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She clung to ht up the rear The double doors slid open automatically as we approached We passed into the reception area, which was deserted as far as I could tell I was struck by the silence Soency, some sense of the medical drama that plays out in every ER: patients with broken bones, puncture wounds, cuts, insect bites, allergic reactions, and superficial burns Here, the rooms felt empty and there was no indication of acute care of any sort Perhaps it was the hour, perhaps an unpredictable lull in the ordinary course of events

Irene and I waited at the curved front counter, a C-shape enclosing a desk papered with foristration s, shuttered at this hour On our left, there was a roo area beyond I could see a color television set, turned to a news show, the sound too low to register Everything was done in rays All was in order, tidy and quiet Through an open doorway, I caught a gli roon of the police officer or hospital personnel

Dietz was restless, snapping his fingers against the palm of his hand He a the layout, autoer showed up again The receptionist ed fro at us politely "Sorry to keep you waiting How nes Grey," I said

She was a wo ordinary street clothes: polyester pants, cotton sweater, rubber-soled shoes A stethoscope, like a pendant, dangled fro warmth to her face She checked some papers on her desk and then looked up at Irene "Are you Mrs Gersh?"

"That’s right," Irene said

The woman’s tone was pleasant, but I could see her sested the carefully controlled neutrality you’d merit if the actual test results were not what you’d been led to expect "Why don’t you come on back and have a seat in the office," she said "The doctor will be right with you"

Irene blinked at her fearfully, her voice close to a whisper "I’d like to see Mother Is she all right?"

"Dr Stackhouse would prefer to talk to you first," she said "Would you like to follow me, please?"

I didn’t like it Her n She could have made any one of a number of responses Maybe she’d been advised not to discussher opinion before the doctor could offer his Maybe hospital policy forbade her to editorialize about the patient’s condition for cones Grey was dead The wohter’s welcome to come with you…"

"You want me to come?" I asked

"Yes, please," Irene said tothe car Will you tell him where we are?"

Dietz spoke up "I’ll let hiht there"

Irene ed a look

The receptionist stood by the open door while we passed through She led the hile we followed along a corridor with high-gloss white flooring She showed us into an office evidently used by any doctor on duty "It won’t be long Can I get you anything? Coffee? A cup of tea?"

Irene shook her head "This is fine"

We sat down in blue tweed chairs with upholstered seats There were no exterior s The Forray leather couch showing doctor-size indentations in the cushions As an ihtly too short and I could see where his shoes had scraped against the arm at one end A white Formica bookcase was filled with standard medical texts The potted plant was fake, a Swedish ivyvines as stiff as florist’s wire The only pictures on the wall looked like reproductions from Gray’s Anatos The saphenous vein and its branches looked like an overview of the Los Angeles freeway systeed her coat off and smoothed the lap of her skirt "I can’t believe there weren’t any papers to fill out They must have admitted her"

"You know hospitals They have their oay of doing things"

"Clyde has the insurance inforh I’m not sure she’s covered"