Page 113 of High Society

“That I might be able to help.” He rubs his eyes. “I didn’t even plan on speaking to her. But then I saw this post online announcing this Jang family event at the museum that same afternoon. I thought JJ might attend. So I went. And then, when I spotted her coming out of the museum, I couldn’t resist.”

“Resist ambushing her?” She scoffs. “I think that impulse might run in your DNA.”

He grimaces. “What?”

“Never mind. Go on.”

“We just talked, Holly. In broad daylight in front of the museum. I thought I’d even struck a chord with her. As JJ was leaving, she told me she’d consider what I’d said.”

“Which was?”

“That it would only hurt the group and herself, if she spoke up about your DMT use.”

Holly isn’t willing to believe a word of it without proof. “And you never saw JJ again?”

“Never.” He shakes his head. “She had to hurry off. Apparently, she was late to meet a friend.”

“Which friend? Where?”

“I didn’t think to ask. I actually went home feeling a bit better about your… predicament. I had no idea anything happened to JJ until later when you woke me up to tell me.”

“And Elaine?”

He frowns. “What about her?”

“Did you try to make Elaine see the light, too?”

“Honestly?” He reaches for his coffee cup, but his hand stops short of it. “I might have tried if I had known how to find her.” He pulls his hand away from the cup. “No. I never met Elaine.”

“And Liisa? That call to your office?”

He holds out his palms. “I still can’t explain that one. I haven’t seen Liisa in fifteen years.”

Some of her anger seeps away, seeing how small and pathetic her husband looks. “Even if what you say is true, Aaron, and I’m not convinced any of it is… why? Why hide it from me?”

His chin drops. “Because I realized I’d made a huge mistake. That, despite my best intentions, you’d never forgive me for that kind of professional and personal transgression. Not after what happened to JJ.”

“And if JJ had lived another day, I would have found out from her what you’d done.” She pauses. “And you just couldn’t let that happen, could you?”

His expression is one of pure defeat. “Actually, her death only made it worse.”

Holly looks at him sharply. “Why worse?”

“Because I didn’t know—I still don’t—if it was something I said that made her jump.”

CHAPTER 57

Holly is so distracted during her videoconference with her editor that the young woman stops mid-sentence to ask if everything is all right. Holly resists the urge to tell her that nothing is. That two of her patients are dead, another is missing, and her own husband might be responsible. But Holly blames her preoccupation instead on a poor night’s sleep. And she agrees to submit two new chapters by the end of the month.

After the call ends, Holly doesn’t even check her appointment planner. She didn’t think any of the remaining tribe members would want to continue seeing her, so she’s surprised to see Tanya escorting Salvador in as her first client of the day.

Aside from his ubiquitous ball cap, Salvador looks different. Not right. Holly realizes that it’s not because of his pallor or even the deep bags under his bloodshot eyes. It’s his body language. Where normally he would bound into her office, today he trudges in with his neck stooped and his shoulders low.

“Hello, Salvador.”

“Morning, Dr. Danvers.” Even his voice is subdued.

“What’s going on?” Holly asks gently.