Page 69 of High Society

Salvador glares at Baljit. “And if you say ‘the pavement,’ I swear to God I’ll absolutely lose it!”

Reese massages her temples between her thumb and her fingers. Her eyes look tired, and Simon wonders if she’s been drinking. “I shouldn’t have canceled our get-together after that last session. Or at least I should have taken the time to call her. I knew something was wrong. JJ was just so… off.”

Liisa looks over to Reese but doesn’t offer any words of consolation. The room falls into a somber silence.

“OK,” Simon finally says. “What about JJ’s theory that there was something sketchy about Elaine’s death?”

“You don’t think there’s anything to that?” Salvador asks.

“Not really,” Simon says. “But JJ made it sound like Dr. D did.”

“Then how come Dr. Danvers didn’t say boo to the rest of us?” Baljit asks.

“Why would she, if she thought only JJ was involved?” Reese snaps, and Salvador nods his approval.

Liisa clears her throat. “Besides, she would never betray client-therapist confidentiality like that.”

“Yet another reason Dr. Danvers won’t want to resume group therapy,” Reese points out.

Simon’s heart sinks. “Dr. D’s treatment has been working for the rest of us. And I, for one, need to continue it.”

“I couldn’t agree any freakin’ more!” Salvador cries, practically bouncing in his seat. “I need it, too.”

“Me, too,” Baljit sighs.

Reese looks around the room. “After JJ and Elaine… can we really just go back to business as usual?”

“It definitely wouldn’t be business as usual,” Salvador says.

“Couldn’t we go to another ketamine clinic?” Reese asks. “Or get our own supply? Vitamin K, as they call it on the street.”

“Other clinics don’t do IV ketamine,” Liisa says.

“And snorting Vitamin K is not the same,” Simon says. “Trust me. The effect is nothing like the IV stuff Dr. D gives us.”

“Besides, Dr. Danvers is simply the best therapist,” Salvador says. “At this point, I must’ve tried them all.”

Baljit turns to Reese. “Are you sure you can keep away from the bottle without her help?”

Reese shrugs. “I’m not sure of much of anything at this point.”

“Does anyone in this group feel unsafe to continue therapy with Dr. Danvers?” Salvador asks the others. “Now is the time to speak up.”

No one does.

“I don’t buy what JJ told Simon,” Baljit says. “There’s a perfectly simple explanation for what happened to Elaine.”

“And to JJ, too,” Salvador adds.

“Then we’re agreed?” Baljit asks, staring into each person’s eyes, landing last on Simon’s. “We reach out to Dr. Danvers and convince her to continue our therapy?”

“Who reaches out to her?” Simon asks.

“I will,” Baljit says.

Simon shakes his head. “Uh, no. You lack tact. And judgment. Then again, so do I. It’s going to take some world-class persuasion to convince Dr. D.” He looks over to Reese. “I say we send in the best negotiator in the room. Naturally, the lawyer.”

CHAPTER 35