The Venus Fix

Eighty-Four

Nina came into my office after both of our ten o’clock patients had left.

“Have you heard from Blythe?” she asked.

I shook my head. “No.” I shrugged. “I’m not going to assume that means anything. She’s twenty-five years old. There are a million reasons that she might not have checked her machine since last night. But I called her again this morning and left a new message.”

“I heard from Stella. She just called. She’d be happy to see me. Well, us. But I didn’t mention you over the phone. I’m not sure how to handle that.”

“When?”

“One-thirty.”

“Where?”

“Eighth Avenue. Forty-fourth Street.”

“That’s near Dulcie’s theater.”

Nina nodded. “Stella’s part owner of a building there. I guess it’s been renovated. That’s what she always said they were going to do with it. Tear it down and turn it into offices.”