"I'm sorry. You're right. I knew you were in that rehab place, and I made no effort to visit you. I was in college facing a bunch of junk in my own life I believed was heavy. I've thought about you in that place over the years, but it was too late. Perhaps that's why I've been avoiding you, trying to block it out, hoping I'd never have to deal with it. We've talked since, over the years, you never mentioned any of this."
"You never asked one personal question about me. Geez, you talked about the weather and asked how my car was running. Every time we spoke, all you could think of was how's the weather and how's my damn car?"
He put his face down in his hands.
She looked down for a moment slowly shaking her head and waiting for the memories to fade away. Then she smiled and glanced around the room. "Who was the pretty woman who just left?"
"Someone from the office, Meg...I can't remember her last name. She's trying to help me, but it looks like I'll be fired."
"She is not just someone. That's obvious because she's here. Are you friends with her at the office? What does she do?"
"Stockbroker. She comes by my office every day."
"Didn't you notice her clothes? I recognize those slacks, Italian Prato linen, very in. I have no idea where to buy something like that, Palm Beach, I suppose."
She motioned with her hand, and the police officer positioned by the wall first hesitated and then came over. "Officer, would you please let me see your logbook? I need the name, address and phone number of that young woman who just left here. Thank you."
The young officer was bewildered, "Ah, I don't think...we don't...we're not supposed to do that."
Ray raised his hand and started to speak. His sister shushed him and kept going, "Just now, to get in here, I was required to write down that same information about myself. Your prisoner has a right to know who you're permitting in here to see him. That log is a public record, and it didn't suddenly become confidential. The sergeant over there, what's his name?"
The officer appeared panicky, as though wondering if he should disclose the sergeant's name. "That's...Sergeant Lewis."
"Tell him I'd like to speak with him, please."
Ray sat astonished. The puzzled officer called for the sergeant, who walked over. With his white hair and slight bend, he appeared to be approaching retirement age yet was still in good shape. No doughnut paunch on that cop. She politely repeated her request.