Epicurean in Kitsilano — Vancouver, BC
Caucasian female, early 60s, sipping espresso and enjoying her little nook in the coffee house. Sunshine streaming in through the French doors.
Flesh and Blood: An Alex Delaware Novel, Jonathan Kellerman (Ballantine Books)
Lauren had been fifteen at referral. Thin file: one history-taking meeting with the parents followed by two sessions with the girl. Then a missed appointment, no explanation. The next day the father left a message canceling any future treatment. Unpaid balance for the final session; I’d made a halfhearted effort to collect, then written it off.
When old patients get in touch it’s usually because they’re doing great and want to brag, or exactly the opposite. Either way they tend to be people with whom I’ve connected. Lauren Teague didn’t qualify. Far from it. If anything, I was the last person she’d want to see. Why was her mother contacting me now?
Sweet coffee and the pleasures of psychological thrillers and mysteries. This is summer.
