"Was it the first time?" I said.

"Joanne claimed it was-Becky did, too, but they were both lying. I can't blame Becky for that, she was ashamed-no, it wasn't the first time, I could tell it wasn't. Because it explained all sorts of things. A little girl who used to talk to me, who after she turned sixteen and started getting tutored didn't talk to me anymore. A little girl who'd suddenly cry for no good reason, leave the house, not tell us where she was going-her grades started to drop, even with the tutoring-she was sixteen, Alex, and that bitch raped her! For all I know it had gone on for years."

"After you found them you never talked to Becky about it?"

"No point. She needed to heal, not be shamed."

More pacing.

"And don't get that accusatory tone. I know the law and no, I didn't report it to the so-called authorities,'" she said. "What would that have accomplished? The law's an ass, believe me, I sit out there and listen to it bray every goddamn day."

"And Bob?"

"Bob hates Joanne because he thinks she refused to keep on tutoring Becky and that's why Becky flunked math and won't be able to get into a good college. If I'd told Bob, Joanne might've been dead sooner and that's all I'd need-my entire family destroyed."

"You did tell Richard," I said.

"Richard's a man of action."

Translation: Richard would punish her. Shutting her out, forever.

I said, "Joanne was a woman of action. Once sentence had been passed, she carried out the punishment herself."

Killing herself slowly. Richard's contempt had been part of it-excommunicating her, letting her know he had nothing but contempt for her. Threatening to tell the children.

But there'd been more to the deterioration, force-feeding herself like a goose. Getting fat because Becky had gotten skinny.

Joanne had despised herself.

Stacy, the alleged problem child, had been kept out of the loop. Eric, dropping out to tend to his mother, had probably been privy to more. How much had Joanne told him? Not the essence of her sin, just that she'd done something for which Dad couldn't forgive her…

Judy said, "She finally did something right, goddamn her."

"She wanted you to see-her last chance at apology."

She shrugged. Drew her finger across her lips. "Leave now, Alex. I mean it."

I got up and headed for the door. "Despite all she did to your family, you cared about hers. That's why you referred Stacy to me."

"Talk about errors in judgment."

"Who else knows?" I said.

"No one."

"Not Becky's therapist?"

"No, Becky and I agreed she could get help without getting into it. And don't tell me I was wrong, because I wasn't. She's fine now. Planning to go to community college. Study psychology. We're back to where we were before, Alex. Becky will take strength from it-develop a higher level of empathy out of this. Be a great psychologist."

I turned toward the door.

"You don't know, either, Alex. This conversation never took place."

I reached for the doorknob.

"You're right," she said. "I don't ever want to see or hear from you again."

CHAPTER 38

Two WEEKS BEFORE Christmas, I called FBI headquarters at the Federal Building and, not expecting any success, asked to speak with Special Agent Mary Donovan.

I was transferred to her immediately.

"Hello, Doctor. What can I do for you?"

"I was just wondering if you've had any success with Dr. Fusco."

"Success," she said. "As measured by?"

"Finding him. Helping him."

"You're serious."

"About what?"

"Helping him. As if we're a clinic or something."

"Well," I said, "there's always the issue of collegiality. And respect for what he once was. No sign of him, at all?"

Long silence.

She said, "Look, I took your call because I thought you might've changed your mind, but this is a waste of time."

"Changed my mind in what way?"

"Being willing to cooperate. Helping us find him."

"Helping you?" I said. "As if I'm a clinic or something."

Another silence.

"I guess my question's been answered," I said.

"Have a nice day, Doctor."

Click.

I sat there holding the phone. Thinking about Alice Zoghbie's claim of being audited by the IRS because she'd rubbed important noses the wrong way. Probably a lie, covering for a call from Roy Haiselden.

But you never knew.

CHAPTER 39

A WEEK BEFORE Christmas, Stacy called.

"I'm so sorry," she said. "It was rude not answering, but things got really busy and…"

"Don't worry about it. How's everything going?"

"Actually, much better. Did pretty well on a bunch of A.P. exams, and I just found out I got in early to Cornell. I know it's far away and it gets cold, but they've got a veterinary school and I think I might want to do that."

"Congratulations, Stacy."

"Architecture seemed too… impersonal. Anyway, thanks for all your help. That's it."

"How's Eric?"

"He's okay. Dad's fine, too, busy all the time. He doesn't like visiting that probation officer, complains about it constantly, but he's lucky that's all he got, right? Eric changed his major. Psychology. So maybe you had an influence on him-I'm sorry about the way he treated you."

"That's okay."

She laughed. "That's what he says. Taking abuse is part of your job. Guilt's not a big part of Eric's life."

"Ah," I said, knowing how wrong she was.

"Did you hear about the Manitows?" she said.

"What about them?"

"They put their house up for sale and moved out of the Palisades. They're renting a place down in La Jolla. Judge Manitow's quitting and Dr. Manitow's trying to see if he can find work down there."

"No, I hadn't heard."

"They didn't exactly advertise it," she said. "One day I was seeing Dr. Manitow drive off to work, the next day the sign was up and the moving vans were there. Becky's moving with them. Going to some junior college in San Diego. Everyone else can't wait to get out of the house, but she's staying with her parents. Someone told me Becky said that she needs to stay close to home."

"Some people do need that," I said.

"Guess so. Anyway, thanks for all your help. Maybe one day I'll get my DVM and I'll get a chance to work with that cute little bulldog of yours. Pay you back."

"Maybe," I said.

She laughed. "That would be cool."

Jonathan Kellerman

Jonathan Kellerman is one of the world's most popular authors. He has brought his expertise as a child psychologist to numerous bestselling tales of suspense (which have been translated into two dozen languages), including thirteen previous Alex Delaware novels; The Butcher's Theater, a story of serial killing in Jerusalem; and Billy Straight, featuring Hollywood homicide detective Petra Connor. His new novel, Flesh and Blood, will be published in hardcover in fall 2001. He is also the author of numerous essays, short stories, and scientific articles, two children's books, and three volumes of psychology, including Savage Spawn: Reflections on Violent Children. He and his wife, the novelist Faye Kellerman, have four children.