Casey, Brooke’s driver, slowed as he approached a red light, five blocks from the high-rise where Brooke’s flat was located.  “My goodness … she lives in one of these buildings?” Bette asked incredulously.

He smiled then lifted his eyes briefly from the road, where he was focused on, to look at her through the rear-view mirror.  “No, ma’am.  She lives in the upper west side.  But she’s been living here ever since Mr. Halloran was hospitalized.  She’s had to spend a lot of time here.  Working late for several days in a row, at time.”

Bette shook her head.  “Working late — at her age.”

Casey laughed lightly.  “If I may say so, you’ll probably be doing the same thing when you get to be her age, ma’am.  At least, that’s what I gather from how she talks about you.”

Bette cocked an eyebrow, and fell back slightly on the plush leather seat as the Bentley accelerated after the light turn green.  “Really?  What does she say about me?”

Casey fell silent as he refocused on driving.

“She’s talked about how hard you push yourself, ma’am.  But I hope I’m not giving you the impression that it’s a negative in her mind.  Because every time we leave your home, she can’t stop talking about how much fun she’d had visiting with you and your family.  She doesn’t talk as much about other friends or families that we’ve visited, for as long as I’ve worked for her, by the way,” Casey answered as he slowed for the next red light of the congested stretch they were negotiating.  “So you must be fairly special to her – something you must know already.”

Bette smiled but didn’t respond as she continued to look at the surrounding skyscrapers through the sunroof of the car.

He asked as they approached a futuristic-looking building.  “We’re here ma’am.  Would you like to enter through the front, or would you like to take the owner’s garage elevator?”

Bette was gawking, pressing lightly against the window to get a better view of the glass-enclosed, figure 8-inspired building and didn’t respond to him immediately.  Finally she asked, “Um… which elevator is closest to where Brooke is?”

“The owner’s elevator by the first level parking level.”