Quick turn of the bald head. The short man looked at her, then at me.
Intense focus. As if he were a tailor and I were a bolt of cloth.
'What exactly happened?' he said in a gravelly voice.
Stephanie said, 'Cassie experienced an epileptic seizure early this morning.'
'Damn.' The short man punched one hand with the other. And still no idea what's causing it?'
'Not yet, I'm afraid. last time she was admitted we ran every relevant test, but we're running them again and Dr. Bogner's coming over.
There's also a visiting professor from Sweden who's arriving any minute. Childhood epilepsy's his specialty. Though when I spoke with him on the phone he felt we'd done everything right.'
'Damn.' The puckered eyes turned on me. A hand shot out.
'ChuckJones.'
Alex Delaware.
We shook hard and fast. His palm felt like a rasp blade.
Everything about him seemed to run on fast-forward.
Plumb said, 'Dr. Delaware is a psychologist, Chuck.'
Jones blinked and stared at me.
'Dr. Delaware's been working with Cassie,' said Stephanie, 'to help her with her fear of needles.'
Jones made a noncommittal sound, then said, 'Well, let me know what goes on. let's get to the bottom of this damned folderol.'
He walked toward Cassie's room. Plumb followed like a puppy.
When they were inside I said, 'Folderol?'
'How'd you like to have him for a grandpa?'
'He must love Chip's earring.'
'One thing he doesn't love is shrinks. After Psychiatry was abolished a bunch of us went to him, trying to get some sort of mental health services restored. We might as well have asked him for an interest-free loan. Plumb was setting you up just now, when he told Jones what you do.'
'The old corporate pissing game? Why?'
'Who knows? I'm just telling you so you'll keep your guard up.
These people play a different game.'
'Duly noted,' I said.
She looked at her watch. 'Time for clinic.'
We left Chappy and headed for the elevator.
She said, 'So what are we going to do, Alex?'
I considered telling her what I'd put Milo up to. Decided to keep her out of it. 'From my reading, the only thing that seems to work is either catching someone in the act or having a direct confrontation that gets them to confess.'
'Confrontation? As in coming out and accusing her?'
