certainly top any story Nina might be telling him right now.
Harmony House was just around the next corner. Together the girls went up the drive and through the wide double doors into the reception area. Amanda had expected to see a room full of lowlife teens, but with the exception of a woman behind a desk, the area was vacant.
‘There’s no one here,’ Amanda murmured.
Jenna nodded towards some chairs. ‘We’ll hang around – someone will show up. They get new admissions every day.’
But the receptionist was watching them, and before they could sit down, she spoke. ‘Can I help you girls?’
‘We’re just waiting for someone,’ Jenna replied.
‘Who?’
Jenna opened her mouth but nothing came out. Amanda looked around. A handsome young uniformed man was coming out of one of the doors that led into the institution.
‘Him,’ she said.
The receptionist looked in the direction Amanda was pointing. ‘Officer Fisher? These girls want to see you.’
The man looked in their direction and smiled. ‘Jenna!’
Jenna didn’t smile back. ‘Hello. I, uh, I was just visiting someone. I have to go now.’ And before Amanda’s astonished eyes, she hurried out of the building.
‘I guess she didn’t really want to see me,’ the man sighed. ‘Hi, I’m Jack Fisher, the police representative to Harmony House.’
Now Amanda understood. Jenna didn’t like cops. Too many nasty memories from her bad-girl days.
‘I’m Amanda Beeson.’
‘Are you a friend of Jenna’s?’
No , Amanda wanted to shout. But she withheld her instinctive response. ‘Um, kind of.’
‘And I presume you didn’t come to see me.’ He smiled as he spoke, which made Amanda relax. But she still had to come up with a reason for being there.
‘We, um, came to see a classmate. I guess – I guess Jenna must have remembered another appointment or something.’
‘Who are you here to see?’
‘Carter Street.’
Jack Fisher’s forehead puckered. ‘Carter Street . . . Oh, yes. I don’t think he’s permitted to have visitors yet.’
Amanda pretended that this was news to her. ‘Oh, that’s too bad. How’s he doing?’
‘I don’t really know,’ the man said apologetically. ‘I haven’t had much to do with him.’
Amanda nodded. ‘Well . . .’ No one had come into the area for admission, and she wasn’t about to sit around all day for nothing. ‘I guess I’ll go then.’
‘Hang on a minute. Let me see if I can put you in touch with someone who’s working with your friend. What was your name again?’
‘Amanda Beeson.’
Jack Fisher went over to the receptionist’s desk. ‘Could you check and see if Doctor Paley is available for a moment? One of Carter Street’s classmates is here.’
The receptionist picked up a phone and made a call. A moment later the police officer returned to Amanda.
‘He’s coming out to see you. I have to go now. It was nice to meet you, Amanda.’
‘Nice to meet you,’ Amanda echoed. She sank down in a chair and mentally cursed Jenna for getting her into this business. What was she going to say to this Dr Paley?
A plump, balding man in a white coat came into the reception room. Since Amanda was the only person waiting, he strode towards her with a smile.
‘Amanda?’
Amanda forced a smile. ‘Hello.’
‘I’m Doctor Paley. Are you from Carter’s class?’
Amanda nodded. ‘How is Carter doing?’
‘He’s making progress. I can’t tell you very much, of course. Do you know what doctor-patient confidentiality means?’
‘I’m not sure,’ Amanda replied.
‘It means that everything Carter says or does is just between him and me. Everything’s completely private. I can’t talk about him, not to you, not to anyone.’
Amanda shrugged. ‘OK.’ She wondered why the doctor was telling her this. It wasn’t like she was bugging him for information.
‘Madame has told me a little about your special class,’ Dr Paley went on. ‘You’re each quite
Harmony House was just around the next corner. Together the girls went up the drive and through the wide double doors into the reception area. Amanda had expected to see a room full of lowlife teens, but with the exception of a woman behind a desk, the area was vacant.
‘There’s no one here,’ Amanda murmured.
Jenna nodded towards some chairs. ‘We’ll hang around – someone will show up. They get new admissions every day.’
But the receptionist was watching them, and before they could sit down, she spoke. ‘Can I help you girls?’
‘We’re just waiting for someone,’ Jenna replied.
‘Who?’
Jenna opened her mouth but nothing came out. Amanda looked around. A handsome young uniformed man was coming out of one of the doors that led into the institution.
‘Him,’ she said.
The receptionist looked in the direction Amanda was pointing. ‘Officer Fisher? These girls want to see you.’
The man looked in their direction and smiled. ‘Jenna!’
Jenna didn’t smile back. ‘Hello. I, uh, I was just visiting someone. I have to go now.’ And before Amanda’s astonished eyes, she hurried out of the building.
‘I guess she didn’t really want to see me,’ the man sighed. ‘Hi, I’m Jack Fisher, the police representative to Harmony House.’
Now Amanda understood. Jenna didn’t like cops. Too many nasty memories from her bad-girl days.
‘I’m Amanda Beeson.’
‘Are you a friend of Jenna’s?’
No , Amanda wanted to shout. But she withheld her instinctive response. ‘Um, kind of.’
‘And I presume you didn’t come to see me.’ He smiled as he spoke, which made Amanda relax. But she still had to come up with a reason for being there.
‘We, um, came to see a classmate. I guess – I guess Jenna must have remembered another appointment or something.’
‘Who are you here to see?’
‘Carter Street.’
Jack Fisher’s forehead puckered. ‘Carter Street . . . Oh, yes. I don’t think he’s permitted to have visitors yet.’
Amanda pretended that this was news to her. ‘Oh, that’s too bad. How’s he doing?’
‘I don’t really know,’ the man said apologetically. ‘I haven’t had much to do with him.’
Amanda nodded. ‘Well . . .’ No one had come into the area for admission, and she wasn’t about to sit around all day for nothing. ‘I guess I’ll go then.’
‘Hang on a minute. Let me see if I can put you in touch with someone who’s working with your friend. What was your name again?’
‘Amanda Beeson.’
Jack Fisher went over to the receptionist’s desk. ‘Could you check and see if Doctor Paley is available for a moment? One of Carter Street’s classmates is here.’
The receptionist picked up a phone and made a call. A moment later the police officer returned to Amanda.
‘He’s coming out to see you. I have to go now. It was nice to meet you, Amanda.’
‘Nice to meet you,’ Amanda echoed. She sank down in a chair and mentally cursed Jenna for getting her into this business. What was she going to say to this Dr Paley?
A plump, balding man in a white coat came into the reception room. Since Amanda was the only person waiting, he strode towards her with a smile.
‘Amanda?’
Amanda forced a smile. ‘Hello.’
‘I’m Doctor Paley. Are you from Carter’s class?’
Amanda nodded. ‘How is Carter doing?’
‘He’s making progress. I can’t tell you very much, of course. Do you know what doctor-patient confidentiality means?’
‘I’m not sure,’ Amanda replied.
‘It means that everything Carter says or does is just between him and me. Everything’s completely private. I can’t talk about him, not to you, not to anyone.’
Amanda shrugged. ‘OK.’ She wondered why the doctor was telling her this. It wasn’t like she was bugging him for information.
‘Madame has told me a little about your special class,’ Dr Paley went on. ‘You’re each quite
Similar Books
