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Authors: Brenda Adcock
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their
friendship had been immediate. Still disturbed by her experiences in the Wilkes
case, Harriett had sought help, and Helen's name had been the one her finger
had landed on in the phone directory. Helen and her husband, Eric, had a
successful practice in Austin and were considered two of the best psychologists
in the state by their peers. Following her into her office, Harriett found the
chair she had sat in many times while she had been in therapy.
For
a few minutes, neither woman spoke, and just as Harriett was finding the
silence uncomfortable, she glanced at Helen who smiled benignly at her and
tilted her head to the side in an unspoken question.
"It's
Wilkes," Harriett said softly into her mug.
"Why
now? It's been a long time."
"A
case from Dallas has been referred to me. I can't go into any detail about it,
but the circumstances are so similar that I'm not sure I want to or even should
consider taking it."
"Do
you want the case?"
"What
do you mean?"
"Is
it a case where you can actually help the client?"
"I
don't know. They're waiting for my response," Harriett said. Looking at
Helen she continued, "It was referred to me by Alex Dunne."
"Ah,
I see," Helen said as she set her mug on the table beside her. "That
could complicate things a little. So is it the case you're reluctant to take or
the idea of perhaps seeing Alex again?"
"I've
already seen her. She came to my office yesterday to refer the case on behalf
of the client's family."
"And
how did you feel when you saw her again?"
Taking
a deep breath and blowing the air from her lungs, Harriett looked up at the
ceiling. "I don't know. It was almost surreal."
"That's
bullshit and you know it, Harriett. How did you feel when you saw Alex?"
"She
was stunning, okay? Is that what you wanted to hear?" Harriett snapped.
"I
want you to be honest with yourself about your feelings."
"I'm
sorry, Helen. Everything about her was almost exactly the way it was the last
time I saw her. I felt...I don't know...happy, sad, regretful, angry. Maybe all
of those."
"But
then there's the Wilkes thing."
"Yeah,
there is that. I should just turn the case down and let it all go away
again."
"But
then you wouldn't get to see Alex. Isn't that what this is really all
about?"
"She's
not with her partner any longer. They separated," Harriett answered while
studying her hands.
"Then
she's available."
"Yep,"
Harriett nodded.
"Do
you want to renew your relationship with her?"
"I
don't know, Helen, and that's the God's honest truth."
"If
you took the case, would that mean spending more time with Alex?"
"I
suppose, at least at first. It would be my case, and she wouldn't have any say
in how I conducted it once I accepted."
"I
think we've hashed over the Wilkes problem as much as possible eleven years ago
and resolved it. Alex is the only unresolved part of your life left."
"She's
never contacted me in those eleven years."
"You
chose to end it. Perhaps she accepted your decision even if you didn't
fully."
"I
think it's been too damn long, Helen."
"I
think we need to go out for a night of honky-tonkin' and dancin'," Helen
laughed. "We haven't done that in ages."
"If
I take this case, I'll be in Dallas for a few days for the preliminaries,"
Harriett said as she stood.
"Call
me as soon as you get back. I'm getting that itchy foot thing, and you know how
Eric is. Dynamite couldn't blast the man out of the house, bless his
heart."
Harriett
hugged Helen warmly as they reached the front door. "Thank you, Helen. And
give my apologies to Eric."
"Not
a problem. I do some of my best work early in the morning," Helen yawned.
Chapter
Nine
ARRIVING
HOME FOLLOWING her early morning visit with Dr. Mortenson, Harriett dialed the
number for the Omni Hotel and asked to be connected to Alexis Dunne's room. She
was on the verge of hanging up after several rings when Alex picked up the
phone.
"Hello,"
Alex answered, sounding slightly out of breath.
"Alex,
this is Harriett."
"I
was hoping
friendship had been immediate. Still disturbed by her experiences in the Wilkes
case, Harriett had sought help, and Helen's name had been the one her finger
had landed on in the phone directory. Helen and her husband, Eric, had a
successful practice in Austin and were considered two of the best psychologists
in the state by their peers. Following her into her office, Harriett found the
chair she had sat in many times while she had been in therapy.
For
a few minutes, neither woman spoke, and just as Harriett was finding the
silence uncomfortable, she glanced at Helen who smiled benignly at her and
tilted her head to the side in an unspoken question.
"It's
Wilkes," Harriett said softly into her mug.
"Why
now? It's been a long time."
"A
case from Dallas has been referred to me. I can't go into any detail about it,
but the circumstances are so similar that I'm not sure I want to or even should
consider taking it."
"Do
you want the case?"
"What
do you mean?"
"Is
it a case where you can actually help the client?"
"I
don't know. They're waiting for my response," Harriett said. Looking at
Helen she continued, "It was referred to me by Alex Dunne."
"Ah,
I see," Helen said as she set her mug on the table beside her. "That
could complicate things a little. So is it the case you're reluctant to take or
the idea of perhaps seeing Alex again?"
"I've
already seen her. She came to my office yesterday to refer the case on behalf
of the client's family."
"And
how did you feel when you saw her again?"
Taking
a deep breath and blowing the air from her lungs, Harriett looked up at the
ceiling. "I don't know. It was almost surreal."
"That's
bullshit and you know it, Harriett. How did you feel when you saw Alex?"
"She
was stunning, okay? Is that what you wanted to hear?" Harriett snapped.
"I
want you to be honest with yourself about your feelings."
"I'm
sorry, Helen. Everything about her was almost exactly the way it was the last
time I saw her. I felt...I don't know...happy, sad, regretful, angry. Maybe all
of those."
"But
then there's the Wilkes thing."
"Yeah,
there is that. I should just turn the case down and let it all go away
again."
"But
then you wouldn't get to see Alex. Isn't that what this is really all
about?"
"She's
not with her partner any longer. They separated," Harriett answered while
studying her hands.
"Then
she's available."
"Yep,"
Harriett nodded.
"Do
you want to renew your relationship with her?"
"I
don't know, Helen, and that's the God's honest truth."
"If
you took the case, would that mean spending more time with Alex?"
"I
suppose, at least at first. It would be my case, and she wouldn't have any say
in how I conducted it once I accepted."
"I
think we've hashed over the Wilkes problem as much as possible eleven years ago
and resolved it. Alex is the only unresolved part of your life left."
"She's
never contacted me in those eleven years."
"You
chose to end it. Perhaps she accepted your decision even if you didn't
fully."
"I
think it's been too damn long, Helen."
"I
think we need to go out for a night of honky-tonkin' and dancin'," Helen
laughed. "We haven't done that in ages."
"If
I take this case, I'll be in Dallas for a few days for the preliminaries,"
Harriett said as she stood.
"Call
me as soon as you get back. I'm getting that itchy foot thing, and you know how
Eric is. Dynamite couldn't blast the man out of the house, bless his
heart."
Harriett
hugged Helen warmly as they reached the front door. "Thank you, Helen. And
give my apologies to Eric."
"Not
a problem. I do some of my best work early in the morning," Helen yawned.
Chapter
Nine
ARRIVING
HOME FOLLOWING her early morning visit with Dr. Mortenson, Harriett dialed the
number for the Omni Hotel and asked to be connected to Alexis Dunne's room. She
was on the verge of hanging up after several rings when Alex picked up the
phone.
"Hello,"
Alex answered, sounding slightly out of breath.
"Alex,
this is Harriett."
"I
was hoping
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