"Brad Ferguson - The Forever Con" - читать интересную книгу автора (Ferguson Brad)

meant no offense. I was simply asking as a matter of curiosity тАФ
inappropriately, I now see. Please forgive me.тАЭ
тАЬWell тАФ all right,тАЭ the old lady said. тАЬMight as well tell you that I did do
a few days at a mystery facility right near Mount Willow last month, just
to see what it was like. Place was called Sherlock Homes.тАЭ She frowned.
тАЬToo cute for my taste. Besides, they were always solving the same old
cases over and over again. If I was ever tempted to change horses, that
cured me.тАЭ
тАЬWe do try to keep things lively here at Glory Road Estates,тАЭ Dr.
Poffenberger said. тАЬIтАЩd really like to talk more with you and your son about
that, privately and in depth. Is there more youтАЩd like to see, or shall we
return to my office?тАЭ
Ms. Biederbecke took a last look around the common room. тАЬI think IтАЩve
seen enough,тАЭ she said. тАЬLetтАЩs go to your office.тАЭ
Dr. Poffenberger had ordered coffee for himself and Kevin Biederbecke,
but Ms. Biederbecke had insisted on тАФ and gotten тАФ supercaffeinated
cola. They settled down after Ms. Biederbecke refused the doctorтАЩs offer of
a cigarette. тАЬNever used тАЩem even after they took all the cancer out,тАЭ she
said. тАЬWell, Doc, whatтАЩs your pitch?тАЭ
Dr. Poffenberger smiled as sincerely as he could manage. тАЬNothing you
havenтАЩt heard elsewhere, Ms. Biederbecke,тАЭ he said. тАЬYou know what we
can offer you here тАФ involvement, companionship, security and
unmatched medical care for as long as you like.тАЭ
тАЬI can get that deal in other places.тАЭ
тАЬNot like here,тАЭ Dr. Poffenberger said. тАЬGlory Road Estates was one of
the very first of the specialized retirement homes, after all. We have more
experience than most others тАФ and our reputation speaks for itself. I
presume youтАЩve checked our background with the Social Security
Enforcement Division ... ?тАЭ
тАЬAmong other agencies, yes,тАЭ Kevin Biederbecke said. тАЬI canтАЩt fault your
track record, Doctor тАФ but thatтАЩs not the only factor in my motherтАЩs
decision, of course.тАЭ
тАЬOf course,тАЭ Dr. Poffenberger said, тАЬand IтАЩd like to discuss that further.тАЭ
тАЬGo right ahead, Doc,тАЭ Ms. Biederbecke said, carefully flavoring her
tone with a trace of boredom.
тАЬIтАЩll be as brief as I can,тАЭ the doctor assured her. тАЬMs. Biederbecke, Mr.
Biederbecke, you no doubt know that, a generation or two ago, even the
best retirement homes were little better than places to park elderly people
increasingly unable to care for themselves. The best of those homes were
comfortable, and care was at least adequate. The worst of them тАФ well, the
horror stories persist to this day, and we need not go into them here.тАЭ
тАЬThatтАЩs right,тАЭ Ms. Biederbecke said, looking at her nails. тАЬSave тАЩem for
Halloween. Go on, Doc.тАЭ
 тАЬThen came your generation, Ms. Biederbecke тАФ the baby boomers. You
were the healthiest and wealthiest generation in American history.
Because many of you took care of yourselves earlier in life, your retirement
years found you still active and healthy. You were not the kind of people to
slink off humbly to a old-fashioned nursing home where the most exciting
thing you could expect to do all month is vote on menus for the following
monthтАЩs meals.тАЭ