calling his lawyer or maybe even the police. He'd threatened to do that last time. Carl had suggested the mall security guard to Al after the first two vigils but the elderly man, even with his upright military bearing, did not seem capable of effecting any change. Oh, he'd talked to the guy but had received an earful of detailed history for his trouble. Cheryl had commented that he seemed to make himself scarce whenever the protester showed up, no doubt afraid of being asked to take matters to the next level.

  The practice’s dental assistant, or CDA as she referred to herself, rushed in, running late as usual. “Marnie, you're lucky Dr. P. went straight to his office. You know you're supposed to be here ahead of him.” Jaswinder didn't like to chide her friend but Marnie had been chastised about being late before. Dr. Parker was good about letting the staff have time off for medical appointments or even important family events but tardiness was a pet peeve of his. Marnie was a single mother of a four year old whom she described fondly as the pokiest child in the country. That was her usual reason when she was running late. Jeremy had been dawdling.

  Marnie rolled her eyes. “I could always say that I was stopped by the guy outside. He had a point to make that he hadn't already made.”

  Jaswinder pressed her lips together to stop from laughing. Marnie could always make her laugh.

  They could hear Dr. Parker's low voice in his office, rising in annoyance. “I don't know how long I should be expected to put up with this.” They stopped to listen. Silence, then, “All right, I'll wait to hear from you.”

  The first patient arrived a little early but Jaswinder went to the door and unlocked it for the day. “Come on in, Teddy, Mrs. Marshall. We're almost ready for you.”

  “Oh, I know we're a little early. I dropped Tammy off at school and came right over. Wasn't enough time, really, to go back home.”

  “No, of course not.” Jaswinder glanced down the hall as Marnie, ever efficient, came smilingly out in her periwinkle scrubs. “All ready for you, big boy. And wait ‘til you see the treat I set aside for you after we're finished.” The boy's eyes lit up and he willingly headed down to the second operatory for his six month check up. Marnie followed a little behind and turned to whisper loudly to Jaswinder, “Can you grab that blue yo-yo that's in the drawer? I think it's the last one.”

  Jaswinder nodded. Children could pick a small toy from the bottom drawer of her filing cabinet at the end of their appointment. Most dentists did this. Dr. Parker liked to say only patients who were cooperative to a certain level of behavior were deserving of a toy but Marnie gave them out indiscriminately. Some dentists even gave sugar-free lollipops but Dr. Parker figured that children would get the wrong message and not understand that his supply had no sugar in the pops. The yo-yo's had been a big hit, mostly with young boys and there weren't many, if any, left. Marnie must have noticed a blue one in there recently. Yup, there it was. Jaswinder sat down behind her computer and smiled at Mrs. Marshall who looked up briefly from paging through one of the many magazines on the shelf in the waiting area. Dr. Parker made a point of having current magazines, not like some medical offices where you were lucky to find any in the same year, never mind the same month. She didn't seem to be worried about seven year old Teddy's check-up appointment. He was good kid and didn't make a fuss.

  Jaswinder continued her interrupted task of confirming that all of today's scheduled appointments had been called and had confirmed they were coming. A regular patient, Hortense Harrington was coming at 11:30. Something about her partial dentures not fitting quite right. Again. She always wore red, often with purple accents. You could see her coming from across the parking lot. She went to remind Carl that Mrs. Harrington was coming; he might need to make an adjustment to her partial. When Jas had commented once on this patient's clothes, he apparently had known something about the mode of dress. She's one of the Red Hat Ladies, he had told her. It seemed the Red Hat Ladies was a club or organization of older women who still wanted to have fun or didn't want to be old or get older or something like that. That would explain the leopard print shoes she was wearing the last visit.

  At least she livened the place up. Dentistry could get trying at times, what with the nervous patients not to mention the protester with the sign outside. He'd stopped walking for now and was leaning against one of the large cement planters. Jaswinder turned back to her books quickly before they made eye contact. They were not to acknowledge his presence, Dr. Al had been firm on that.

  Hopefully, Mrs. Harrington wouldn't bring her toy Yorkshire Terrier dog, or Yorkshire Terror as Jaswinder had dubbed him, this time. The small, hairy dog had her own pet bag that he travelled in. The first time the dog had come to his owner's appointment, no one had even noticed him at first, snoozing his blue tote bag. However, it turned out there was something about the sound of the drill that didn't agree with the dog's delicate hearing. When Dr. Al had started in on the small filling in one of Mrs. Harrington's few remaining teeth the dog had started an unearthly howling and poked his pointed ears out of the top of the tote bag.

  Then Herbie, as the dog was called, wiggled out of his container, either to escape or go to his owner's rescue. Jaswinder leaped into action. She'd scooped up the bag, dog and all, and gently pushed the dog's head down and zipped up the top. There was widely spaced open netting on one side, Jaswinder had noticed, so he would have no trouble breathing. Nor trouble increasing the decibel level of his howling. Desperate, she slung the bag over her arm and, clad only in only her scrubs, had walked around the block, speaking in what she hoped were soothing tones to the pooch. The ungrateful dog bared his teeth a couple of times but, fortunately, stopped howling once away from the sound of the drill.

  Jaswinder had been almost shaking from the January cold when she rounded the corner back to the Dental clinic. Mrs. Harrington was at the front with her purse out settling her bill with Marnie who had come to Jaswinder's rescue and taken over reception temporarily, thank goodness. “There you are, you naughty skookums. What was that big noise you were making, little boy?” Mrs. Harrington was all smiles, not in the least perturbed at the disturbance her 'skookums' had created. She spoke in a voice that you would use with a baby, a good octave higher than usual. The dog seemed to love it and lunged to lick her frozen cheek a few times.

  Dr. Parker had delegated the job of advising Hortense that the Health Department didn't allow any dogs, except Seeing Eye dogs in medical facilities. He didn't bother to check that out, of course, but Jaswinder had to admit, it sounded official. The middle-aged office manager, Bev, had 'dealt with it' she had said. Whatever that meant.

  Back to the list. Miss Harrington had confirmed she was coming at 11:30. No note as to whether she had been reminded not to bring Herbie. Good thing Carl was here today. The elderly Francis Airlie was coming in about her dentures later in the afternoon. Carl would probably have to trim some area microscopically.

  Jaswinder shuddered at the thought of dentures. No way she'd have that with implants becoming so common. At least if she was still working in a dentist's office at that time, everything but the lab costs would be covered for her. That was the only perk but it was a big one, especially for some things. If her boyfriend, Jovan ever finished university, and if he got a good job, and if things got a little more serious, maybe, just maybe he would have a dental plan for both of them . . . and their children. She smiled and looked out the window, pursuing that particular daydream. A champagne coloured dress, for sure and lilies of the valley . . .

  “Marnie said you have a special toy for me.” Oh, the blue yo-yo.

  Two more patients arrived almost together at 10:00 a.m. Why did some come twenty minutes early and some five or ten minutes late? Either one could be a problem. Dr. Al would threaten not to see
the late ones but never to the patient's face, of course. And the early ones . . . must be the good magazines. More than one patient had mentioned that she'd been saved from buying herself a copy. “Makes up for the dentist's bill, ha ha.” had been one joke. Jaswinder knew better than to pass on jokes like that.

  Chapter 2

  Almost ten-thirty already. Back to the list. One thing about a dental receptionist's job; you're always getting interrupted, Jaswinder mused. Cheryl came out to reception to see if her next hygiene appointment was there. They were booked a half hour apart usually, with two minutes between for her to grab yet another black coffee. Amazing her hands didn't shake. Jaswinder preferred peppermint tea, usually one mug in the morning and another one in the afternoon.

  Marnie had complained to her more than once that what she did wasn't that different from what Cheryl was paid almost twice as much for. Jaswinder didn't like to mention that Cheryl did have more than twice the education, not to mention the exorbitant cost of a hygienist’s degree.

  Of course, it didn't help that Cheryl was often moody and didn't socialize much with anyone in the clinic. All business, that was Cheryl. She was good at her job, though. Jaswinder wondered at first why she had moved from Vancouver to Surrey. More than once she had called the suburbs a cultural wasteland.