The Map of True Places by Brunonia Barry

“On Halloween night.”
    â€œThat’s what’s on her admission records,” the psychiatrist said. “‘Suffered a fall on Halloween night due to slippery rocks.’” She looked at the others. “It was raining pretty hard on Halloween.”
    â€œThe bruises aren’t consistent with a fall,” Emily said. “They seem more like a beating.”
    â€œYou think she was beaten?” Zee asked.
    â€œThis is routine procedure,” Emily said. “Especially when the woman doesn’t give an explanation consistent with her injuries.”
    â€œLilly is scheduled to be released in two days,” the psychiatrist said. “She’s stable, her medications are properly dosed, and she’s showing no signs of depression.”
    â€œI would respectfully disagree on that last point,” Zee said. “I think she seems depressed. She’s normally much more communicative.”
    The psychiatrist paused to consider. “There is one point that makes me agree with you, Dr. Finch.”
    â€œOnly one?” Zee was getting annoyed. “What’s that?”
    â€œLilly does not want to go home.”
    â€œWhich plays into our suspicions of spousal abuse,” the social worker said.
    â€œIt’s not William,” Zee said.
    â€œBut if she’s afraid to go home…” the social worker said.
    â€œShe doesn’t feel safe at home.” Zee turned to Mattei. “If she was abused in any way, it’s Adam.”
    â€œWho’s Adam?” Emily asked.
    â€œLilly was having an affair with him several months ago. He was here the other day.”
    â€œMaybe the husband found out about the affair,” Emily suggested. “Maybe that’s what made him violent.”
    â€œIt’s not William,” Zee said again. “He’s not the type.”
    Emily looked to Mattei for verification.
    â€œI think Zee’s right,” Mattei said. “But I can’t say for certain that it wasn’t William.”
    Zee shot her a look.
    â€œI would have agreed with you until the other day,” Mattei said.
    â€œWhat happened the other day?”
    â€œThere was an incident. We had to escort him from the office.”
    â€œI think we have to cover all bases,” the psychiatrist said.
    â€œWhat we really need is a formal complaint,” Emily said. “No matter which one it is.”
    â€œYou can try,” Zee said. “But I can tell you right now, she’ll never give it to you. She doesn’t want William to know about her affair. And she’s afraid of Adam.”
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    N OT ONLY DID L ILLY REFUSE to file a complaint, but when she was released from the hospital, she decided she wanted to see another therapist. “One closer to home,” William told Zee.
    The internist who had initially prescribed the Klonopin set her up with an old-school Freudian analyst who worked out of Salem Hospital. She had agreed to meet with him five days a week and to start analysis.
    â€œYou’re kidding me,” Mattei said.
    But Zee was clearly upset. “We have to stop them,” Zee said. “She shouldn’t be starting over again. That’s not the right kind of therapy for her. And she won’t tell the new therapist the truth until it’s too late…. We have to do something,” Zee said to Mattei.
    â€œThere’s nothing you can do,” Mattei said. “She’s not your patient anymore.”
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    I T HAD BEEN A TOUGH winter for Zee. She’d begun to dream about Lilly, and in her dreams the images of Lilly and Zee’s mother, Maureen, had become confused. They were still separate people, but in the dream she was unable to tell them apart and kept having to ask which one she was talking to.
    â€œThis is good,” Mattei said when Zee detailed the dream in her next session.
    â€œReally? How so?” Zee asked.
    â€œLet’s talk about the real