“That’s her. She takes care of both of them. Like three peas.” Nick sopped up some sauce with a piece of garlic bread. “Anyway, she called me today.”
“What the hell is she calling you for?” asked Sal.
“It seems this Doris is not only the same nurse who worked with Doc Wall at the beginning of his career at St. Theresa’s, but she knew Shelly back when Shelly was a patient.”
“Interesting,” Jerry said.
“This is the same Shelly who told you to jump in the lake?”
asked Sal.
Jerry chuckled.
“Well, it wasn’t really a lake,” Nick said, “but it was close.
Anyway, here’s the twist. Evidently Doris knew Mom.”
Sal got quiet for a moment. She’d only been gone a year and there were still many times he was overcome with memories and had to take a step back. Nick looked at Jerry and they returned to their plates, giving Sal the extra seconds he needed.
“Oh, yeah,” said Sal as he leaned back in her chair. “Doris was her support partner.”
“That’s right. Evidently she had conversations with Mom about me. She seems to think I would be the perfect guy for Shelly White based on whatever Mom filled her head with.”
Jerry reached over for some bread. “Actually, you would be the perfect guy for her. But I don’t think she’s interested in you. At all. Ever.”
“Thanks for the encouragement, pal.” “So what did Doris say?” Sal pressed.
“She wants me to go to the hospital parking lot tomorrow
morning at seven and accidentally bump into her.”
“Accidentally bump into someone in the doctor’s parking lot at seven in the morning?” Sal laughed. “That’s not an accident. That’s stalking.”
“That’s what I said!”
“So, you gonna do it?” asked Jerry.
“I don’t know. Sounds like a setup. Not sure what kind of setup,
just—”
“Nah, it’s too smart to be a setup,” said Sal. “Maybe this Doris is
on to something. What have you got to lose? Pretty girl?” “She is pretty.”