Justice Served by Radclyffe Read Free Book Online Page B

negotiation. “I’ll see that you get money on a regular basis.”
    Sandy cocked her head and regarded Rebecca thoughtfully. “You’ve changed. There’s something inside of you now besides just business. How come?”
    Rebecca was silent, but she stumbled over the memory of Catherine’s scent enveloping her in the dark. And she knew.

Chapter Five

    Catherine smiled at the assistant who sat guarding the door to Hazel Holcomb’s inner sanctum.
    “Hi, Stef, is she around?”
    The slender African American woman shook her head. “Not to anyone but you.”
    “That busy, huh?” Catherine smiled. “Never mind, then. I’ll catch her before the five o’clock management conference.”
    “No, you’d better see her now if you really want to talk to her. No guarantee she’ll even make it to the conference. Budget’s due.”
    The way Stef said budget made it sound as if she were speaking of a virulent pathogen capable of destroying nations.
    “I promise I’ll only stay a minute.”
    The assistant waved her toward the partially open door to the chief of psychiatry’s private office and returned her attention to the computer screen on her desk. Catherine murmured her thanks and, tapping lightly on the door to announce her presence, stepped into Hazel’s office.
    “Oh, thank goodness, you’ve come to rescue me.” Hazel, a vigorous sixty-year-old with short salt-and-pepper hair and a piercing gaze, slipped off her reading glasses and let them dangle on the braided cord around her neck. Indicating a chair in front of her desk with a quick gesture, she leaned back and sighed. “Most of the time I forget why I didn’t want to be an administrator. This week, I remember quite clearly.”
    Catherine regarded the mountain of paperwork covering every available surface of Hazel’s desk and grimaced sympathetically. “It looks awful.”
    “It’s worse.”
    “I’m sorry. I’d volunteer to help but the thought terrifies me.”
    Hazel snorted. “It would probably be good practice for you. You’re going to be doing it yourself one day soon.”
    “I’m not at all certain I want the job,” Catherine said immediately, “and what’s more, you’re going to be here for a long time to come.”
    “There are days I wonder about that,” Hazel said with uncharacteristic solemnity. “There seem to be more and more of them when it just isn’t fun anymore.”
    “Those are the times we have to remember to separate the work from the bullshit.”
    Hazel blinked, then laughed with genuine pleasure. “You’re right. And I’m sorry. You came to talk about something, and I ended up telling you my troubles.”
    “It seems only fair, since I’m always burdening you with mine.”
    “Nonsense. We’re friends, and that’s what friends do.”
    Since Hazel was regarding her expectantly, Catherine got right to the point. “I need advice, of course. It’s about a former patient whom I expect to be treating again. Since the last time I saw her in therapy, I’ve gotten somewhat personally involved with her. What’s more, Rebecca is involved with her too.”
    “How do you know she’ll be returning?” Hazel asked astutely.
    “She’s a police officer, and she’s sustained an on-duty injury. She’ll need to be cleared psychologically before she returns to duty. Since she’s seen me before, I expect she’ll return.”
    “And you’ve gotten to know her outside of therapy, I take it.”
    Catherine nodded. “It’s complicated.” She laughed at her own understatement. “Of course it’s complicated, or I wouldn’t be here. She’s an officer assigned to Rebecca’s team, and I’ve worked with the team as a consultant fairly closely for the last month or so. The officer and I have worked together in that capacity.”
    “So it was still a professional relationship, essentially.”
    “Yes, and this particular individual is extraordinarily respectful of boundaries. She’s very much like Rebecca.” Catherine smiled, thinking