“Would you like me to speak slower?” he said. “Or perhaps text it to you?”

When she still didn’t respond, he plucked the phone from her hand and placed it on the desk.

“Thank you,” he said. “I appreciate having your full attention.”

She looked around, but it was well past visiting hours and the hall was empty.

“We would like to see Pamela Larsen,” Gabriel said. “We understand that she may not be permitted visitors. That is fine. Her daughter here simply wants to see her. I believe that’s understandable.”

“Mrs. Larsen is off-limits to anyone except medical personnel.”

“Her daughter will look through a window if necessary. If she’s allowed into the room, she will wear any protective garments required.”

“The patient is off-limits to anyone except medical personnel.”

“All right. Then may I request that you—as medical personnel—take your phone into her room and film a five-second video of the patient, to reassure her daughter. An unusual request, I’m sure, but Olivia is very concerned, and we would appreciate the effort.”

A flick of his hand, and a hundred-dollar bill peeked from under her cell phone.

“I can’t leave my post,” she said.

“Call someone to relieve you for a restroom break.”

“I can’t leave—”

“Bullshit,” I said. “If you’re going to play the role of a twenty-year-old, you’d better act like one. No recent graduate is going to turn down an easy hundred bucks.”

Her face screwed up. “What?”

“We’ve been through this before, and we’re getting damned good at figuring out when the person blocking us is not a person at all. Do you think we’ve failed to notice there’s no one else around? No one we can appeal to for help? Very convenient. Also? Very obvious. You fae need to get better at this game.”

Gabriel nudged me. I looked to see a doctor watching us from a doorway. I thought Gabriel was telling me there was someone else around. Then I saw the total confusion on the nurse’s face…and the faint smile on the doctor’s before he retreated.

“Why can’t we see my mother?” I said. “On whose orders?”

“One of the doctors. He said you’d be by. And he said you’d cause trouble, which is why you can’t see her. At all. Or I lose my job, which is worth more to me than your hundred bucks.”

“And that doctor’s name?”

“Lang? Lee? I’m new here. I just know he said it was important to keep you away from your mother, and that’s what I’m doing.”

“I’m sure he was very compelling,” I murmured as I stepped away from the desk.

“What was all that about?”