Read Love and Death in Blue Lake for Free Online Page B

watch the baby in between clients. Keep her list low.
    There had been moments in Courtney’s life, not many, but a few, where suddenly a light showed her a path, and it was clear and certain. This was one such moment. She felt dazed by the clarity of it. This was her home. She was sure of it.
    It was very close to move-in ready and decorating would be a pleasure. “I’ll take it.” Courtney heard herself say the words, but she didn’t quite believe them. She’d have to ask her mom for a down payment unless Spence would take an out-of-state check. She realized with a jolt that her lease was up on the San Diego house next month. Just another sign. Xander did not approve of “signs” or anything else smacking of the Jungian. Well, too bad. She didn’t have to live with his silent disapproval anymore.
    Spence gave her his card, and she promised to come by his office in a few hours. She felt happy, then terrified, like she’d been in a car crash and hit in the head by an air bag and pink fairy dust was flying in the air all around her. But it felt so right, she refused to worry.
    Lily sat cross legged on the wood floor, waiting. When he learned who her folks were, and had scanned her license and credit card, Spence had given Courtney the key. He shut the door behind him and Lily said, “I’m going out of my skin.”
    Thank stars for yoga, Courtney thought, lowering herself to the floor across from Lily. “We’re just talking. This is not a session.”
    “I don’t care about that. I need to unload, you’re qualified, hell you just bought your office. Should I put that in the video?”
    “I don’t know.” Courtney tried to bring herself out of the pleasant daydream daze and into a more professional persona, but it just wasn’t happening. “I guess that would be okay.”
    “I’ll interview you for the reunion video later. First I have to tell you what happened to me and my mom. My thing happened a long time ago and I had a ton of therapy about it, was getting over it a little bit, but then the same guy who raped me just killed my mom, like at Christmastime. Last year. And nobody, not even my Dad , believes me. Also, he’s my cousin. The murderer.”
    ****
    Lily left Dr. Fass in a great mood Thursday night and woke up Friday morning feeling fine. In a way, Lily felt like a spy. Her life was something she preferred to keep blank, all the easier to fall into other people’s stories. Now she had a story, and it was a nightmare. So she was taking a little break from it to film this reunion, and bam, she meets a therapist. The perfect therapist. It was like when she met Bob. When she met Dean. Everything was working, for now. She just had to keep it together until she could execute her plan.
    Fast Eddie from the bar had agreed to let her film his hermit cave. Because of the Bob connection. A total honor. The therapist had the same last name as Eddie. Were they cousins? Married? Dr. Fass did not wear a wedding ring. Lily had checked the footage before she began filming the Sapphire River. She’d never even known it was back here. The big lake was the main attraction, unless you knew about the Sapphire. It was wide and high, and its waves chopped and churned.
    Eddie had promised to meet her, and she kept filming the water until she heard his truck turn up the road. She had a mystery to unravel. The mystery of the Fass connection.
    “We need to do this fast. I have a business to run.” Eddie was already at the door, letting her into the glass house. Oh well, she could shoot exteriors afterward.
    “Hey, you know what’s funny?”
    He seemed not to hear her.
    “I just had an appointment last night with a Dr. Fass. Are you related?”
    “Courtney?”
    Lily shrugged. “Yeah, I guess. You related?”
    “We used to date in high school.”
    She filmed the downstairs, all one big room. All glass. Big panes of glass. Bob was amazing. If only she could love him the way people in songs loved each other. Body and soul.