Page 108 of High Society

“Such as?”

She shrugs. “Tell the others in the group. Report me to the Medical Board.”

“Did you ask Dr. Laing to intervene?”

“God no! I mean Aaron has always been super-protective of me… But I had no idea he might take matters into his own hands.”

Rivers sits up straighter. “And how did he do that?”

“I only found out this morning. Aaron confronted JJ. He apparently warned her not to go public about me and the vaping.”

“Dr. Laing told you this?”

“No. Someone else did. And please,” she holds up a hand, “don’t ask me who. I can’t say.”

“Another client, I presume,” he says with a small sigh. “And when did this confrontation between Ms. Jang and your husband take place?”

Unable to meet his eyes, Holly’s gaze falls to the bench. “The day JJ died.”

CHAPTER 54

Aaron has been distracted all morning. At one point, he even wrote the wrong dose on a prescription refill and was mortified when the pharmacist called him to clarify that Aaron didn’t actually intend to triple his patient’s antidepressant dose.

Why did Holly bolt from the restaurant last night? And why has she avoided his calls since?

Holly and her goddamn psychedelics! They have been the source of so much grief. For both of them. All those bad decisions. Not to mention everything he has had to do to support her through the cascade of catastrophes they instigated.

Sitting at his desk, Aaron is about to pick up the phone and try Holly again when his assistant buzzes through. “There’s a detective from Newport Beach here to see you,” Amy tells him in her perpetually upbeat tone. “Can I send him in?”

“Please do,” he says with an ease he doesn’t feel.

Aaron greets the young detective at the door and leads him to the seat across from his desk. After introductions, Detective Rivers says, “Thanks for taking time to see me, Dr. Laing.”

“Of course.”

“I’ve been investigating the death of Justine Jang. I believe you’re familiar with the circumstances?”

“Some of them, yes,” Aaron says with a smile to hide the fact that his stomach has just leapt into his throat.

“You’re also aware that Ms. Jang was a client of your wife’s?”

Aaron leans back in his seat. “I am, yes.”

“As I understand it, Dr. Laing, you were a bit of a… sounding board for your wife during the time of Ms. Jang’s death.”

Did Holly tell you? “Yes, despite our temporary separation, Holly and I are still close. And Holly has been distraught over recent… happenings with her clients.”

Rivers nods. “The deaths of Ms. Golding and Ms. Jang?”

“And the disappearance of Liisa Koskinen,” Aaron adds, realizing that the detective must know about that, too.

“My focus is Ms. Jang.”

“All right.”

“I understand that you spoke to her on the day she died.”

How does he know?