title: Nurse for the Civic Center
author: Smiley, Virginia K.
description: It never occurred to Elaine Evans--"Lainie" to her friends--to be afraid for her life. All she had ever worried about was Jim Hansen, who in his job as a fireman had often met with danger. But then Jim became the victim of a collapsed wall, and with him had gone Lainie's hopes and dreams of a future together.
  
  As she entered her apartment after work one night, thinking about Nellie Wilson's request that she take over Nellie's job at the Civic Center and move into Nellie's apartment, she was confronted by a man standing in her living room--a pale-eyed stranger with long hair and a desperate look on his face. He wasted no time in ruthlessly knocking her to the floor, grabbing her money and a ring that had belonged to her grandmother, and disappearing.
  
  As soon as Lainie recovered from the shock of this brutal intrusion, she phoned the police. Moments later a tall, dark-blond policeman stood at her door. Dave Bendix was very gentle and reassuring, but he thought it would be wise if Lainie stayed somewhere else for a few days.
  
  And so Lainie's decision was made for her. She would move into Nellie's apartment the very next day. Her relief was enormous, for now she only had to concern herself with the thought of working at the sprawling, modern Civic Center. She did not pause to wonder whether there would be another attack on her.