At the emergency room, he asked the nurse on duty about Kimberly Jackson who was brought in about twenty minutes ago. The nurse looked at some paperwo...k she had in front of her and asked Bret to take a seat. She said she would tell him as soon as she heard something.About twenty minutes later, a doctor in scrubs walked out and the nurse pointed him to Bret."Are you a relative of Ms Jackson?" No, I am just a good friend. The only relative she has is a daughter that lives a few towns over." Well,. . Oh, I haven't lied to you, but I haven't told you the whole truth, either. I'm still connected with the police department, working on limited assignments where I can be of value." My God! Isn't that dangerous for you?" No more than for anyone else, and my blindness makes a good cover..." But... ?" But be quiet and let me finish," he said. "I have to tell you this. Yesterday, when we first met, I was friendly because I thought I could use you. And the more we talked, the more certain I was.. He rose slowly and leant out to peer over the edge. There, some forty feet below, was the body of a man. It was clear, even from that distance, that the poor unfortunate had departed this world. The limbs lay every which-way and the unnatural angle of the head revealed a broken neck. As happens when such disaster befalls, a crowd gathered swiftly. Cadfael and his companion stared down from their vantage point until a peremptory voice, much used to command, summoned them down from their eyrie.. " Oh, she'll talk to you, dear. She said she would." You said she wasn't speaking to you at all." I may have exaggerated a little," Mrs. Gartman admitted. "I was tryingto get you to realize the seriousness of the matter. Shelly is my life.If anything were to happen to our relationship, I...I don't know what Iwould do. I...I..don't think I could continue to...live."I sighed. As reluctant as I was to get involved, I knew how much Shellymeant to Mrs. Gartman and what she meant to Shelly. I.