an elevator to the seventh floor, then followed the arrows to the nurses’ station in the middle of the corridor.
A woman wearing a blue hospital smock over a print
dress looked up from a patient chart. She wore half
glasses on a silver chain and her white hair was in a severe pageboy that accented a hooked nose and prominent chin.
“May I help you?” she asked in a tone that indicated
she’d rather stuff her visitor into the recycling bin that
sat next to the desk.
Judith froze. The fib she’d been trying to conjure up
still hadn’t materialized. Briefly, she closed her eyes.
Angela’s pale face and tall, voluptuous figure floated
before her. The well-defined features, the wide shoulders, the above-average height, the dark eyes, the
blond hair that was undoubtedly colored by an expensive Beverly Hills stylist . . .
Inspiration struck. There was a physical resemblance as long as no one looked too closely. “I’m here
to see my daughter.” Judith leaned forward, striking a
conspiratorial pose. “I don’t know what name she’s
using, but to her adoring fans, she’s . . . Dare I say it?”
“Say what?” the woman snapped.
Judith glanced at the name tag on the blue smock.
“Perhaps you aren’t aware of her real identity, Wanda.
My daughter was brought in today with . . .” She
feigned embarrassment. “A drug reaction.”
Wanda’s expression went from unpleasant to sour.
“Oh, yes. One of those.” She scowled at Judith, no
doubt blaming her for the daughter’s decadence. “May
I see some ID?”
Momentarily flustered, Judith tried to come up with
another tall tale. “Her father and I,” she began, fumbling for her wallet, “were only married for—”
The phone rang on the desk. Wanda held up a hand
for Judith to be silent. After tersely answering some
questions regarding the status of another patient, the
aide hung up.
“Let’s see that ID,” she ordered. “I don’t need your
life story.”
Judith handed over the wallet with her driver’s license. Wanda gave it a piercing look, then nodded.
“Miss Flynn is in Room 704, back down the hall and
on your left.”
With a gulp, Judith nodded and hurried off before
Wanda noticed her astonishment at the coincidence.
The door to Room 704 was closed. Judith knocked
in a tentative fashion, but when no one responded, she
slowly opened the door. Except for the green and red
lights on the various monitors, the room was dark.
Nearing the bed, Judith saw that Angela was on her
side, turned away from the door. The IVs that trailed
from her left hand looked all too familiar.
