Entering the group room, McGinnis was surprised but pleased to find Sonya already there. The unpleasant memories of Fredericks moved into a back seat. Sonya looked particularly striking in her tailored suit and engaging smile. For reasons unclear, he didn’t feel the need to justify his run-in with Fredericks; her soft glance seemed to signal that she understood. No words seem needed.
“Hi, Dr. McGinnis.”
“Hi, Sonya. Any problems with you and Brad wrapping up the group this morning?”
“Nope,” she said, “Everything went fine.” Her eyes searched his briefly, as if looking for an invitation for more personal discussion. “I hope it’s not out of line for me to say that I thought you handled yourself with dignity in your confrontation with Dr. Fredericks.”
“Thank you, but perhaps ‘confrontation’ is too strong a word. ‘Energetic discussion’ perhaps.”
She looked at him with a I-know-better-than-that smile. “You’re very kind in your description of that pompous bully.”
Her comments came quickly and caught him off-guard. They mirrored his sentiments exactly, but he felt uncomfortable in sharing them, particularly with a student. While he was fumbling for a response to her directness, she continued.
“I’m not a schoolgirl who places teachers on pedestals. Certainly not Fredericks with his Napoleonic ego.”
McGinnis raised his hand protesting her saying more. Critical comments about upper level administrators could put her in hot water.
“Sonya, he’s a powerful man in a powerful position. I’d suggest you buffer your . . . ”
“I’ve seen the man dis patients, brow-beat nurses, and ogle students. He may be a high flier, but it’s time he got his wings clipped.”
McGinnis stumbled in the face of her straightforwardness. He was of the old school: Women, certainly younger women, were the weaker sex—to be seen, rarely heard. His was a chauvinistic view from the Age of Dinosaurs, and he knew it. He liked to think that his chauvinism was gallant: respectful and protective of women and all that. He also would have liked to think that someday he would play in the World Series and own Microsoft. McGinnis was a dreamer’s dreamer, and his flowery fantasies reached their apex in his visions about women. He secretly sought to be a combination of Hugh Hefner and Sir Galahad, but in this day and age, who even remembered who these people were? His outdated attitudes toward women notwithstanding, he clearly appreciated that Sonya was something to behold. She was striking as her eyes flashed with conviction. Her delicate but firm chin rose to emphasize her point.
“Dr. McGinnis, you’re a good man. Perhaps too good to tolerate a weasel like Fredericks prowling the halls like a predator sniffing for the vulnerable.”
“You’re getting into some deep water,” said McGinnis.
“I know, but perhaps it’s time to swim in it.”
McGinnis had to admit that he admired the strength radiating from this young woman . . . and the glow of her silken complexion. He felt uncomfortable about savoring her loveliness, him a married man and three times her age. He also feared that she might recognize his attraction to her.
“Ah, perhaps we should get on with our supervision,” he said.
“Brad isn’t here yet.”
McGinnis blushed as he recognized that, although he could be her grandfather, the flirtatious feelings inside himself were definitely there, and had overrun the obvious: this was a supervisory session for two interns, not one. He was not pleased that a burst of amorous emotion, which he considered hugely inappropriate, could cloud his perceptions. He should know better.
“Sorry, Miss Layton, I—”
“You started out calling me ‘Sonya’ a moment ago. Now it’s ‘Miss Layton.’ Have I upset you by my remarks?”
“Not at all,” he said, searching for something to say that might calm his awkwardness. He caught himself staring at the floor to regain his composure.
“You look uncomfortable.”
That’s a fact, he thought. She’s got me fidgeting like a child with his hand stuck in the cookie jar. “You’ve caught me a bit off-balance. My thoughts are still wrapped around Fredericks.”
Popping open the door with a push, Brad Metzger jolted into the room. “Sorry I’m late,” said the panting young man, who still had a hint of lunch on the side of his face. “Grabbed a quick burger at the canteen and got hung up on the elevator. It stopped at every floor. Hope I didn’t miss anything.”
In a quick move to regain his composure, McGinnis straightened up in his chair and reached for the notes tucked inside his blazer pocket. “Ah, we were just getting started. Have a seat.” He then busied himself sorting through the notes, spending more time than usual examining their content. Stacking the notes in a neat pile in front of him, he took a quick look at Brad and then Sonya, and changed the subject.
“I almost forgot. I need to go to the Attorney General’s office after our meeting today. I’ll be reviewing some materials with an assistant AG for my forensic consult tomorrow at the State Penitentiary. Either of you interested in joining me for a ride across town?”
Brad shook his head. “Sorry, I’d love to, but I’ve got class this afternoon.”
McGinnis glanced at Sonya who was rummaging through her own notes and seemingly distracted. Looking up at the two men, she said matter-of-factly, “I’m pretty pressed for time too.” Glancing at McGinnis, she added, “However, I’ll make the time . . . if you think it would be worthwhile,”
Feeling emotionally discovered and somewhat sheepish, he turned to her and said, “I’m not sure how worthwhile. We’ll just have to see.”
* * *
As they were getting up to leave, Carlton Fredericks walked through the door. McGinnis looked startled, like the proverbial deer caught in headlights. He started to speak and then ended up stammering, “Well, hello, Carlton.” Sonya glanced at his obvious discomfort. Fredericks did more than just glance.
“Dr. McGinnis, I thought you would be on your way to the penitentiary by now.” He smiled condescendingly at Sonya, and then snapped at McGinnis. “I can understand your savoring a tryst with your attractive intern, but there’s work to be done.”
“You misunderstand, Carlton, my appointment isn’t until tomorrow and I—” Fredericks glared at him and cut him off with a curt sweep of his hand.
“Just get to Deer Lodge and wrap up that damn evaluation.” Brushing past the stunned psychologist and his puzzled intern, Fredericks pushed to the counter and placed his order.
McGinnis was beet red, as he hurried out the door toward his car. His hand shook as he pulled out the Prius’ smart key, while avoiding Sonya’s inquisitive look. When both doors were shut, Sonya asked, “What’s with him? He glared at you like you were some kind of a child molester.”
“It’s hard to say,” he muttered.
They rode the rest of the way in silence. McGinnis turned into the Capital Building lot, easing into a Visitor’s parking space. He jabbed the “off” button on the dashboard, pushed open his door, and walked around to the passenger’s side of the car just in time to see Sonya’s shapely legs making an exit. Swinging her body around to get out of the passenger seat, she appeared to catch him staring. He quickly averted his gaze to the sidewalk leading to the Attorney General’s suite of offices and waited for her to join him.
The interview with the assistant AG was brief. He was a bookish-looking sort, with Harry Potter spectacles, a striped tie fastened at an awkward angle on his neck, and the hint of a soup stain on the lapel of his wrinkled suit jacket.
Although in a foul mood, McGinnis laughed at his reaction to the attorney. He looks like he just had lunch with Brad.
The young attorney was all business as he spoke was a crispness and clarity that belied his crumpled appearance. “My apologies, Dr. McGinnis, for having to rush these materials to you.” Lifting two thick black binders off his desk, he handed them to McGinnis. “These books contain all the medical records for Mr. Aaron Logan as well as the charging documents, appropriate affidavits, law enforcement records, witness statements, and relevant depositions related to his case. After you have had an opportunity to review them, please call me if you have any questions.” Frowning, he added, “I had intended to review some of the major points of his file with you today, but an urgent matter takes me elsewhere.” His frown increased as he added, “I know that this is short notice and that there is a ton of material for you to review before seeing Mr. Logan tomorrow. I had hoped to have the entire file copied for you by now, but there are several additional witnesses whose depositions are not available yet. I wanted to at least get you what we had before you left tomorrow for the penitentiary.”
McGinnis put the two hefty documents into his briefcase, and nodded to the attorney. “I thank you for your efforts.” His face relaxed for the first time since he left Fredericks in the coffee shop, “Don’t worry. It’s not a perfect world That’s for sure.”
A grin peaked through the attorney’s formality. “Amen to that. And thanks for being so understanding.” Reaching across the desk, he stood up and shook McGinnis’ hand with surprising firmness. “Remember, if there is anything else you need on this one, give me a call.” With that, he walked around to the door and opened it for his two guests, giving them both a perfunctory wave as they left his office.
Walking toward their car, Sonya took the lead. “That was quick,” she said.
Still angry with Fredericks while watching her trim figure and model-like legs striding rhythmically in front of him, McGinnis lost his focus. “You never know,” he answered. “Sometimes you can handle a referral with a ten-minute conversation on the phone and, at other times, you have to rent a motel room.” Gasping at his Freudian slip, he stiffened with a jolt, catching his 60-year-old foot on a raised crack in the sidewalk. Stumbling forward, he fought to regain his balance.
“Sorry, Sonya, I’m not making sense today. Too much on my mind.” As he finished his halting attempt at an explanation, a hint of her perfume caught up with him. Breathing in her pleasing scent, he thought, “Too much for an old man to have on his mind and still walk a straight line. You got to wonder, do men ever act their age?”