little too smart and cynical to be pulled into this?
“It wasn’t until a year ago that I realized that Caroline was … losing it a little,” Gretchen said bluntly. Defensively. “I should have seen it much earlier.”
My head snapped up. It was like she heard my thoughts. Just as easily as she had conjured my child’s tiny, beating heart a few minutes ago.
Gretchen ran her palms distractedly down her thighs, ironing out wrinkles in the scrubs that weren’t there. “She wasn’t as discreet with our private lives. She taped our meetings, even personal lunches. She was clearly in a mental tailspin. Suspicious all the time. Of everyone. One night about two months ago, she called at two a.m., sobbing, asking if I knew where Alice was. Ihad no idea who she was talking about. The next day, she acted like the conversation never happened.”
“So maybe she
did
harm herself.” Or maybe she had pushed someone in the club too far. Maybe someone who was Alice in another life.
Gretchen didn’t appear to mind-read that one. She shook her head. “Emily, she’s my friend and my patient. I’m skirting a thin ethical line here. In fact, I’m well over it because I want you to understand why you should stay out of this. I’m not going into more details. The
club
has someone looking for her. We’ve hired a private professional. And to be perfectly clear, I know nothing about Caroline attempting to blackmail you.”
“But she’s done it before,” I persisted. “Hasn’t she? I get that she handpicks the club, so there’s loyalty. But maybe some of them didn’t want to play her party games anymore. Not with so much at stake.”
She stared at me intently before replying. “I don’t think one of the girls made off with her, if that’s what you’re asking. She’s been gone a little more than a day. If it weren’t a small town, the police wouldn’t even be paying attention yet. We’ll find Caroline in a few days, and we can resolve this quietly. I’ll have a word with her. I’m trying to help you, Emily. I obviously can’t stop you, but I’d prefer that you didn’t share all these details with your husband unless Caroline doesn’t show up soon. Maybe put him off a little.” The overall tone was now less warm, less polite. The message was the same as the cop’s.
Lay off
.
I suddenly wondered whether Gretchen was manipulating me, not the other way around.
Anna peeked her head in the door, which I’d left cracked.
“Sorry to interrupt, Gretch. The emergency room called to say that Ms. Lindstrom just delivered in her car.”
Gretchen stood. “All’s well?”
“Yep. Although she is out-of-her-mind ticked off at that poorbaby for not waiting it out. The resident, that Duke snot, wants to know if he can give her two mils of Valium. Wants her to stop cussing at him.”
“No, he can’t,” Gretchen said. “Tell him I’m leaving now.”
Anna stared at me pointedly. Office hours were over.
I walked to the Volvo slowly. Happy, and not. My baby was fine. But I was as confused as ever about Caroline and her little club. The parking lot was crammed, and a white, late-model Lexus SUV crept behind me, a little too close for comfort, apparently hoping to grab my spot. I turned, annoyed. The glass windshield was too black for me to make out the driver, an illegal tint job, which I’d seen plenty of here in Texas.
Except that a few minutes later at a red light, I could swear the very same Lexus was right behind me. When the light turned, I pulled off into a McDonald’s and flipped my head to watch the SUV gun by. The sticker on its back window urged me to HAVE A BLESSED DAY . The right bumper declared the driver an ABORTION SURVIVOR . That was a brain twister.
My eyes lit on the neon pink graffiti on the McDonald’s window heralding the “return” of the McRib.
My stomach really wasn’t hurting anymore. I promised myself I’d eat better, starting tomorrow.
I rolled up to the drive-through and
“It wasn’t until a year ago that I realized that Caroline was … losing it a little,” Gretchen said bluntly. Defensively. “I should have seen it much earlier.”
My head snapped up. It was like she heard my thoughts. Just as easily as she had conjured my child’s tiny, beating heart a few minutes ago.
Gretchen ran her palms distractedly down her thighs, ironing out wrinkles in the scrubs that weren’t there. “She wasn’t as discreet with our private lives. She taped our meetings, even personal lunches. She was clearly in a mental tailspin. Suspicious all the time. Of everyone. One night about two months ago, she called at two a.m., sobbing, asking if I knew where Alice was. Ihad no idea who she was talking about. The next day, she acted like the conversation never happened.”
“So maybe she
did
harm herself.” Or maybe she had pushed someone in the club too far. Maybe someone who was Alice in another life.
Gretchen didn’t appear to mind-read that one. She shook her head. “Emily, she’s my friend and my patient. I’m skirting a thin ethical line here. In fact, I’m well over it because I want you to understand why you should stay out of this. I’m not going into more details. The
club
has someone looking for her. We’ve hired a private professional. And to be perfectly clear, I know nothing about Caroline attempting to blackmail you.”
“But she’s done it before,” I persisted. “Hasn’t she? I get that she handpicks the club, so there’s loyalty. But maybe some of them didn’t want to play her party games anymore. Not with so much at stake.”
She stared at me intently before replying. “I don’t think one of the girls made off with her, if that’s what you’re asking. She’s been gone a little more than a day. If it weren’t a small town, the police wouldn’t even be paying attention yet. We’ll find Caroline in a few days, and we can resolve this quietly. I’ll have a word with her. I’m trying to help you, Emily. I obviously can’t stop you, but I’d prefer that you didn’t share all these details with your husband unless Caroline doesn’t show up soon. Maybe put him off a little.” The overall tone was now less warm, less polite. The message was the same as the cop’s.
Lay off
.
I suddenly wondered whether Gretchen was manipulating me, not the other way around.
Anna peeked her head in the door, which I’d left cracked.
“Sorry to interrupt, Gretch. The emergency room called to say that Ms. Lindstrom just delivered in her car.”
Gretchen stood. “All’s well?”
“Yep. Although she is out-of-her-mind ticked off at that poorbaby for not waiting it out. The resident, that Duke snot, wants to know if he can give her two mils of Valium. Wants her to stop cussing at him.”
“No, he can’t,” Gretchen said. “Tell him I’m leaving now.”
Anna stared at me pointedly. Office hours were over.
I walked to the Volvo slowly. Happy, and not. My baby was fine. But I was as confused as ever about Caroline and her little club. The parking lot was crammed, and a white, late-model Lexus SUV crept behind me, a little too close for comfort, apparently hoping to grab my spot. I turned, annoyed. The glass windshield was too black for me to make out the driver, an illegal tint job, which I’d seen plenty of here in Texas.
Except that a few minutes later at a red light, I could swear the very same Lexus was right behind me. When the light turned, I pulled off into a McDonald’s and flipped my head to watch the SUV gun by. The sticker on its back window urged me to HAVE A BLESSED DAY . The right bumper declared the driver an ABORTION SURVIVOR . That was a brain twister.
My eyes lit on the neon pink graffiti on the McDonald’s window heralding the “return” of the McRib.
My stomach really wasn’t hurting anymore. I promised myself I’d eat better, starting tomorrow.
I rolled up to the drive-through and
Similar Books
