O’Bannon.”
“Did you have an appointment?”
She seemed wary, Web thought. Yet he also knew women had every right to be suspicious when confronted with strange men. He
had seen the ugly results of many such encounters and those images never left you.
“Yes, for nine o’clock, Wednesday morning. I’m a little early.”
She gave him a sympathetic look. “Actually, today is Tuesday.”
Web muttered, “Shit,” and shook his head wearily. “Guess I’m getting my days sort of mixed up. Sorry to bother you.” He turned
to leave and he was reasonably sure he would never come back.
“I’m sorry, but you look very familiar to me,” the woman said. Web turned slowly back. “I apologize,” she added. “I’m not
usually that forward, but I know I’ve seen you before.”
“Well, if you work here, you probably did. I’ve been to see O’Bannon before.”
“No, it wasn’t here. I believe it was on TV.” Realization finally swept across her features. “You’re Web London, the FBI agent,
aren’t you?”
He couldn’t decide what to say for a few moments and she simply looked at him, apparently awaiting confirmation of her observation.
“Yes.” Web glanced past her. “Do you work here?”
“I have an office here.”
“So you’re a shrink too?”
She put out her hand. “We prefer psychiatrist. I’m Claire Daniels.”
Web shook her hand and then they stood there awkwardly.
“I’m going to put some coffee on if you’d like a cup,” she finally said.
“Don’t go to any trouble.”
She turned and unlocked the door. Web followed her inside.
They sat in the small reception room and drank the coffee. Web glanced around the empty space.
“Office closed today?”
“No, most people don’t get in before nine.”
“It always surprised me that you don’t have a receptionist here.”
“Well, we want to make it as comfortable for people as possible. And announcing yourself to a stranger because you’re here
to receive treatment can be very intimidating. We know when we have appointments and the doorbell lets us know when someone
has arrived, and we come right out. We have this common waiting area because that’s unavoidable, but, as a rule, we don’t
like to make patients sit out here with one another. That can be awkward too.”
“Sort of like people sitting around playing ‘Guess My Psychosis’?”
She smiled. “Something like that. Dr. O’Bannon started this practice many years ago and he cares quite deeply about the comfort
zone of the people who come here for help. The last thing you want to do is to increase the anxiety level of already anxious
people.”
“So you know O’Bannon well?”
“Yes. I actually used to work for him. Then he simplified his life a while back and we’re all on our own now, but we still
share this office space. We’ve come to prefer it that way. He’s very good. He’ll be able to help you.”
“You think so?” Web said without a trace of hope.
“I guess like the rest of the country I’ve been following what happened. I’m very sorry about your colleagues.”
Web drank his coffee in silence.
Claire said, “If you were thinking of waiting, Dr. O’Bannon is teaching at George Washington University. He won’t be in at
all today.”
“No big deal. My mistake. Thanks for the coffee.” He rose.
“Mr. London, would you like me to tell him you were here?”
“It’s Web. And no, I don’t think I’ll be back on Wednesday.” Claire stood too. “Is there something I can do to help you?”
He held up his cup. “You already made the java.” Web took a breath. It was time to get out of here. “What are you doing for
the next hour?” he asked instead, and then was stunned to hear his own words.
“Just paperwork,” she said quickly, her gaze downcast, her face slightly red as though he had just asked her out to the prom
and instead of saying no to his advance she was deciding, for some unknown reason,
“Did you have an appointment?”
She seemed wary, Web thought. Yet he also knew women had every right to be suspicious when confronted with strange men. He
had seen the ugly results of many such encounters and those images never left you.
“Yes, for nine o’clock, Wednesday morning. I’m a little early.”
She gave him a sympathetic look. “Actually, today is Tuesday.”
Web muttered, “Shit,” and shook his head wearily. “Guess I’m getting my days sort of mixed up. Sorry to bother you.” He turned
to leave and he was reasonably sure he would never come back.
“I’m sorry, but you look very familiar to me,” the woman said. Web turned slowly back. “I apologize,” she added. “I’m not
usually that forward, but I know I’ve seen you before.”
“Well, if you work here, you probably did. I’ve been to see O’Bannon before.”
“No, it wasn’t here. I believe it was on TV.” Realization finally swept across her features. “You’re Web London, the FBI agent,
aren’t you?”
He couldn’t decide what to say for a few moments and she simply looked at him, apparently awaiting confirmation of her observation.
“Yes.” Web glanced past her. “Do you work here?”
“I have an office here.”
“So you’re a shrink too?”
She put out her hand. “We prefer psychiatrist. I’m Claire Daniels.”
Web shook her hand and then they stood there awkwardly.
“I’m going to put some coffee on if you’d like a cup,” she finally said.
“Don’t go to any trouble.”
She turned and unlocked the door. Web followed her inside.
They sat in the small reception room and drank the coffee. Web glanced around the empty space.
“Office closed today?”
“No, most people don’t get in before nine.”
“It always surprised me that you don’t have a receptionist here.”
“Well, we want to make it as comfortable for people as possible. And announcing yourself to a stranger because you’re here
to receive treatment can be very intimidating. We know when we have appointments and the doorbell lets us know when someone
has arrived, and we come right out. We have this common waiting area because that’s unavoidable, but, as a rule, we don’t
like to make patients sit out here with one another. That can be awkward too.”
“Sort of like people sitting around playing ‘Guess My Psychosis’?”
She smiled. “Something like that. Dr. O’Bannon started this practice many years ago and he cares quite deeply about the comfort
zone of the people who come here for help. The last thing you want to do is to increase the anxiety level of already anxious
people.”
“So you know O’Bannon well?”
“Yes. I actually used to work for him. Then he simplified his life a while back and we’re all on our own now, but we still
share this office space. We’ve come to prefer it that way. He’s very good. He’ll be able to help you.”
“You think so?” Web said without a trace of hope.
“I guess like the rest of the country I’ve been following what happened. I’m very sorry about your colleagues.”
Web drank his coffee in silence.
Claire said, “If you were thinking of waiting, Dr. O’Bannon is teaching at George Washington University. He won’t be in at
all today.”
“No big deal. My mistake. Thanks for the coffee.” He rose.
“Mr. London, would you like me to tell him you were here?”
“It’s Web. And no, I don’t think I’ll be back on Wednesday.” Claire stood too. “Is there something I can do to help you?”
He held up his cup. “You already made the java.” Web took a breath. It was time to get out of here. “What are you doing for
the next hour?” he asked instead, and then was stunned to hear his own words.
“Just paperwork,” she said quickly, her gaze downcast, her face slightly red as though he had just asked her out to the prom
and instead of saying no to his advance she was deciding, for some unknown reason,
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