Total pages in book: 65
Estimated words: 64910 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 325(@200wpm)___ 260(@250wpm)___ 216(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 64910 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 325(@200wpm)___ 260(@250wpm)___ 216(@300wpm)
Dutch had given me a rundown when she was telling me about him during our earlier conversation.
He was a troubled youth who’d turned into a troubled adult. And the DA wanted to know whether he should bother prosecuting him at all, or if he should be evaluated for a stay in a mental facility.
I finally got my heels on my feet, which were becoming more and more uncomfortable the more pregnant I became and stood.
“Mr. Rogers.” I smiled as I gestured toward the seat on the other side of my desk. “Please, have a seat.”
Terry Rogers had been a repeat offender for multiple things. But his multiple offenses were brand new to the state of Florida. Funny enough, he’d resided in Texas where most of his escapades had taken place before deciding to grace Florida with his presence.
Terry Rogers sat, but the anger and hate didn’t leave his face as Dutch closed the door and left us alone.
“I hear that you were mandated by the court for this evaluation,” I said softly.
“I’m here because I was forced to be here. Apparently, I’m a ‘danger to society,’” Terry snapped.
Okay, so talking to him softly probably wasn’t going to work.
It only seemed as if I was making him angrier.
“Can you tell me what happened to make you so angry today?” I asked. “Or are you upset with Dutch and me for having to perform this assessment?”
On and on we talked, and the more I learned about the man, the angrier he became at the knowledge that I now held about him.
By the end of the session, I was honestly scared he might hurt me.
Luckily, the delivery man arrived with our lunch, and Dutch knocked softly on my office door.
“Lunch, Mrs. Crow,” Dutch said. “Are you about finished?”
Yes, yes I was.
“Yes,” I answered quickly. “I am. Terry, thank you for your visit.”
There, that was neutral, and not freaked out sounding, right?
Terry got up and stormed out of the room, narrowly missing clocking Dutch with his shoulder as he rushed past her.
“So it is my professional opinion that that man has more issues than all of our patients combined,” I said honestly. “It would probably be best for the DA to check the man out. He’s hiding a lot of things, and his anger issues with women mean he probably shouldn’t have a woman therapist unless she’s got a bodyguard of some sort.”
Dutch winced. “You’re saying he made you nervous? The DA didn’t think he was dangerous, or I would’ve never asked you to work with him. I’m so sorry.”
I waved it away. “I knew what I was getting into when I went into this profession. Usually, it’s a little kid throwing the punches, though. Not an adult.”
Dutch sighed and gestured for me to follow her, which I did.
We came out of my office in time to see the delivery driver there leaning against the wall by our door.
“Oh, I’m sorry. Did I forget to get something?” Dutch asked the driver.
The man had ‘Uber Eats’ on his shirt, and he had an empty bag that was likely what he’d carried our food inside in his hand.
“No.” He looked around. “What do y’all do here?”
There was something so familiar about the man that it made the tiny little hairs on my arms stand on end.
“We’re therapists,” Dutch answered. “I appreciate you bringing our food, but we’re going to lock up now.”
Dutch’s nice way to say, ‘get the fuck out.’
The man smirked. “No problem. I was just waiting for my ride to get back. Have a good one.”
We both watched him leave, and then locked the door behind him once he was far enough away not to hear the click of the lock.
When Dutch turned to me after engaging the lock in place, she said, “That was really weird.”
“Agreed.” I felt a weird pitching in my stomach that had nothing to do with being pregnant, and everything to do with the discomfort the man had caused by his presence.
“He was walking out of the door as I left. I had no clue he was going to stay.” She shivered.
Jokingly, I walked to the desk with the food on it and said, “He momentarily distracted me from my patient leaving, though. So there’s that.” I paused. “You should change the man’s tip.”
She laughed and picked up her phone. “I’ll knock a dollar off for his creepiness.”
“It really is unfair that you can change the price after they deliver,” I murmured. “But I guess that’s the way it is, because of the fact that they may fuck it up somehow. Or forget to deliver…”
“Or not deliver at all,” Dutch said with wide eyes. “My order was canceled.”
I blinked. “What?”
“My order,” she turned her phone screen to me. “It was canceled.”
There was a somersault party going on in my belly, and I absently put my palm against my lower abdomen and felt the reassuring movement before saying, “Are you sure that’s not for an old order?”