Devil’s Waltz. By: Jonathan Kellerman

you. Now let’s walk Dr. Delaware bye-bye.”

When we got to the entrance I stopped to look at the photos, realizing

there were none of Chip’s parents. My eyes settled back on the shot of

Cindy and her aunt.

“We were walking that day,” she said softly. Along the dock.

She used to take lots of walks. Long ones, for her diabetes-the

exercise helped her control it.”

“Did she have it pretty much under control?”

“Oh, yes-that wasn’t what… what took her. That was an S-T-R-O-K-E.

She had really great control-careful about everything that went into

her mouth. When I lived with her, I wasn’t allowed any sweets or

junk.

So I never developed a taste for it, and we don’t keep much around the

house.”

She kissed Cassie’s cheek. “I figure if she doesn’t get a taste of it

now, maybe she won’t want it later.”

I turned away from the photo.

“We do everything,” she said, “to keep her healthy. Without health,

there’s. . . nothing. Right? That’s the kind of thing you hear when

you’re young but it’s only later that you start to believe it ” øl’

Anguish filled her eyes.

Cassie wiggled and made wordless sounds.

“True,” I said. “How about you and me getting together tomorrow, right

here.”

“Sure.”

“When would be a good time?”

“With or without… HER?”

“Without, if possible.”

“Then it would have to be when she’s asleep. She generally naps from

one to two or two-thirty, then goes down for the night at seven or

eight. How about eight, in order to play it safe? If that’s not too

late for you.”

“Eight’s fine.”

“Chip will probably be able to be here, too-that should be good, don’t

you think?”

Absolutely,” I said. “See you then.”

She touched my arm. “Thanks for everything, and I’m really sorry. I

know you’ll help us get through this.”

The

General Peds receptionist said, “Dr. Eves stepped out. let me page

her.”

I waited, looking out through the clouded walls of the phone booth at

traffic and dust. The equestrians came into view again, cantering up a

side street, heading back from what must have been a circuit. Slim

jodhpured legs clamped around glistening torsos. Lots of smiles.

Probably heading back to the club for cold drinks and conversation. I

thought of all the ways Cindy Jones could have chosen to fill her TIME

Just as the horses vanished, the receptionist came back on the line.

“She’s not answering, Doctor. Would you like to leave a message?”

Any idea when she’ll be back?”

“I know she’s coming back for a five o’clock meeting-you might try her

just before then.”

Five P.M. was almost two hours away. I drove down Topanga

Back on Topanga, I pulled into the first gas station I saw and used the

pay phone to call Milo at work.

“Perfect timing,” he said. just got off the phone with Fort Jackson.

Seems little Cindy was sick all right. And back in 83. But not

pneumonia or meningitis. Gonorrhea. They drummed her out because of

it, on an ELS-entry-level status. That means she served less than a

hundred and eighty days and they wanted to get rid of her before they

had to pay benefits.” just because of a dose?”

A dose plus what led up to it. Seems during the four months she was

there, she set some kind of record for sexual promiscuity. So if she’s

fooling around on hubby, that just means she’s being consistent.”

“Promiscuity,” I said. “I just finished my home visit and this was the

first time I got a sense of her sexuality. I arrived early, on

purpose-curious about why she didn’t want me out there until

two-thirty.

She’d let her hair down. Literally. Was wearing short shorts and a

T-shirt with no bra.”

“Coming on to you?”

“No. In fact she seemed really uncomfortable. A few minutes later she

spilled some dirt on her clothes, hurried off to change and came back

dowdied up.”

“Maybe you just missed her boyfriend.”

“Could be. She told me one-to-two was Cassie’s nap time and Chip

teaches a class that day from twelve to two, so what better time for an