The piece of paper safely in my hand, I said, "I'm wondering at Dr. Lee's motivation in this. Why does she call you in, rather than dealing with Åsa more directly? She admits that she doesn't believe in vampires, so what does she think is going on?"
"Look at the paper," she said, and her tone told me that, for this time at least, she had been right. She was pressed against my side, and I felt a silent giggle as I unfolded the paper and read the clumsy block printing that she always used when she wrote without her glasses.
"1) Why is Dr. Lee doing this?
2) Where did Åsa get the cloak?"
"The cloak?" I asked.
"She didn't have it on her. She didn't leave the infirmary by the door to get it; Neil and Rex would have seen her. She didn't have it the night before; she wore her regular clothes then. Where did it come from?" She smiled. "Anyway, was I right or not?"
"You were right," I said, squeezing her bony shoulder. "But if you're so smart, what's the answer?"
She shook her head. "I'm not sure. I'm sure part of it is that she wants to know what the heck is going on. But there's something else." She sighed. "I don't know what, though, not yet, nor do I know what's going on with Åsa. Yet." She was quiet for a minute, then she said, "I can tell that, in general, Dr. Lee does want to know everything. Look at how she barged in on poor Christy without knocking." She chuckled. "Not that you were complaining, of course. I thought it was diplomatic of you not to drool."
There was no advantage to be gained by responding to that, so I said, "I have one more idea, too. I think this has something to do with you."
"With me? What do you mean? You think I'm a vampire?"
I laughed. "No, not that." I squeezed her again. "I'm talking about Dr. Lee's motivation. I think she's checking you out for some reason."
"Trying to figure out if I'm overrated, if I was just lucky with Felix?"
"No, more than that. I just don't know what."
"I agree," she said, nodding. "I agree that it is more than that, and I agree that you don't know what it is."
She looked so pleased with herself that I didn't have the heart to ask her to write down her answer to this question.
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