Hooked by Polly Iyer

Acetaminophen is fine.” He took out a pad and wrote down a few things.
    “Anything else I should know?” Max asked, pulling Benny aside. “You look like you’ve been to hell and back.”
    “Better you shouldn’t know.”
    Max’s dark, piercing eyes, enlarged by magnifying glasses, peered from under a border of bushy brows and settled on Benny. “That bad, huh?”
    Benny nodded, debating whether he should tell Max what happened. Dr. Max Kaufman lost his medical license years before after being convicted of second-degree murder for the assisted suicide of a terminally ill patient. It wasn’t the first time he’d crossed a legal medical line, but it was the only instance the prosecution could prove. He’d shown no remorse, and after his sentence, stated unequivocally that he’d do it again. He served four years in federal prison before his lawyers got him off on appeal. During his time there, two inmates died of suspicious circumstances. Both were terminally ill, but again, no one could prove Max had anything to do with their deaths.
    Benny made his acquaintance through the friend of a friend, and whenever there was a problem with one of his girls or a client, Max came to the rescue. Since he couldn’t practice legally, the money he made illegally kept him and his family clothed and fed. Benny was generous in exchange for Max’s services. Very generous.
    “You know, Benny, I parked my ethics a long time ago. Your patron with the heart attack should have proved that.”
    “Personally, my friend, I think you’re one of the few doctors I’ve known who has any ethics at all. I believe in ending the suffering of people who choose that road. It’s humane.” Benny poured Max a shot of Remy Martin and handed it to him. “I’ve got a dead girl in the other room.” He watched Max to see his reaction. There was none. “A four-hundred-fifty-pound client who’s a heart attack waiting to happen got a hair up his crack and went postal.”
    “What did he do?”
    “Crushed her, I think. I’ll have to wait for Melody to tell us what happened.” Benny didn’t want to tell Max he had a video of the murder. “Maybe he was high on drugs or something, I don’t know. He hot-footed it out of here before we knew anything was wrong.” Benny poured himself another scotch, clicked glasses with Max, and both downed their drinks in one swallow. Benny hated to guzzle good scotch, but he needed the jolt. “Nothing you can do at this point. She’s definitely dead.”
    “Take me there. I’ll examine the body.”
    Benny led Max up the stairs. The ex-doctor felt Cindi’s rib cage, then checked her over. “I’m guessing, but I’d say she suffocated. From the frayed costume and the bruising, I’d say she had a good spanking before he finished her off.”
    “Damn! The guy never did anything like that before. Never got rough. Just a big, fat pussycat who liked pussy.”
    “Pussycat, my ass. More like a man-eating tiger,” Max said. “What are you going to do?”
    Benny ran a hand through his thick hair. “What can I do? The girl they found in the harbor was one of mine. If they connect Cindi to me, they’ll think I had something to do with her murder.”
    “Did you?”
    “No,” Benny said. “I didn’t. But who’d believe me? Two girls?” He glanced at Cindi. “Colin’s friend will get rid of the body. Maybe the cops will think there’s a serial killer taking out prostitutes. It’s happened before. I can’t jeopardize everything I’ve worked for.”
    “And Melody?” Max cocked his head, searching Benny’s face. “Maybe she won’t remember what happened. Concussions can do that.”
    “I’m not that lucky. Lately the stars have been out of alignment for me. Shit happens, but this is a farcockteh downpour. Besides, she was friends with this girl. She’ll ask what happened to her. I’ll have to tell her the truth.”
    “You’ll pay her off?”
    Benny snorted. “Big time.”
    “And the