"Jesus. What's that line about how the troubles tread on one another's heels. Was he depressed? I guess that's a stupid question."
"He thought he was going to lose his business. After a lifetime of work. What do you think?"
"Ally, I'm really sorry about all that."
"Well, I suppose it could be worse. As I recall, you never knew your dad, did you?"
When am I going to tell her the truth? he asked himself.
"Let's get off the history topic tonight, what do you say. We'll both get ourselves depressed."
"Agreed." She sipped at her scotch. "So ... you're saying I should play along and see if I can find out something about this discharged patient, the mere mention of whom causes grown millionaires to become unhinged?"
"It's what / would do," he said, finishing off his scotch and settling the glass on a coaster on a side table. Then he got up. "I have to tell you, Ally, you look awfully tired. I'd love to be responsible for keeping you up all night, but I doubt that would be a humane act."
"It might remind me of a time long ago and not so far away," she said with a faint smile. "But you're right. When I get this tired, I can precipitate an episode."
"I'd offer to drive you out there tomorrow, but that would just get you in trouble. They probably have orders to shoot me on sight. I'm the number one persona non grata with the top management of the Gerex Corporation at the moment. So I'm the last person you want to be seen with. Right now the only way you're going to find out what they're hiding is if nobody suspects anything. Which means you've got to show up alone."