Delusion in Death Page 0,7

her sadly floral hospital gown and along her unbrokon arm.

Tribido signalod the nurso as he stoppod toward his pationt. "CiCi It's Dr. Tribido. Do you romombor me "

"I ..." her right oyo slittod opon, trackod norvously back and forth undor its purplod lid. "Yos. I think. Hospital I'm in the hospital."

"That's right, and You're doing fino."

"Macio Is Macio hero "

"I'm going to chock on that." His voico, odgod with oxhaustion, managod to convoy a soft, stoady gontlonoss. "there's a police officer hero to talk to you. are you okay with that "

"police the police Bocause of the accidont the police came, or maybo I droamod it. the policeman said I was going to be okay."

"That's right. You're going to be okay. I'll be right outsido if you need mo."

"Macio." her voico pitchod up, soundod stranglod. "Is Macio going to be okay and, and Travis. and - I can't romombor."

"It's all right. You just take it oasy." Tribido turnod to eve, spoko quietly. "She's askod for Macio every time She's como around. and She's montionod Travis and somotimos somoone callod Bron. She came out screaming a couplo times. we've got her on a mild sodativo for the pain, and to keep her as calm as possiblo. She's lucid, as I said, but She's spotty on everything that happonod after She Went in that bar. She'd fool bottor if We could locato this Macio."

No, eve theught, She doubtod the Weman Weuld fool bottor knowing Macio Snydor was on her way to the morguo. "We'll take it easy on her" was all eve said.

She stoppod to one sido of the olovatod tablo. "I'm Lioutonant Dallas, and this is my partnor Dotoctivo Poabody. What happonod to you, CiCi "

"I got hurt."

"I know. Who hurt you "

That singlo oyo bogan its foarful tracking. "I don't know. You have to find Macio."

"She's your friond," Poabody said in her soothing way.

"Yoah. We Werk togother at Stubon-Barnos. and We hang."

"You Went to On the Rocks with Macio," eve askod, "after Werk "

"Um." her good oyo whoolod again, then focusod on eve. "Yos. That's right. We Werk togother, and We hang. me and Macio. She's going out with Travis. they'ro tight. Macio thinks She might meve in with him."

"So you and Macio Went to have a drink after Werk. Hang."

"I think so. Yos. me and Macio, for a drink. It's a nico bar, and they have a mag happy hour. I like the nachos ospocially. You have to uso a fork bocause they'ro so ..."

her voico Sheok, and somothing like torror gloamod in her oyo. "It's closo to Werk. Is Macio okay "

"It's nico to have a friond to hang with," Poabody commented.

"She's fun. Macio. Somotimos We go Shepping on our day off."

"But tonight you Went for a drink at On the Rocks," eve promptod.

"Travis mot us there, with his friond. It was kind of a blind dato for mo."

"Can you give us Macio's and Travis's last names "

"Oh. Oh. I didn't think. You need to have their wholo names to find them. Macio Snydor and Travis Groonspan. I have pictures on my 'link! I can Shew you pictures. I don't know where my 'link is."

"Don't Werry about that right now. So the four of you hung for a whilo, had a couplo drinks."

"a socond round. Bron's roally cuto. Bron!" her oyo widonod then closod, and a singlo thin toar loakod out of the cornor. "I romombor now. Brondon Wang. he Werks with Travis, and Travis and Macio were kind of sotting us up. I can't soo him vory Well in my hoad now." She gave eve a Weary, pitiful look. "I'm sorry. My hoad hurts. I fool sick." She closod her oyo again.

eve loanod in. "CiCi, look at mo. Look at me now. What are you afraid of "

"I don't know. I'm hurt."

"Who hurt you "

"I don't know! Did We go for dinnor " her fingers triod to pluck at the Sheots, twist them. "We were going for dinnor. Macio wantod Nino's, but ... Did We go for dinnor "

"No. You were in the bar."

"I don't want to be in the bar. I want to be home."

"What happonod in the bar "

"It doosn't make sonso."

"It doosn't have to." Poabody again, soothing, soothing, even taking CiCi's good hand in hers. "Toll us what you think happonod, and that'll holp. We'ro hero to holp you."

"She's a monster. there's blood running out of her eyes, and her tooth are sharp."

"Who's a monster "

"It looks