Poisoned Prose (A Books by the Bay Mystery)

brows in surprise. “That
is
decadent.”
    “I’m bringing them to the hospital. A friend of mine had a heart attack.”
    “I’m so sorry,” Shelley said with genuine sympathy. She then glanced at the golden box in her hand. “I don’t want to dissuade you from parting with your money, but will she be allowed to eat these?”
    “Oh, they’re not for her. They’re for the nurses. I want to make sure she has the best care possible.”
    Pausing in the middle of arranging the last chocolate in the box, Shelley said, “Ah, that’s clever. Very clever. The whole staff will be tripping over themselves to see to your friend’s needs. She’s going to be treated like a queen.” Shelley examined her handiwork and frowned. “Maybe I should take out all the ones flavored with liquor.”
    • • •
    Olivia knew she couldn’t stay at the hospital long. Haviland wasn’t allowed inside, and even in the shaded parking garage with the Range Rover’s windows cracked and a full water bowl at his disposal, the poodle would quickly grow uncomfortable in the summer heat. It took forever to find someone who could provide her with Leona’s room number, so she was already irritated by the time she had to wait while the elevator doors were held open for some sort of robot to drive itself into the cab.
    “That’s Roxie,” said a man in blue scrubs when he saw Olivia staring at the robot. “She delivers meds on all the patient floors. She’s basically a moving set of drawers.”
    Roxie was about the height and width of the trashcans lining Oyster Bay’s sidewalks. With the exception of a single lock, the front of her cabinet was smooth. On her back, she displayed a sign cautioning people not to share the elevator with her.
    Olivia pointed at the sign. “Should we leave?”
    The man shook his head. “Nah. They just don’t want anyone to tamper with her.”
    “Please do not get too close,” Roxie announced in a no-nonsense monotone as she boarded the elevator. “I like my personal space.”
    That made Olivia smile. When the elevator came to a stop on the third floor, Olivia and the man in scrubs disembarked while Roxie warned people to keep their distance. Olivia went straight to the nurses’ station and asked to see Leona.
    “You can go right in,” the nurse said, pointing off to the side. “Down that hall. Fourth door to the left.”
    “Are you her nurse?”
    The woman nodded. “Janet and I are on until seven.”
    “How’s she doing?”
    “Ms. Fairchild’s recovering nicely. And we love having her on the floor. She’s the perfect patient. Wish they were all like her.”
    Olivia sighed in relief and presented the woman with the chocolates. “These are for you and Janet and anyone else who takes care of Leona. She’s a special lady.”
    The nurse’s eyes went wide when she opened one of the boxes. “Lord have mercy! We’ll be in an insulin coma after this.” Despite her comment, she was clearly thrilled over the gift. “I promise to share, but only after I pick out my favorites.” Thanking Olivia, she carried the boxes into the break room, humming as she walked.
    Olivia approached Leona’s door with less confidence. She disliked hospitals and her bedside manner was lousy, so she was pleased to find Leona sitting up in bed with an open book on her lap. She looked quite normal for someone who’d just had a heart attack.
    “Knock, knock,” Olivia said, hesitating in the doorway.
    Leona pulled off her reading glasses and grinned. “Why, Olivia! What in heaven’s name are you doing here?”
    “What are
you
doing here?” Olivia said in return. She entered the room and took a seat in the chair near the bed. “You’re not supposed to have a heart attack. You’re supposed to reign behind that circulation desk for the next hundred years.”
    Leona gave a wry chuckle. “It’s hard when the people you’ve known all your life start getting old. Makes
you
feel old, doesn’t it?”
    Olivia considered this. “I don’t have an issue with aging. It’s the way time seems to be passing too quickly. Like it speeds up every year.”
    Leona nodded. “That’s why you have to savor those little moments of beauty now. You have to spend as many hours as you can with the people that make you laugh.”
    “No wonder you only want to have dinner with me once a month,” Olivia joked. Leona chortled, but the humor vanished almost instantly from her face and she reached for Olivia’s hand. “I’m glad