A Faint Cold Fear by Karin Slaughter Page B

you up at night, sweating it out until morning came and you could breathe again.
    'Hello?' Chuck said, popping his palm against the bell on the counter. Some of the women jumped at the sound, giving Lena a nasty glance, as if they expected her to be able to control him.
    'Hello?' He leaned over the counter, trying to see down the hallway.
    His voice was so loud in the small room that Lena wanted to put her hands over her ears. Instead she stared at the floor, trying not to look as embarrassed as she felt.
    The receptionist, a tall strawberry blonde with an irritated look on her face, finally appeared. She glanced at Lena with no sign of recognition.
    'There you are,' Chuck said, smiling like they were old friends.
    'Yes?'
    'Carla?' Chuck asked, reading her name tag. His eyes lingered at her chest.
    She crossed her arms. 'What is it?'
    Lena stepped in, keeping her voice low. 'We need to see Dr. Rosen.'
    'She's in session. She can't be disturbed.'
    Lena was about to take the woman aside and privately explain the situation when Chuck blurted out, 'Her son killed himself about an hour ago.'
    There was a collective gasp around the room. Magazines were dropped, and two girls walked out the door within seconds of each other.
    Carla took a moment to recover from her shock before offering, "I'll go get her.'
    Lena stopped her, saying, "I'll tell her. Just take me to her office.'
    The younger woman exhaled with relief. 'Thank you.'
    Chuck was at Lena's heels as they followed the girl down the long, narrow hallway. Claustrophobia struck Lena like a sudden Same, and she found herself sweating by the time they reached Jill Rosen's office.
    With his usual flair for knowing how to make things worse, Chuck stood close to Lena, almost hovering over her. She could smell his aftershave mixed with the sickly sweet smell of his gum, which he smacked loudly in her ear. She held her breath, turning her head away from him, trying not to be sick.
    The receptionist rapped lightly on the door. 'Jill?'
    Lena pulled at her collar, trying to get more air.
    Rosen sounded exasperated as she opened the door, asking, 'Yes?' Then she saw Lena, recognition bringing a curious smile. Her mouth opened to say something, but Lena cut her off.
    'Are you Dr. Rosen?' Lena asked, aware her voice sounded tinny.
    Rosen looked from Lena to Chuck, hesitating for a moment before she turned back to the patient in her office, saying, 'Lily, I'll be right back.'
    She pulled the door closed, saying, 'This way.'
    Lena glared at Chuck before following her, but he still kept close to her heels.
    Rosen stopped at an open doorway, gesturing into the room. 'We can talk in here.'
    Lena had only ever been in the waiting room or Rosen's office, so she was surprised to find herself in a large conference room. The space was warm and open, with lots of plants, just like Jill Rosen's office.
    The walls were painted a soothing light gray. There were chairs covered in mauve fabric tucked under a long mahogany conference table. Large four-drawer filing cabinets filled one side of the room, and Lena was glad to see they were padlocked to keep people from prying.
    The doctor turned around, pushing her hair out of her eyes. Jill Rosen had a narrow face and shoulder-length dark brown hair. She was attractive for her age, which was probably early forties, and dressed in an earthy style, with long, flowing blouses and skirts that suited her figure. There was a no-nonsense manner about her that had been very off-putting to Lena, especially when the doctor took it upon herself to diagnose Lena as an alcoholic after only three sessions.
    Lena wondered that the woman had any patients at all with that kind of attitude. Come to think of it, there was not much to be said for a shrink who couldn't keep her own son from taking a deep dive into a shallow river.
    Predictably, Rosen got straight to the point. 'What's the problem?'
    Lena took a deep breath, wondering how strained this was going to be, considering