Chapter 14: The Eleventh Step

Beckett's POV

Imogen adjourned the meeting for me, because I could not form a sentence.

She stood up and said the fitness vote would wait until counsel had checked how the file was released.

Then she said reading a woman's chart aloud to a table was a crime.

She said she would be glad to tell a judge so.

The director in the grey suit sat down looking less pleased.

I did not see Cora leave.

I walked out of the tower at noon and kept walking until it was dark.

At nine that night I was standing outside Halcyon.

The lounge was shut.

A sign on the glass said Closed During Investigation, and the guard at the side door knew my face.

"Mr. Lowry. I'm not supposed to let anyone in."

"I only want the stairs."

He looked at me for a while.

Then he unlocked the door and went back to his chair.

The staircase was lit by one work lamp at the bottom.

Eleven marble steps, wide and white, with a brass rail polished by years of hands.

I had never counted them before.

I stood at the foot and thought: she had been nine weeks along when she came down these.

She had not even known yet.

She had gone up those stairs with a folder of agreements, to stop two women tearing each other apart over me.

I put my hand on the rail and started to climb.

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