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Chapter 3

I rang the bell I could hear it echo through the house In due course, the door was opened by a black maid in a white uniform like a nurse’s aide’s I wanted to fall into her ared off to the infirmary, my feet hurt so bad, but I mentioned my name instead and murmured that Bobby Callahan expected me

"Yes, Miss Millhone Won’t you come in, please?"

She stepped aside and Iin the entryo stories high, light filtering down through a series of s that followed the line of the wide stone stairs curving up to the left The floor was tile, a soft red, polished to a satiny sheen There were runners of Persian carpeting in faded patterns Tapestries hung froht-iron rods that looked like antique weaponry The air temperature was perfect, cool and still, scented by a ht I felt like I was in arooroup of people at the far end seemed constructed on a smaller scale than I The stone fireplace h, with an opening big enough to roast an ox in The furniture looked co fussy or small The couches, four of thee and overstuffed, ide ar me somehow of first-class seats on an airplane There was no particular color scheme and I wondered if it was only thematch

I caught sight of Bobby and, mercifully, he lumbered in my direction He had apparently divined froeant

"I should have warned you I’et you a drink What would you like? We’ve got white wine, but if I tell you what it is, you’ll think we’re showing off"

"Wine is perfect," I said "I’m crazy about the show-off kind"

Another maid, not the one who opened the door, but one especially trained for living roolasses of wine already poured I was really hoping I wouldn’t disgracea heel on the rug He handed row up in this place?" I asked It was difficult to picture binkies, Johnny-Jump-Ups, and Tonka trucks in a room that looked like the nave of a church I suddenly tuned in to as happening into ruin me for the stuff in a cardboard box, which is what I usually drink

"Actually, I did," he said, looking around with interest now, as though the incongruity had just occurred to him "I had a nanny, of course"

"Oh sure, why not? What do your parents do? Or should I guess"

Bobby gave me a lopsided sht "My grandfather,cheuess they ended up patenting half the products essential to civilization Douches and mouthwashes and birth-control devices A lot of over-the-counter drugs, too Solvents, alloys, industrial products The list goes on for a bit"

"Brothers? Sisters?"

"Just me"

"Where’s your father at this point?"

"Tibet He’s taken toof late Last year, he lived in an ashra at a pace with his VISA bill"

I cupped a hand to ed "He can afford to dabble in the Great Mysteries because of the settleot froreat spiritual journey when he’s really just indulging himself Actually, I felt OK about him until he came back just after the accident He used to sit bycrippled h in this life" He looked at me with an odd smile "Knohat he said when he heard Rick was dead? "That’s nice That ot so upset Dr Kleinert refused to let him visit anymore, so he went off to hike the Himalayas We don’t hear frouess"

Bobby broke off For a ht for control He stared off toward a cluster of people near the fireplace and I followed his gaze There were only ten or so on a quick count

"Which one is your uy standing just behind her is my stepfather, Derek They’ve beenout"