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Cassie a LuvBunny — you know those stuffed bunnies, the cartoons on TV? She’s crazy about them. I figure with you people in there, she should be fine for a few minutes.”
    Stephanie looked at me. Bottomley followed her glance with what seemed 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 instructions 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. “Cindy 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 come down 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