“I guess that makes sense. What sorts of things did you treat during your locum?”

“The only other patient I saw was the fellow you shared the ward with, the one with a broken leg,” she replied. “I was told that they rarely admitted anyone who was sick. Nearly all the admissions were of injuries suffered during training.”

“Has anyone ever died in training?”

“If anyone has, I wasn’t told about it. I did hear that we came close to losing you by drowning. It was a good thing the truck with the winch happened along when it did.”

Stone found the room service menu and shared it with her. They ordered dinner and a bottle of wine.

“I’d like a shower before dinner arrives,” she said. “Join me?”

“No, thanks. I don’t want to get caught in there with you by a room service waiter,” Stone said. “We might shock him.”

Dinner arrived in due course, and two waiters set up the table and served them.

Stone couldn’t think of anything else to ask Rose, and they dined quietly.

“Have you run out of questions?” she asked.

“You’ve worn me out,” Stone replied.

“I will again.” And she did.

17

Stone woke the following morning with the sound of the shower running in the background, and he joined Rose there. They spent a quarter of an hour soaping and scrubbing and whatever else they could think of, then they toweled each other dry, and Stone ordered breakfast and the papers, then he got into a robe to prepare for the arrival of room service.

Rose, on the other hand, came out of the bathroom entirely naked, toweling her hair. The doorbell rang, and she jumped under the covers.

When the waiters had departed they sat down at the table, Rose still naked.

“Be careful not to spill any hot coffee,” Stone said.

She tied a napkin around her neck. “There. All safe.”

“What time are you due at work?” he asked.

“Nine.”

“Did you drive?”

“No, I took a cab. I imagine the doorman can get me another.”

“I imagine so, too,” Stone said. He tried and failed to ask her further questions.

Shortly before nine, now fully dressed, Rose grabbed her coat and her duffel and kissed him goodbye. “When are you coming back?”

“When are you coming down?” Stone asked.

“Next week perhaps. I’ll call you.”

“Do that.” He kissed her and she left.

Two minutes later, his cell phone rang. “Hello?”

“It’s Felicity.”

“Good morning, did your people get anything?”

“They got a great deal,” she said, “but not much of value. You didn’t ask the right questions.”

“You didn’t give me a script,” he replied, “and I didn’t want to appear to be grilling her. I did the best I could.”

“Yes, well, we’re all aware how well you did,” she said.

“You’re smirking,” Stone replied. “What do you mean by that?”