Next she decides to head to the library to do a little research on Lindsay Parker, because she doesn’t want that to be discovered in the browsing history of her computer.
She quickly discovers Lindsay could be a nuisance having earned double bachelor degrees in criminal justice and English and master’s degree in journalism from San Francisco State University. Wendy watches several investigative reporting segments Lindsay has done in her brief career and then studies closely her exclusive food series on Jack Taylor and the Bistro scandal. Wendy is impressed by the thoroughness of Lindsay’s research and the competence of her reporting. She makes a mental note when Lindsay contacts her to be extremely careful in their discussions.
Next, Wendy decides to swing by the office and speak to Mona about Lindsay. She explains to Mona she expects Lindsay to contact the office in a couple of weeks and begin fishing for information and instructs Mona to be very careful during any telephone conversations they may have.
“Kimberly warned me about it when she was here earlier. Lindsay is investigating my counseling practice due to the recent suicides of Jack and Arnold and Zach’s heart attack,” Wendy finishes.
Mona rolls her eyes. “So she’s trying to bring your counseling skills into question?”
“That’s exactly what I think she is going to do, so we just need to be cautious in what we say to her.”
“This is such bullshit. Why are reporters always picking on the counselors who deal with domestic violence victims?”
“Sometimes people, especially reporters, don’t understand the cycle of domestic violence and just need to be educated, sometimes they are threatened by the fact that there is a necessity for individual counselors to specialize in this field, and sometimes they think the counselor is the problem. Whatever this case may be, we have been warned this reporter is targeting me for some reason, so let’s just stay vigilant and be careful in our interactions with her until we know what her angle is and where she is coming from.”
“No worries. I’ve got your back, always,” Mona says with a fierce grin.
“I know you do, but it never hurts to get a heads up so we’re not surprised. Is there anything I need to take care of before I head to the beach this afternoon?” Wendy asks.
“No, but check your calendar for tomorrow morning. You have a new client coming in. His name is Michael Prichard and his domestic partner is starting to get a little abusive.”
“How so? Did he mention anything specific?” Wendy asks, reviewing her schedule for the next few days.
“Nope, other than that he writes screenplays and lives in La Jolla.”
“Interesting. I’m not seeing him here. When is he scheduled?”
“He’s your second appointment at ten o’clock. Now go to the beach and relax or give me the afternoon off to do so!”
Wendy smiles and waves as she heads out the door, reassured that when Lindsay starts probing around she’ll not get any information she can use against Wendy. She stops by the penthouse, grabs her bikini, and heads to her favorite stretch of beach to enjoy the afternoon relaxing and reading a new book.
***
The next morning, Mike Prichard comes into her office promptly for his ten o’clock appointment. He is a polite and gracious man in his mid-forties, attractive and tan with a flair for the English language and an understated air of sophistication. As he introduces himself to Wendy she thinks, Wow, what kind of person would be abusive to such a kind soul?
She motions for him to have a seat then asks, “Would you like a cup of coffee or tea?”
“That would be great. Coffee, please, black.”
Wendy has Mona bring in a fresh pot of French press coffee and two scones with a little honey. Mike accepts a cup of coffee and politely declines the scone.
“What brings you in today, Mr. Prichard?”
“Please, it’s Mike. Well, I’m a bit troubled by the way my relationship is progressing with my partner, Kenneth. You come highly recommended by several people I’ve spoken with, and I need some advice.”
Wendy sips her coffee and nods. “Go on.”
“I had been single for quite some time, but recently became involved with a younger man.”
“How much younger?”
“Kenneth is 37, so nine years younger than I am. We’ve been together for almost a year now, and he moved into my home here in La Jolla a couple of months back. There have been minor disagreements over his cat and my dog. My dog chases the cat, and it irritates Kenneth. I’ve explained they are just playing with one another, but he is convinced my lab is going to kill his cat, which is just ridiculous. Hercules loves cats and is really gentle with them and always has been. Kenneth is also deathly afraid of water because he doesn’t know how to swim, but he doesn’t want to learn, and that’s somewhat problematic because I have a pool and I like to spend my days lounging by it, swimming and writing. Kenneth wants to fill it in with soil and landscape, which I absolutely refuse to do, but I did get a cheap bubble cover that floats on the surface to appease his irrational fears about water.”
“Okay. So far what you have told me are minor adjustment issues every loving relationship goes through.”
“I understand that, and thought so myself, but there is so much more.”
“I’m sorry I interrupted you. Please continue.”
“A couple of nights ago, I was balancing my checkbook and found there had been several thousand dollars removed without my knowledge. When I asked Kenneth about it he became outrageously hostile and unpleasant. Eventually he told me he used the funds to purchase his new vehicle. I have always paid all the bills because I make substantially more than Kenneth, I have never asked him for any money, and we have always maintained separate financial accounts, but after I shared my PIN with him, he removed thousands of dollars from my account to purchase the vehicle and doesn’t intend to repay me. I told him I didn’t appreciate the dishonest way he went about taking the money and that if he didn’t repay it, I would report him to the police. He began threatening me physically. I told him if he had asked me for a loan I would have been willing to lend him the money he needed. He began slapping me at first then he punched me in the stomach and side and broke two of my ribs. I told him to stop or leave. He stopped, but a few hours later he had several of his friends come over to the house, and they threatened to kill me if I continued to complain or call the police. Since that time he has been emotionally abusive and I’m afraid for my safety in my own home.”
“How many individuals are living in the home currently?”
“It’s just Kenneth and me.”
“Are you physically afraid of Kenneth or the combination of Kenneth and his friends?”
“Normally, I would say it’s his friends that concern me. But his actions and my two broken ribs do have me frightened.”
“Has there been, or is there currently, illicit drug use occurring in the home?”
“Absolutely not! I don’t believe in drugs. I’ve seen too many terribly brilliant and successful people ruin their lives with drugs. Although I do enjoy a good Brandy old fashioned sweet, every now and then.”
Wendy considers this for a moment. “Does Kenneth know you have come to see me?”
“No, I haven’t told him yet.”
“How do you think he will react when he finds out?”
“It depends on his mood at the time, but I think he will probably become physical,” Mike replies quietly.
“Then you certainly don’t want to tell him until we can work out some type of safety plan for you.”
“Well, I’m probably good for a couple of days. I have to be in Los Angeles early tomorrow and the next day pitching my most recent screenplay to two separate movie producers. Tonight Kenneth and I are going out to dinner and a movie, but it will be an early evening because I have to get up early to commute into L.A.”
Wendy nods and gets out one of her business cards, flipping it to the back. “So you’ll be back in La Jolla Thursday evening t
hen?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“Okay, why don’t we schedule to meet again? Does Friday morning at eleven work for you?”
Mike thinks for a moment, then nods. “That will be fine. Kenneth will be working.”
“Perfect. During that appointment we’ll develop a safety plan for you,” she says, writing on the back of the card.
“Wonderful. Thank you for your time, Ms. Stevens.”
“Please, call me Wendy,” she says, and stands to shake his hand. Then she hands him her card with Friday’s appointment written on the back. “If you need anything for any reason before our appointment, call the office number on this card and my answering service will get the message and notify me immediately.”
He nods. “I’ll keep that in mind. Good day, Wendy.”
As she watches Mike leave her office, she thinks, what an absolutely classy gentleman.
CHAPTER 7
what a tangled web
Wednesday, Wendy walks into the office mid-morning and quickly realizes it’s going to be one of those days. Mona immediately asks for an extended lunch in order to get some personal running around done, and Wendy agrees, slightly unhappily, that she can go if she’s back by two. The phone continues to ring off the hook, like Mona says it has been all morning, so in order to help out, Wendy grabs the next line. The male voice on the other end asks to speak with Wendy.
She represses a sigh. “This is Wendy.”
“You don’t know me, but I found your card in my house so it’s apparent my partner has been to see you recently and I’d like you to meet you in person.”
“Who am I speaking with?” she asks, now on guard.
“My name is Kenneth Quan. Mike Prichard would be your client,” the voice answers flatly.
“I’m sorry, Mr. Quan. I can’t speak with you about anyone who may or may not have come to see me or who may even have my card in their possession—”
“Listen bitch. I can’t come to see you because I’m looking for my cat right now, and if I don’t find it soon I’m going to kill the fucking dog that’s been harassing it, but I want to meet you before I decide if I’m going to let Mike continue to see you or not. If you’re unwilling to meet with me, you might as well cancel Mike’s appointment with you on Friday because he won’t be there. So, as I’d guess you’re not going to say no, stop by my house for about fifteen minutes. If you ring the door bell and I don’t answer it, walk around to the south side and come into the backyard. I’ll be there searching for my cat.”
“Mr. Quan, again, I cannot speak with you. I’m sorry you lost your cat. Have a nice day.”
When she hangs up the telephone things have calmed down some, and Mona takes one look at her and asks, “Who the hell was that?”
Wendy clears her throat. “Mike’s domestic partner, Kenneth. He wanted to meet with me, but I told him I can’t without authorization from Mike.”
Mona laughs and shrugs. “Why are people so stupid in this business?”
“It’s not just this business it’s in every walk of life.”
“Yeah, you’re probably right. Can I head out for lunch now? I promise I’ll be back at two o’clock.”
Wendy nods. “Sure, go ahead. If the phone gets any crazier I’ll just let it ring through to the service and have them take messages. You can deal with them when you get back.”
Mona sighs. “Fair enough. Why don’t you lock the door behind me on my way out so you can get some billing done before your two o’clock appointment? That’s the next important thing on your list today.”
Wendy nods and follows Mona to the front door of the office, then watches her drive away in her blue Jeep Cherokee. Wendy stands very still for a moment, then decides to go speak with Kenneth. She leaves her cell phone on the desk, transfers all calls to the answering service informing them she is in the office doing some billing and needs to focus unless it’s an emergency, then leaves the office.
After reviewing the file Wendy drives the short distance to Mike Prichard’s home, rings the doorbell and, when there is no answer, she walks around back calling out to Kenneth. When she sees him she is surprised by his physical appearance. He is a slender man of about five foot five inches, and she guesses he weighs about one hundred fifty pounds.
Kenneth glances at her and gives her a condescending smile. “I thought you told me you couldn’t talk to me.”
Wendy shrugs. “I can’t, and what I’m doing is not appropriate, but our call was disturbing.”
“Which part? The fact I wouldn’t let Mike ever see you again or that I was going to kill his dog?” Kenneth asks.
“Both actually. Did you find your cat, and did you kill the dog?”
“The answer is not yet to both.”
“Well that’s a relief. Would you like some help searching for the cat? We can talk as we look.”
He sizes her up. “Well, you’re off to a good start, I suppose. Why not. My cat’s name is Jamie, and if you scare her off, we’re going to have a serious problem.”
As they search for his cat under shrubs and in trees, Wendy gets increasingly angrier with Kenneth remembering his threats to kill Hercules, breaking Mike’s ribs, refusing to allow Mike to see her, and his belligerent attitude. Suddenly a thought occurs to her. She rolls her eyes, wondering why she hadn’t thought of it sooner. She walks to the edge of the pool at the deep end, only a few feet from Kenneth, and suddenly gasps, “Oh, my God! Is that Jamie?” Pointing toward the bottom of the pool, she twists her face into a mask of horror.
Kenneth rushes in next to Wendy, yelling, “Where?!”
As he bends forward at the waist, straining to focus on the bottom of the pool, Wendy quickly slips her shirt over her hand, cups Kenneth’s ass, and instantly shoves as hard as she can, sending him sprawling head first on top of the bubble wrap in the pool.
Kenneth panics as he begins to sink, and the more he struggles the more he becomes entangled in the unsecured pool covering. Wendy watches silently, with a small smile on her face, as he struggles and sinks to the bottom of the pool. She waits until Kenneth stops struggling and there are no more bubbles rising to the surface of the water. Suddenly, a line from a Laura Croft movie pops into her head.
“No more bubbles,” she murmurs, “you have to let him go!” Smiling, she returns to her car and drives back to her office, energized by the magnificence of her spur of the moment planning and excellent execution. Once again, she senses the thrill of committing a flawless murder that can only be assumed to be an unfortunate accident. Invigorated by the thrill, she quickly completes her client billing and places it on Mona’s desk, then begins to retrieve messages from the answering service just before two o’clock.
Mona returns to her duties promptly at two, and Wendy is on the phone scheduling additional appointments. Mona has just settled back in behind her desk when Jill Rawlins walks in for her appointment.
Wendy hears Jill come into the office as Mona greets her, and walks out to get her. “Jill, come on back. How are you today?”
“I’m good! Actually, I’m better than good.”
Wendy smiles at her. “Go on.”
“Well, most of my friends have reached out to me and, now that they realize I’m not angry with them for not supporting me when Zach kicked me out of the house, we’ve been able to reestablish our friendships.”
“That’s terrific to hear. So what are your plans now that everything has settled down in your life?”
Jill’s face lights up. “Well, I’d like to spend about a year travelling throughout Italy, Spain, and various parts of Europe, drinking fine wine, eating fabulous foods, sightseeing, and journaling my excursions through my photography. I’ve always wanted to pursue my passion of photography in hopes I can exhibit my work in a high class gallery someday. I don’t know if my work will be good enough to do so, but I’m going to give it everything I’ve got for the next year.”
“What a wonderful idea! So when does this adventure begin for
you?”
“Next month! I have a friend house sitting and I’ll be back in a year, so I want to settle my bill with you today when we are done.”
Wendy nods. “Perfect. You can do that with Mona as you leave, and there is no sense in wasting any more of your funds, as you seem to be feeling much better. But I have to insist that I get a personal invitation to your exhibit, wherever it may be, and I guarantee I’ll be there.”
Jill beams, her eyes filling with tears. “Wendy, thank you for everything you have done for me.”
“Oh, stop that or we both will end up crying,” Wendy scolds good-naturedly.
“Of course, you’re right. I’ll send photos and letters throughout my journey, because without you none of this would have been possible for me.”
Wendy walks Jill out to the front office, you have absolutely no idea just how big a hand I had in your current position…
“Mona, Jill would like to settle her bill. Also, please schedule her for an appointment thirteen months from today,” Wendy says, giving Jill a big hug.
Mona makes a small noise and gives Wendy an extremely perplexed look.
“Goodbye, Jill, and good luck,” Wendy says, then turns and walks back into her office chuckling. Jill takes the time to explain Wendy’s strange request to Mona before leaving the office and heading home to begin her new chapter in life.
CHAPTER 8
aftermath
Thursday evening, Mike arrives home from Los Angeles around seven o’clock expecting Kenneth to greet him with eager anticipation about his business meetings. Instead, Hercules is the only one to welcome him back.
Mike walks farther into the house and sees the French doors leading out to the deck and the backyard are open, so he assumes Kenneth is out back.
“Kenneth, I’m home,” Mike calls out. “I’m going to put my stuff in the bedroom and change and then I’ll come out with you.”
Unrestrained Behavior: The Pleasure and Risk of Choice (The 'Un'missable Series Book 3) Page 7
