“Feel better, dear?” Darlene asked. She made Raymond sit forward so she could fluff up his pillow.

“I do,” Raymond admitted, although his mind was fuzzy from the sleeping pills.

“I even made you your favorite breakfast,” Darlene said. She went over to the bureau and lifted a wicker tray. She carried it over to the bed and placed it across Raymond’s lap.

Raymond’s eyes traveled around the tray. There was fresh-squeezed orange juice, two strips of bacon, a single-egg omelette, toast, and fresh coffee. In a side pocket was the morning paper.

“How’s that?” Darlene asked proudly.

“Perfect,” Raymond said. He reached up and gave her a kiss.

“Let me know when you want more coffee,” Darlene said. Then she left the room.

With childlike pleasure Raymond buttered his toast and sipped his orange juice. As far as he was concerned, there was nothing quite so wonderful as the smell of coffee and bacon in the morning.

Taking a bite of both bacon and omelette at the same time to savor the combined tastes, Raymond lifted the paper, opened it, and glanced at the headlines.

He gasped, inadvertently inhaling some of his food. He coughed so hard, he bucked the wicker tray off the bed. It crashed upside down on the carpet.

Darlene came running into the room and stood wringing her hands, while Raymond went through a series of coughing jags that turned him tomato red.

“Water!” he squeaked between fits.

Darlene dashed into the bathroom and returned with a glass. Raymond clutched it and managed to drink a small amount. The bacon and egg that he’d had in his mouth was now distributed in an arc around the bed.

“Are you all right?” Darlene asked. “Should I call 911?”

“The wrong way down,” Raymond croaked. He pointed to his Adam’s apple.

It took Raymond five minutes to recover. By that time, his throat was sore and his voice hoarse. Darlene had cleaned up most of the mess he’d caused except for the coffee stain on the white carpet.

“Did you see the paper?” Raymond asked Darlene.

She shook her head, so Raymond spread it out for her.

“Oh, my,” she said.

“Oh, my!” Raymond repeated sarcastically. “And you were wondering why I was still worried about Franconi!” Raymond forcibly crumpled the paper.

“What are you going to do?” Darlene asked.

“I suppose I have to go back and see Vinnie Dominick,” Raymond said. “He promised me the body was gone. Some job he did!”

The phone rang and Raymond jumped.

“Do you want me to answer it?” Darlene asked.

Raymond nodded. He wondered who could be calling so early.

Darlene picked up the phone and said hello followed by several yeses. Then she put the phone on hold.

“It’s Dr. Waller Anderson,” Darlene said with a smile. “He wants to come on board.”

Raymond exhaled. Until then he’d not been aware he’d been holding his breath. “Tell him we’re pleased, but that I’ll have to call him later.”