“Terrific. We’ve got the social workers involved and all the girls are staying at a youth shelter downtown. Run by a Pentecostal church, but the people in charge aren’t doing the holy-roller bit and I know from past experience that they’re righteous.”

She gave me an address on Sixth Street.

I said, “I’ll be there at ten.”

“Thanks again, Doctor. In terms of the long-term placement, if you have some advice, we’re all open. The shelter’s good but it’s temporary. I can’t see sending them off to new foster homes without some real careful checking.” She laughed. “Now I’m being a social worker.”

“All part of the job.”

“Unless you keep it out of the job,” she said. “And I’m not ready to do that yet.”

CHAPTER 46

CHAPTER 46

That night, Allison phoned. “I’m in the car, ten minutes away. May I come by?”

“Of course.”

I left the front door open. Seven minutes later, she strode in.

Cosmetics, jewelry, hair loose and shiny. Sleek white silk blouse tucked into wine-colored slacks. Burgundy suede sandals with tiny rhinestone bows. Tiny gold chains across her instep.

She took my face in both hands and kissed my lips, but it didn’t last long.

We sat down in the living room, thigh to thigh. I held her hand. She touched my knee.

“It seems like ages,” she said. “Since we had any fun.”

“It has been ages.”

“I heard about Drew Daney. It was on the news— something about the Sepulveda Dam. Not a lot of details.”

“Do you want details?”

“Not really. You doing okay?”

“Fine, how about you?”

“Me too.” Her eyes dipped at the outer edges.

“What’s wrong?”

“I wish I could provide fun, Alex, but I have to leave for Connecticut in a couple of days. Gram fell and broke her hip and Wes says it seems to have done something to her mind, she’s just not herself. I’d be on the plane tonight but I’ve still got Beth to worry about. She’s better, a lot better, and there’s a very good resident who wants to work with her. Beth seems to like her but the rapport hasn’t developed and there’s the whole abandonment thing to deal with. I’m hoping to get her to accept the resident in a couple of days. To understand that my absence will be temporary.”

She sighed. “I wouldn’t tell anyone else this, but nothing would thrill me more than coming back to find she prefers the resident.”

“Know how you feel.”

“I’m so drained, Alex. Every minute I’m not at the office, I’m over at the hospital. Now it’s Gram. Sometimes I feel I’m a host and everyone else is a parasite. Isn’t that horrible? No one forced me to take this job.”