"What did Linda say?"
"She said that you threatened to kill a coworker. She said you threatened to kill *her*. That you had a knife. Oh, Arthur, I'm so worried —"
"It's not true, Gran. She's lying to you."
"She told me you'd say that."
"Of course she did. She and Fede — a guy I worked with in London — they're trying to get rid of me. They had me locked up. I had a business deal with Fede, we were selling one of my ideas to a company in New Jersey. Linda talked him into selling to some people she knows in LA instead, and they conspired to cut me out of the deal. When I caught them at it, they got me sent away. Let me guess, she told you I was going to say this, too, right?"
"Arthur, I know —"
"You know that I'm a good guy. You raised me. I'm not nuts, OK? They just wanted to get me out of the way while they did their deal. A week or two and I'll be out again, but it will be too late. Do you believe that you know me better than some girl I met a month ago?"
"Of *course* I do, Arthur. But why would the hospital take you away if —"
"If I wasn't crazy? I'm in here for observation — they want to find *out* if
I'm crazy. If *they're* not sure, then you can't be sure, right?"
"All right. Oh, I've been sick with worry."