Page 87 of High Society

“I can’t stress enough that these allegations were never substantiated, Dr. Danvers. And they had no bearing on the eventual disciplinary action against Dr. Koskinen.”

“But you have no idea why the client retracted her claim?”

“No, I do not.”

“Did you believe her, Dr. Pearlman?”

Her pause is confirmation enough for Holly. “It’s not my role to speculate,” Dr. Pearlman says. “We investigate. And we only proceed if the evidence supports the charges, and the complainant wants to go forward.”

If Liisa was capable of stealing drugs from a client and then blackmailing her into silence, who knows how far she would go to protect herself? Would murder be too far?

Holly thanks Dr. Pearlman for her time. After she hangs up, she grabs her bag and heads for the door. She waves goodbye to Tanya without stopping to chat and then heads down to the underground garage.

Holly is so lost in her thoughts that she doesn’t even notice the object in front of her driver’s door until she kicks it with her foot. She kneels down and spots the empty glasses case lying by the front tire. Even before she reaches for the case, she recognizes it: one that she sometimes carries to hold either her corrective lenses or her sunglasses.

Holly’s pulse quickens as she unlocks the door and tucks the case back into the side pocket where she always keeps it. She is certain she didn’t remove it when she got to work, and there is no way it could have fallen out of the deep side pocket on its own.

Even more alarming, Holly knows that her car automatically locks as soon as she walks away with the key.

CHAPTER 43

The throb in his hip is almost comforting to Simon as he lies in bed and stares up at the light fixture that he has always hated. The brainchild of his eccentric designer, the thing cost tens of thousands of dollars and reminds Simon of a gaudy, mismatched collection of Christmas baubles. He wonders why he hasn’t replaced it. Maybe because he doesn’t deserve anything better.

Mom was right about me, Simon thinks for the umpteenth time. She never respected him, not once in her entire life. Even after he found worldwide fame with the breakout success of his debut album. Even after he bought his mother her dream home on the Malibu waterfront, one of the last lucid things she ever said to him as she lay dying of lung cancer in that house was: Life would’ve been better without you.

She never even stipulated her life. Simply life in general. And it was probably true.

The familiar ding of a new group text pulls Simon from his miserable thoughts. He pats the bed beside him until he finds the phone. Raising it to his face, he glances at a text.

Liisa: I’m out.

While Simon is still trying to figure out what Liisa means, another text pops up below the first.

Liisa: If you’re smart, the rest of you will quit, too. She’s toxic.

Baljit: Who’s toxic?

Liisa: Holly Danvers. She’s been manipulating us while she snows us with psychedelics. She’s no therapist! We’re only pawns in her scheme to get richer and more famous. She’s willing to sacrifice all of us for her success.

Simon is confused. Liisa didn’t express any such bitterness on their call earlier today. Why does she sound so different now? Did something happen between Liisa and Dr. Danvers since he spoke to her?

Salvador: WTF, LIISA? HAVE YOU BEEN DRINKING?

Liisa: Not my poison. I’m done. Our tribe is done. I’m going away.

Reese: What happened with Dr. Danvers, Liisa? And where are you planning to go?

Simon stares at the screen for several seconds, but Liisa doesn’t respond. Another text pops up.

Baljit: When did you turn into such a drama queen, Liisa?

Still no reply.

Salvador: LIISA???

The others in the chat go quiet again, but there’s still no response from her.

Reese: She must be offline.