THE INTENSIVE CARE UNIT was on the sixth floor of the UCLA Medical Center. Pike stepped out of the elevator and followed signs to an octagonal command post at the end of a hall lined by glass-walled rooms. Curtains could be pulled for privacy, but most of the rooms were open so the staff could see the patients from the hall.

Pike walked the length of the hall checking for officers, but any officers who had been present were gone. He returned to the nurses’ station, and waited until a harried female nurse turned to him. Her name tag read BARBARA FARNHAM.

“May I help you?”

Pike and his dress shirt held out the flowers.

“Ana Markovic.”

The nurse’s expression softened when she saw the daisies.

“I’m sorry. Are you a relative?”

“I know the family.”

“We limit our visitors in ICU, only one person at a time, and then only for a few minutes. Her sister’s here now, but I’m sure she wouldn’t mind.”

Pike nodded.

“Room twelve, but you can’t leave the flowers. If a patient has an allergic reaction, it could weaken their immune system.”

Pike had expected this, and handed over the flowers. The nurse admired them as she placed them on the counter.

“Pretty. I like daisies. You can pick them up when you leave or we can send them to another part of the hospital. We usually send them to Maternity.”

“Before I see her, I’d like to speak with her primary nurse. Is that possible?”

“Well, that’s all of us, really. We work as a team.”

“The police told me she wasn’t able to make a statement when they found her. I was wondering if she came around after surgery.”

“No, I’m sorry, she hasn’t.”

“I don’t mean a conversation. Maybe she mumbled a name. Said something that might help the police.”

The nurse looked sympathetic.

“You’ll understand when you see her. She’s unconscious and completely uncommunicative.”

“Would you ask the other nurses?”

“I’ll ask, but I’m sure she hasn’t spoken.”

A light mounted outside a nearby door came on, drawing the nurse’s attention.

“Room twelve. Only for a few minutes, all right?”

The nurse hurried away, so Pike went down the hall to room twelve. Like the other rooms, the door was open and the drape pulled back so the nurses could see the patient. Pike expected to find the sister, but room twelve was empty except for the bandaged figure in the bed.

Pike hesitated at the door, wondering how far he should take this, then went to the bed. The left side of Ana’s face and head were hidden beneath heavy bandages, but the right half of her face was visible. She seemed to be trying to open her eye. Her eyelid would lift, the eye beneath would drift and roll, then the eyelid would close.