Jane Actually

a little counter to my argument that she intentionally inserted those elements, so I have to attribute her remarks properly.”
    “What does that mean?” she asked, misunderstanding him.
    Stephen started panicking, realizing his trait of not editing his remarks was again getting him in trouble.
    “It doesn’t mean anything. It’s just you started talking about Jane doing strange stuff.”
    “No I didn’t,” she said, alarmed at his question and also worried that she’d divulged more about Jane than she should have. “I just said she takes walks at night. You’re the one who said it was strange.”
    “And it’s not. I’m sorry I asked. I mean … can you forget I asked? I really don’t have any reason to doubt she’s Jane. I don’t know why I asked.”
    “Turn here.”
    “What?”
    “This is the road to Echo Lake 1 .”
    Stephen turned sharply into the right hand lane without a chance to signal. Luckily he’d already slowed for the traffic light and there were no cars behind them.
    “It’s forgotten,” she said.
    “Thanks. I really don’t know why I asked,” he said, feeling guilty because he knew precisely why he’d asked. Dr Davis’s suspicions had influenced him and he didn’t want to admit that to her. “Maybe I just figured …”
    “You know I really can’t forget it if you keep talking about it. And now the light’s changed.”
    Stephen looked up and saw that the light had indeed changed. He turned onto the road and hoped he would soon find that grizzly bear.
    1 Echo Lake is about 40 miles west of Denver and is part of the Denver Mountain Parks system. The lake and nearby Echo Lake Lodge are at 10,600 feet. The Mount Evans Scenic Byway, America’s highest paved road, begins at the lodge and ends at the summit at 14,264 feet.

Toothache
All too mortal flesh
    J ane peeked into the bedroom again and saw Mary sprawled out on the bed, her feet tangled in the sheets and most alarmingly, not visibly breathing. When she looked at Mary in infrared, however, she could see that Mary’s heart was beating and it also seemed to her that Mary’s body temperature was elevated.
    She went back into the seating area of the hotel room and continued typing her message and sent it and then waited anxiously. Possibly ten minutes elapsed until she noticed the hotel door open, but stopped by the door limiter. A minute later, she was rewarded by movement from the bedroom and finally saw Mary, looking frightful and wearing nothing but an oversized Colorado Rockies 1 T-shirt and exercise shorts, dragging her body to the door.
    Mary looked through the peephole and then opened the door, held a brief conversation with a hotel employee and then ruefully looked over to the computer where Jane sat. After a few more words exchanged with the man, Mary closed the door and walked over to the computer. She looked confused for a moment but then woke the computer from sleep.
    “Finally,” Jane said after the computer awoke. “Mary, I was so worried. It’s ten o’clock. We will miss the signing.”
    “Oh God, Jane, I feel awful,” Mary said, and then dropped into the couch and nearly onto Jane.
    “You are ill?” Jane asked.
    “It’s my teeth. I couldn’t get to sleep until 4 a.m. What time did you say it was?”
    “It’s just gone ten, but if you are unwell … you have a toothache?”
    “I guess so, but I’ve never had problems with my teeth, only now my jaw hurts and I have this awful headache.” Mary cupped her right hand behind her jaw and the look of pain on her face brought back a memory to Jane.
    “It is a wisdom tooth, I fear. I remember Fanny holding her jaw in just that way. You must see a dentist.”
    Mary was confused and asked. “Fanny Price had … what do you call it, an impacted wisdom tooth?”
    “No, my niece Fanny. We had to take her to Mr Spence, the dentist and he … well perhaps the science of dentistry has advanced. But you must make an appointment immediately.”
    Mary, who had a positive fear of dentists, was uncertain what to do.
    “When we get back to New York …”
    “Which will be in three weeks time. No, you must make an appointment immediately. I fear you may have an infection. Certainly you look to me as if you have a fever. On this I insist.”
    “But … but how do I find a dentist … I mean here in Denver.”
    “I believe there are websites that offer advice on finding a doctor or dentist. Or even better, ask the concierge.”
    Mary numbly nodded and used