Chapter 53

Holly’s phone vibrates again, but recognizing the distinctive ringtone indicating Aaron’s number, she lets the call go to voicemail. It’s the third call from him this morning. She has ignored them all. Each one has made her angrier than the previous. She’s tempted to pick up, if only to respond to his plaintive query at the restaurant and scream, “Now do you see why the fuck I couldn’t just trust you?!”

It’s barely eleven o’clock, but as she walks along Laguna’s boardwalk the sun is beating down on her neck, promising a hot day. The coffee cup in her hand is only an accessory, a habit from previous beach strolls, and she hasn’t drunk a sip. It was her idea to meet here. She needed to escape the suddenly claustrophobic confines of her office after Reese dropped her bombshell revelation.

Holly spots Detective Rivers striding toward her in another tailored suit, this one light blue. There’s no swagger in his step, although she would understand if there were. They meet near the basketball courts where a loud two-on-two game is being played between four shirtless, sweaty guys.

His mouth curves into a welcoming smile. “G’morning, Dr. Danvers.”

“Thanks for meeting me, Detective,” Holly mutters, unable to match his friendliness.

“It sounded important.”

“It is.”

He waits for her to elaborate.

“My husband, Dr. Aaron Laing…” The detective must recognize the name from Liisa’s earlier phone call to the office, but he doesn’t show a response. “Actually, Aaron and I are separated.”

“All right.”

“But we’re still in close touch. He’s been very supportive throughout this whole ordeal… or so I thought.”

Recognizing Holly’s distress, Rivers motions to a nearby bench. “Why don’t we sit?”

After they’re both seated, he says, “Maybe it would be best if you just started at the beginning.”

“Probably.” Holly finally sips her coffee, primarily for something to do with her hands. “I’ve been confiding in Aaron from the outset. Ever since Elaine leveled her allegations.”

“When you say confiding…”

“Sharing details about the group. The challenges.” She lowers her voice. “The crises.”

He leans closer. “Including their names?”

“Yes. First names, anyway. For the most part.”

Rivers cocks his head.

“After all, Aaron’s a psychiatrist, too,” Holly says. “Bound by the same rules of confidentiality. And since most of the clients are recognizable, at least locally, they wouldn’t be hard to identify by their first names alone.”

“I see.”

She hesitates. “There’s something else I haven’t shared with you yet.”

“About your clients?”

“No. Me.” She turns her free palm over on her lap. “I didn’t think it was relevant to your, um, investigation.”

He offers her an encouraging nod. “Go on.”

“One evening—about a week before her death—JJ walked in on me while I was using psychedelics.”

“Using how?”

“Smoking. Vaping, technically. DMT. The active ingredient in ayahuasca. But you have to understand, my office was already closed for the day. A cleaner let JJ in. At the time, I didn’t even realize JJ had seen me.”

He only nods.

“The last time I saw JJ, I was pressing her for details about Elaine’s death,” she says. “Too hard, in retrospect. And JJ freaked out. She became very agitated. And defensive. She went on about how inappropriate it was for me to be vaping in my office. Which, honestly, is impossible to argue with.”

Rivers studies her for a daunting moment. “And how is all this related to your husband?”

“I told Aaron how troubled I was by what JJ had seen. And what she might do about it.”

“Such as?”

She shrugs. “Tell the others in the group. Report me to the Medical Board.”

“Did you ask Dr. Laing to intervene?”

“God no! I mean Aaron has always been super-protective of me… But I had no idea he might take matters into his own hands.”

Rivers sits up straighter. “And how did he do that?”

“I only found out this morning. Aaron confronted JJ. He apparently warned her not to go public about me and the vaping.”

“Dr. Laing told you this?”

“No. Someone else did. And please,” she holds up a hand, “don’t ask me who. I can’t say.”

“Another client, I presume,” he says with a small sigh. “And when did this confrontation between Ms. Jang and your husband take place?”

Unable to meet his eyes, Holly’s gaze falls to the bench. “The day JJ died.”