overcoat for the silenced Walther PPK.
Then a look of recognition came over the receptionist’s face. “Oh!” she said suddenly. “I bet you have the name wrong. There’s a Mrs. Francine Connor, over in intensive care. She usually lives in an apartment, but her Alzheimer’s has gotten bad, and she had a fall recently. I bet that’s who you were supposed to see.”
A wave of relief flooded over Miranda. She gave out a nervous little laugh. “Yes, that must be it. They just gave me a list with initials and last names.”
“That’ll do it,” the receptionist replied. She looked past Miranda briefly. “Her nephew was in, but it looks like he’s just about to leave. Do you want me to call him over? He’s on his way out the door.”
“No, no, that isn’t necessary,” Miranda said. She put a hand to the side of her face, rubbing it and trying to keep it from Sam’s view.
“Well, if you want to go on back, I think it will be fine. She may not be all there, though, if you know what I mean.”
Miranda smiled and thanked to woman. She didn’t really want to visit Mrs. Connor; she wanted to follow Sam. But she had backed herself into a corner, and was committed now. Hopefully she could keep it short.
“She’s in room I-14. Down the hall and on your right.”
#
When Sam walked into her room, his aunt was sitting up in bed, spooning thin soup into her mouth. She did not notice him in the doorway. God she looks frail , Sam thought. She was also bruised from falling in her apartment a few days before. He knocked on her doorframe.
Francine Connor looked up from her soup. A handsome young stranger stood in her door. “May I help you?” she greeted him. Her voice was surprisingly strong.
“Hi, Aunt Fran. It’s me, Sam.”
“Oh!” she smiled. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
Sam’s heart sank. This had happened before, but it still hurt whenever she didn’t recognize him. He walked into the room, not sure what to say. “I just thought I’d stop by and see how you were.”
“That’s very nice, dear.” She set her soup spoon on the tray in front of her. She smiled. “I have a nephew who comes to see me every once in a while. He’s a very important man. A detective. Do you know him?”
Sam decided to play along. Maybe it would help her fading memory. “I don’t know. What’s his name?”
She opened her mouth to reply, but no words came out. She put her fingers to her chin. “You know, I can’t remember. Isn’t that funny? You’d think I’d be able to remember my own nephew’s name.”
“It wouldn’t be Sam, would it?”
“Yes! Yes it is. Oh, he’s such a handsome boy. So you know him then?”
Sam smiled. “Yes, I think we’ve met a few times.”
“Oh good. He hasn’t arrested you has he?”
Sam laughed. “No, ma’am. I’ve never been caught.”
The older woman laughed as well. Sam was pleased to see that she picked up on the joke. “Well,” she said, “you best keep it that way, young man. But if you see my Sam, you tell him to stop by and see his aunt. Will you do that? It’s been so long since he was here last.”
Actually, it’s been less than a week . “Yes ma’am,” he said. “I’ll be sure to tell him.”
“That’s very nice of you, dear.”
He walked over and gave her a peck on the cheek. “You be good, Aunt Fran.”
“Thank you dear. Come back and see me any time.” She smiled as he left the room.
Sam’s chest felt heavy as he left the building. He hated seeing his aunt this way. Since his parents had passed away she was the only family he had left. “I need a beer,” muttered. He decided to stop at the neighborhood bar on his way home. He never noticed the blonde woman standing at the receptionist’s desk, rubbing her face as he walked by.
#
This should be interesting , Miranda thought. She walked down the hall to room I-14 and briefly considered wandering aimlessly before leaving, but she decided to look in and see Francine Connor.
Then a look of recognition came over the receptionist’s face. “Oh!” she said suddenly. “I bet you have the name wrong. There’s a Mrs. Francine Connor, over in intensive care. She usually lives in an apartment, but her Alzheimer’s has gotten bad, and she had a fall recently. I bet that’s who you were supposed to see.”
A wave of relief flooded over Miranda. She gave out a nervous little laugh. “Yes, that must be it. They just gave me a list with initials and last names.”
“That’ll do it,” the receptionist replied. She looked past Miranda briefly. “Her nephew was in, but it looks like he’s just about to leave. Do you want me to call him over? He’s on his way out the door.”
“No, no, that isn’t necessary,” Miranda said. She put a hand to the side of her face, rubbing it and trying to keep it from Sam’s view.
“Well, if you want to go on back, I think it will be fine. She may not be all there, though, if you know what I mean.”
Miranda smiled and thanked to woman. She didn’t really want to visit Mrs. Connor; she wanted to follow Sam. But she had backed herself into a corner, and was committed now. Hopefully she could keep it short.
“She’s in room I-14. Down the hall and on your right.”
#
When Sam walked into her room, his aunt was sitting up in bed, spooning thin soup into her mouth. She did not notice him in the doorway. God she looks frail , Sam thought. She was also bruised from falling in her apartment a few days before. He knocked on her doorframe.
Francine Connor looked up from her soup. A handsome young stranger stood in her door. “May I help you?” she greeted him. Her voice was surprisingly strong.
“Hi, Aunt Fran. It’s me, Sam.”
“Oh!” she smiled. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
Sam’s heart sank. This had happened before, but it still hurt whenever she didn’t recognize him. He walked into the room, not sure what to say. “I just thought I’d stop by and see how you were.”
“That’s very nice, dear.” She set her soup spoon on the tray in front of her. She smiled. “I have a nephew who comes to see me every once in a while. He’s a very important man. A detective. Do you know him?”
Sam decided to play along. Maybe it would help her fading memory. “I don’t know. What’s his name?”
She opened her mouth to reply, but no words came out. She put her fingers to her chin. “You know, I can’t remember. Isn’t that funny? You’d think I’d be able to remember my own nephew’s name.”
“It wouldn’t be Sam, would it?”
“Yes! Yes it is. Oh, he’s such a handsome boy. So you know him then?”
Sam smiled. “Yes, I think we’ve met a few times.”
“Oh good. He hasn’t arrested you has he?”
Sam laughed. “No, ma’am. I’ve never been caught.”
The older woman laughed as well. Sam was pleased to see that she picked up on the joke. “Well,” she said, “you best keep it that way, young man. But if you see my Sam, you tell him to stop by and see his aunt. Will you do that? It’s been so long since he was here last.”
Actually, it’s been less than a week . “Yes ma’am,” he said. “I’ll be sure to tell him.”
“That’s very nice of you, dear.”
He walked over and gave her a peck on the cheek. “You be good, Aunt Fran.”
“Thank you dear. Come back and see me any time.” She smiled as he left the room.
Sam’s chest felt heavy as he left the building. He hated seeing his aunt this way. Since his parents had passed away she was the only family he had left. “I need a beer,” muttered. He decided to stop at the neighborhood bar on his way home. He never noticed the blonde woman standing at the receptionist’s desk, rubbing her face as he walked by.
#
This should be interesting , Miranda thought. She walked down the hall to room I-14 and briefly considered wandering aimlessly before leaving, but she decided to look in and see Francine Connor.
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