Page 85 of High Society

“Maybe, yeah. It’s just so weird to have this select chunk of memory missing. I don’t suppose Dr. D mentioned anything to you about me or my session, did she?”

“A therapist would never talk about one client with another. That would be an unforgivable breach of conduct.”

He sighs inwardly. “Guess not, huh?”

“Why don’t you just ask her what happened?”

Because Dr. D might be too repulsed to ever speak to me again. Or worse, she might have already reported me. But all he says is “Yeah, that’s probably my best move.”

As he is about to disconnect, Liisa says, “Simon, while I have you on the phone…”

“Yes?”

“That evening you saw JJ for the last time, I—”

“I didn’t see her! It was a phone call. In the middle of the day.”

“Of course. My mistake. But after JJ told you about Dr. Danvers’s suspicion that she was involved in Elaine’s death…”

“What about it?”

“Did JJ mention if Dr. Danvers suspected anyone else?”

“Like who?”

“Baljit? Reese? Salvador? Even me?”

“No,” Simon says as he stretches his aching hip. “It was just a brief call.”

“All right, thanks.”

“Cool,” Simon says, wondering why Liisa would care. “Guess I’ll see you at the next group session in a couple days.”

“About that.” Liisa pauses again. “I probably won’t make it to the next few. I have a bunch of conflicts.”

CHAPTER 42

After her confrontation with Liisa, Holly lumbered through the rest of the afternoon’s appointments on autopilot, struggling to focus on her other clients.

As she is packing up her bag to leave the office for the day, her mobile phone rings with a number and an area code that she doesn’t recognize. When she answers, a woman says, “Hello. Is this Dr. Holly Danvers?”

“Yes. Speaking.”

“This is Dr. Shayna Pearlman from the California Board of Psychology,” she says in a friendly tone. “Sorry to return your call so late in the day. I was trapped in meetings.”

Holly drops back into her chair. “Thanks for getting back to me, Dr. Pearlman.”

“Happy to. You were looking to speak to me concerning a disciplinary matter, Dr. Danvers?”

“Not you specifically. But yes. I was hoping to speak to someone in your office.”

“I’m probably as good a place as any to start. I’m the chair of the Enforcement Committee.”

“Perfect,” Holly says. “I wanted to inquire about one of your members, Dr. Liisa Koskinen.”

There’s a momentary pause. “What about Dr. Koskinen?”

“I’m a psychiatrist with a practice in Laguna Beach. I’m professionally… acquainted with Dr. Koskinen,” Holly says, being deliberately vague. “And I’ve recently learned about licensing issues involving her and the Board.”