One Last Scream

up on the floor beside her. The TV and several lights remained on. The last thing she’d thought about was the gun. Did she really expect to use it, and on whom? Amelia?

Karen spent most of the morning on the phone with old contacts from Group Health, trying to track down psychiatrists who had experience with multiple personality disorder cases. You can’t be serious was the most frequent response, and several people just laughed. But Karen did come up with a few names, and left some messages. She figured if Amelia was indeed suffering from MPD, then someone more qualified than herself had to be brought in-and soon. Karen felt out of her league here.

She had two client sessions scheduled that Sunday afternoon, and the second one was with Laird, who always complained about his love life.

“She ordered a Cosmopolitan with some fancy-schmancy-brand vodka, and all I had was a lousy Bud Light,” Laird was saying of his most recent Internet date. “And afterward, she tells me we should split the tab fifty-fifty, and I’m like, the hell with that. She wasn’t even pretty-”

The doorbell rang, and Rufus started barking. Karen got to her feet. “I’m sorry, Laird. I’ll be right back. In the meantime, think about why this woman’s prettiness, or lack of it, comes up as an issue here.”

She stepped out to the foyer and shut the study door behind her. “Quiet, Rufus!” she called. She always kept him locked up in the kitchen when she had clients over. She wasn’t expecting anyone. Amelia still hadn’t called back. But it wouldn’t have been like her to come over unannounced, anyway. Even with her emergency last week, Amelia had tried to call first.

Karen checked the peephole. “Damn it,” she muttered, and then she opened the door.

Detective Russ Koehler stood on her front stoop, wearing a leather aviator jacket, khakis, and a smug expression. He had a tall beverage cup from Starbucks in his hand. “You told me to bring my checkbook next time I came by,” he announced. “But I decided to bring a peace offering instead-a tall latte.”

He tried to hand it to her, but Karen didn’t move a muscle. She just stared at him.

“Listen, I admire the way you stuck up for your client yesterday. But if you really want to help Amelia, you’ll cooperate with me. And you know something? I think you’ll feel better once we’ve talked. We’re going to connect, Karen. I’m feeling lucky about it. In fact, I have my lucky shirt on today.”

Eyes narrowed, Karen glanced down at his shirt for a second: a white button-down oxford with wide stripes of blue that matched his eyes. She might have been attracted to him, if only he weren’t such a snake. He held out the Starbucks cup again.

“C’mon, aren’t you at least going to take my peace offering?”

“I’m in the middle of a session with a client right now,” she said finally. “And you’re interrupting.”

“I can wait,” he said with a crooked grin.

Karen started to shake her head. “Well, I’m afraid you…”

She fell silent at the sight of someone coming up the driveway toward them. She wore jeans, a red blouse, and a black cardigan, and nervously clutched a big leather purse to her side. Her hair was swept back and up from her neck with a barrette. “Amelia?” Karen whispered. She could see she was wearing makeup, a rarity for her. The crimson lipstick and dark mascara looked startling against her creamy complexion.

Koehler turned and glanced at the 19-year-old. Obviously he liked what he saw. Karen noticed the shift in his posture, and even with only a quarter of his face in view she saw a smirk on his face that was almost predatory. “Well, well, Amelia Faraday, at last we meet,” he said.

Stopping a few steps from him, she seemed bewildered.

“This is Detective Russ Koehler, with the Seattle Police,” Karen piped up.

Wide-eyed, she politely nodded at him.

He grabbed her hand and shook it. “Sorry for your loss. Listen, I’d really like to chat with you-”

“Amelia, I need to see you inside for a minute,” Karen said loudly, cutting him off.

“Oh, okay,” she murmured, still looking baffled. She turned away from Koehler and started toward the doorway.

But he took hold of her arm. “Now, wait a minute-”

From the doorway, Karen shot him a look. “What do you think you’re doing?”

He froze for a moment, then let go of the 19-year-old. “Okay, fine,” he grumbled. “Everything’s cool.”

“Wait here, please.” Karen shut the door on Koehler, and ushered her into the house. “Come on, Amelia.” Passing the study, she called out, “Laird? I’ll be with you in a minute!”

They hurried into the kitchen. Rufus backed away, and barked at them. He even growled a little. “Stop that,” Karen hissed. “You know Amelia, for God’s sake.”

“What’s wrong with him?”

“I don’t know,” Karen said, reaching into the cookie jar. “Too much excitement around here, I guess.” She fished out a dog biscuit, opened the basement door, and tossed it down the stairs. Rufus let out a final bark, then eagerly chased after the treat. Karen shut the basement door after him.

“Amelia, where have you been?” she whispered, taking hold of her arm. “I left you four messages yesterday.”

“Oh, Karen, I’m so sorry,” she said. “I needed to get away. So I rented a car and just started driving. I didn’t check my messages. Please, don’t be mad-”

“I’m not mad. I’m just confused, and worried about you.” Karen patted her shoulder. “Listen, I need you to be honest with me about something. It’s important. What were you doing yesterday around five o’clock?”

She shrugged. “I’m really not sure. I’ve been driving all over. I think I was up near Deception Pass, but that might have been earlier in the day. Why are you asking?”

“You didn’t stop by the Sandpoint View Convalescent Home yesterday?”

She shook her head. “I don’t even know where that is, Karen.”

“Do you recall running down a gray stairwell to a basement area with a boiler room, and another room that was a storage area?”

She shook her head again. “No-”

“Think hard, Amelia. You don’t remember a storage area full of boxes and hospital equipment? There were broken lights on the ceiling, and it was dark. There was a fire door-”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” She backed into the hallway.

“You don’t have any memory of it at all? Not even fragments?”

“Goddamn it, no!” she cried angrily. “Why are you asking me all these fucking questions? Why are you picking on me?”

Dumbstruck, Karen stared at her. Amelia had never snapped at her like that before. And for a moment, Karen wondered if she was talking to the other Amelia right now. Between the makeup and her manner, she almost seemed like a different person. Then again, maybe Karen was looking too hard for a different Amelia right now.

She took a deep breath, and tried to smile. “I thought I saw you yesterday at the rest home where my father’s staying,” she said calmly. She took a small step toward her. “I–I must have been mistaken. I didn’t mean to jump on your case.”

“Well, you’re scaring me, Karen,” she said with a shaky voice. “I don’t understand why you’re acting like this. What happened?” She glanced toward the front door. “What’s that police detective doing here?”

“If I seem on edge, he’s one reason why,” Karen explained. “He’s unofficially investigating the deaths of your parents and aunt. By unofficially, I mean he’s snooping around on his own without any backing from the police department. At least, he doesn’t have any backing, yet. He’s got a bunch of crazy theories and notions about what might have happened last weekend. This guy’s bad news, Amelia. You shouldn’t talk to him. And you don’t have to-”

The doorbell rang. Rufus started barking and scratching on the other side of the basement door. The doorbell rang again and again until the chiming was continuous. The study door slid open, and Laird stuck his head out. “Is anyone going to answer that?” he asked, over the incessant ringing and the dog’s yelping.

Karen moved down the hallway, and gave her client a gentle push back into the study. “Laird, I’ll be with you in just one more minute. Sorry about the interruption.” She shut the door to the study. “Rufus, can it!” she yelled. Then she swiveled around and yanked open the front door to find Russ Koehler, with his finger on the bell. “Do you mind?” she growled.

“As a matter of fact, I do mind,” he replied, finally taking his finger off the doorbell. “I’m going to talk with