Devil’s Waltz. By: Jonathan Kellerman

to be satisfaction, gave another tight laugh, and left.

Her walk was a brisk waddle. The starched cap floated along the empty

corridor like a kite caught in a tailwind.

Stephanie took my arm and steered me away from the station.

“Sorry, Alex. I’ve never seen her like that.”

“Has she been Cassie’s nurse before?”

“Several times-almost from the beginning. She and Cindy have developed

a good rapport and Cassie seems to like her too.

When Cassie comes in, they ask for her.”

“She seems to have gotten pretty possessive.

“She does have a tendency to get involved, but I’ve always looked at

that as a positive thing. Families love her-she’s one of the most

committed nurses I’ve ever worked with. With morale the way it is,

commitment’s hard to find.”

“Does her commitment extend to home visits?”

“Not as far as I know. The only home things were a couple I did, with

one of the residents, at the very beginning, to set up the sleep

monitor-” She touched her mouth. “You’re not suggesting she had

something to do with “I’m not suggesting anything,” I said, wondering

if I was, because Bottomley had chapped my hide. “Just throwing out

ideas.”

“Hmm. . . well, that’s some idea. Munchausen nurse? I guess the

medical background fits.”

“There’ve been cases,” I said. “Nurses and doctors looking for

attention, and usually they’re the really possessive ones. But if

Cassie’s problems have always started at home and resolved in the

hospital, that would rule her out, unless Vicki’s a permanent resident

at the Jones household.”

“She isn’t. At least not as far as I know. No, of course she isn’t,

I’d know if she was.”

She looked unsure. Beaten down. I realized what a toll the case was

taking.

“I would like to know why she was so hostile to me,” I said.

“Not for personal reasons but in terms of the dynamics of this

family.

If Vicki and the mother are tight and Vicki doesn’t like me, that could

sour my consult.”

“Good point. . . I don’t know what’s eating at her.”

“I assume you haven’t discussed your suspicion of Cindy with her?”

“No. You’re really the first person I’ve talked to about it. That’s

why I phrased my no-meds instiuctions in terms of drug reactions.

Cindy’s also been asked not to bring food from home for the same

reason.

Vicki and the nurses on the other shifts are supposed to log everything

Cassie eats.” She frowned. “Of course if Vicki’s overstepping her

bounds, she might not be following through. Want me to have her

transferred? Nursing Ad would give me hell, but I suppose I could

swing it pretty quickly.”

“Not on my account. Let’s keep things stable for the time being.”

We walked behind the station. Stephanie retrieved the chart and

studied it again.

“Everything looks okay,” she said finally. “But I’ll have a talk with

her anyway.”

I said, “Let me have a look.”

She gave me the chart. Her usual neat handwriting and detailed

notes.

They included a family-structure chart that I spent some time on.

“No grandparents on the mother’s side?”

She shook her head. ~~~~~y lost her parents young. Chip lost his mom,

too, when he was a teenager. Old Chuck’s the only grandparent left.”

“Does he get up here much to visit?”

“From time to time. He’s a busy man.”

I continued reading. “Cindy’s only twenty-six . . . maybe Vicki’s a

mother figure for her.”

“Maybe,” she said. “Whatever it is, I’ll keep a tight leash on her.”

“Don’t comedown too hard right now, Steph. I don’t want to be seen by

Vicki-or Cindy-as someone who makes anyone’s life harder. Give me a

chance to get to know Vicki. She could turn out to be an ally.”

“Okay,” she said. “This human relations stuff is your area. But let

me know if she continues to be difficult. I don’t want anything

getting in the way of solving this thing.”

The room was inundated with LuvBunnies-on the windowsill, nightstand,

the bed tray, atop the TV A bucktoothed, rainbow-hued welcoming

party.

The rails of the bed were lowered. A beautiful child lay sleeping-a

tiny bundle barely swelling the covers.

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