Alone by Lisa Gardner Read Free Book Online

expecting.”
    “What were you expecting?”
    “Something . . . not quite this nice.” By “nice,” he meant wealthy. They both understood that. “You really work for the state?”
    “I started working with the state police fifteen years ago. My father's a retired Chicago detective, so let's just say I have a personal interest in the field.” She shrugged. “Perhaps I've never changed my rates. Shall I explain to you how this works?”
    “Okay.”
    “I am working for the State Police of Massachusetts, not for you. As such, I have a duty to report back based upon our conversations, which limits the confidentiality of anything you tell me. On the one hand, I never report specific details. On the other hand, I am required to give my conclusions and opinions. Thus, for example, you can tell me you drink three pints of whiskey a night, and while I wouldn't necessarily repeat that, I would have to recommend that you not return to duty. Is that clear to you?”
    “Watch what I say.” He grunted. “Interesting approach.”
    “Honesty is still the best policy,” Elizabeth said quietly. “I'm here to help you, or if we decide that I can't, refer you to someone who can.”
    Bobby just shrugged. “Fine, so what do you want me to tell you?”
    Elizabeth smiled again. Opening with blatant hostility. She would've expected no less. “Let's begin with the basics.” She picked up her clipboard. “Name?”
    “Robert G. Dodge.”
    “What's the G stand for?”
    “Given the limited confidentiality, I'm not saying.”
    “Oooh, that good? Let's see, Geoffrey?”
    “No.”
    “Godfrey?”
    “How the hell?”
    “Let's just say I also don't give out my middle name. Godfrey. Family name?”
    “That's what my father says.”
    “And your parents are?”
    “My father. His name's Larry. Lawrence, actually.”
    “And your mother?”
    “Gone.”
    “Gone?”
    “Yeah, gone. Left. I was four or five. No, maybe six or seven. I don't know. She left.”
    Elizabeth waited.
    “I don't think marriage to my father was going so well,” Bobby added. He spread his hands as if to say, What can you do? Indeed, at that young age, what could he have done?
    “Siblings?”
    “One. Older. Name's George Chandler Dodge, so yeah, the whole family's cursed with rotten English names. Now, what does this have to do with the shooting?”
    “I don't know. Does it have anything to do with the shooting?”
    Bobby was on his feet. “No. None of that. That's why people don't like shrinks.”
    Elizabeth held up her hands in surrender. “Point taken. Honestly, I'm simply filling in blanks on the form. And for the record, most people like to make a little small talk first.”
    Bobby sat back down. He remained scowling, however, and those keen eyes of his were narrowed, assessing. She wondered how often he used that stare on people and found them wanting. She added to her mental list: Lots of acquaintances but very few friends. Does not forgive. Does not forget.
    And he had lied about his mother's leaving.
    “I'd like to keep this simple,” he said.
    “Fair enough.”
    “Ask what you gotta ask, I'll answer what I gotta answer, and we can both get on with our lives.”
    “Admirable goal.”
    “I'm not thinking of a lifetime plan.”
    “Wouldn't dream of suggesting it to you,” she assured him. “Unfortunately, this isn't single-sitting work.”
    “Why not?”
    “For starters, you didn't make an appointment and we don't have enough time to cover everything in one night.”
    “Oh.”
    “So, I'm going to suggest that we talk a little bit tonight, then meet again on Monday.”
    “Monday.” He had to think about it. “All right,” he begrudged the professional headshrinker. “I can do that.”
    “Perfect. Glad we got that covered.” Her voice sounded drier than she intended, but at least he smiled. He had a decent smile. It softened the hard lines of his face and put bracket lines around his eyes. She was slightly surprised to realize that