InSight

back.”
    “I’ll check my email.” She clicked on the new message, and heard the mechanical voice. Her heart skipped a beat.
    “Nothing outside,” Luke said, coming in from the patio. “What’s the matter?”
    She pointed a shaky finger at the message she knew flashed on the screen.

    Did you enjoy our little meeting? I did. Maybe we can do it again. Only next time it will be you instead of your dog. Can’t wait.

    “Damn. Who is this guy? I’ll run the address through the computer.”
    Abby hugged herself to stop the tremors and turned toward Luke. “He’s ransacked my home and almost killed my dog. He won’t stop until he gets me. I don’t know why he didn’t do it last night. He’s only prolonging the inevitable.”
    “I told you, if that’s what he wanted he would have done it by now. He’s trying to terrify you.”
    “Well he’s doing a damn good job.” She knew Luke was saying that to alleviate her fear. The incidents were escalating in violence, like Pete said. There’d be more, and they both knew it. “He even made a complaint to the ethics committee about me.”
    “Repeat. I didn’t get that.”
    She did, and the tone of his voice indicated he understood. “What? When?”
    “I found out yesterday.”
    “About me?”
    “I assume so. They wouldn’t give me any information. An investigator will check into the allegations. There’s nothing there.”
    “Son of a bitch. I don’t want to leave, but if my being here is a problem, I will.”
    “No, stay. We’ve done nothing inappropriate.”
    “What about now?”
    She touched his arm. “You’re not my patient, Luke.”
    “The last thing I want to do is get you in trouble.”
    “I recused myself for that very reason. I don’t want you to go,” she paused, “but there’s a part of me that doesn’t want you to stay.”
    Luke didn’t say anything for a minute. “I’m either getting mixed signals, or I’m not reading you right. Did you say you don’t want me to go, but you don’t want me to stay?”
    Abby didn’t answer.
    “Say what you mean, Abby, because I’m not sure I understand.”
    She drew a deep breath and considered what she wanted to say. “There’s a lot of anger inside you. You’re going through traumatic changes. If you lose your career, you’ll have questions of self-worth. I don’t want your anger erupting again when I’m around. I’ve been there before. I’m not going through it again.”
    He knelt down beside her. “Do you think I’m capable of hurting you?”
    She shook her head. “No, but I think you’re capable of hurting yourself.”
    The silence in the room spoke volumes.
    “Luke?”
    “I’m past that. I’ve spent the last few days thinking about so many things. I can deal with what’s happened. I have to.” He took her hand, still resting on the computer desk. “You give me strength.”
    She rolled the desk chair away and pulled her hand with her. “I can’t be anyone’s crutch. I have a hard enough time being me.”
    “You’re not a crutch, but you can’t help setting an example.”
    “Outwardly, maybe, but inside I’m still groping around in the dark trying to make sense of things. That’s my edge and why my patients relate to me.” Rolling toward him, she said, “Sit down. Please. I have something I want to run by you.”
    She listened while Luke settled into the other chair.
    “I’ve given your situation a lot of thought, and I’ve come up with a couple of ideas. Don’t say anything until I finish, okay?”
    “Go ahead.”
    “First, do you remember the first time my house was broken into?”
    “Yeah, what about it?”
    “I was impressed with the way you handled the crime scene. You know your stuff. Only lab work requires specialized training. Your experience is valuable in dissecting a scene.”
    “And the second idea?”
    “The FBI and police departments all over the country employ lip-readers for undercover work. Usually, they hire outsiders. You’re good and you’re a cop. In New York , the police hired a lip-reader to watch a drug dealer talk to an associate. He learned of a large shipment. The DEA moved in on the cargo ship and broke up the ring, all because of the lip-reader. You’d have to get your name out there, but you’re perfect. Well, what do you think?”
    “I think you’ve been doing some research.”
    She smiled. “A little, maybe.” He didn’t say anything, and in a moment of insecurity she wondered whether she’d