"
"Thank you. I've had a lot of cooperation from Dan and--Suzanne."
"Yes. Suzanne said that you were attentive to detail." Gifford rubbed
his chin. "She's my niece, you know."
"Yes," Oliver said.
"She's had troubles in the past, but she's overcome them with hard work
and the Lord's help," Gifford said. "She'll make someone a fine wife."
"He'll be a lucky guy," Oliver said.
Gifford agreed. "And how is your family?"
"Fine," Oliver said. "Fine. Emma will be walking any day."
Oliver began drinking wine every night at home, taking refuge in a
jovial family life that was drifting toward the rocks. He looked
stressed when he wasn't drinking. Jennifer worried about him and urged
him to dump the hospital job.
"Well," Oliver said to her one evening, pouring a large glass of
Chianti Classico, "you're going to like this--_they_ are dumping _me_."
Jennifer applauded. "I'll have a glass of that. What happened?"
"They were ordered to. The auditors did a solid job--took them weeks,
remember?"
"I do," Jennifer said. "There, Precious."
"Dan was right about the missing money. They didn't think anything of
it, said it was well within reasonable limits.
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