Page 19 of A Burning Rage

I appreciate Tyler’s no-nonsense, straight-to-the-point approach. “I’d like to ask you to do some digging, if you don’t mind.”

“Of course. Anything. Just name it.”

“Something underhanded is going on here. The psychiatrist—a Dr. Rhona Masterson—has consistently reported over the years that Andrew still represents a risk to Beth. All of a sudden, she’s making a complete reversal and says he’s ready for release? It doesn’t make sense.”

Tyler nods. “Do you have any specific suspicions?”

I shrug. “No. We’ve considered everything, though, including bribery.”

“You think the Mortons could be bribing the psychiatrist to change her tune? That’s a pretty serious allegation. If it’s true, she could lose her medical license.”

“It’s one possibility—one that neatly explains her sudden change of heart.”

Tyler reaches inside his suit coat and retrieves a small notebook and a pen. “The father is Richard Morton? He’s a cardiologist, right?”

“Yes.”

“And the mother?”

“Cynthia Morton, a pediatrician.”

Tyler jots a few things down in his notebook.

“Paper and pen, huh?” I say. “That’s so old school of you.”

Tyler chuckles. “Now you sound like Ian.” He flips his notebook shut and slips it and the pen back into his pocket. “I’ll see what I can find out.”

I hold out my hand across the desk. “Thanks, Tyler.”

He grips my hand. “No need to thank me, Shane. You and I want the same thing.”

“Right.” Beth’s safety and happiness. “You and I have come a long way since the night you had me arrested and thrown in jail for assaulting an officer, especially considering you were the one who threw the first punch. I was just defending myself.”

This time he actually laughs. “I can’t wait until Luke is old enough to hear that story.”

“Please don’t,” I beg, suppressing my own laughter. “I’ll never hear the end of it.”

* * *

Thursday morning

The hearing is scheduled for ten o’clock. I wake up at six and can’t go back to sleep. My mind is racing. I’m hoping, of course, that Andrew’s request for release is soundly rejected by the board. But at the same time, my brain is already strategizing ways to protect Beth in the event it’s not.

I slip out of bed quietly so I don’t wake her. After a quick trip to the bathroom, I head into the kitchen to start the coffee. Today’s going to be a high-octane day when it comes to caffeine.

I needn’t have worried, though, because Cooper beat me to it. I find him sitting at the kitchen table sipping coffee and reading a hardcover book.

“You couldn’t sleep either?” I ask as I walk to the coffeemaker and pour myself a cup. I join him at the table.

“I hardly slept a wink last night for worrying about Beth. Any news from Tyler?”

“Nothing so far. He’s been splitting his time between investigating the psychiatrist as well as Andrew’s parents. No obvious connection yet.”

“The Mortons are loaded,” Cooper says. “They can certainly afford to bribe Masterson. If she is acting unethically, she’s taking a serious risk. She’ll never work as a doctor again.”

“If the price is high enough, it might be worth it to her.”

“I smell coffee,” says a sleepy male voice. A bleary-eyed Sam walks into the kitchen, in the process of securing his hair on top of his head with a black elastic band. “You guys couldn’t sleep either?”