Chapter Fifty-four
“What are you doing here?” Claudia Franzetti asked Natalie after the two of them ran into each other in the office building’s lobby. “Friday’s supposed to be your day off.”
Natalie smiled guiltily. “I thought I’d catch up on some paperwork.”
Claudia wagged a finger at her. “That’s not it. I’ve been watching TV. You’re worried about Morris. This is what you do every time you’re worried about him. You hide out here.”
Natalie laughed. “You should be a detective yourself.”
The elevator arrived, and both women got in it. Their offices were both on the seventh floor. As the elevator got underway, Claudia asked, “This creep your husband is looking for, is he going to find him?”
“Morris always finds them.”
“Jesus, I hope so. What this creep is doing to these poor people gives me the shivers.” Claudia smacked her forehead. “I almost forgot, tomorrow’s your birthday.” She smiled impishly. “What’s it going to be, number thirty?”
“Ha! You’re sounding like Morris.”
“Lucky man, your husband.”
“Although he claims I look thirty-five.”
“He needs his eyes examined.”
The elevator arrived on their floor and the door opened. As the women separated to their respective offices, Claudia called out, inviting Natalie to lunch later. “My treat,” Claudia said with a big grin, “the least I could do given that tomorrow is your big 3-0.”
“Deal,” Natalie agreed, smiling, but by the time she unlocked her office door and walked inside, her smile had faded. Claudia was right. She was worried about Morris. It was bad enough hunting the last serial killer, that twisted monster Vincent Rubosto, almost killed Morris, but last night she had to find out he was almost shot to death in a Beverly Hills jewelry store. Of course, she knew logically that that had nothing to do with his investigation, but still, she had every right to be upset about it. And of course, when Morris told her about it, he downplayed the event, making it sound as if he were never in any danger. It wasn’t until she saw an in-depth report about it on the news that she realized how deadly the situation had become, with the store owner and others telling the reporter that the robbers were about to murder everyone in the store before Morris took charge. And then after that he had to run out of the house at two in the morning after not sleeping the night before. Even though he was perhaps the toughest and most capable man she’d ever met, she had every right to be worried!
Her phone rang almost the second she sat behind her desk. When she answered it, a man’s voice asked if she were Natalie Brick.
“Yes, speaking,” she said, her guard up, thinking this might be a reporter.
“Thank heavens I got you,” the man said. “Erica Pines has been telling me you’re the absolute best therapist in LA, and that’s what I need. If you could squeeze me in, I’d be eternally grateful. Insurance isn’t an issue, I’ve got money.”
Natalie hesitated. She wasn’t taking on new clients, but seeing someone that day would help take her mind off worrying about her husband, and Erica was one of her dearest clients.
“How long have you known Erica?” she asked.
“Years. Great gal. The absolute best.”
“What would you like to see me about?”
“Oh, jeeze, my marriage. Things have gone completely nuts with my wife. I am so desperate to talk to someone about it. If you can squeeze me in, I’ll be there at the drop of a hat.”
The desperation in the man’s voice helped Natalie make up her mind. “Sure. How about two o’clock today?”
“Oh, wow, thank you. That’d be swell. I’ll be there.”
“What’s your name?”
“Howard Donner.”