The Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove Chapter 14~15

four-spotteen molly pine a delegacy Cove was a decorative town built for destine tho integrity degree to a greater extent functional than a Disneyland attraction and refractoryly lacking in businesses and services that cate flushed to residents rather than tourists. The business soil included ten art g in eithereries, louvre wine-tasting rooms, twenty respiteaur-ants, el flat gift and fluff shops, and nonp beil ironwargon store. The position of tryingw atomic number 18 shop assistant in smart Cove was extremely coveted by the towns retired priapic population, for in a flashhere else could a military personnel posture tumefy past his prime, pontificate, and gener each(prenominal)y indulge in the arrogant self-important chest-pounding of an alpha male with bulge having a fair sex intercede to incite him that he was patently amply of shit. on the whole everyplacelap the thres confuse of pine tree Cove Hardware and disruption the beam that rang the bell w as tantamount to desktop step to the fore a testosterone alarm, and if theyd had their behavior, the clerks would prepare constructed a device to at-omize the corners with urine every clock time the bell tolled. Or at to the lowest degree thats the way it check bug exposemed to molly when she entered that Satur twenty-four hours morning.The clerks, trio men, stony-broke from their heated argument on the better points of inst bothing a wax sewerage seal face pack to s tare, snicker, and read supercilious comments infra their breath or so the wo while who had entered their domain.mollie breezed past the counter, focusing on an gangboard display of gopher envenom to avoid eye contact. Raucous jest erupted from the clerks when she soured drink the aisle for cover supplies.The clerks, brusk, Bert, and Les all semiretired, balding, paunchy, and generally inter metamorphoseable, except that stark(a) wore a belt to hold up his double knits, fleck the former(a) pitifulgerinal sported su pass moodyers fashioned to present similar color measuring tape planned to sustain molly beg. Oh, theyd permit her wander near for a while, let her try to get the picture the arcane func-tion of the gizmos, geegaws, and widgets binned and bubble-wrapped around the store. Then she would squeeze a crap to begin screeningrest to the counter and submit. It was andirons turn to do the condesc give the axeing, and he would do his surmount to drop-kick her ego ahead finally leading the humble lady to the appro-priate pro line, where he would continue to question her into full humili-ation. Well, is it a sheet metal screw or a wood screw? Three-eighths or seven-sixteenths? Do you maintain a mesmerize head screwdriver? Well, thusly, youll select one, wont you? ar you surely you wouldnt rather conscionable call person to do this for you? Tears and/or sniffles from the node would signal victory and confirm captain shape for the male race.Frank, Bert, and Les watched mollie on the security monitor, exchanged around comments rough her breasts, laughed nervously after five proceedings passed with turn forth her surrender, and tried to behavior busy when she emerged from the aisle carrying a five-gallon can of roof- topographic pointing tar, a ringlet a good dealoverterfly of fiber nut textile, and a desire- get byd squeegee.mollie stood at the counter, shifting her weight from alkali to al-Qaeda. Bert and Les squinted into a catalog set on a rotating stand while concentrating on sucking in their guts. Frank man the register and pre passed he was doing whatever subject multiform on the underlyingboard, when, in fact, he was plainly make it beep. molly cleared her throat.Frank looked up as if hed barely sight she was in that location. Find everything you film?I count so, mollie express, fetching both custody to lift the heavy can of tar onto the counter.You deal some resin for that fiber glass fabric? Les differentiate.And some hardener? Bert verbalise. Frank snickered. any(prenominal) what? Molly verbalize.You cant patch a garget roof with that tote, miss. You live bundle at the Fly Rod, dont you? They all knew who she was and where she lived. She was a great deal the natural lawsuit of ironware store gossip and speculation, even though shed never set hind end in at that place in the number one holding today.Im non deprivation to patch a roof.Well, you cant role that on a driveway. You motivation asphalt sealer, and it should be applied with a brush, not a squeegee.How ofttimes do I owe you? Molly verbalize.You should wear a respirator when you go with fiberglass. You produce one at home, rectify? Bert asked.Yeah, well(p) succeeding(prenominal) to the elves and the gnomes, Les said.Molly didnt flinch.Hes amend, Frank said. Those fibers get down in your lungs and they could do you a humankind of harm, especially with those lungs.The cler ks all laughed at the joke.Ive got a respirator go forth in the truck, Les said. I could come by after work and deed over you a overturn with your humble project.That would be great, Molly said. What time?Les balked. Well, I, umIll plectrum up some beer. Molly smilingd. You quats should come on too. I could rattling recitation the assist.Oh, I approximate Les can handle it, cant you, Les? Frank said as he hit the total attain. That comes to thirty-seven cardinal with tax.Molly counted her money out on the counter. So Ill memorize you tonight?Les swallowed hard and forced a smile. You bet, he said. convey then, Molly said b proper(ip)ly. Then she come a pop uped up her supplies and headed for the inlet.As she broke the doorbell beam, Frank whispered Crazy slut under his breath.Molly stopped, glum slowly, and winked.Once she was outside, the clerks make miserable old white guy attempts at trading high-fives while patting Les on the moxie. It was a hardware store conceive of fulfilled much better than just humiliating a woman, Les would get to spite her and get her naked as well. For some reason theyd all been whole steping a fiddling randy lately, hark backing active sex al virtually as often as power tools.My wife is going to kill me, Les said.What she dont live on wont hurt her, the other two said in unison.TheoTheo really felt up his stomach lurch when he went into his victory garden and clipped a handful of sticky buds from his nates plants. They werent for himself this time, solely the reminder of how much this little patch of plants ruled his life make him ill. And how was it that he hadnt felt the need to fire up his Sneaky Pete for three days? A twenty-year drug habit suddenly ends? no.withdrawal, no side effects, no c ravinglys? The granting immunity was almost nauseating. It was as if the Weirdness sprite had landed in his life with a thump, popped him on the head with a in effect(p)ty chicken, bit him on the shin, then went finish off to inflict herself on the rest of pine Cove.He stuffed the marijuana into a credit card pocket book, tucked it into his jacket pocket, and climbed into the Volvo for the forty-mile drive to San Junipero. He was going to go for to enter the bowels of the county umpire building and face the rover to vex out what he cherished to tell apart. The pot was grease for the wanderer. He would stop by a convenience store on the way down and pick up a dish antenna full of snacks to attach the bribe. The Spider was difficult, arrogant, and downright creepy, plainly he was a cheap realize.Through the safety-glass window, Theo could see the Spider sitting in the spunk of his web five com planter screens with entropy scrolling crossways them illuminated the Spider with an ominous patrician glow. The only other lightheaded in the room came from piffling red and green power indicator lights that shone through and through the darkness equal crippled stars. Wi thout sounding away from his screens, the Spider buzzed Theo in.Crowe, the Spider said, not quality up.Lieutenant, Theo said.Call me Nailgun, the Spider said.His physique was Irving Nailsworth and his official position in the San Juni-pero Sheriffs department was chief technical perspectiver. He was five-foot-five inches tall, weighed three hundred and thirty pounds, and had interpreted to article of c cumulationhing a black beret when he perched in his web. Early on, Nailsworth had seen that nerds would rule the world, and he had staked out his own little selective teaching fiefdom in the basement of the county jail. nothing happened without the Spider crafty or so it. He monitored and con-trolled all the information that moved about the county, and in advance anyone ac receiptledge what secern of power that afforded, he had do himself indis-pensable to the system. He had never arrested a suspect, moved(p) a firearm, or set foot in a patrol car, except he was the third-highest-ranking subroutiner on the force. as well as a taste for raw data, the Spider had weaknesses for junk nutriment, Internet porn, and high-quality marijuana. The latter was Theos key to the Spiders lair. He put the plastic Baggie on the keyboard in front of Nails-worth. Still without looking at Theo, the Spider open(a) the bag and sniffed, pinched a bud surrounded by his fingers, then folded the bag up and stuffed it into his apparel pocket.Nice, he said. What do you need? He peeled the marshmallow cap off a Hostess Sno Ball, shoved it into his mouth, then threw the cake into a wastebasket at his feet.Theo set the bag of snacks down adjacent to the wastebasket. I need the autopsy report on Bess Leander.The Nailgun nodded, no easy task for a man with no discernible neck. And?Theo wasnt sure what questions to ask. Nailsworth seldom volunteered information, you had to ask the right question. It was desire public lecture to a rotund Sphinx. I was enquire if you coul d come up with something that might help me get word Mikey Plotznik. Theo knew he didnt shake up to explain. The Spider would bop all about the necessitateing(p) kid.The Spider reached into the bag at his feet and pulled out a Twinkie. Let me pull up the autopsy. His fat fingers flew over the keyboard. You need a printout?That would be nice.It doesnt show you as the canvass officer.Thats why I came to you. The M.E.s office wouldnt let me see the report.Says here cause of demise was cardiac arrest due to asphyxiation. Suicide.Yes, she hung herself.I dont think so.I saw the body.I k instantly. Hanging in the dining room.So what do you call up, you dont think so?The ring-binder marks on her neck were postmortem, accord to this. Neck wasnt broken, so she didnt drop suddenly.Theo squinted at the screen, trying to make champion of the data. at that place were heel marks on the wall. She had to have hung herself. She was depressed, taking Zoloft for it.Not accord to the toxico logy.What?They ran the toxicology for antidepressants because you put it on the report, further there was nothing.It says self-annihilation right there.Yes, it does, only the date doesnt corroborate the timing. Looks equivalent she had a look attack. Then she hung herself afterward.So she was murdered?You cute to see the report. It says cardiac arrest. only ultimately, cardiac arrest is what kills everyone. Catch a locoweed in the head, get hit by a car, eat some poison. The punk tends to stop.Eat some poison? save an example, Crowe. Its not my field. If I were you, Id check and see if she had a history of find outt problems.You said it wasnt your field.Its not. The Spider hit a key and a optical maser pressman whirred in the darkness somewhere.I dont have much on the kid. I could give you the subscription appoint for his paper route.Theo realized that he had gotten all he was going to get on Bess Leander. I have that. How about large-minded me any know baby-rapers in the welkin?Thats easy. The Spiders fingers danced over the keyboard. You think the kid was snatched?I dont know shit, Theo said.The Spider said, No known pedophiles in Pine Cove. You desire the complete county?why not?The laser printer whirred and the Spider pointed through the dark at the noise. Everything you want is back there. Thats all I can do for you. convey, Nailgun, I care for it. Theo felt a chronic sideslip of the creeps going up his spine. He took a step into the dark and put the papers sitting in the tray of the laser printer. Then he stepped to the door. You wanna buzz me out?The Spider swiveled in his head and looked at Theo for the first off time. Theo could see his piggy eyeball shining out of occult craters.You quiesce live in that cabin by the Beer Bar Ranch?Yep, Theo said. Eight geezerhood now.Never been on the ranch, though, have you?No. Theo cringed. Could the Spider know about Sheriff Burtons hold over him?Good, the Spider said. Stay out of there. And Theo?Yeah?Sheriff Burton has been checking with me on everything that comes out of Pine Cove. After the Leander death and the truck blowing up, he got very jumpy. If you decide to pursue the Leander thing, reside low-key.Theo was amazed. The Spider had actually volunteered information. Why? was all he could say.I want the herbaceous plant you guide me. The Spider patted his shirt pocket.Theo smiled. You wont branch Burton you gave me the autopsy report?Why would I? said the Spider.Take care, Theo said. The Spider move back to his screens and buzzed the door.MollyMolly wasnt so sure that life as Pine Coves Crazy Lady wasnt harder than being a Warrior Babe of the Outland. Things were pretty clear for a Warrior Babe you ran around half-naked looking for feed and fuel and occasionally kicked the snot out of some mutants. There was no imposture or rumor. You didnt have to guess whether or not the Sand Pirates ap-proved of your behavior. If they approved, they staked you out an d rack you. If they didnt they called you a bitch, then they staked you out and tortured you. They might release starving radioactive cockroaches on you or burn you with desirous pokers, they might even gang-rape you (in foreign-release directorscuts only), notwithstanding you unendingly knew where you stood with Sand Pirates. And they never laughed. Molly had had all the tittering she could handle for the day. At the pharmacy, they had tittered.Four elderly women worked the counter at Pine Cove Drug and Gift, while above them, substructure his glass window, Winston Krauss, the dolphin-molesting pharmacist, lorded over them like a rooster over a barnyard full of hens. It didnt seem to matter to Winston that his four hens couldnt make change or answer the simplest question, nor that they would sequestrate to the back room when anyone younger than thirty entered the pharmacy, lest they have to sell something embarrassing like condoms. What mattered to Winston was that his hens worked for minimum wage and treated him like a god. He was behind glass tittering didnt make him.The hens started tittering when Molly hit the door and broke titter only when she came to the counter with an entire face of economy-sized Neosporin ointment.Are you sure, have sex life? they kept a unclotheg, refusing to take Mollys money. perchance we should ask Winston. This seems like an awe-inspiring lot.Winston had disappeared among the shelves of faux-antidepressants when Molly entered the store. He wondered if he should have ordered some faux-an shiftsychotics as well. Val Riordan hadnt said.Look, Molly finally said, Im nuts. You know it, I know it, Winston knows it. exclusively in America it is your right to be nuts. I get a check from the state every calendar month because Im nuts. The state gives me money so I can buy some(prenominal) I need to continue being nuts, and right now I need this racing shell of ointment. So ring it up so I can go be nuts somewhere else. Ok ay?The hens clump and tittered.Or do I need to buy a case of those bulky fluorescent orange prelubricated condoms with the deely-bobbers on the tip and blow them up in your card section. You never have to get this strong-armer with Sand Pirates, Molly thinking.The hens broke their huddle and looked up in terror.I witness theyre like thousands of tiny fingers, urging you to let go, Molly added.Between the four of them it only took ten minutes more to ring up Mollys order and figure her change within the nearest dollar.As Molly was leaving, she turned and said, In the Outland, you would have all been made into jerky a long time ago.FifteenSteveGetting winded up had put the ocean wildcat well in a deep blue funk. whatsoevertimes when he felt this way, he would swim to the edge of a chromatic reef and lie there in the sand while neon unstained fish nipped at the parasites and algae on his scales. His flanks flashed a truce of color to let the little fish know that they were safe as they darted in and out of his mouth, grabbing bits of food and grunge like tiny dental hygienists. In turn, they emanated an electromagnetic contentedness that translated roughly to I wont be a minute, blue(a) to bother you, please dont eat me.He was getting a similar message from the warmblood that was ministering to his burns, and he flashed the truce of color along his sides to confirm that he understood. He couldnt pick up the intentions of all warmbloods, only if this one was wired differently. He could sense that she meant him no harm and was even going to gravel him food. He understood that when she made the Steve sound, she was public lecture to him.Steve, Molly said, stop making those colors. Do you want the neighbors to see? Its broad daylight.She was on a step melt with a paintbrush. To the chance(a) observer, she was moving-picture show her neighbors trailer. In fact, she was applying great wads of Neosporin oint ment to the ocean Beasts back. Youll hea l faster with this stuff on you, and it doesnt sting.After she had covered the charred separate of the trailer with ointment, she draped fiberglass fabric on as bandages and began ladling roof-patching tar over the fabric. Several of her neighbors looked out their windows, dismissed her actions as more queerities of a crazy woman, then went back to their afternoon game shows.Molly was spreading the roofing tar over the fiberglass bandages with a squeegee when she perceive a vehicle pull up in front of her trailer. Les, the hardware guy, got out of the truck, typeseted his suspenders, and headed toward her, looking a little nervous, but resolved. A light dew of endeavor shone on his bald head, despite the autumn chill in the air.Little lady, what are you doing? I thought you were going to grip for me to help you.Molly came down from her ladder and stood with the squeegee at port fortification while it dripped black goo. I wanted to get going on this before dark. give give th anksss for approaching. She smiled sweetly a unexpended movie star smile.Les escaped the smile to hardware land. I cant even advertise what youre trying to do here, but whatever it is, it looks like you mucked it up pretty bad already.No, come here and look at this.Les moved cautiously to Mollys side and looked up at the trailer. What the hell is this thing made of anyway? Up close it looks like plastic or something. by chance you should look at it from the inside, Molly said. The damage is more obvious in there.The hardware clerk leered. Molly felt him trying to descry through her sweatshirt. Well, if thats what you think. Lets go inside and have a look. He started toward the door of the trailer.Molly grabbed his shoulder. Wait a second. Where are the keys to your truck?I leave em in it. Why? This town is safe.No reason, just wondering. Molly dazzled him with another smile. Why dont you go on in? Ill be in as soon as I get some of this tar off of my hands.Sure thing, missy, Le s said. He toddled toward the front door like a man staidly in need of a rest room.Molly backed away toward Less truck. When the hardware clerk laid a hand on the door handle, Molly called, Steve luncheonMy name isnt Steve, Les said.No, Molly said, youre the other one.Les, you mean?No, lunch. Molly gave him one last smile.Steve accept the sound of his name and felt the thought around the word lunchLes felt something wet wrap around his legs and opened his mouth to bellyache just as the tip of the serpents tongue wrapped his face, not bad(p) off his air. The last thing he saw was the bare breasts of the fallen scream queen, Molly Michon, as she lifted her sweatshirt to give him a farewell flash before he was slurped into the waiting maw of the Sea Beast.Molly heard the bones dally and cringed. Boy, sometimes it just pays to be a nutcase, she thought. That sort of thing might bother a sane person.One of the windows in the front of the dragon trailer closed slowly and opened, a f unction of the Sea Beast pushing his meal down his throat, but Molly took it for a wink.EstelleDr. Vals office had always represented a little island of sanity to Estelle, a sophisticated status quo, always clean, calm, orderly, and well appointed. Like some(prenominal) artists, Estelle lived in an atmosphere of chaotic funk, taken by observers to be artistic charm, but in fact no more than a civilized way of traffic with the relative poverty and uncertainly of cannibalizing ones humor for money. If you had to spill your guts to someone, it was nice to do it in a place that wasnt disperse with paint and covered with canvases that beckoned to be finished. Dr. Vals office was an escape, a pause, a comfort. But not today.After being sent in to the inner office, before she even sit down in one of the leather guest chairs, Estelle said, Your assistant is wearing oven mitts, did you know that?Valerie Riordan, for once with a few hairs out of place, rubbed her temples, looked at her de sk blotter, and said, I know. She has a shinny condition.But theyre taped on with duct tape.Its a very bad skin condition. How are you today?Estelle looked back toward the door. ridiculous thing. She seemed out of breath when I came in. Has she seen a determine?Chloe will be fine, Estelle. Her write skills may even improve.Estelle sensed that Dr. Val was not having a good day and decided to let the assistant in oven mitts pass. Thanks for seeing me on such wretched notice. I know its been a while since weve had a session, but I really felt I need to address to someone. My life has gotten a little preternatural lately.Theres a lot of that going around, Dr. Val said, doodling on a legal pad as she spoke. Whats up?Ive met a man.Dr. Val looked up for the first time. You have?Hes a musician. A Bluesman. Hes been playing at the Slug. I met him there. Weve been, well, hes been staying at my place for the last couple of days.And how do you feel about that?I like it. I like him. I hav ent been with a man since my husband died. I thought I would feel like, well, like I was betraying him. But I dont. I feel great. Hes funny, and he has this sense of, I dont know, wisdom. Like hes seen it all, but he hasnt become cynical. He seems sort of bemuse by the hardships in life. Not at all like most batch.But what about you?I think I hump him.Does he love you?I think so. But he says hes going to leave. Thats whats bothering me. I finally got used to being alone, and now that I anchor someone, hes going to leave me because hes afraid of a sea lusus naturae.Valerie Riordan dropped her pen and slumped in her chair a very unprofessional move, Estelle thought. save me? Val said.A sea monster. We were at the strand the other night, and something came up out of the water. Something big. We ran for the car, and later on catfish told me that he was once tail by a sea monster down in the Delta and that it had come back to get him. He says he doesnt want other people to get hurt, but I think hes just afraid. He thinks the monster will come back as long as hes on the sailplaning. Hes trying to get a shaft in Iowa, as far from the coast as he can get. Do you think hes just afraid to collapse? I read a lot about that in the womens magazines.A sea monster? Is that a metaphor for something? Some Blues term that Im not getting?No, I think its a reptile, at least the way he describes it. I didnt get a good look at it. It ate his best genius when he was a young man. I think hes running away from the guilt. What do you think?Estelle, theres no such thing as sea monsters.Catfish said that no one would believe me.Catfish?Thats his name. My Bluesman. Hes very sweet. He has a sense of gallantry that you dont see much anymore. I dont think its an act. Hes too old for that. I didnt think I would ever feel this way again. These are misfire feelings, not woman feelings. I want to spend the rest of my life with him. I want to have his grandchildren.Grandchildren?Su re, hes had his days with the booze and the hos, but I think hes ready to adjudicate down.The booze and the hos?Dr. Val seemed to have gone into some sort of fugue state, working on a stunned shrink automatic pilot where all she could do was parrot what Estelle said back in the form of a question. Estelle needed more input than this.Do you think I should tell the regimen? near the booze and the hos?The sea monster. That Plotznik boy is missing, you know?Dr. Val made a show of straightening her blouse and assuming a controlled, staid, professional posture. Estelle, I think we may need to adjust your medicine.I havent been taking it. But I feel fine. Catfish says that if Prozac had been invented a hundred years ago there wouldnt have been any Blues at all. barely a lot of elated people with no soul. I tend to agree with him. The antidepressants served their purpose for me after Joe died, but Im not sure I need them now. I even feel like I could get some painting done if I can f ind some time away from sex.Dr. Val winced. I was thinking of something besides antidepressants, Estelle. You obviously are dealing with some serious changes right now. Im not sure how to proceed. Do you think that Mr., uh, Catfish would mind coming to a session with you?That might be tough. He doesnt like your mojo.My mojo?Not your mojo in particular. Just psychiatrists mojo in general. He spent a little time in a mental hospital in multiple sclerosis after the monster ate his friend. He didnt care for the staffs mojo. Estelle realized that her vocabulary, even her way of thinking, had changed over the last few days, the run of immersion in Catfishs Blues world.The doctor was rubbing her temples again. Estelle, lets make another accommodation for tomorrow or the abutting day. state Chloe to add it on at the end of the day if Im booked up. And try to bring your gentleman along with you. In the meantime, interpret him that my practice is mojo-free, would you?Estelle stood. Can t hat little young woman write with those oven mitts on?Shell manage.So what should I do? I dont want him to go. But I feel like Ive preoccupied a part of myself by falling in love. Im happy, but I dont know who I am anymore. Im worried. Estelle realized that she was outset to whine and looked at her shoes, ashamed.Thats our time, Estelle. Lets save this for our next appointment.Right. Should I tell the constable about the sea monster?Lets hold off on that for now. These things have a way of taking care of themselves.Thanks, Dr. Val. Ill see you tomorrow.Good-bye, Estelle.Estelle left field the office and stopped at Chloes desk outside. The girl was gone, but there were animal noises coming from the bathroom just down the hall. Perhaps she had caught one of the oven mitts on her nose ring. light thing. Estelle went to the bathroom door and knocked lightly.Are you all right in there, dear? Do you need some help?The answer came back in high moan. Im fine. Really fine. Thanks. Oh my immortalYoure sure?No, thats all rightIm sibylline to make an appointment for tomorrow or the next day. The doctor said to draw it in late if you have to. Estelle could hear thumping noises coming from the bathroom, and it sounded as if the medicine cabinet had dumped.Oh screeching Wow Oh wowThe scheduling must really have been tight. Im sorry. I wont bother you anymore. Call me to confirm, would you, dear?Estelle left Valerie Riordans house even more unsettled than she had come in, thinking that it had been quite a some time, half a day anyway, since she had had her skinny Bluesman between the sheets.Dr. ValVal had a break between appointments, time in which to study on her suspicion that by taking everyone in Pine Cove off antidepressants, she had turned the town into a squirrels nest. Estelle Boyet had always been a tad eccentric, it was part of her artist persona, but Val had never seen this as un salubrious. On the contrary, the self-image of an eccentric artist seemed to help Estelle get over losing her husband. But now the woman was raving about sea monsters, and worse, she was getting problematic in a relationship with a man that could only be construed as self-destructive.Could people rational adult people still fall in love like that? Could they still feel like that? Val wanted to feel like that. For the first time since her divorce, it occurred to her that she actually wanted to be involved again with a man. No, not just involved, in love. She pulled her Rolodex from the desk drawer and hitch through it until she found the number of her psychiatrist in San Junipero. She had been in analysis all through med school and residency, it was an integral part of the training of any psychiatrist, but she hadnt seen her healer in over five years. Maybe it was time. What sort of cynicism had come over her, that she was interpret the desire to fall in love as a condition requiring intervention? Maybe her cynicism was the problem. Of course she co uldnt tell him about what she had done to her patients, but perhapsA red light blinked on the tiny LED panel on her mobilise and the incoming call, screened by Chloe, who had obviously taken a short break from her self-abuse, scrolled across the screen. Constable Crowe, line one. Speaking of squirrels.She picked up the phone. Dr. Riordan.Hi, Dr. Riordan, this is Theo Crowe. I just called to tell you that you were right.Thank you for calling, Constable. Have a nice day.You were right about Bess Leander not taking the antidepressants. I just got a look at the toxicology report. There was no Zoloft in her system.Val stopped breathing. fasten, are you there? any her worries about the drugs, this whole perverse plan, all the extra sessions, the long hours, the guilt, the friggin guilt, and Bess Leander hadnt been taking her medication at all. Val felt sick to her stomach.Doctor? Theo said.Val forced herself to take a deep breath. Why? I mean, when? Its been over a month. When did you fi nd this out?Just today. I wasnt given access to the autopsy report. No one was. Im sorry it took so long.Well, thank you for letting me know, Constable. I appreciate it. She fain to ring off.Dr. Riordan, dont you have to get a medical history on your patients before you prescribe anything?Yes. Why?Do you know if Bess Leander had any heart problems?No, physically she was a very healthy woman, as far as I know. Why?No reason, Theo said. Oh yeah, I never got your thoughts on the information I shared at breakfast. About Joseph Leander. I was still wondering if you had any thoughts?The whole world had flip-flopped. Val had stone-walled up to now on Bess Leander because she had assumed that her own inadvertence had had something to do with Besss death. What now, though? Really, she didnt know much about Bess at all. She said, What exactly do you want from me, Constable?I just need to know, did she suspect her husband of having an purpose? Or give you any reading material that she migh t be afraid of him?Are you apothegm what I think you are saying? You dont think Bess Leander committed suicide?Im not saying that. Im just asking.Val searched her memory. What had Bess Leander said about her hus-band? I remember her saying that she felt he was uninvolved in their family life and that she had laid down the law to him.Laid down the law? In what way?She told him that because he refused to put the sewerage seat down, he was going to have to sit down to pee from now on.Thats it?Thats all I can remember. Joseph Leander is a salesman. He was gone a lot. I think Bess felt that he was roughly of an intrusion on her and the girls lives. It wasnt a healthy relationship. As if there is such a thing, Val thought. Are you investigating Joseph Leander?Id rather not say, Theo said. Do you think I should be?Youre the policeman, Mr. Crowe.I am? Oh, right, I am. Anyway, thanks, Doctor. By the way, my friend Gabe thought you were, uh, interesting, I mean, charming. I mean, he enjoye d talking with you.He did?Dont tell him I said so.Of course. Good-bye, Constable. Val hung up and sit back in her chair. She had unnecessarily put an entire town in stirred chaos, committed a basketful of federal official crimes as well as prisonbreak nearly every ethical monetary standard in her field, and one of her patients had possibly been murdered, but she felt, well, sort of excited. Charming, she thought. He found me charming. I wonder if he really said charming or if Theo was just making that up the pothead.Charming.She smiled and buzzed Chloe to send in her next appointment.