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"We want to talk to you about your ex-husband," Tyler replied.
She didn't look completely surprised. "That's what I figured. Look, whatever you think you have on Frank won't stick. Nothing does. He's untouchable."
"Maybe with your help, that might change," he suggested.
"I don't know anything. Frank kept me out of his business. He always told me he was legit, but some of his friends didn't feel very legit, you know what I mean?"
He was happy that Tiffany seemed willing to talk to them. "Who are you referring to?"
"A number of people, but the scary Russian guy comes to mind. I think his name was Ivan or Igor, something kind of monstrous. He has scars on his face like he's been in some bad trouble. Of course, he's apparently a billionaire and lives a luxurious life, but I wouldn't date him," she said with a pointed shiver of distaste. "Frank liked him. Said he was a good investment partner."
"Are you talking about Ivan Zvaitsev?" Zane asked.
"Yeah. That was his name. Frank took me on his yacht once. There were some other creepy people there, too, a lot of foreign accents."
"Was Zvaitsev involved in funding Waverly Health?"
"I don't think so. That was Frank's deal. He has a real compassion for veterans, having served himself. And Neil saved his life, so he wanted to pay that forward."
"It sounds like you know Neil fairly well," Tyler put in.
"Of course. Neil was over to the house many times. I thought we were good friends, but since the divorce, I haven't seen him. That's not unusual. Most of Frank's friends dropped me when he did. Except Vivienne. She stuck around. But she's just Neil's girlfriend, not a wife, so that's probably why she didn't feel the same pressure to drop me."
"Was that the woman who was just here?" he asked as Tiffany stopped to catch her breath. He'd been afraid she wouldn't talk to them at all, but she had plenty to say.
"That was her. She's been dating Neil about a year, I think. But it seems kind of casual, which is the way Neil likes things. Maybe she'll be different."
"Is Frank closely involved with the operations of the clinic?" Zane asked.
"I don't believe he's closely involved with any of the businesses he owns. He always told me the trick to owning a successful business is to hire the right people and trust them to do their job. I will say that Frank is very tight with his cash. So, he watches the money, but as for day-to-day operations, he's hands-off. He's very wealthy. I don't even know exactly how rich he is. When we were divorcing, he raised the settlement number to discourage us from digging more deeply into his finances." She paused. "Is there a problem at Waverly?"
"There might be," Tyler said vaguely.
"That would be a shame. It's probably the only business Frank really cares about. He's always talking about how veterans get forgotten and don't get good care. That's why he opened the clinic and put Neil in charge. He wanted others to be able to rebuild their lives the way he did. It's probably one of the most altruistic things he's ever done." She laughed. "And yes, I do know big words. I'm not stupid, just really pretty."
He smiled at her open and very self-aware charm. "We don't think you're stupid."
"Good. Why don't you cut to the chase? What do you want to know?"
"Is it possible that Neil Levitan is running a side program at the clinic?" he asked.
"That's an odd question. What kind of program?"
"One that might actually be hurting veterans," Zane replied.
She immediately shook her head. "I can't imagine Neil would do that. Neil is just as loyal to the men and women who have served as Frank is. It's his life's work to help them get over PTSD and other issues. In fact, he was always asking Frank for more money. He kept telling him he needed additional funding to make a difference."
"What was your husband's reply?" Zane asked.
"He said he'd have to make do with what he had. That it was more than enough. I guess they worked it out, because Neil is still running the clinic."
"What else can you tell us about Neil?" Tyler asked, wanting to know more about the doctor at the center of everything. "What's he like?"
"He's charming, handsome, arrogant, acts like he knows everything about everything, very godlike. He and Frank have that in common. It's kind of sexy at times. But it can also be too much. I think Neil is a good doctor. His patients rave about him. He doesn't have a lot of hobbies, except maybe golf. His ex-wife, Jasmine, used to tell me he was never home. When he wasn't at the clinic, he was traveling, giving talks at symposiums, working on papers. Medicine is really his life."
"Is he rich?" Zane asked.
"Not as rich as Frank, but he loves an expensive vacation and a very old bottle of wine, as much as anyone." She shrugged. "Is any of this actually helpful?"