August 10, 2005
Week 15 - Bad Judgment
Episode 3
"What the hell are you doing!" Harry yells. "That was from a First Lot! That thing was valuable!"
Agent Pace tsk-tsks with her tongue. "I understand Mr. Cunningham. Agent Bilkey is sorry for the accident, aren't you Agent Bilkey?"
Agent Bilkey slowly nods. He returns the broken fragments to the display case.
"But that was just a piece of plastic," Agent Pace continues. "It can be repaired with a little glue. Think how much more delicate is flesh and blood! When your employees are... injured... their care is much more difficult... Much more expensive."
Harry sighs. "All right, all right. You've made your point. But a forty percent raise! You're killing me! There's got to be some way to get it down."
"The increase takes into account the upsurge in treatments your employees have received over the past several months. If they were to stop requiring so much medical care..."
"You're saying we can pay less for insurance if we don't use it?"
"Well... I wouldn't put it quite that way, but... Some of the claims your company has made recently have seemed a bit excessive." She reaches into her briefcase and pulls out a thick folder. "For instance... Your firm has very generous dental coverage... But one employee..." She glances at the folder. "A Ms. Celeste Weiss... has, over just the past few weeks put through quite an extraordinary number of claims."
"Um..." Harry drums his fingers on his desk. "I don't know anything about that..."
"Perhaps we could speak with Ms. Weiss?"
"She's... she's out today... she had an emergency..."
"Another dental situation, I suppose?"
"Well... yeah, it is. Her front teeth got badly chipped... She says she fell..."
Agent Pace raises her eyebrows. "She 'says' she fell? You have reason to doubt her?"
"No! I mean... I don't know! Why shouldn't I believe her?"
Agent Pace stares hard at Harry for a moment. Then she replaces the folder into her briefcase and stands up. "I believe, Mr. Cunningham, that Agent Bilkey and I shall pay a call on your Ms. Weiss..." She beckons to her partner and he follows her to the door.