Chapter 7: The Visitor Lobby

In August, the desk phoned my lab and told me four people were in the visitor lobby.

They had flown in that morning, and they refused to leave.

The director offered to send them away.

"No," I said. "I'll go down. Can I do it in front of everyone?"

"The lobby is public," he said. "Today there are twelve families down there visiting staff."

"Good."

I took the stairs.

The lobby had a glass wall, a security desk, and rows of plastic chairs with families in them.

Daphne, Maxine, Ingrid and Bridget stood at the center of the room, with their bags still at their feet.

Felix wasn't there.

Daphne saw me first.

Her whole face changed, and she came toward me with her arms already open.

I stepped back.

"Elliot, thank God." Her voice cracked. "We've been calling for weeks. Why is it so hard to find you?"

"You got my notice," I said.

"The legal letter?" Maxine said. "You sent us a legal letter? We were worried sick."

"You had the police search for me."

"Felix was scared," Bridget said. "He had the right to be."

"Felix filed a report saying I was unstable. You all signed it."

Ingrid looked at the floor.

Nobody answered.

A woman in the second row lowered her magazine to listen.

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