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"How come?"

Bobby seemed to consider several replies, but he finally settled for a slight head shake and silence He looked back at me "You ready to meet the, but I couldn’t help et That woray hair is Dr Fraker He’s the pathologist I orking for before the accident He’sto my mom My mother’s on the board of trustees for St Terry’s so she knows all these , heavysetto is Dr Kleinert"

"Your psychiatrist?"

"Right He thinks I’ht because he thinks he can fix me" Bitterness had crept into his voice and I was acutely aware of the level of rage he h on cue, Dr Kleinert turned and stared at us and then his eyes slid away He looked like he was in his early forties with thin, wavy gray hair and a sorrowful expression

Bobby s a private detective, but I don’t think he’s figured out yet that it’s you or he’d have cohten us out"

"What about your stepsister? Where is she?"

"Probably in her room She’s not very sociable"

"And who’s the little blonde?"

"My ical nurse Coe"

I followed Bobby, keeping pace with him as he hobbled down the rooated Hisin the ed her attention

She looked young to be the mother of a twenty-three-year-old, lean, with narrow hips and long legs Her hair was a thick glossy bush of pale fawn brown, not quite shoulder-length Her eyes were small and deep-set, her face narrow,and thin She wore a cream-colored silk blouse and a full linen skirt nipped in at the waist Her jewelry was gold, delicate chains at her wrist and throat The gaze she turned on Bobby was intense and I thought I could feel the pain hich she regarded his crippled for politely

Sheout her hand Tm Glen Callahan Youby" Her voice was low and throaty "I’ll give you a chance to enjoy yourself We’ll talk in a bit"

I shook hands with her, startled how bony and warlanced at the wo me "This is Nola Fraker"

"Hi, how are you?" I said as we shook hands

"And Sufi Daniels"

Mured Nola was a redhead, with clear, fine-textured skin, and lu a dark red jumpsuit that left her arms bare and a deep V of naked flesh visible from throat to waist Already, I didn’t want her to bend down orI knew her from somewhere Possibly I’d seen her picture in the society section or so of that sort Reminder bells went oft; at any rate, and I wondered what the story was

The other woh the trunk, her back hunched She wore a mauve velour sweatsuit that looked like she’d never sweated in it Her blond hair was thin and fine, worn too long, I thought, to be flattering

After a decent interval, the three of them resumed their conversation, much to my relief I hadn’t the faintest idea what to say to the about a thirty-dollar fabric re down in Los Angeles "I checked all the shops in Montebello, but it was ridiculous! I wouldn’t pay four bills for an outfit I wouldn’t even pay two" she said with energy

That surprised ance Unless I just s like that My notion of women with s waxed, charge a bauble or two on Rodeo Drive, and then go to charity luncheons at 1,500 a plate I couldn’t picture Nola Fraker pawing through the bargain bin at our local Stretch N’ Sew Maybe she’d been poor as a young girl and couldn’t get used to being a doctors wife

Bobby took my arm and steered me toward the men He introduced me to his stepfather, Derek Wenner, and then in quick succession to Drs Fraker, Metcalf, and Kleinert Before I knehat to think, he was hustling o upstairs We’ll find Kitty and then I’ll show you the rest of the house"