Case of Lucy Bending by Lawrence Sanders Read Free Book Online Page B

back in his swivel chair. He reached into the open desk drawer, switched on the tape recorder.
    "Lucy," he said, "I know you've been to a doctor several times. In fact, it was Doctor Raskob who suggested I see you. Do you like Doctor Raskob?"
She smiled sweetly. "He's so funny. He gives me a lollipop every time I see him."
"Does he now?"
"I never told him, but I hate lollipops. They rot your teeth. So when Doctor David gives me a lollipop, I take it home and give it to Harry. He's my kid brother. He loves lollipops. He's so fat."
Dr. Levin straightened in his chair. "Well now, you make me feel a little better because I have no lollipops to give you."
"That's all right. I'm too old for lollipops."
"But I am a. doctor, a special kind of doctor."
"I know that. You're a shrink."
"Where did you learn that word, Lucy?"
She looked around the office curiously. "Oh, I don't know ... All the kids use it. Like a witch doctor, you know, who shrinks people's heads. That's why they call them shrinks."
"I hope you don't think I'm a witch doctor who shrinks people's heads."
"Oh no. That's silly. My goodness, you can't shrink a person's head
"Of course not. What I do, Lucy, is talk to children, just talk, and if they have any problems, then sometimes by talking we can solve them."
"I don't have any problems."
"Well then, that's a problem I have, and I hope you'll be able to help me solve it. You see, your parents feel something is bothering you, and they asked me to talk to you about it."
She looked at him steadily. "Nothing is bothering me."
"Lucy, you love your mother and father, don't you?"
"Of course."
"And you know they love you?"
"Sure."
"And because they love you, they want you to be happy and grow up to be a beautiful, healthy, well-adjusted woman. You know what 'well-adjusted' means, don't you?"
"It means you don't have any problems."
"Well ... not exactly. Everyone has problems. But being well-adjusted means that you're able to handle your problems, to solve them by yourself. Now your parents feel you do have a problem. Can you guess what it might be?"
She frowned, blinked, bit her lower lip. She lowered her head, stared intently at her dangling feet. Then she looked up, her face cleared. She beamed at him. He thought she might be a consummate actress, but he could not be sure.
"Oh, I know what it is," she said. "I bet I know. They're always after me about it. They think I love too much. Isn't that silly?"
"What do you mean by love too much?"
She did not reply. Her eyes drifted away to the painted wall, the bookcase of toys and games, up to the pasted stars. Dr. Levin waited patiently for a full minute, then tried again . . .
"Well, Lucy? You haven't answered my question."
Her eyes came back to him. She tilted her head. "Your name is Theodore, isn't it?"
"Yes. My first name."
"Theodore," she said, giggling. "That's a funny name."
"I agree! But most of my friends call me Ted."
"Can I call you Doctor Ted?"
"Of course. I'd like that."
"If your friends call you Ted, and I call you Doctor Ted, that makes us friends, doesn't it?"
"I'd like very much to be friends with you."
"Me, too."
Silence again. She raised both hands and swept her long, softly gleaming hair back from her temples. Then she shook her head to let the tresses fall freely down her back. The movements were graceful, lovely, so pure it was difficult to think of them as coquettish or provocative.
"You haven't answered my question, Lucy," he said gently. "What did you mean when you said your parents think you love too much?"
"Oh . . . you know," she said vaguely. "Just being nice."
"Are you nice to everyone?"
"Oh no. Not everyone. Some people are mean and spiteful."
"Can you give me some examples—of people who are mean and spiteful?"
"Mrs. Gower at Sunday School—she's always yelling at us kids, and she never smiles."
"Anyone else?" "Miss Mackinroydt at the library. She gets mad when we, uh, you know, sort of whisper."
"Do you know any men who are mean and spiteful?"
She