Read Online Shakespeare's Counselor by Charlaine Harris - Free Book Online

your therapy group. You and these women?”
    â€œYes.”
    â€œA group for…?”
    A very tall African American woman appeared at Claude’s shoulder. Her hair was cut close to her scalp. She was truly almost black, and she was wearing a practical khaki pantsuit with a badge pinned to the lapel. A pale yellow tank top under the jacket shone radiantly against her skin. She had broad features and wore huge blue-framed glasses.
    â€œAlicia, listen to the account of this witness. I know her, she’s observant,” Claude said.
    â€œYes, sir.” The magnified eyes focused on me.
    â€œLily, this is Detective Stokes. She’s just come to us from the Cleveland force.”
    â€œCleveland, Ohio? ” Cleveland, Mississippi wouldn’t have been surprising.
    â€œYep.”
    Alicia Stokes would have to be classified as a mystery.
    Focusing on the more pertinent problem, I explained to Claude and Detective Stokes that we were a group composed of rape survivors, that we met every Tuesday night at the health center, that we were led by a woman who was missing and might be somewhere in the building.
    â€œTamsin Lynd,” said Stokes unexpectedly.
    I stared at her. “Yes,” I said slowly. “Tamsin Lynd.”
    â€œI knew it,” the detective said to herself, so swiftly and in such a low voice that I wasn’t sure I’d understood her correctly.
    Stokes turned to a man in uniform and gave him some quick orders. He stared back at her, resentment all over his face and in his posture, but then he turned to obey. I shook my head. Stokes had her work cut out for her.
    She caught the headshake and glared at me. I don’t know how she interpreted my reaction, but she definitely didn’t want sympathy.
    Claude made a “go-on” gesture, so I went on to explain how we hadn’t been able to get in, had finally managed to do so, what we had found. I was glad to see the ambulance team taking Janet out, before I’d finished my account.
    Stokes, who was at least four inches taller than my five foot six, said, “Do you know the victim?”
    â€œNo.”
    â€œDid any of you know her?”
    â€œAsk them.”
    Stokes clearly was about to come down on me like a ton of bricks when I caught sight of something that made me weak-kneed with relief. The officer Stokes had sent into the building was leading Tamsin Lynd out, his arm around her, and Tamsin appeared to be in good physical shape. She was walking on her own. She was crying and shaking, but she seemed to be unhurt. Not a drop of blood on her.
    Following my gaze, Stokes and Claude saw her, too.
    â€œShe’s your missing counselor?” Claude asked.
    â€œYes,” I said, relief making me almost giddy. I strode over to her and didn’t even think about the other two, right on my heels.
    â€œLily, are all of you okay?” Tamsin called, pulling away from the officer to grip my arms.
    â€œExcept Janet,” I said. I told her Janet had gone in the ambulance.
    â€œWhat on earth happened here?”
    I became aware that the audience had grown quite large around us, listening to this exchange. One glare from Stokes sent them scattering, but she and Claude flanked me.
    And at that moment, looking into Tamsin Lynd’s eyes, I remembered the phone calls and the slit throat of the squirrel, and the fear she lived with. I had been very upset, deeply upset, but in that second I drew myself under control. “There was a dead woman in your office,” I said, after a little pause to let the two cops stop me, if they would. “Where were you?”
    Only someone who’d witnessed at least part of Tamsin’s problem would have understood her reaction.
    â€œOh, my God,” she moaned. “Not again!”
    â€œAgain?” I repeated, because that hadn’t been quite what I expected. Then, I said more harshly, “ Again? You’ve found women killed in your office