Page 77 of High Society

“I didn’t mean to hurt her. I’m always careful. I have no idea where the bruises came from. I only wanted to restrain them. To enslave them. Give them the full thrill of being dominated.”

“Bruises?”

“Dr. D, you’ve helped me soooo much. Those urges are almost gone. They don’t drive me anymore.” He chuckles. “I don’t even fantasize about you chained to my bed, like I used to.”

Holly fights off repulsion at the thought. She remembers JJ’s comment about not telling Elaine. Had she meant to warn her about Simon? “What about Elaine? Or JJ? Did something… sexual… happen with one of them, Simon?”

He grips the armrest and the veins in his forearm pop. “Did she tell you?”

“Who?”

“JJ.”

“No.”

“It was just dinner! Friendly like. We got into this deep conversation about our addictions. She told me a bunch of stuff about how she fell into the bottle. After all those lost pregnancies. And I thought it was only fair for me to share, too. I told her about my… you know… kinks. I thought she was into them, too. But as soon as I mentioned how sexy it would be to chain her up, she completely freaked out. And bolted. Like I’d pulled a chainsaw on her!”

Holly’s mind races as she absorbs the details. “Was JJ threatening to expose you?”

“Expose?” He grunts. “No, no. She ghosted me. Would barely say two words to me after.”

“But you saw JJ again, Simon?” Holly has to stop herself from telling him that Reese told her as much. “The night she died.”

He shakes his head. “I spoke to her on the phone. In the afternoon.”

“And what did JJ tell you?”

“That something happened between her and Elaine. And JJ thought you suspected she was involved in Elaine’s death.”

Holly forces herself to speak in a conversational tone. “Did JJ tell you what happened between her and Elaine?”

“Nope. JJ couldn’t get off the phone fast enough. Like she regretted bringing it up.” Simon reaches up and touches his mask. “What’s going on, Dr. D?”

“Nothing, Simon. You’re doing fine.”

“Why the million questions?”

Holly can tell from the clarity in his voice that the ketamine is wearing off, and that he’s gaining insight. She glances at the two syringes in her hand. For a moment, she considers administering more ketamine to put him back under, but she banishes the thought.

“Do you know something about Elaine and JJ?” His voice borders on frantic. “Something I don’t?”

“No, no. It’s only talk, Simon.”

He wriggles on the recliner. “What the fuck is going on here?”

Holly feels trapped. Without a choice. Hand trembling, she attaches the syringe of midazolam to the IV and pushes in a full dose.

Within seconds, Simon is snoring.

Staring at his sleeping form, Holly feels sick to her stomach.

Ten minutes later, he wakes with a start, pulling the blindfold off his eyes and sitting up. “Whoa! That was a fucking weird trip!”

“What do you remember, Simon?” Holly asks, trying to steady her breathing.

“Lots of stars. Not much else. It’s so foggy.” He grimaces. “Did I say anything?”

She forces a smile. “Nothing very coherent.”