The Naked Face by Sidney Sheldon Read Free Book Online Page B

husband of being homosexual?”
    A low, warm laugh. “No.”
    He pressed on, because he had to. “Have you ever had a sexual relationship with a woman?”
    “No.” Reproachful.
    He had touched on alcoholism, frigidity, a pregnancy she was afraid to face—everything he could think of. And each time she had looked at him with her thoughtful, intelligent eyes and had merely shaken her head. Whenever he tried to pin her down, she would head him off with, “Please be patient with me. Let me do it my own way.”
    With anyone else, he might have given up. But he knew that he had to help her. And he had to keep seeing her.
    He had let her talk about any subject she chose. She had traveled to a dozen countries with her father and had met fascinating people. She had a quick mind and an unexpected humor. He found that they liked the same books, the same music, the same playwrights. She was warm and friendly, but Judd could never detect the slightest sign that she reacted to him as anything other than a doctor. It was bitter irony. He had been subconsciously searching for someone like Anne for years, and now that she had walked into his life, his job wasto help her solve whatever her problem was and send her back to her husband.
    Now, as Anne walked into the office, Judd moved to the chair next to the couch and waited for her to lie down.
    “Not today,” she said quietly. “I just came to see if I could help.”
    He stared at her, speechless for a moment. His emotions had been stretched so tight in the past two days that her unexpected sympathy unnerved him. As he looked at her, he had a wild impulse to pour out everything that was happening to him. To tell her about the nightmare that was engulfing him, about McGreavy and his idiotic suspicions. But he knew he could not. He was the doctor and she was his patient. Worse than that. He was in love with her, and she was the untouchable wife of a man he did not even know.
    She was standing there, watching him. He nodded, not trusting himself to speak.
    “I liked Carol so much,” said Anne. “Why would anyone kill her?”
    “I don’t know,” said Judd.
    “Don’t the police have any idea who did it?”
    Do they! Judd thought bitterly. If she only knew.
    Anne was looking at him curiously.
    “The police have some theories,” Judd said.
    “I know how terrible you must feel. I just wanted to come and tell you how very sorry I am. I wasn’t even sure you’d be in the office today.”
    “I wasn’t going to come in,” Judd said. “But—well, here I am. As long as we’re both here, why don’t we talk a little about you?”
    Anne hesitated. “I’m not sure that there’s anything to talk about any more.”
    Judd felt his heart jump. Please, God, don’t let her say that I’m not going to see her any more.
    “I’m going to Europe with my husband next week.”
    “That’s wonderful,” he made himself say.
    “I’m afraid I’ve wasted your time, Dr. Stevens, and I apologize.”
    “Please don’t,” Judd said. He found that his voice was husky. She was walking out on him. But of. course she couldn’t know that. He was being infantile. His mind told him this clinically while his stomach ached with the physical hurt of her going away. Forever.
    She opened her purse and took out some money. She was in the habit of paying in cash after each visit, unlike his other patients, who sent him checks.
    “No,” said Judd quickly. “You came here as a friend. I’m—grateful.”
    Judd did something he had never done before with a patient. “I would like you to come back once more,” he said.
    She looked up at him quietly. “Why?”
    Because I can’t bear to let you go so soon, he thought. Because I’ll never meet anyone like you again. Because I wish I had met you first. Because I love you. Aloud he said, “I thought we might—round things out. Talk a little to make sure that you really are over your problem.”
    She smiled mischievously. “You mean you want me to