involved,â Tatum said. âIâve already told Cindy about it. Iâve been working with the police on the case. They got a court order to release Sedgwickâs patient records, at least those that involved females. You might recall that bystanders said the car that hit him was driven by a blond woman. Anyway, I went through Sedgwickâs records and came up with a possible suspect. I went to interview her with a couple of detectives. You might know her, Mac. She worked at GWâs law school in admissions. Sheila Klaus.â
Annabel drew in a deep breath. âOf course we remember her. Sheila and I became friends when she was at the university. We were in a book group together.â
âAnd I remember her,â Mac said. âA nice lady. I was sorry when she left GW.â
âShe left on a disability,â Tatum said, âbut Iâve never learned what that disability was.â
âI donât know,â Smith said.
âAt any rate,â Tatum continued, âthe police have really focused in on her as a suspect in the Sedgwick murder.â He looked at both Mac and Annabel before adding, âAnd it was murder no matter what weapon was used. In this case it was a white Buick Regal. The police have found the car and have gone over it. When I accompanied the detectives to talk with her, she lied about certain things regarding her relationship with Sedgwick. Those lies donât help her cause.â
âIâm sorry to hear that,â said Smith. âDo you agree with the police that sheâs the one who drove the car?â
âBased upon the circumstantial evidence, yes. But thereâs something about her that bothers me.â
âWhatâs that?â Annabel asked.
âI almost get the feeling that she believes the lies she told. I mean, thereâs no doubt that she was involved with Sedgwick outside of the usual doctor-patient relationship. She denies it, but there are records that nail it down.â
âMind a question?â Smith said.
âOf course not.â
âWhy are you telling us this?â
Tatum broke into a wide grin. âAh, the attorneyâs mind at work,â he said. âOkay, hereâs why I bring it up. She needs legal advice, Mac. The police havenât formally charged her yet, but I think theyâre close to it. My hunch is that she doesnât realize the trouble sheâs in and will blunder into incriminating herself.â
âWhy do you feel that way?â Annabel asked.
Tatum held up his hands. âLet me explain,â he said. âI donât want to come off as practicing some form of pop psychology, but I did spend time with her, not as a patient in any formal sense but enough to form some conclusions.â
âYou checked her eye roll,â Smith said lightly.
Tatum nodded.
âHeâs always checking eye rolls,â Cindy said lightly, too.
âAnd Sheila Klaus is a Dionysian,â Annabel surmised.
Like Mac, sheâd been educated by Tatum in the HIP developed by Tatumâs onetime teacher, Herbert Spiegel. Theyâd spent an evening together at the apartment when Tatum had explained the theories behind Dr. Spiegelâs groundbreaking work and its importance to medicine. It was determined that night that both Annabel and Mac were Odysseansâsort of in the middleâwith Annabel leaning toward Dionysian (more pliable) and Mac more Apollonian in his hardwiring (more head oriented). It was a fascinating experience that Mac and Annabel often talked about.
Tatum continued. âThere are notations in her file that indicate that Sedgwick had done a HIP on her. His findings go hand in hand with her extreme eye roll.â He paused as his mind shifted gears. âYou remember that panel I was on last year sponsored by Justice that looked into false confessions, people who confessed to crimes they hadnât committed?â
âSure I do,â
Alexandra Amor
The Duke Next Door
John Wilcox
Clarence Major
David Perlmutter M. D., Alberto Villoldo Ph.d.
Susan Wiggs
Vicki Myron
Mack Maloney
Stephen L. Antczak, James C. Bassett
Unknown