DESCEND INTO THE ABYSS

Weeks

der from the file caddy on the door o

was unusual. Chris had a large practice, but it w

ile held only a medical history, the long form tha

her station to the X-ray room. He called out and waved her up the hall.

ng in with me?"

female p

hook he

to speak t

pat

we got so busy with Mr. Seward-" Chris nodded a

s her

shru

years old and in great shape, ex

ca

and orbit. Head through

bout a car acciden

s ago, by the co

from the door, an

give you an

e shook

you know

, b

odded k

n fear of a sexually transmitted disease. Natchez, Mississippi, was a small town, and its nurses gossiped as

harlotte, North C

ll you what she's

nothing," Holly said

at-and-error series on Mr. Sewar

. Go t

ispered, "Have fun

moned a serious expression and

side the examining table. Her face almost caused him to stare

bad. It was her youth and attractivene

n who looked and dressed this way would have had p

ockout or anything; s

d," the woman said

membering that the histo

of acknowledgement

o for you tod

e could feel her eyes probing hi

on here? Ch

irthday or

f plan some k

she want

ered sex for drugs, usually narcotics. Chris studied

val face not much different from those

tructure, maybe, espec

ngs, Alex Morse might be any woman at the local health club. And yet...despite her usualness, if that was a word, there was somethin

s. I promise, however frightening it might seem now, I've seen or heard it many times in this office,

tell you," Alex Morse said with utter

for games. He looked pointedly at his watch. "Ms. Morse, if I'm g

," the woman said fi

reached into a small handbag on the cha

open and held up

some sort, one with

ked cl

he right side of

cial Agent Alexandra Morse. Beside this was a photo of the woman standing befor

some things in con

en to an FBI agent. Before I leave, I need you to write me a prescription for Levaquin and tell your nurse that I had a uri

to make a conscious de

at's go

vestigating

investig

" "Someon

yes didn't wave

of this conversation. Right now I'm going to tell yo

rt stool he used in

North Carolina? Or

do yo

kee, but I hear Miss

hat passed for a smile with her-a

in Jackson. But I'm based in C

have his intuit

on with y

handbag had been, crossed her

a brain hemorrhage. This happened

sor

e were past it, but Chris saw h

d, but before she died, she told me

ha

e she'd bee

sure he un

ld you someone h

r husband, to

t about this

the autop

the left side of the br

that made a stroke likel

N

r taking birth-

es

aused or contribut

abnormal cause for the stroke. No stran

r's husband res

tually beamed

He di

? You really thought her hu

t she must have been ha

hris for the first time, and h

erations caused

indicated something else. S

rse?" he