Crossing Lines: A gripping psychological thriller (Behind Closed Doors Book 3) by Erin Cawood Page A
Authors: Erin Cawood
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she wants me to do what?
“I got thinking after our session the other day,” she steams straight on, seemingly unaware that the only movement I make is the blinking of my eyes. She wants what? "And I thought if I could get someone like you on the inside, then because Julia is staying with me, she’d be around you twenty-four-seven. If you can crack me, you can certainly crack Julia. She'll tell you what happened that night. I know she will.”
“What's wrong with Caleb?”
“He's already tried,” she sighs. “Julia knows who he is. He and I, we've been trying to get her to open up to him for years. She doesn't trust him. She knows what he's trying to do.”
“Krystal, this isn't going to work. Caleb's much better at this than me. He's been working with abused women since he was sixteen. How do you propose I counsel her, if she's already knocked you both on your asses?”
“We’d have to do something you probably won't like.” She says it quietly, like she already knows what I’m going to say. I’m suddenly struck by the memory of her confession in my office on Friday. She thinks she knows me better than I know myself. And because she thinks that, she’s always a step ahead. “We’d have to take advantage of how well she knows me.” I frown. She’s right. I’m not going to like this. “Men don't sleep over at my house, Darryl. I'd certainly never invite one into my personal haven, my home, and then leave him there while I went away for a few days to work—which is just what I’ll be doing with you if you agree. I have a promo tour next week.”
“What?” I choke on the air trapped in my throat. She is not serious. “Are you suggesting I pose as your lover?”
“She knows you and I have been seeing each other for years,” she whispers. “I’ve never confirmed or denied it, because I don’t want people to know I need a psychiatrist.”
“It’s nothing to be ashamed of.”
She slides me a look that says it has nothing to do with what other people think. “D, I'm just asking you to embellish a little on what we do during those meetings.”
“No, you're asking me to lie and keep secrets for you, while I deceive your friend because you will conveniently be on the road.”
“I'll do my—”
“No,” I tell her firmly. “I’m not doing this. And you've harmed our friendship by asking me to do it. And far worse than that is what this says about your friendship with Julia, because you’ve thought about deceiving her this way. If she really is in trouble, it’s likely she already finds it difficult to trust people, even without her closest friend betraying her. She can’t afford to lose you now, and you certainly can’t afford to risk her shrinking further into isolation by choice.”
Well, at least she has enough shame to look at the floor.
“I know.” She lifts her eyes to mine, and I can barely believe what I see there. Desperation. “But I’ve already done irreparable damage to our friendship by keeping records, asking questions, and not dropping this subject when she’s repeatedly asked. I have all the evidence to support her defense, but she wants me to destroy it. And I want to, Darryl, really I do. I want my best friend back. I need her back. But I … I can’t do it, knowing what it will mean for her. I know I'm asking a lot from you …”
I’m surprised how difficult I’m finding it to say no—not to Krystal per se , but to the help her friend needs. “I said no!”
She makes moves to object again and I’m about to tell her to go to hell, when I hear footsteps behind me. “Someone ask for coffee?” Caleb stops dead just inside the doorway. "Ah.” His gaze flickers between us several times before he settles on Krystal. “You don't waste any time, do you?”
“I don't have time to waste,” she replies.
“Wait.” I look from Caleb to Krystal and then back again. “You knew about this?” Shamefully, he looks away and my eyes roll. A sigh of pure
“I got thinking after our session the other day,” she steams straight on, seemingly unaware that the only movement I make is the blinking of my eyes. She wants what? "And I thought if I could get someone like you on the inside, then because Julia is staying with me, she’d be around you twenty-four-seven. If you can crack me, you can certainly crack Julia. She'll tell you what happened that night. I know she will.”
“What's wrong with Caleb?”
“He's already tried,” she sighs. “Julia knows who he is. He and I, we've been trying to get her to open up to him for years. She doesn't trust him. She knows what he's trying to do.”
“Krystal, this isn't going to work. Caleb's much better at this than me. He's been working with abused women since he was sixteen. How do you propose I counsel her, if she's already knocked you both on your asses?”
“We’d have to do something you probably won't like.” She says it quietly, like she already knows what I’m going to say. I’m suddenly struck by the memory of her confession in my office on Friday. She thinks she knows me better than I know myself. And because she thinks that, she’s always a step ahead. “We’d have to take advantage of how well she knows me.” I frown. She’s right. I’m not going to like this. “Men don't sleep over at my house, Darryl. I'd certainly never invite one into my personal haven, my home, and then leave him there while I went away for a few days to work—which is just what I’ll be doing with you if you agree. I have a promo tour next week.”
“What?” I choke on the air trapped in my throat. She is not serious. “Are you suggesting I pose as your lover?”
“She knows you and I have been seeing each other for years,” she whispers. “I’ve never confirmed or denied it, because I don’t want people to know I need a psychiatrist.”
“It’s nothing to be ashamed of.”
She slides me a look that says it has nothing to do with what other people think. “D, I'm just asking you to embellish a little on what we do during those meetings.”
“No, you're asking me to lie and keep secrets for you, while I deceive your friend because you will conveniently be on the road.”
“I'll do my—”
“No,” I tell her firmly. “I’m not doing this. And you've harmed our friendship by asking me to do it. And far worse than that is what this says about your friendship with Julia, because you’ve thought about deceiving her this way. If she really is in trouble, it’s likely she already finds it difficult to trust people, even without her closest friend betraying her. She can’t afford to lose you now, and you certainly can’t afford to risk her shrinking further into isolation by choice.”
Well, at least she has enough shame to look at the floor.
“I know.” She lifts her eyes to mine, and I can barely believe what I see there. Desperation. “But I’ve already done irreparable damage to our friendship by keeping records, asking questions, and not dropping this subject when she’s repeatedly asked. I have all the evidence to support her defense, but she wants me to destroy it. And I want to, Darryl, really I do. I want my best friend back. I need her back. But I … I can’t do it, knowing what it will mean for her. I know I'm asking a lot from you …”
I’m surprised how difficult I’m finding it to say no—not to Krystal per se , but to the help her friend needs. “I said no!”
She makes moves to object again and I’m about to tell her to go to hell, when I hear footsteps behind me. “Someone ask for coffee?” Caleb stops dead just inside the doorway. "Ah.” His gaze flickers between us several times before he settles on Krystal. “You don't waste any time, do you?”
“I don't have time to waste,” she replies.
“Wait.” I look from Caleb to Krystal and then back again. “You knew about this?” Shamefully, he looks away and my eyes roll. A sigh of pure
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