“Chris, I’m sorry. You can fire me if you want, but I need to see your hands.”

Donatti gave off a sour laugh. “You think I did it?”

“You go all the way to Los Angeles to pick up your ex-wife who was beaten badly? There are better hospitals in L.A. If you were me, what would you think?”

“Fair enough.” Donatti held out his hands. He had had a manicure yesterday morning, so his nails were perfect.

“Flip them over.” Saverhall nodded. “Thank you. I need to see your arms, sir.” When Donatti stared at him, he said, “She had skin under her fingernails.”

Off came the jacket, exposing his forearms and his piece in its shoulder harness. Donatti was surprised. For years, Saverhall had overlooked a variety of illegal drugs and all the weapons. Something about a beaten-up woman must have gotten to him. He raised his shirt, exposing his abdomen around his gun harness. “Satisfied?”

“One more thing. Your feet.”

“This is getting to be a pain in the ass.” Saverhall waited, and Donatti took off his boots and socks. Saverhall looked at his toes and nails and then nodded.

Donatti said, “You want my DNA while we’re at it?”

“Chris, I’m sorry, but I’m only doing my job. I don’t know how you feel about this woman, but she is your ex.”

“She called our son. Our son called me. She wanted out of L.A. and I came for her.”

“Nice of you to do that for your ex-wife.”

Donatti smiled. “Never figured me for a nice guy, huh?”

“Sorry to inconvenience you.”

Donatti waved him off. “We’re square. Go home to your wife … Marquetta, right?” Just then, the double doors opened again and a doctor emerged, face mask dangling like a monk’s collar. “I gotta go.”

Drew Jamison had been an ER doc on staff for four years. Single guy and good-looking—dark and well built. He often took advantage of the employee discount. The girls and boys got paid the same whomever they serviced. Donatti made sure of that. It was good business and prevented sexual harassment lawsuits. He had drilled it into anyone who worked for him.

Never give it away for free—not even to the boss.

Donatti jogged over to him. “Tell me good news.”

“There’s a lot of good news,” Jamison said. “First of all, her cranial pressure is normal. Her pupillary response appears fine. She was able to follow some simple instructions.”

He exhaled. “That’s good.”

“Yes, it is, but brain swelling sometimes happens later. We’ll have to watch her, but she’s okay at this moment. Her jaw was dislocated and she has some loose teeth in back. We wired everything so her mouth is stable. That can probably be removed in three or four weeks. She isn’t eating anyway.”

“Anything else?”