already knew it from the newspapers. Maybe he was just waiting for her to get out of the hospital….
“Bea can stay with me,” she said quickly. “After all, I’m the one responsible for her rehabilitation.”
Niedman’s bushy eyebrows raised over his eyeglasses in surprise. “Isn’t that a bit over and above the call of duty, Dr. Forster?”
“I like her,” Phyl said defensively. “We have become friends as well as doctor and patient.”
“I see. Well, she is a nice young woman, and I for one am glad of your offer. It certainly helps resolve my dilemma. I figure next weekend, if that’s all right with you?”
Phyl went to tell Bea the good news. “It’s been six weeks,” she said. “You must be sick and tired of gazing at these four walls, so you can come and gaze at mine for a change. At least the view is better, though I can’t guarantee the food.” She thought of Mahoney’s delicious pasta and smiled.
Bea laughed delightedly. “Believe me,
anything
is better than hospital food. But are you sure, Phyl? I mean, it’s a terrible imposition, taking in a perfect stranger—”
“Hey, hey, what do you mean? A perfect stranger? Let’s not forget that right now I know you better than anyone else. Besides, I like you. And it’ll be fun having a roommate. I haven’t had that pleasure since college.” She laughed, looking around the bare hospital room. “At least we won’t be fighting over closet space.”
That night Mahoney came by again, surprising Phyl. And this time he arrived with a gift: a charming cream and chocolate Siamese kitten. It looked minute in his big hands, purring confidently, quite certain it would be loved.
“I thought the apartment was too lonely,” he explained. “A cat will keep you busy, keep you from gettingintroverted. Think of her as therapy. And make no mistake, this kind of cat thinks it’s human. You do as she tells you. She wants to play, you play. She wants to eat, you serve her food. She wants to hug, baby, you get hugs. So tell me right now, Doc, if you’re not prepared for all that, and I’ll take her back to the breeder.”
“Who is the breeder?” The tiny cat’s wide blue eyes stared into her own.
“My aunt Sophia, in Sacramento.”
“You drove all the way to Sacramento to get this kitten for me?”
He looked nonchalant. “I thought you needed something to care for. It takes you out of yourself, y’know, having to think of someone besides yourself. Even a little cat.”
She looked accusingly at him. “You wanted to make me more ‘human.’”
He grinned. “I guess you could say that. Anyhow, her name’s Coco. Kinda chic, I thought. Like you.”
“This is a very personal gift, Mahoney,” Phyl said warily. The kitten was crawling up her shoulder, burying its soft damp nose in her neck, tangling its paws in her hair. She laughed. “But your aunt Sophia certainly knows what she’s doing.”
“Then you want to keep her?” He looked anxious. “Remember, she needs love and affection.”
She glanced skeptically at him. “I guess I have enough of that to give, despite what you think. And what can I give you in return?”
“Buy me dinner sometime?”
She laughed, hugging the kitten to her breast. “You drive a hard bargain, Detective Mahoney. By the way, I’m getting a roommate.”
“I know. I spoke with Niedman. When?”
“On the weekend. I thought maybe if she were here with me, I could work with her. I also remembered what you said about the killer, and I thought she would be safe. Until she remembers who she is, that is. Besides,she has no money, though for all we know she might be an heiress.”
“A chance in several million, but I learned the hard way a long time ago never to discount
any
possibility. That little cat needs a litter tray, if you don’t mind my speaking frankly, Doc. Better fix it real fast so she knows where to go. Then you’ll never have any problem with her.”
“Spoken like an expert.”
“Yeah,
“Bea can stay with me,” she said quickly. “After all, I’m the one responsible for her rehabilitation.”
Niedman’s bushy eyebrows raised over his eyeglasses in surprise. “Isn’t that a bit over and above the call of duty, Dr. Forster?”
“I like her,” Phyl said defensively. “We have become friends as well as doctor and patient.”
“I see. Well, she is a nice young woman, and I for one am glad of your offer. It certainly helps resolve my dilemma. I figure next weekend, if that’s all right with you?”
Phyl went to tell Bea the good news. “It’s been six weeks,” she said. “You must be sick and tired of gazing at these four walls, so you can come and gaze at mine for a change. At least the view is better, though I can’t guarantee the food.” She thought of Mahoney’s delicious pasta and smiled.
Bea laughed delightedly. “Believe me,
anything
is better than hospital food. But are you sure, Phyl? I mean, it’s a terrible imposition, taking in a perfect stranger—”
“Hey, hey, what do you mean? A perfect stranger? Let’s not forget that right now I know you better than anyone else. Besides, I like you. And it’ll be fun having a roommate. I haven’t had that pleasure since college.” She laughed, looking around the bare hospital room. “At least we won’t be fighting over closet space.”
That night Mahoney came by again, surprising Phyl. And this time he arrived with a gift: a charming cream and chocolate Siamese kitten. It looked minute in his big hands, purring confidently, quite certain it would be loved.
“I thought the apartment was too lonely,” he explained. “A cat will keep you busy, keep you from gettingintroverted. Think of her as therapy. And make no mistake, this kind of cat thinks it’s human. You do as she tells you. She wants to play, you play. She wants to eat, you serve her food. She wants to hug, baby, you get hugs. So tell me right now, Doc, if you’re not prepared for all that, and I’ll take her back to the breeder.”
“Who is the breeder?” The tiny cat’s wide blue eyes stared into her own.
“My aunt Sophia, in Sacramento.”
“You drove all the way to Sacramento to get this kitten for me?”
He looked nonchalant. “I thought you needed something to care for. It takes you out of yourself, y’know, having to think of someone besides yourself. Even a little cat.”
She looked accusingly at him. “You wanted to make me more ‘human.’”
He grinned. “I guess you could say that. Anyhow, her name’s Coco. Kinda chic, I thought. Like you.”
“This is a very personal gift, Mahoney,” Phyl said warily. The kitten was crawling up her shoulder, burying its soft damp nose in her neck, tangling its paws in her hair. She laughed. “But your aunt Sophia certainly knows what she’s doing.”
“Then you want to keep her?” He looked anxious. “Remember, she needs love and affection.”
She glanced skeptically at him. “I guess I have enough of that to give, despite what you think. And what can I give you in return?”
“Buy me dinner sometime?”
She laughed, hugging the kitten to her breast. “You drive a hard bargain, Detective Mahoney. By the way, I’m getting a roommate.”
“I know. I spoke with Niedman. When?”
“On the weekend. I thought maybe if she were here with me, I could work with her. I also remembered what you said about the killer, and I thought she would be safe. Until she remembers who she is, that is. Besides,she has no money, though for all we know she might be an heiress.”
“A chance in several million, but I learned the hard way a long time ago never to discount
any
possibility. That little cat needs a litter tray, if you don’t mind my speaking frankly, Doc. Better fix it real fast so she knows where to go. Then you’ll never have any problem with her.”
“Spoken like an expert.”
“Yeah,
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