My hard-sided leather suitcase lay open on the bed under the overhead light.

I packed four ironed white dress shirts, four navy clip-on ties, the leather briefcase holding the certified hospital birth records, and my silver wristwatch on top of the folded clothes.

Outside the window, thick white flakes of snow began falling steadily through the yellow glow of the streetlamps.

I pulled the heavy brass zipper shut and snapped the metal side locks into place.

The medical foundation banner hung straight across the mezzanine railing, visible from the marble lobby stairs.