Distant+Whispers

Chapter 8
THE NEXT MORNING as Denmark passed through the front office he noticed that the discrepancies were
still in Petra’s inbox. He stared at her vacant office and shook his head.
Last night he had decided on a course of action. All of the documents were being passed through
him. They merely expected him to dot the ‘I’s and cross the ‘T’s. Uh uhhh! He would do his own
research, his own Project Blue. The tedium was driving him crazy. He needed something to stimulate
him, keep his mind busy. No one needed to know. Not only would he check the figures of the three
village idiots, he would go over the project specifications and try to research the real numbers. Some
of the information could be obtained outside of the company. Still, he needed access to sensitive
information from some of TnTClaim’s computer files.
Of course, he would only deliver the discrepancies to the office. He was in no mood for a
confrontation for overstepping his responsibilities. If there were any problems, this Petra seemed
completely unable and unwilling to bail him out.
Denmark was re-invigorated by his decision. He spent most of that Thursday correcting the
population figures. He still needed to find out current data on Trinidad’s health system. He was sure
the information was available somewhere in the company’s database but he wasn’t sure how to
access it.
By the end of the day Denmark thought twice about this new endeavor. The information just
wasn’t there. It was a lot of work for a thankless task. He didn’t really want to risk a backlash by
openly seeking assistance. He did mention it to Sunny Duville, confident that the sister would help
him. She seemed confused when he told her what he was looking for. She obviously wasn’t that
acquainted with that side of the business.
The buzz as the workers signaled an end to another business day. Denmark scrutinized the two
hundred or so employees, as they began to collect their belongings and de-stress in small chat groups.
On his rare incursions around the floor he had noticed small family photos taped to their
computers: baby pictures or photos of youths, their multi-hued skin reflecting the ethnic diversity of
this small island. There were family pictures taken in front of modest homes whose facades of pastel
blues and pinks and whites made them look like toy houses.
Denmark sighed. Companies were much more than a business enterprise of goods and services.
They were the diverse dreams of each employee: a home, an education, a family, a secure life. There
was more at stake than a positive impression upon the Blue Cross committee. TnTClaims just might
embarrass itself and this would ripple through the managed care industry. It could effectively end
TnTClaims future as a major player as a third party processor of health claims. It might even mean
that some of their current clients might cancel future contracts. If those idiots presented an error-filled
presentation to the Blue Cross committee, a lot of these workers might be out of a job.