Shield of Justice Read Online Free PDF

down there later and bug Dee Flanagan. See if her crime scene crew turned up anything after I left last night.” Jeff stretched his legs and pushed his chair back from the cramped table. “I ran a background check on the shrink.”
    Rebecca looked up in surprise, instantly and unexplainably defensive. “Why? She’s not a suspect.”
    “Yeah, I know,” he acknowledged with a shrug, “but she’s tied in with our only witness to date. She might be the one who can open that particular box for us. I figure it never hurts to have a little leverage.”
    The idea of strong-arming Catherine Rawlings was not a pleasant one, but as much as she hated to admit it, Rebecca had to agree. If they were going to get anything from Janet Ryan, she suspected they would need the lovely doctor’s help.
And if we can’t get her cooperation, we may have to try less-friendly tactics
.
    “So, what did you find?” she asked, careful not to reveal her interest. Jeff might be her partner, but even with him, she rarely disclosed anything personal. She certainly wasn’t about to tell him of the disturbing effect Catherine Rawlings had had on her.
    “Professionally, above reproach—medical degree from Johns Hopkins; psychiatry residency at University Central. From there, she accepted a teaching position at the medical school and is now a…” he paused to check his notes, “clinical professor of psychiatry. Directs the residency program; busy private practice. A big shot as those things go. Personally though, it seems the lady is quite a mystery.”
    Rebecca listened intently. She wasn’t surprised by the impressive list of credentials. It fit with the impeccable professional image she had formed the previous night. “So, what’s the mystery?” she asked impatiently when Jeff suddenly stopped talking.
    “I talked with a couple of the docs I know, and they all say the same thing. Or rather, they all
don’t
say anything. No one knows word one about her personal life. She lives alone, apparently always has. Everyone is happy to tell you about her professional accomplishments, but nobody will say squat about the rest of her life.”
    “Maybe there isn’t anything to say,” Rebecca countered, just a hint of irritation in her voice. “Some people are pretty consumed by their work, you know. Look at cops. They leave the station house, go have a few beers with other cops, check in at home for an hour or two, and come right back in. The job is their life.”
    Jeff looked at her thoughtfully, thinking if anyone should know about that, it was his solitary partner. “Yeah, well, that may be. But I did dig up something interesting about her private practice—she specializes in rape and incest cases. She’s even done some work with us on that kind of thing. Sensitivity training or something.”
    “Huh.” Rebecca thought of Janet Ryan and her amnesia.
Possibly a link?
    “And that’s not all,” he continued, “a lot of her private patients are dyk…uh, lesbians.”
    Rebecca slowly raised her eyes to his, fixed him with a steady stare, and waited for him to say something further. He looked away.
    “Might be useful information,” she said nonchalantly. She felt anything but nonchalant, her mind racing with questions about Catherine Rawlings. She forced herself to consider the information Jeff had gathered. “Maybe I should have another talk with Dr. Rawlings.”
    “Thought you might want to,” Jeff replied dryly.

    *

    Catherine was nearly finished with morning rounds when her pager went off. After excusing herself, she left the group of residents and students, who were discussing the latest drug therapy for depression. She picked up a wall phone and dialed the extension registered on her beeper.
    “Dr. Rawlings,” she said as the call was picked up.
    “Rebecca Frye, Doctor. I wonder if we could talk?”
    Catherine glanced at her watch. She had an outpatient clinic to supervise in an hour. “I’m in-between right now. How about