"Could we talk about this murder attempt?" I said.
She padded back to the bed and flopped down again. "Somebody's after him. Definitely," she said. She stubbed out her^ cigarette, with a yawn.
"What makes you say that?"
"The vibes."
"Aside from the vibes," I said.
"Oh balls, you don't believe us either," she said. She turned sideways and settled against the pillows, folding an arm under her head.
"Is someone after you too?"
"Nun-un. I don't think so. Just him."
"But why would someone do that? I'm not saying I don't believe you. I'm looking for a place to start and I want to hear what you have to say."
"I'd have to think about it some," she said and then she was quiet.
It took me a few minutes to realize she'd passed out. Jesus, what was she on?
Chapter 4
I waited in the hallway, shoes in hand, while Bobby covered her with a blanket and tiptoed out of the room, closing the door gently.
"What's the story?" I said. "She's O.K. She was just up late last night." "What are you talking about? She's half dead!" He shifted uneasily. "You really think so?" "Bobby, would you look at her? She's a skeleton. She's doing drugs, alcohol, cigarettes. You know she's smoking dope on top of that. How's she going to survive?"
"I don't know. I guess I didn't think she was that bad ofЈ" he said. He was not only young, he was naive, or maybe she'd been going under so gradually that he couldn't see the shape she was in.
"How long has she been anoretic?" "Since Rick died, I guess. Maybe some before that. He was-her boyfriend and she took it pretty hard."
"Is that what Kleinert's seeing her for? The anorexia?" "I guess. I never really asked. She was a patient of his before I started seeing him."