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I waited while he took care of a few details and signed out, telling Marcy where he’d be

I followed hi toward the forhway: a sprawling labyrinth of yellowing stucco and red tile roofs that had turned nearly rust-broith age We passed it, took the next off-ra left into thened to serve the entire Santa Teresa community It was secondarily earh various social-service agencies As the years passed, it caed: welfare recipients, illegal aliens, and all the unfortunate victiht crime sprees Gradually, County General was shunned by both the middle class and the well-to-do Once MediCal and Medicare came into effect, even the poor opted for St Terry’s and other local private hospitals, turning this place into a ghost town

There was a sprinkling of cars in the parking lot Tens shaped like arrows directed the visitor to Medical Records, nursing offices, Radiology, theobscure branches of medicine

Dr Fraker parked his car and I pulled into the slot next to his He got out, locked up, and waited while I did the sarounds, but the driveway itself was cracked, coarse weeds beginning to sprout through the asphalt The two of us headed toward theranted, but I found it all vaguely unsettling The architecture was, of coarse, of the usual Spanish styling: wide porches along the front, deeply recessed s faced rought-iron bars

We went in, pausing in a spacious lobby It was clear that over the years some attehting was now tucked up against the high ceilings, throwing down illurand anterooms had been partitioned off Counters had been built across two of the interior arches but there was no furniture in the reception area and no one awaiting admission The very air was perlect Froht, I could hear a typewriter clacking, but it sounded like an old manual, operated by an amateur There was no other indication of occupancy

Dr Fraker gaveto him, Bobby had made the round-trip as needed between this place and St Terry’s, picking up inactive files for patients readmitted to the hospital after an interval of years, hand-delivering X rays and autopsy reports Old charts were autoe facilities out here Of course, most data was kept on co of paper that had to be warehoused so out here, taking the graveyard shift for ue attendants ere out sick or on vacation Dr Fraker indicated that this was largely a babysitting function, but that Bobby had put in a considerable nu the two months he was on the job

We were on our way downstairs by then, descending a wide staircase of red Spanish tile, our footsteps resounding at a hollow, ainst a hillside, the rear of the building is below ground, while the front portion looks out onto paths partially overgroith shrubs It was darker down here, as though the utilities had been cut back for the sake of economy The temperature was cool and the air was scented with formaldehyde, that acrid deodorant for the deceased An arrow on the wall pointed us to Autopsy I began to ar up

Dr Fraker opened the door with its frosted-glass panel I didn’t actually hesitate before entering, but I did do a quick visual scan to assureknife filleting a corpse Dr Fraker seemed to sense my apprehension and he touched atscheduled," he said and led the way

I slance, the place see stainless-steel counters with lots of drawer space This was like a high-tech kitchen in a decorator azine, complete with a stainless-steel island in the middle that sported its oide sink, tall crook-necked faucets, a hanging scale, and drainboard I felt my mouth set in distaste I kneas prepared here and it wasn’t food

A swinging door on the far side of the rooreens backed in, pulling a gurney after him The body on the cart rapped in a dense, tawny plastic that obscured age and sex A toe tag was visible and I could see a portion of the dark head, blank face swaddled in plastic like a uely of the caution spelled out now on dry cleaners’ bags: "WARNING: To avoid danger of suffocation, keep away froes, or playpens This bag is not a toy" I avertedin a deep breath then just to prove I could