Snow Blind - Lori G. Armstrong [8]
“It isn’t. It’s become a cave of apathy.”
When she didn’t clarify, I leaned closer. “Explain that remark, Reva.”
“You wanna know why I’ve been roaming the hallways? Because the new punks they hired don’t give a hoot about us. They’re supposed to check on each unit twice a day. Half the time they don’t bother to do it once. After what happened to my friend Nettie . . .”
“What?”
“She slipped getting out of the shower and hit her head on the toilet. By the time those minimum wage idiots found her the next morning? It was too late. She was dead. If they would’ve checked on her that night, like they were paid to, maybe . . .” Her chin wobbled and her glasses slipped down her nose. I allowed her a minute to find her composure.
“I’m so sorry. Did Nettie’s family know what really happened?” Neglect resulting in a fatal injury screamed lawsuit.
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“Nettie didn’t have family.”
“No one?”
Her head snapped up. “No. Which was why I
was so upset when I found out she’d . . .” Reva dabbed her eyes. “Too late at any rate. Things have changed for the worse. There’s nothing anyone can do because most of us are stuck here until we die.”
Wow. I had no idea what to say.
“So, I’m not surprised this place is under investigation.”
“Does that mean you’ll help me?”
She nodded. “I’ll be discreet, since no one notices me.”
I dug a business card out of my purse. “What’s your room number in case I need to get in touch with you?”
“Four-oh-seven.” The card disappeared in the side pocket of her wheelchair.
“Thanks.”
“No, thank you. I look forward to seeing you again, PI girl.”
“Same goes, spy girl.”
Reva rolled down the maze of hallways and out of sight.
I exited the break room and turned the corner to see Kevin and Dee storming to me. Neither appeared very happy. I wasn’t in a hurry to get my ass chewed so I stayed put.
Dee sent me a sour look. “We’ve been waiting for you for twenty minutes.”
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“I’m sorry. After I used the bathroom I stopped at the desk for a map and accidentally knocked over a stack of papers. After I made your office mate mad, I thought it’d be best for everyone if I hung out here until you showed up.”
“I’m on a tight schedule today so we’ll have to reschedule your tour for another time.”
“Jack can lead me back there for a quick runthrough if you don’t mind.”
“I do mind.” Her smile came off haughty, not apologetic. “We can’t have people wandering around unattended. Against company policy and such.”
I bit back the retort, Except for letting the residents wander around unattended?
Kevin smoothly inserted himself between us.
“We understand.” He clasped both of Dee’s hands and mustered his Boy Scout smile. “Thank you so much for the tour. We’ll be in touch about our decision.”
“The pleasure was all mine.” Dee put an extra swing in her abundant hips as she walked away, but Kevin wasn’t paying attention.
He unhooked our winter gear from the coatrack.
“Ready?”
“Yep.” I buttoned up my coat and tugged on my Thinsulate gloves. That first punch of cold air seemed to crystallize my lungs.
Kevin didn’t vocalize his anger until we were huddled in his Jeep. “What the hell were you doing, Jules? I didn’t learn a goddamn thing while you were 26
screwing around. That woman watched me like I was a healthcare inspector.”
“I wasn’t screwing around.” I unfolded the map I’d shoved in my jeans pocket and flipped it over, detailing what I’d found out from the files and from Reva. When he didn’t respond, I kept a stream-ofconsciousness dialogue going, expecting some fact I missed would jump out at him.
“You wouldn’t think Luella would want to spend so much time with Mr. Sloane, being she’s the director and all. Yet, if he is paying her extra . . . oh, like 35K, I see why she’d do it.”
No response.
Why didn’t my information make him happy?
“Wasn’t that what Amery wanted us to find out?”
“We have a better idea of who is involved. And yes, there’s definitely something going on, but without catching Luella cashing a check, or us breaking into the admin offices to track Vernon Sloane’s